How is this idea? When roaming through the clockworks, we can find mini surpluses of energy contained inside treasure boxes? How's that sound?
What I'm suggesting is that we can have a small chance (0.5%-2%) of finding 1-2 mist energy inside a green/red treasure box, in replacement of crowns/heat/items. This way, it can encourage people to continue roaming the clockworks.
Haters be haters, what would haters say? "This will crash the energy system"... "This will make the energy prices rise"...
On a side note : we could provide this incentive to those who only choose to go to the arcade.
1. The amount cannot be large, and the chance must be low enough to not impact the energy system.
2. Given 1, it doesn't make any difference. You use up 100 mist and get 1 more mist. What are you going to do with it? ... start playing 12.5 minutes earlier tomorrow?
3. People don't go to arcade because:
Free-to-play players are huge in numbers. This is natural, who doesn't like a free ride? But of course OOO has to ensure its revenue stream, hence the crafting price of over 100 energy and the crowns/crystal trading system.
People coming for a free ride will then choose the most efficient way of doing it, which is the boss missions. If you want people to play in arcade, you make it comparable to the missions in terms of crowns earned for energy spent. The little mist you suggested isn't going to make a difference.
Right now the situation is this:
King of Ashes Mission - 50e for 8000cr
Tier 3 arcade - 90e for 7000cr or so
Why arcade uses twice as much energy is because of the pre-Basil levels pay next to nothing. Make the pre-Basil levels pay more, then arcade will comparable to missions - actually, better than missions, since you also have arenas, jelly farms, danger rooms, and Basil recipes.
Missions will have the tokens, which is needed for the items and boss statue materials, with predictable layout and fixed armor/weapon requirements.
Then both places will have players.