In most cases it is the superior choice. Having options doesn't mean much if those options aren't well balanced. There are some encounters in which shove won't be as useful, but in any encounter where there is high terrain and/or insta-death pit shoving just offers a better payout then offhand attack.
I gues it mostly depends on your priorities ...
After all, as i keep saying over and over ... if some option pisses you off and you hate it, i see litteraly no reason to use it no matter how "effective" it can be.
I mean i play Berserker Barbarian right now ...
And so far i cleaner whole surface and aproximately 3/4 of the Underdark (minus Grymforge) ...
And i didnt shove, or throw away even single enemy ... the reason i obvious i believe, i want their loot
and also it would be boring. :P
//Edit:
I said it thousand times and i say it again ...
Complaining about something, while doing it is just like standing in the fire and complaining about having burns. :-/
Funny enough, the more people "use" shove, no matter how much they hate it ...
The more Larian will see in their data surveys that Shove is used.
And speaking for myself, if i would see people using Shove 90% of the time ... i would presume they like it.
