Hello im James and new in the game

i want to play a 1hand and shield
is it good to be tank or dps? thanks in advance for suggestions

 

Welcome to Toram, I hope you come to enjoy this game!
As for whether dps or tank, dps in general will rely heavily on good equipment in order to do any significant amount of damage, tanks on the other hand are easy to build since you only really need a high MTL and VIT stat (resist debuff and add health respectively) and know how to hold aggro. Personally, I feel tanking is good way to start off since it is easy to build, doesn't need amazing equipment and is pretty much needed in all boss fights.
If you are stuck, you can either ask on the forum or go on youtube where there are numerous guides which can be really helpful.

 

oh ok thank you it helps me

 

when you use a shield, people usually expect you to tank.
shield skills are also mostly defensive, so it's natural.

you don't have discard atk, though. some shields also have offensive stats on them, and you can hit back with Guard Strike.
the 1h shield combination is well-rounded between attack and defense, so you can do both. just don't expect to be stronger than the fully dedicated attackers.