1. Crystals

The crystals were put in so that you can build the arcade. This has been abandoned because.......... of battle sprites? We don't really know but most of us old-timers really want this arcade building back and in a way that works. There are plenty of things to try and fixes to be had but for whatever reason the developers hate our suggestions and want us to.. farm the same thing? Just not care? I don't get it either buddy. I'm trying to be helpful and supportive but the dream I came to is gone now and I'm still hanging around for whatever reason.

The issue of excess minerals is solved by way of the fact that you can create and sell sprite food you don't need as well as buy sprites you don't have yet. I mean I could say more but unless something serious changes in terms of development i.e. the servers get moved developers get hired, players start playing, good decisions need I say more then well, nothing will ever change. I'd rather be optimistic about it and I mean there is a chance since Grey Havens and all but they're more interested in casinos and other content that was scheduled way back when than in making changes we actually need.

2. Hall of Heroes

The game used to actually cost more and have you progress much slower (imagine no mission rewards) but since then has taken a more narrative based approach that doesn't work and that's why the hall of heroes is a "problem". You're going going going and then you get stopped for a week. And then you're going going going stopped for three weeks. It's a hassle, but it has little to do with the hall of heroes itself- the game has next to no content and it needs you to really master what it does have before moving on, and to play it in a less focused manner.

The solution to this is as follows:

A. Tie missions to the arcade so that players don't rush through into the wall
see http://forums.spiralknights.com/es/node/95121

B. Implement larger daily rewards, so that hours played count less than days played. Get stuck for a three weeks? You shouldn't.

The real issue of course is radiant fire crystals. You think orbs are rare? It's literally 4 hours of grinding with a perfect setup to heat a new 5* item. For you that's about 3 months of casual play. You literally cannot afford the endgame and are going to quit, but just haven't realized it yet. I want to bribe the developers into changing this because it's where you'll stop and that hurts man.

3. Energy

To be honest the game should get rid of energy completely, or at least phase it out further than it already has. Saying that you can go buy orbs is just mean, when playing the game and finding them at a slightly increased rate would keep you around, make more money, all of that. It's an antiquated system that the game doesn't need.. if it were up to me I'd make it entirely for flash sales, prize boxes, and possibly sort of meta function- like forcing levels into gates, raising drop rates of orbs or item drops for all, cool things like that that aren't really progress.

If however, you just wanted to lower prices, you could easily sell things for crowns on the featured auctions in bulk. Say there's a new prize box. 100K a pop on the auction house. That's Petater's idea and I stand by it. Want to whale? Buy energy, trade for crowns, whale on the boxes. F2P get energy, you get boxes, we're all happy.