I'd love to see a difficulty setting option added to the gates for each tier. This could affect various things like the number of enemies faced, damage received/inflicted, the quantity and quality of loot you're expected to earn, etc. This way players can select a difficulty suited to their abilities, picking one that's easy if they're geared poorly or not very good at the game, and one that's way harder and rewards the top players who can roll with it.
-Easy.
-Medium.
-Advanced.
-Elite.
Thoughts?
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/6143
There's a similar thread already for this. Your suggestion of an easy mode is a new idea, though. Are you having trouble with the gates?