crazy thought but wouldn’t having slag in this game as it was before or something that works that way giving double or triple damage have fixed most of the problems with scaling and guns being too weak?
I mean in most of the cases we kept saying guns or legendary grenades needed their damage doubled or tripled (or more in the fastball’s case). It seems like the oddly hated slag would have really helped early on in this games cycle. mayhem etc. instead of having to beg and hope for buffs.
I think the general consensus is a debuff mechanic such as slag is a bad thing.
In a way, there’s a few slag mechanics in the game, one of them being Cryo directly for Melee, then if you also add Ice Breaker on top of it you got another damage boost. Then we also have “It’s Piss” Grenade that has 20% debuff to enemies. Then we also have Radiation that slows enemies a bit, and explodes when killing the enemy that creates a semi-bloodsplosion effect. We also have a few skills for debuffs like Laid Bare from Amara. But yeah, generally they are not super OP like Slag and they are not necessary in the same way slag is.
I understand your view on this and probably would have but they would’ve had go down a whole different path with gear. Accounting for it in the math that makes up health, weapon stat and shields. Not to mention the skill trees probably would have to be redone. But i hated relying on slag myself. It was part of the game and was needed in the op levels, radiation on the other hand in 3 is not needed but a good option. I think gearbox said was like a slag replacement. Plus Im happy with the current damage output and enemy health right now. Having said that you do need to be well equipped at M10 tho.
Also, if you think about it, the new REAL slag is actually the Anoint system. Basically the same thing, you need it end-game to be competent at Mayhem 10 (Unless you’re Moze with Iron Bear)
smulk say
lag goo
The problem with slag in BL2 is that in endgame it was almost always a necessity to have some way of slagging in your build. They didn’t want to force players into using slag or any sort of debuff so they created cryo in TLPS and added radiation alongside it in BL3.
Slag = BAD
First. I give you a like for a courageous post. 
You could be right. As the debuff “smoothen” the difference between guns.
The problem in BL2 wasn’t slag itself but the lack of good and reliable slag guns. Namely two. The Pimpernel was a mission reward from a DLC. So for the casual player it was almost impossible to get the right one and even if they did. Chances are they wouldn’t realize it’s potential right away.
The second one was the Slagga. Again someone unaware had 50% chance of picking the “wrong team” and not be able to farm it. Provided they even know it exist.
The “third option” wasn’t any better. The Grog Nozzle. A DLC quest item you had to keep open. Doing insignificant damage.
Even for knowledgeable dedicated player. They were a pain to come by and required save file manipulation.
I never had any issue with slag myself but I did “study” the game and gather all th info I could while leveling up my first character through UVHM.
Which I also miss. 
No, I don’t want a repeat of one of BL2’s failings.
Slag looked good on paper (“hey your teammate has a slag gun, paint that badass purple so you can kill him faster!”) but when it became a virtual necessity in UVHM/OP endgame it was just kind of an annoying extra step players needed to stick somewhere in their builds.
And like has been mentioned, anointments are the new slag. 
any debuffs are shait in a game like bl no debuffs just make gear functionally strong
Not a gun, but there was also the Magic Missile. Probably the best slag option out there and not too horrible to find as long as you had the DLC.
I intentionally left that one aside. Maybe I should had mention it.
With only one grenade slot. Relying on grenades to slag cut down on your options more than using one of four gun slots.
Again. It was a DLC item. And “not too horrible” is relative. You still had to know where to get or be extremely lucky.
The transfusion slags were not bad either. Ones of Zero favorite. With much less visual pollution.
True. And grenades actually did real damage in BL2, so that was a trade off using a MM for slag.
Ah, slag.
Not very useful in NVHM or TVHM.
Required in UVHM.
Also required: Losing a weapon slot. Having to constantly weapon swap (icky with Maya since she didn’t have any swap speed buffs available). Having to re-slag bosses halfway through a fight.
OR: As said, giving up your grenade slot for a 0 fuse slag transfusion, or a Magic Missle. In both cases, wishing I hope this one slags that guy since the grenade balls might hit the most important enemy, and might not. Frustrating.
All in all, I don’t miss slag a bit.
Except a slag snider with maliwan barrel, grip and stock gave 79% chance to apply slag. Even a blue one…
I don’t think the notion of a debuff item/element is a bad idea. It has been shown to work with Cryo in TPS and the P-nade currently. The problem is how do you set up a debuff without making it a must. The idea of slag to subject a character (player included) to more damage was interesting. The problem was the scaling to compensate for the existence of the debuff got absurd and with how heavy handed the current scaling is, I think a lot of us would balk at what this would do. Also the fact is if we get it, so would the enemies. Given that even 100k worth of shields can be one shot right now as is I don’t think that is something we want to be on the receiving end of.
I’d rather not be required to carry specific items just to have a chance on the hardest difficulty.
BL3 builds are a lot more diverse because you don’t need slag. BL2 pigeon holes you into certain builds or using certain items because if you don’t have slag you don’t kill anything except for a mere handful of tactics.
Radiation fills the role of slag this time around. And, from what I was told, that was the problem with Digistruct Peak in BL2, depending on a specific damage type, in this case slagging every enemy, just to have a chance at doing damage was tedious.
No need for slag IMO. I only play on M10 and have no issues killing things.