It is not uncommon for 95% of the mmo out there to introduce new patch and make what was previously obtained underwhelming. Spiral Knight don't have a level system where all your equipment will mandatory get outclassed as soon as the next expansion comes. Honestly, I don't see the difference here.

Does having the best gears in the game represent one's skill? No way. Does it help in Lockdown and clockworks? Most definitely. Do people derive enjoyment from having the best gears? Not my cup of tea since it a bragging right without any association to skill.

What is lacking in this game is the available of game mechanism to set the skill ceiling. I think Sciaz and Exileddread are talented and they are unfortunately held down by this platform and its game mechanism. With a high skill ceiling, they might be able to show what they are truly capable of. Then again, this is just based on my assumpton, for all you know, I can be wrong.

Lock Down is a simple game. However, every suggestion people had to 'balance' it are so far off the objectives of Lock Down, when it is fundamentally and essentially a team game. The sad thing is they will never get it. People are not wrong to criticize it as a mini-game yet ironically it is the same people who are nowhere near the top 10% of the brackets. They can give multiple games with a more competitive scene which is just ultimately another few places these people will never leave their name. These are the people who are going nowhere and can only resign to play point-and-click mmo games, they would rather be the big fish in this small non-existant pond known as Spiral Knight.