Over the next week or so, expect the stats of equipment used as "combo" to fluctuate as I try to bring it more in line with dodge and abs. If anything feels out of whack, feel free to mail me or make a post on the General forum about it.
Also, within the next day or so expect weight carried and worn to have a much larger effect on parry if you do not have high strength.
Edit 7/22: As of next reboot, shields will have an additional parry modifier based on dexterity.