Most of this can be resolved with having a better tutorial setup. Your given a decent number of Mist tanks, but the learning curve usually leads you to wasting it on reviving and item crafting. If they shifted the focus to obtaining all 1* gear and defeating a T1 boss first, that would take a lot of pressure away from trying to craft a lot of 2 star gear early on, because of the T2 access mission.

Another problem is trying to break the mindset of unlimited access and better explanation of the energy system. Energy is still an intangible concept, so people don't apply value to it the way a weapon does. If there was a way to change that perception, even if it had absolutely no change on the mechanics, people would catch on to it a lot sooner. Extending the idea into ressing and death penalty would be highly useful as well.

I think the real answer is to improve the tutorial levels to better impress upon new players the importance of shielding and dodging, and especially shield bumping. Elevator costs aren't what depletes new players' mist reserves, it's the energy revives that do it.

I see it over and over: new players go through the tutorial and the first level or two of the clockworks where the monsters basically just slap them around with wet noodles, and they get the impression that they can just right-click their way to victory. Then they get down a few floors where the monsters start actually hitting a bit harder, die a bunch of times and spend 62e on revives, and either die again and leave the party, or hit the elevator with not enough mist to continue.

I think I'd like to see the attack strength in the abandoned depot buffed a lot, and the energy revive option disabled until the players reach haven. Sprinkle some heart generators here and there in the level so that as long as they don't have a complete party wipe they can still revive. Then in place of the energy revive screen, put up a tutorial video that shows how to use your shield to block and bump, and how to health-revive other players.

Also move the default shield button to something other than X. I can't possibly think of a more [doltish] place to put it. Stick it on left-shift or space or something, and put the weapon switch or auto-aim toggle somewhere else.

@Nodocchi Oh I'm sure they'll still keep dying. However, getting them used to shielding and dodging should reduce the frequency thereof, and training them not to hit the energy-revive button unless their whole party is wiped would go a long way towards helping them get an actual hour or two of play time, rather than the ~20 minutes a lot of them get right now.

Tier 1 is the most fun to play, so it shouldn't be changed. It is good like it is. This adds nothing new to the game but takes away the fun of playing it.

Actually Desouler got a point there (and everyone here too). What he meant is that the current tier-1 levels are quite challenging and he thinks that it should be kept that way or else the game would be too easy and soft. I totally agree with the point that a better tutorial should be made because this game is not about smashing your way through but instead it mostly depends on your skills. But if we make tier-1 too easy for them we would be just like the over-protecting parents who have to watch every step the kid takes. Fun and compliment don't always have to be at the final stage when you reach the elevator and receive your heat, but also during the process where you die and learn and die again and learn again.