Ideas for Maxwell rework in DST

[POOH_LY]

I personally really like the concept of this character. he and his ability seem pretty cool. However, when I play as this character, I feel like his ability isn't represented the best. The shadow duelists are too weak to be practical and the shadow workers sometimes chop down trees or mine rocks that you don't want them to. So, here is my ideas.

Let there be 3 shadow puppets like in DS.(no sub classes)

Each have 200 hp(Maxwell's max sanity number) and regen 1 hp per second just like Abigail.
Shadow puppets do work based on the tools you(Maxwell) equip(s). For example, if you are holding an axe, shadow puppets will start to chop all the trees in range. If you are holding a pickaxe, they will start mining rocks. If you are holding a shovel, they will dig stumps, graves, etc. Other than that, they will act as a shadow duelists who won't engage in a battle unless you hit something or are hit by something. Moreover, If they do battle, they will kite enemies. (just like the way they do in DST) This way you kinda can order them what to do instead of having them mindlessly destroying everything.

If you think this is too op, my further ideas for the nerf are:
Reduce their damage. Maybe make each puppet deal only 20-30 damage, so if you want to maximize the dps you have to have 3 of them.
Increase the cost of summoning the puppets. Maybe 4-5 nightmare fuel and 20 hp. Is this too much, or still too cheap? I don't know.

Other than these changes, I think he is fine as he is right now. His low hp makes the player be more careful about combat, and his +6.75/min sanity makes it easier to manage his sanity. (unlike in DS where he gains too much and too fast anity making it almost impossible to farm nightmare fuel) If you guys have any ideas, feel free to share them here.  
Ps. I am not a native speaker. Just to let you know if my English sounds ridiculous.

 

[Spirit Glow]

I really think they should make him the "glass cannon" of the game as opposed to the "frail gatherer" that he sort of falls under right now.

Personally I would be fine with the puppets the way they work now, but i would like the puppets to do dark sword damage (even if it would mean increasing the cost to make them). Additionally, being able to stop them from chopping, mining, etc, without having to kill them would be a huge plus. 

 

It would also be cool to have some type of spell or attack using the codex umbra and nightmare fuel. Would be something specific to him and it could help in fights where the shadow puppets might not be as useful. just my 2 cents

[ADM]

I mean... This is a complete nerf to me :

Limited to 3 puppets, they're more expensive (AND require life), weaker duellist, they can't work without you by swaping tools... All the things I hate about Maxwell in the standalone.

To me, the problem you have with Maxwell is that it can destroy things if you don't bring attention to, if you want to fix this on your gameplay you have to make sure to kill your puppets when their job is over, for what cost ? : 1 nightmare fuel

The only thing I can consider here as an upgrade is the increased life of puppets, but clearly it's unnecessary : workers need to be used (it include also summoned) during a safe period, and the shadows duelist can be a good DPS and they do to regenerate their life currently, so you just have to use them on something that handle only a target at a time and you will see the true potential they have with only 75HP, just like Max.

So they're pretty handy to use like how they are, they don't need us to work, just go on your tree farm with 3 choppers and a digger and it's fine. You just have to do the "Shadow Picker" yourself ^^ And then if you need to back to your base, you kill them. And this situation work the same for everything, you want to clear ruins ? Make a miner and keep it as long you need it. If they need you to see what tools you get on your hand it means that you NEED to have the tools with you, which cost inventory slots, thing that I love about Maxwell: you don't need the tools, just flint and nightmare fuel for your puppets.

 

I don't want to use this on you : Cause you've show what you'd like on this character, with effort. But this is exactly what could make me stop playing my favorite main, sorry...

But I'd just give my recommendation about how to fix what you need for the Maxwell refresh, it could be nice if the shadows don't follow the player but do to follow the Codex Umbra, so if you need a break but you didn't finished the work (dunno, like, a hound wave maybe?), you can just drop the book, like a bit how they did in The Gorge, it was nice and requise only a inventory slot... and I always have that book on me so...

It's just like how Chester and Glommer works btw, no one ever complained about this function so i think it's something good to try

[Frashaw27]

24 minutes ago, ADM said:

Shadow Picker

I feel like this a call out, but its fine. I made the idea with the intention to help pick up stuff like a lot of logs but I can see how worthless it can be.

1 hour ago, POOH_LY said:

I feel like his ability isn't represented the best.

His ability is actually one of the best thematically to his character. Why would a king do work himself? He would just get his servent to do it, even if he has been dethroned, he still does hold the power to make servents.

1 hour ago, POOH_LY said:

Let there be 3 shadow puppets like in DS.(no sub classes)

The puppet sub classes made him better in long run. While I may be fine with DS's puppets, not everybody is. The subclasses allowed them to thrive as they could do one thing really good instead of a bunch mediocrely. I would rather have a few puppets that work the best in one job then a bunch of them that do good in many jobs.

1 hour ago, POOH_LY said:

work based on the tools you(Maxwell) equip(s)

Then it would sort of brake an aspect of maxwell I really like, preparing tools for later so you don't have to carry them everywhere. This would remove that convinence and reduce his usefulness.

2 hours ago, POOH_LY said:

Maybe 4-5 nightmare fuel and 20 hp. Is this too much, or still too cheap

That is absurdly expensive. It is the same cost as a dark sword, end level gear. Maxwell also only starts with 4 mightmare fuel, which means he can't even summon a puppet from the offset.

In conclusion. I don't like your rework. I think its generally agreed that his current puppets work fine and don't need to be changed. Besides that, your version would make him less of a puppet master and more of a leader. A puppet master is someone who forces others to do their work, a leader is someone that directs your work but might help you with it. Maxwell is meant to be a manipulator not a leader.

[ADM]

8 minutes ago, Frashaw27 said:

I feel like this a call out, but its fine. I made the idea with the intention to help pick up stuff like a lot of logs but I can see how worthless it can be.

Haha please no ! For sure I would like to see more puppets like the hammer one that could be one of my best mate on ruins, but a picker will just result as completely turn Maxwell in a full assisted character, so unless they turn the Lazy Forager refuelable, I think I will still need to crack my back to pick logs, and I'm fine with it

[POOH_LY]

Thank you for all the replies! You guys are right. Puppets without sub classes require you to carry all kinds of tools which is inconvinient. 
But the main problem with the puppets is that Shadow Duelists are way too fragile. 
What do you think about Shadow Duelists having 200 hp? Is that ridiculously too much? If so, how about 150? After all I just want to have Shadow Duelists haning around with me at all time without worrying that they will die every day or two.
Ps. I forgot that Shadow Duelists normally regen 15 hp every 2 seconds. So are they fine as hey are right now?

[POOH_LY]

Don't get me wrong. In my opinio, Maxwell is already a really good character. I jsut think that a few quality of life improvements would make him even better.