That there are never any tier 1 compound levels, but there's just an overabundance of them in tier 2 and 3?
Let's try to think about this for a moment, since we know models for tier 1 compound enemies exist.
Gates used to be constructed, but now they are randomly generated.
Is it possible this random generation has flaws and excludes certain levels?
Remember also the that fateful day the slooms returned in tier 1?
Is this a possible correlation?
go check the patch notes for the compounds, they appear only in T2&3.
and for the slooms, no, that was because OOO forgot to take them out when they used the old pre-minerals gate construction function.
Compounds are considered relative hard levels, and they require a entirely different strategy than most of T1. T1 tactic is mostly: run into enemies, spam attack button, repeat, where using this strategy in compounds would mean certain death. T1 is meant a an intro, the actual danger, including compounds, starts in T2
But doesn't removing them from tier 1 make it too easy?
I mean isn't that what the intro levels and tier 1 type missions are for?
They already have the assets for them that can easily be seen in monster box/cages in Gloaming Wildwoods or other places they can random spawn into.
And of course OOO knows they should be making less in-game currency than they already are.
Is it possible that they didn't want these levels in tier 1 just so players would play long enough before finding out they have to rage through the worst paying levels?
I think it's the whole thing where there's no curse in tier 1 levels either, and there's also the case of the tier 3 exclusive Dark City and Concrete Jungle levels.
Also: could you imagine how badly tier 1 compounds would pay out?