That's what I've been saying, too. It's all about ramping up the game's difficulty.
I swear, I've gone through entire Clockwork Tunnels fighting nothing but Knockers. It's way too easy. What we need are these:

•Regular minibosses like Tortodrones, Collectors, Battlepods, Ghostmane Stalkers, respawning Greavers, and Giant Lichen Colonies.
•Arenas with harder waves. Toss in a Trojan trio, two gremlin menders, compound minis, respawning turrets, etc.
•Make subsequent Sparks of Life less powerful
•"Trap" greedy players more often. Make it so they have to fight their way out rather than slipping back through
•Place rewards behind levels that deserve them. T3 Clockwork Tunnels with nothing but Knockers in it? 1k total payout. Compound? 2-4k. Dreams and Nightmares end room? 8-9k. Danger Missions? 4-5k. Lichenous Lair? Eh, stick a couple more Giant Colonies in there and call it 2-3k. Deconstruction Zones? Stick a Tortodrone in there and it's probably ok as-is.

About that. Unified voices won't make an idea suddenly happen - it will simply make it popular. People screamed "remove mist energy!" for the longest time, and when they finally did, people started demanding they remove the forge. When it comes to solving a problem, you need to address the core issue at hand, not apply a bandage.

What you've suggested in the thread header is, sadly, another bandage. Missions will be played once, then forgotten... Unless they bring about new farming grounds. You don't see players playing any of the post vanguard missions after they've played them once except for Dreams and Nightmares. Why? Because all the missions are difficult but only one of them has rewards worth the efforts.

Every mission has unique and amazing things to it. The game's missions get bland after you get to Haven, but pick up amazingly in originality post-vanguard.

New weapons and cycling events frequently doesn't "fix" the game, either. It simply gives us something to do that is more streamlined.

A lot of us forum regulars have been biting at this idea for the longest time - what needs to happen to "fix" the game? Well, honestly and truly, it will never be "fixed", since everyone has a different opinion of what that state is, however there are some real patches that could definitely extend the game further for new players, and others for current players.

Here are a few examples:

• Progression is slow and pacing is awkward

The game heavily focuses on moving your knight along as fast as possible so that you can get to the challenge that is tier 2 quickly and get into the meat of the game. Unfortunately, it wants you to do that so desperately that by the time you've gotten there you don't have much to show for it. As such, whenever you run into a grindwall (ie, hall of heroes), you are immediately aware of the task at hand and begin to actually dread playing the game to progress.

Recently I made an alt account for a side project of mine. That alt account went from recruit to defender elite (desired rank) within 5 days. I made over 200k on that character simply playing the arcade and doing missions. In fact, I think the only things I funded myself for was 3* angelic armor + helmet, a swiftstrike buckler, and some materials for missions.

Putting a much higher emphasis on the arcade early on will do so much for cutting back on the grind people feel in this game, and make it feel like they are not trapped in their mission progression.

This is easily my number 1 fix. It can be achieved by having rank missions remain locked until X amount of floors have been completed, or Y amount of minerals are "submitted for research". You can either go through the arcade for such items, or replay missions. This gets players to actively play the game to progress, and by the time they've hit a progress wall, they have the ability (and skills!) to get past it.

• We're fighting the same enemies over and over

New enemies would be a huge thing for the game. Several monster families lack variety, or have too much variety in a very specific category. Did you know that gremlins are the only monster family to have a single enemy type for the "grunt" level enemy? Yet, gremlins have 3 variants for a single, infrequently used, "elite" tier enemy. Speaking of "elite" tiers, there's no piercing elite tier monster. And no elemental "giant" tier monster. And no shadow "brute" tier monster. Heck, speaking of shadow enemies, undead are sitting on four unique monsters that only show up in specific missions. There's a lot of potential for those!

Anyways, getting on topic, new enemies would be wonderful and helpful for new and old players alike. I've done the honors of conjuring up a few monsters for us to think about to fill some slots since it would be against my nature to not try to offer a solution.

- MISSING ELITE PIERCING - LANDSHARK
Landsharks would be a burrowing hammerhead shark looking monster. It would attack, honestly, similar to the snarbolax burrowing attacks, but its large fin would be vulnerable while it burrows. It can bite, slap with its tail, and perhaps have a few other fancy tricks up its sleeve.
As an elite-tier enemy, it would spawn in the same places mecha knights, gremlin thwackers, and greavers spawn.

- MISSING GIANT ELEMENTAL - GREMLIN SMASHER
If you've played the Compound 42 danger mission, then this might be a bit similar. At the end of that danger mission, you encounter a few "Gremlin Incinerators". They are very large gremlins with a fiery temper, clearly themed on the gremlin scorchers. So, what if we themed a large gremlin off of a thwacker instead? I'll leave its attacks to your imagination.
As a giant-tier enemy, it would spawn in the same places trojans and (giant) lichen colonies spawn.

- MISSING BRUTE SHADOW - CHAINLINX
A large, chained member of the deceased kat tribe. While they cannot move very quickly normally, occasionally they can gain a burst of speed and fling themselves towards knights in an attempt to bite at them or wail at them with their chains before they are weighted down once more.
As a brute-tier enemy, it would spawn in the same places lumbers and alpha wolvers spawn.

New and interesting enemies will change how we view the game. Introducing more variety is key in both making new levels, and preventing old ones from being stagnant.

• Risk VS Reward and optional paths

Final thing since it's late and I should call this post quits anyways, but often times in Spiral Knights risks simply do not equate to rewards. Compounds do not pay out well despite being some of the most difficult level types. Clockwork tunnels are dangerously simple yet reward a significant amount of loot, and are the only level sets where event-related RNG things can spawn. Arenas pay out the best of any level, and are often sought after purely because other levels aren't always worth it.

Making difficult levels reward more for the challenge they bring is important. Grinchlin Assault is a good example of risk VS reward - high risk for a high reward. Arenas value skill and tact in order to reach that final room without dying, and thus is very much worth the rewards. Compounds just... Need more boxes, honestly. Levels that pay out poorly need to have an additional drive to them - have more scenario rooms with loot in them, have danger rooms or optional paths accessible via energy gates that reward handsomely. Wolver dens, lichenous lairs, deconstruction zones... They all could use with a bit more oomph to their payout in one way or another, and adding optional paths would be perfect for that.

But that's enough of my 4AM rantings. I've been snowed in the past week or so, so excuse me for the rather long post.

Adding those two would be nice, however they would likely act in the same "tier" as most other gremlins - the "elite" tier of monster.

Stalkers or mortafires spawning as a lumber-tier monsters might be interesting and spice up the clockworks however.

But as a quick heads up, mortafires show up in the Compound 42 danger mission, Shadowplay, and the Grinchlin Assault danger mission. Stalkers appear in Breaking in the Recruits, Shadowplay, Crimson Chaos, Grinchlin Assault, a compound scenario room...

Well basically, they do show up, but very rarely and never as basic enemies. I've made a list of all enemies that have unique spawning conditions in my list of enemy types, and here's the verdict on enemies that exist but cannot replace other enemies in standard spawns: Blast Cube, Mortafire, Gremlin Stalker, Gremlin Incinerator, Dreadnaught, Phantom, Almirian Crusader, Bombie, Pit Boss, Yesman, Overtimer.

Most of my friends who I told to play SK quit at the tutorial was boring/lame/uninteresting/etc... so to get noobs to play SK you may give them the chance of trying some end-game gear at the rescue camp also for the HoH I just suggest putting more boxes in every level or simply increase the orbs' drop rate (this can be better in arcade than missions as arcade is mostly noob-free make new players experience some different kinds of levels while getting some orbs)

Most of my friends who I told to play SK quit at the tutorial was boring/lame/uninteresting/etc... so to get noobs to play SK you may give them the chance of trying some end-game gear at the rescue camp also for the HoH I just suggest putting more boxes in every level or simply increase the orbs' drop rate (this can be better in arcade than missions as arcade is mostly noob-free make new players experience some different kinds of levels while getting some orbs)

I didn't even know quintuple posts were possible.

I played this game years ago, then fell off for reasons unknown. All i can remeer is i liked it and it was Very (E-Rating) friendly. I always think of "what age's would play -said- game, and what is unique about it." Before i go into my thoughts and ideas here is the cold true on breathing a new life to this wonderful game.

You need to make a Spiral Knights 2.

Heres why, what should be kept, ditched, inhanced, focesed, up-dated, re-worked, consedered, ways to strengthen the communication of your community, as well as bring the New/Old players to the secound game.

New/Old Players:
Send E-mail's Anouncing SK2 early ALPHA; Old players account,Name of 'ONE' Former Knight and its Currently Equiped Gear, and 1/2 real time curency refunded. Retire ALL OLD GEAR and WEAPONS other then the the ALPHA/Post-BATA Testers. Doing this gives the 'OLD ONES' a Personal look, feel, and a since of Honor for there time well spent. "Senpi-Status" if you would. Also give ALPHA/Bata (yes not Post-Bata) 10 Free (small) items to give away to new recrutes. No there is nothing in it for them, Yet. this reveals the players who Help by bieng a "Sensay" This aproch keeps the OLD around, and the New gain a free guide into the game. ADVERTISE THESE "SP2 Public Guilds." AT THE INTRO!!!! Make a SPECIAL (Sir)Name, title, Miltary structure ranking, Icons, clothing add ons (Will talk more about that in Customiziation) and allow them to govern themselves based on the Military ranking, Honor system, and Limited/Unique "FREE-Item" Give-a-ways. DONT MICRO MANAGE THIS! IT realy isnt free however, they put in work to help the New recrutes, lower LVL Champs, helping others, and partying with lower lvl char. ex. ex. (ONE) Given to each Primary Rank (SGT.) to distrubute to the worthy. and some to the ranks abouve to give to the thoughs who did well but didnt get rewarded as they see fit. this creats, a competitive fareness boosting friendly and helpfulness. but doesnt create an OVERBARING BUBBLE HELPFULNESS. This also creats a sence of selfworth and a duty to log on. Giving every member the same Great feeling of a Guild leader. Although there responsability is towards the community, not the guild its self. Can Only Join one guild. Each "SK2Public Guild" resives the same items to give through its ranks (Exeption of Aperal Add-ons). Each SK2 PubG recieves the Same Amount based on guild population. Each SK2 PubG resieves the same amount of recagnition in shout-out forums, start game interface, and genarle posts all around. (This alows players to gain Recognition and Public acceptance even if there not part of the "STRIKE FORCE." They can do what they LOVE to do, and not be subjected to NON-Combative Gear, Public Harasment, and Peer preshure to Join the "STRIKE FORCE". There by Killing the "SUPPORT GUILD's" Mind set from the community and developers.) The Love and communication will last a life time through these guilds.

(PubG) SK2 Miltary Branches are as follows: (Sighns and symptoms of what they play your game for is **PARTALY-INCLUDED**)
1# Intellegence or INTEL. for short. ( Public relations/Communication; Intellagence just sounds smart and cool. These guys usally keep a close eye on the market prices for fairness)
2# STRIKE FORCE BRAGAID (SFB=Same F!@#^%# BullSH!*) Killing is the Outright Hart Of MMO's. These Beyond + Ultra Difficulty Monster Hunters.
3# ADVENTURES GUILD (Finders of New Locations and "light harted" yet "Challenging enamy's)
4# LOOTS AND CRAFTS (Dungean Crawler + 1,000 Boss fights later) X ( Spider silk, iron, and wood=BS Sword.. hmm if i upgrade the quality?? YES!!)
players that spend 2 to 4weeks figuring out Unkown Formulas, Custumized Grafting, Ultimit Mission for this ULTRA RARE, 5Billion to 1 ratio, item drop.
5# PHOTO FLEX - Loves clothing Mods, Flaming swords that dont hit hard, Pets with Party Ballons, Birthday-Cake Shields,EPIC RARE Dragon Equipment
This Branch Loves Visualization effects, Bosting, and a good fun and funny community. **WARNING** This can easly turn to a Pay 2 Win/Get Ahead. If done in haste or without proper checks and balinces.
6# LORE MASTERS - Reads Every Item Sub-Text and TALKS 2 EVERY NPC to for the 5'Ws, Champions Gear might be a Well known NPC's, from a loved Region, Adored Craftsman (Regardless of Stat-Bones). Loves Plots, Unique Story Lines, INTRO's Development. Finds Maps,Hiden Item's, and Area's from ACTUALY Reading/Reasurch.
(These guys love Idept Games, creating unfortold gameratings and endless possabiltys. HOWEVER, It is painfully time consuming and is called for a MASTER OF LORE to maintain/Develope/and Up-Date) **THATS ME!! :D**

*$*GOING TO CHANGE THE DROP RATE?! CONSULT ALPHA ELITES or u might loose them; GLOBEL IMPACTS, CREATE MORE GLOBEL IMPACTS (Zits)

These 6 Military Braches (Public Guilds) are the Basic Fundimentals of every game ever invented, no matter its regain, age requirment, or style.

Area's to Keep and Master:
#1 INSTANTLY I NOTICED it is Very Kid Friendly and Non-Sexist (No bouncy boobs, fun and playful enamys, male/female gear, gender nutrale txt.)
#2 "The Feel" Uniqueness. Intro(story & style), Knight Creation, Town Architect, Item Conscept, Up-Grades, Visualization, Maps and Monster Quality.
#3 Item instructions and playful txt (HUGE HELP). Auto Item Pick-Up. Creative enamy's and attk paterns. Difficulty Lvl's. Team Finder.
#4 Simple and "some-what" smooth playstyle (Gun targeting is a bit off :P and it Gets CRAZY Hard to Kite in solo) More people = faster monsters.

------Unfortantly thats it, nothing that can be inhanced on a miner scale to keep some one there for long, besides the community-----

Area's to Improve, Inhance, Re-Vamp, or conceder: M2M = Min. to Max
#1 Gold, Do away with it. Compleatly.
Go with more of PoE style done Right! The items u get are craftable, weather its health pills, stat buff dumplings, elixers, bombs, poisions, armor, weapons, inhancements(Up-Grades are still HEAT) weapon, armor, shield parts. DONT GET TO CRAZY OR KIDS WOUNT UNDERSTAND In Normals! for ONLY for RARES AND ULTRA's u get in HARD/ULTRA Mode can u take the (KID GLOVES OFF). This gives your Beyond +Ultra addicts a Thirst Quinching Feel and a CLEAR DEVIVDING LINE!

#2 Your Market: cant get over stocked since drop rate is rufly the same for most items used to create ANY ITEM. Incressing/decressing the ammount needed to creat "said" Item without loosing its effect worth is a Master stroke. To costly and no one wants to traid there rare items for 1 potion, to little and it becomes un rewarding or worse! brakes parts of the game deemed HARD/Ultra. If there is an increase of specific items its probley do to the usfulness of the item. Not the random drop rate. creating an easyer fix. **This consept Also goes for Ultra Rares**

#3 TAXATION WITH REPRESINTATION!:ULTRA Rare Items are Binding when picked up! Drop Rate is around 11.5% on ULTRA MODE ONLY! Hard Mode around 5.5% Normals .75% Easy .25% This gives everyone a fair chance based on difficulty lvl.**NOTE** TO TRADING BINDING ITEMS YOU MUST PURCHASE A (One Time USE) Certificate at the Bank. Yes this is a shot at the MAJOR SHOT to the Strike Force, Photo Flex, Loots and Crafts. HOWEVER, You gain Excluse 'BLING' Based on Level of Certificate(Perchased) Each year is diffrent, and the 6m/yearly purchase covers basic seasonal 'Bling' Colorful Name Plates, Yearly Trindy Emotions, Season Pets, Weapon/Armor decales. This price range covers the ones that Solo play, have time off/ holidays, can grind for a week or 2. Summer Vacation Schools out for 3months. People who dont want to pay 50 but wants a little bling, or the FANS WHO LOVE U and have Jems for eyes. **ALLWAYS COSMETIC ONLY** (1$ PER transaction. or a 5$ 2week Licences, 8$ Monthly (able to ENTER AND USE RARE MARKET BIZAR. 15$ for 3months +Cool Guy Poses and stuff to show boat choice of a basic pet, 30$ for 6months cool UPGRADEDABLE traveling pet. (Through Item Grinding, NOT RETALE, Keeps the Replay Value at a Maximum) Pets can Have Wings, Halo's, Horns, Ex. ex. Pet has emtions and tricks. (PLAY DEAD!) Pet can store ACTAULE ITEMS Items. 50$ for the year. + PLAYER GETS A Flamming Skull Head, Fire Foot prints, Pukes Rainbows and has a fairy Unicorn attachment to wepons that leaves trails of Sparkaly Pixy Dust that can change colors grinding for "OGMENTATION DYE" ) This keeps GRINDING ALIVE and worth it! Grabs the Photo and Flex Crew, Shaters the Natrual Gamers Critics, All without bieng obnoxious to the unwealthy. Since they two can SOMETHING SIMULARY for beating Standered Missions and -Limited Time- WORLD BOSS's, But theres just isnt the same Sparkley Puke! Plus its Limited time so wvwery SnowFlake can still feel speacial, even the underpaid or flat out cheap ones.

(NO COSMETICS Or PEts TRAVEL TO THE PVP AREANA!! EVER!! -No Mind Screws+Less Buggy ...My pet got traped in a wall...)
#PUKING RAINBOWS

#4 Crafting ITEMS: **Remeber** Rare items can be used to Inhance/Modify ANY USABLE Item. RARE Items also need to be something everyone can use no mater the lvl use, but droped ONLY in HARD/ULTRA. Items Such as Vampires Tooth (Rare) can create a pill or elixer of imortality. Vampire's tooth+2heal pills. reacurring item stacks per potencey <4pills+2teeth> 1 or 2'secounds of invonerabilty Per Tooth M2M Craft Inhancment Cap. and Quantity Limitation per Area. Revive + Vamp Tooth = Imortality apon rez. (Only 1 type of inhanced Spirtual Aid + 1 Monster Hynderance per knight in HARD MODE. 2types in ULTRA. This Keeps Hard Mode Ultra, and Ultra mode Beyond)

#5 CRAFTING WEAPONS AND ARMOR: For weapons Vampiric +1 or 1.5 health stolen on malay attks or .5 or 1 each tooth added to the crafting. Adding MORE TEETH INCREASES DIFICALTY TO CRAFT, M2M. ARMOR is kinda the same but scalled down around .5 or 1 health returned and 1 damage given to the attaker. (Unlike ThornsMail, ONLY deals damage to the attkr. 2 or 3 points respectfuly)

#6 NEW WEAPON PLAY-STYLES: Full Carge/Half Charge. 2 Handed Weapons, Have Increased ranged and damage becouse of size. (DRAWBACK: 2handed weapons block duriation, radius, and recovery is halfed.) Crafting and Ogmintations. Can lighten the wait by adding less Metals, Lowering damage Considerably, but increasing attk speed and block recovery. Can add a longer shaft for incressed block radious but losses a some attk range. (180 to 270 block range) (100% attk range to 50% attk range.) Adding More metal might give a slower swing & block duration, but adds a 10 to 50% knock back to all but the Boss.
Ax's Deal More (not Massive) but cant block at all, Unless Ogmented to do so. Yet they can do a POWERFUL doubble 360 Full charge or a DownWard Ground Slam as Half Charged. Ax's attk in 90Degrees to start, 180 ark if Ogmented at the expence of attk speed OR combo hits. (we call this Rekless Abandenment)
Spears: 2handed weapon that can be Ogmented to Block in a full 360. (starts as 270 radius) if spear is shortend, all attaks hit 90degress in the front and behind the player but drops range If To muh mettale is added for incresed damage, Spears can Only Half Charge. if Extra long, gaings an addition combo attks but looses some attk damage, block recovery is deminshed for the legnth but gains 360 bloacking. If too much metal is add it becomes slower, half charges only, but increses block duriation(How many hits u can take) (NOT RECOVERY) since ALL spears are light in the first place, u made it durrable but heavy. Up to 3x the metal for a short spear (0metal Think Zulu (super light and fast) sharp on both ends but doesnt deal much damage to armored enamys. HOWEVER; Poision and statis other status effects last longer. x1 metal Spartan Spear, Javiln, or Metal tips on both ends. x2 Long metal sheets(no spikes) (x3Metal) Think Long Metal Sheets on covering both shafts with spikes running down it. or Duobble Blades light saber style), 2x metal for a NORMAL Spear (Think Space-Age Helaberd or 2 Headed Flail), 1x for a LONG Spear (Think Eastern Bamboo spear, with a metal point)

-----------I can go on for days with this stuff im thinking off the Top of My Head, so moving along----------------

Now For the Adventurers Guild.
How cool would it be if YOU and your Crew found a Brand Spanking New AREA! Now How cool would it be if that Area became a Hole New Quest line Opened to the Public with your Groups Names ForEver Ingraved in the NPC's Chat Box as the starting Quest Line!
This is how u tend to your fans self worth. Dont Ever Let People know when you installed a new area, Just advertise IT CAN HAPPEN In The Highlights Of The Walk-Through, and again when there joining a military branch. Inshrue its a RANDOM DROP Like an Item ( Item percent droprate turned off, Hard/Ultra mode might effect its %finding otherwise) The Adventers Branch gets a 10% Chance of finding it. Also Every Map that FOLOWS That Story Line MUST BE FOUND In the NEW Respectful Area!
This gives Birth to New Monster, New Music, Land scaps, Items, Ex. The Adventures Guild Moves the Gae Forward.

Theres SOOOOO MUCH MOre but since i started this at 11:30 and its now 4:30 i am going to call it a long glorius night...
P.S. Im not an english major so get over it! :D Much Love

~The_Last_Battousi~

I think you are the right trojan, we just need to wait, and have still fun with the game. We can at least buy some energy or microtransactions to support this game and company.