Thanee said:Force Shields are not animated, you do not just hit the on switch and they protect you, you have to do that yourself. Also see my last post about time and abstract D&D combat.
Yes you can turn it on and weild it and turn it off without any problems. Thus the stuff about free action.
Your stuff about abstract D&D combat has no relevance because it is not how D&D combat works. Everyone takes 'turns' in D&D combat and time is in fact parceled out in these finite actions. In fact this is essential for the feather fall spell work, if someone bull rushes you off the side of a cliff you don't actually start falling untill its your turn, at which time you can use a free action to cast feather fall.