Weapons & Equip Classless Shield of Cthulhu

[MrD108]

The Shield of Cthulhu is the only Expert accessory with class-specific damage, which is really unfair to other classes.
As such, the Shield of Cthulhu should have classless damage, just like the Bone Helm, Volatile Gelatin, Spore Sac, and the reworked in 1.4.1 Bone Glove.

It's the only accessory that disrupts class-based runs, class-based multiplayer, and greatly empowers melee players at the start of Expert Mode due to scaling damage.
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Edit: After some sleep and some thinking I came up with a more interesting idea. Let's make the Shield of Cthulhu and Bone Glove "Class Neutral".
What does "Class Neutral" mean?
Well, their damage and critical hit chance now scale with each damage type.

Example #1: If the Player is wearing full Bee Armor, the damage of the Shield of Cthulhu and Bone Glove will be increased by +23%.

Example #2: If the Player is wearing full Frost Armor, the damage of the Shield of Cthulhu and Bone Glove will be increased by both melee damage and range damage, for a total of +52%.

This will ensure that both accessories will still not be tied to any class, but will still receive the damage increase buffs.

 

[Coleyohley]

Single-class-only challenge runs (and challenge runs in general) are your own choice, and the game is not and never has been designed around them; they are your own decision and you are the one that sets the terms for them. Until the devs add a some kind of official challenge mode that actually confines you to a single class, I don't see any merit in this particular point.

Every player (those that participated in the fight, at least) gets a Shield of Cthulhu, I can't possibly see how this messes with multiplayer loot distribution, unless you just get really pissed off that your mage hits enemies with a melee attack every now and then; again, forbidding yourself or someone else from using more than one damage type is your own choice, and the game isn't designed for it.

As for greatly boosting the melee class, no, it really doesn't. How often do you ram into enemies with it, and how much of your overall damage is actually caused by doing that throughout the fight? I can't imagine it's a very high percentage, even when trying to bash enemies as much as possible, and that already-low number is going to drop off of several cliffs as you progress through the game. The amount of benefit the melee class specifically gets from the Shield Bash being considered a melee attack is very, very small,  especially during the aforementioned early-game where class-based damage bonuses are close to nonexistent.

Would it be consistent to make it a classless damage type? Yes, that would make it consistent with the other "Hazard" accessories, but right now it's about the furthest thing from a problem. I don't really see the point in changing it, in fact I think I would dislike this change because throwing themselves directly at the enemy is about as 'melee' of a thing a person could possibly do; if anything I'm actually quite happy that such an action deals melee damage.

 

[Russ Guss Doodles]

As someone who almost exclusively does pure class playthroughs I wouldn’t mind seeing the shield’s damage be classless, but at the same time I also recognize it’s not really a necessary change. It’s not “really unfair to other classes” and the things you brought up are really non-issues (for the reasons @Coleyohley pointed out).

I still use the Shield of Cthulhu when doing pure Ranged, Magic, and Summoner playthroughs despite its melee damage because the few times I dash into enemies and deal melee damage aren’t worth worrying about. It’s the same way it’s not worth worrying about accidentally hitting enemies with a pickaxe while mining. Player set challenges are about having fun and imo pure class playthroughs are about immersing yourself in a class’ play style, not worrying about dealing only one damage type.

 

[MrD108]

Single-class-only challenge runs (and challenge runs in general) are your own choice, and the game is not and never has been designed around them; they are your own decision and you are the one that sets the terms for them. Until the devs add a some kind of official challenge mode that actually confines you to a single class, I don't see any merit in this particular point.

Every player (those that participated in the fight, at least) gets a Shield of Cthulhu, I can't possibly see how this messes with multiplayer loot distribution, unless you just get really pissed off that your mage hits enemies with a melee attack every now and then; again, forbidding yourself or someone else from using more than one damage type is your own choice, and the game isn't designed for it.

It's more about why a powerful accessory that is a reward for playing Expert Mode should favor one class over another. Why do I currently get less benefit from this reward when playing as a Mage than when playing Melee. Since the damage of Shield of Cthulhu is melee, does the player also have to switch to melee to get the most out of it? It's a really odd move for a reward when it rewards one playstyle more than another.

But I've thought about it and made some changes to the idea, so maybe you'll like the new version better?

 

[Waldofoce]

It's more about why a powerful accessory that is a reward for playing Expert Mode should favor one class over another. Why do I currently get less benefit from this reward when playing as a Mage than when playing Melee. Since the damage of Shield of Cthulhu is melee, does the player also have to switch to melee to get the most out of it? It's a really odd move for a reward when it rewards one playstyle more than another.

But I've thought about it and made some changes to the idea, so maybe you'll like the new version better?

As I see it the problem is nonexistent. At the point you get it, (prehardmode) the maximum possible melee damage bonus is what? 50%? Maybe even less. The most melee will get out of it that other classes won’t is about 15 points of damage. It’s also important to note that no one even uses the shield as a weapon, its main use is as a dodging tool.

 

[MrD108]

It’s also important to note that no one even uses the shield as a weapon, its main use is as a dodging tool.

It's also important to note that just because you don't do something, it doesn't mean others don't use it.

As I see it the problem is nonexistent.

The problem is the melee class is favored by the accessory that is a boss reward in Expert Mode. It may not be huge, but it's still stronger in the hands of melee players than other classes. No other accessory deals class-specific damage, so Shield of Cthulhu is a bit of a weirdo here.
And, as is the case for a significant portion of the community, it disrupts class-based runs.

 

[Mille Marteaux]

in the grand scheme it deals like 3 extra damage if you skip straight to molten armor and if you're trying to use it as a weapon it contributes maybe like 10 extra dps, 11 in molten. it is not noticeable in the slightest, especially because you are not walking up to wof to shield bash it

saying it's unfair to 'other classes' that the attack you can use every like 3 seconds can deal an extra 1 overall dps is a heavy overestimation of how much your boosts are contributing to it, and refusing to use it because it says "melee damage" and you're playing magic is a problem of taking your own self-imposed rules too far

 

[Stellar Mastodon 267]

It is a bit weird to have this one outlier, but with the way that SoC works, it’s just what makes sense e

 

[Coleyohley]

The problem is the melee class is favored by the accessory that is a boss reward in Expert Mode. It may not be huge, but it's still stronger in the hands of melee players than other classes.

"Favored" is a dramatic overstatement, especially in early-game where class-specific damage are almost nonexistent. Again, how much of your overall damage is dealt by this thing, and how much of that already-small number is because it was melee damage instead of classless? This item deals a whopping... 3 extra damage for every 10% of melee damage you have, and there isn't very much of that available in Prehardmode where this attack's damage might actually mean something. This item being considered melee damage is almost completely meaningless.

No other accessory deals class-specific damage, so the Shield of Cthulhu is a bit of a weirdo here.

This may be true for accessories, but Pickaxes, Axes, and Hammers all deal Melee damage, and many mounts deal Summon damage when they crash into enemies, and I'd wager most people, even those doing class-based runs, accidentally (or intentionally) hit enemies with these tools far more than they bash things with SoC. Do you believe those to be problems too?

Well, I don't, and I can tell you for certain that the developers don't either; they have stated time and time again that restrictions like these are your own choice and they are not interested in catering to them.

Edit: as for your new idea, I actually really like it, and I frankly think all "hazard" accessories should work this way; one of the reasons I don't like to use them is  because you can't increase their damage at all. Benefitting from every damage stat at once sounds a little too much though, maybe they should use your highest damage stat (and crit chance, because I'd like them to be able to crit too) instead.

 

[RainbowPotato]

I think other classes missing out on 5 points of damage isn’t that big, and its not like your dashing to attack, your dashing to dodge.

 

[Asternove]

Why not go the other way? Make the Bone Glove Ranged, make the Spore Sac Summon, etc.