The new fighting system makes fighting more tactical. Its easier to swat flies with a staff than it is to chop them in half with an axe. Arrows will fly through skeletons bones where as a hammer will smash them.
Your "farmer" friends are probobly pretty good fighters. You can miss and get critical hits now too. You said you had low perception, well your not going to be able to fight very well if you can hardly see the person in front of you.