What makes slash strong and how I'm going to balance it

[DealerOfAbsolutes]

If armor scaling is removed, there is no reason to change Slash because the only reason why Slash is powerful is because it circumvents armor scaling. If armor didn't scale, Slash procs would be in line with Toxin procs and Electricity procs.

Bleed deals 35% Base Damage as True Damage per tick.

Elemental DOT's deal 50% Base Damage * (1+%Elemental Mod) per tick as Elemental Damage.

For example, with a 60% Toxin mod, a Toxin DOT would deal 80% Base Damage per tick as Toxin Damage.

Against a base level Elite Lancer with 300 armor, which is 50% DR or 2xeHP multiplier, Bleed which ignores that 2xeHP multiplier would deal 70% Base Damage as effective damage per tick.

This is less than Toxin, but the issue arises when armor scales.

Sortie level enemies can sport over 6000 armor. 6000 armor is 95% damage reduction or a 20xeHP multiplier.

Against 6000 armor, Bleed deals 700% Base damage per tick as effective damage.

This is why Primed Cryo Rounds with +165% Cold Damage is Cute compared to Hunter Munitions.

[bnuy]

2 minutes ago, DealerOfAbsolutes said:

snip

The issue is about having a universal damage type and never having to think or change anything outside of two specific cookie cutter builds that exist, one for armour one for shields. It's really sad and leaves the game in a boring state of mindless "armour? i have slash, me click" I get that it's a horde shooter but when the entire faction of enemies that could be unique like Bombards vs Heavy Gunners, Alloy vs Ferrite, all of these are tossed out the window simply because to entirely ignore these you can just slap on one mod. If they're going to keep slash as bypassing armour, they should remove armour types entirely and just make one type of armour, but then that reduces build variety and the game remains stale. When you're actively rewarded for building to the differences between units, even among a specific faction, then we will see more build variety and a healthier and more engaging gameplay loop. Shields and armour types either need to be reduced to one, or the resistances should be changed to better reflect variety, and then implement that into the core play. Then you'll see people actively building around certain units. Bombard? Let me swap to my radiation viral side-arm real quick. Heavy Gunner? Let me swap to my corrosive heat melee. Proto shields? I'll use my magnetic toxin primary to kill this fool.