To prevent "grinding" (Repeating the same mission to get crowns etc.) I suggest some kind of Hard Mode (can be named either Clockworks X or OverClockworks), where enemies have double the stats, blocking the Spark of Life and action set inside the Cradle's Core. You know, enemies have double the health, attack and armor, only 1 revive (Emergency Revive) and the game background set inside the Core. Also, the story will continue with the journey to the Source. (Source - Same as Core, but this one creates energy to power the Core. Source>Core>Clockworks>Cradle) You can also increase the rank limit for Hard Mode missions (make a new Hard mission set) and make Tiers 4 and 5 (making more challenging Lockdown battles). I hope that my idea will make Spiral Knights a more exciting game.
-Matikclocker
We have a hard mode already and it's called elite mode... And it's not really all that hard. What happens is players are stripped of all base defenses and monster health is increased. Artificially hard, yes.
What this suggestion is getting at is tiers 4 and 5, which aren't really needed... That's 2 additional strata, with two star levels per strata. We'd have 9* items effective at the very end, and our 5* stuff is already stupid powerful (the damage/resistance bars are nearly maxed out if not surpassing the image!).
I'd love to see a "Swarm seeded" difficulty that increases box numbers, however all levels are changed to be more swarm/shadow lair themed. Multi-status levels, lost souls about, swarm seeds and swarm turrets, once per level a vs. swarm battle (think of "It came from below"s battle) to finish the level, and an unknown passage would be required for every terminal. Void enemies don't drop loot, however box numbers would be increased by 50%-100%. Depths would also be set at ???, but it would simulating a start from +3 to +5 depths from their actual clockworks depth (i.e., Depth 28 would be depth 31 or depth 33, ensuring radiants. It also means depth 25 or depth 23 would drop radiants like depth 28).
Danger rooms would be required, and more danger rooms would be placed in levels - free of cost of course. Danger room rewards would still be accessible, for the 3 energy it would cost to open the room normally! (I mean come on, we're doubling those boxes as well, when would you not take it?)
Bottom line I guess is that making new tiers won't satisfy the game's needs... We'll just have the same problem we currently have. A new difficulty level that changes how we play the clockworks? I'm all for that.