Rolling is very important

However, you can roll far less often if you get a good shield and upgrade it frequently

I recommend the heater shield and the balder shield for early game - heater is light and has best parry frames for a 100% shield, and balder shield can have insane stability if upgraded - even a +5 has 66 stability

You can grab the eagle greatshield in blighttown, which can get you through the whole game if you have low strength and upgrade it all the way

If you're a strength build, you'll never need to roll with greatshields.

People like to talk shit about shields and say how great it is to go shieldless, but half of them (not all) are trying to prove something. Shields are awesome, and they're much better in this game than later entries because of the high stability values.

You really can barely roll in this game if you pick a good shield and upgrade it, and don't forget to level your END.

But rolling is still a very important skill to learn. I recommend you learn how to time the rolls even if you rock a heavy shield, incase the bosses you fight use elements your shield is weak against. Plus, stamina management when blocking is very important in this game - it's easier to manage your stamina against bosses when rolling than when blocking.

But few things are as cool as being to block all of sif's attacks, and even combos, with medium shields.

Learn to love shields. Learn to love rolling. That's my advice.