I understand that you wanted to simplify the system and all that but having the 4 elements count as one really is detrimental to the design.
Why should a zombie wreathed in fire (or a ghost that spits fire etc) take extra damage from a weapon like combuster fire? It shouldnt.
Heres how to fix it without borking the entire system.
Add a unique variant (that can randomly appear on armours/shields you craft)
These creatures would have this variant in them.
(elemental alignments) (with it comes immunity to condition states of it's alignment)
Fire Alignment: This creature treats all fire sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from cold
Cold Alignment: This creature treats all cold sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from fire
Electrical Alignment: This creature treats all electrical sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from poison
Poison Alignment: This creature treats all poison sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from electricity
And while were at it, we can differentiate between SUN and Shadow with these ones. (light and dark)
Shadow Alignment: This creature treats all shadow sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from Piercing
Sun Alignment: This creature treats all piercing sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from Shadow
Any thoughts?
nope
> before all:
the Combuster deal most damage because anything that is picked up by the charged attack will ride all the way
the Acheron can make this too, but don't deal any status effect, and the fire status of the Combuster can dish additional damage
the Glacius have huge chance to frost the enemy on the place (50% on each hit of the charged attack, like any status of this line), so, the enemy get stucked on the place instead ride all the charged attack, only ice resistant enemies can ride all the charged attack, in general
the same thing on Voltedge, the spasms of the shock effect can stop the enemy on the place, only shock resistant enemies can ride all the charged attack, in general
at end, the status effect limit the efficiency of that weapon
at least, the zombies on FSC are invunerable against fire, so stop complaining about the weapon and complain about the status -_-
or wish change the FSC to SSC (Shock Storm Citadel, King of Sparks) or ISC (Ice Storm Citadel, maybe King of Chill)
> second part:
status effect on the game are not fully attached to the weapon set the operating point... it only works as an chance effect, enough that there is the same weapon with different status
look to the brandish line (Combuster, Voltedge, Glacius and Acheron), or even Rapier line (Final Flourish, Flamberge, Rigardoon and the snarby sword)
anyway, you can't link this additional damage of the weapon to the status effect, because they are independent
> third part:
"Shadow Alignment: This creature treats all shadow sourced damage as if it had full resistance to it, but takes extra damage from Piercing"
Full Stop.
.
Piercing is not "Holy type" damage, Piercing type is Piercing, literally, as a knife (example), knife can deal piercing damage, you can cut or drill, is a mechanical weapon
the only weapon that could be categorized as a angelic weapon of Spiral Knight would be Divine Avenger, but any elemental weapon can deal more damage, or be neutral, against shadow enemies, already
You want to destroy the family's system in the game?
like you are saying, Slimes is "divine" alignment (as if they were descendants of the "Flying Spaghetti Monster" of the Pastafarianism) and Fiends are the Shadow alignment... and the others? we have 6 familys, not 2
.
the whole problem was that you relied on incorrect assumptions to put your suggestions
try again, next time