Ok, if it sounds like I'm whining, it's only because I am a little. I know some players were asking for a more challenging level n the clockworks, and I would say that was delivered, but wow are there too many compounds. I would like to draw your attention to the newly opened (At the time of this posting) Jade Skull Gate. On Stratum 5, three out of four floors have an instance for a Compound, and on the 4th, two out of three are compounds, just before Basil. Below that, the first two floors are clear, the third floor has a choice between two compounds, and the last two floors have a 50/50 shot of being a compound as well. In fact, it's a similar story for two of the other three gates currently active, the exception being the FSC gate.

I guess what I really want to know is... What happened to all the Arenas? What about the Candlestick Keeps? Or the dens, lairs, and drugeries? I know I can only speak for myself (I hate them), but every party I've been in that knows what a Compound is joins me in a collective sigh of agony when we see that emblem displayed on the monitor. When we get to a mystery lift that takes us to either a treasure vault, a compound, or a graveyard, we probably shouldn't be thankful that it's the graveyard when we reach the bottom.

I guess I'm just asking for a little balance in our levels. Compounds seem to equal clockwork tunnels and deconstruction zones in number, and there seem to only be one arena and a handfull of lair-type areas. If we could create a construct lair type area, maybe where we can find "upgraded" monsters from other species (Though classified as Constructs), and replace a few Compounds in each Stratum with one arena and a few of these lairs, then perhaps the trip through the clockworks would be a little more fun. We only get so much mist in a day, and I'd rather know it's going to get me to a level that is actually fun.

Lets add a little poll to this topic. You are about to descend a ? lift, which will take you to one of three rooms Number 1 is the Treasure Vault, which is a short level with few enemies, and plenty of crates that give lots of crowns and some heat. Number 2 is a Chittering Burrows Compound, which are full of shadow enemies that make B lines from off screen that don't drop heat or crowns, they tend to be long, and tend not to yield much heat or crowns. Number 3 is the Graveyard, full of skeletons that explode into plenty of crowns and lots of heat, average in length, and only has a few phantoms that are a nuicence from time to time. Post in order from most preferred to least preferred where the lift takes you:

1: Treasure Vault.
2: Compound.
3: Graveyard.

1-3-2