Arbitration Suggestions

[VenomousValentine]

So, let me start off by saying arbitration is my favorite gamemode. In concept. However... I feel like there are a lot of very minor flaws with it that make other content more suitable to be called end game. So let me rant haphazardly and lets see if you guys agree.

Issue 1: The scaling. Arbitration is different from every other endless game mode in the game, and I think few notice it. But those who do, really have issue with it. If you weren't already aware, enemies in arbitration scale linearly, as opposed to exponentially.
Say you go into an arbitration at level 60, and your friend goes into another survival at level 60 (which, there aren't many but I digress for the sake of example)
As time goes on, your arbitration levels will gradually increase. Your friends survival however, will increase faster the longer he is there. Which means given enough time (which isn't very long) your friend will be confronted with much harder content than you. For people who seek to challenge themselves, this is a massive issue. Especially considering that is what arbitration was literally designed for.

Issue 2: Good rewards, wrong places. Arbitration is content that DE expected to be viable for people to do as much or as often as they want aside from the hour limit which is of no concern. That said, there are far to many round rewards that are one offs. Things you would only ever really need one of save for selling them, which is not very viable. Things like seeding step, rolling guard, adaptation, aerodynamic, and any other mod, ephemera or anything you could only feasibly need ONE of should be removed from round rewards and instead added to the arbiters rewards for turning in vitus. That way, you can have as many as you would need, but not more than you want. The wave rewards should be things that are viable for most players that can be used relatively at any time, and may provide pocket change if used to sell for platinum. Sculptures, Credits, Endo, Kuva, Vitus Essence, Maybe even nightwave credits.
Anything that is NOT those kinds of rewards should be obtainable through the vitus store in the relay.
Also am I crazy or do I remember DE playing with the idea of modular cosmetics in the same vein as kitguns? Because those would be an amazing vitus sink. 

Issue 3: DE said the rewards would scale as time goes on. They do. Kinda. Instead of A, A, B, C as every other endless gamemode rotation it's A, B, C, C, C infinitely onward. Which is good. It's a good start. A very good start. But, I feel like this should be made more extreme for players who truly want to test their mettle and be rewarded for it. I would say rewards should scale at LEAST 5 times. as much as I would like it to be infinite, I could definitely forsee that being a problem in a very few select cases. At least make it so you get infinitely scaling vitus? one extra per rotation?

Issue 4: Arbitration Drones. A necessary evil to stop you from rampaging until you effectively evict the grineer from their home in a hungry greedy lust for endo and harder content. I hate them. I understand their existence and don't want them removed without something to fill their role but my god are they an awful example of how to implement difficulty.
I would say for the time being, make them targetable by aimed exalted weapons such as excaliburs blade, titanias weapons, and things of that nature, but obviously no popping drones for things like mesas peacemakers. That however is a temporary solution to a much bigger problem. Arbitration needs more unique enemies to it that require actual mechanics to fight.
Maybe the occasional assassin designed specifically to end your run, or more enemies along the lines of the vallis corpus. The vallis corpus are the best step I've seen DE take to make engaging legitimately difficult enemies. I fear not the level 200 corrupted heavy gunner, but if I see a level 60 terra jackal or scyto raknoid I may pee my pants a little and actually assess how to deal with the situation instead of blindly shooting into the masses. In fact I would say the whole game needs an overhaul of enemies that take skill to fight instead of raw stats, but even just sprinkling one or two new ones here or there is definitely a good idea. Ideally there should always be ONE threat on the map at all times. One thing that if you see it, it makes you think "Oh #*!%, that's the enemy I have to kill first."
Maybe if there were more enemies made with this line of thought, arbitration drones wouldn't be necessary. Or at least not nearly as many of them.

Issue 5: This is by far the least concerning issue, but still something I would like to see regardless. Arbitration Leaderboards. Something very present that people will actually see without going through a maze of menus that are long forgotten from eras passed. Similar to how it is with onslaught with simaris. Maybe even extra rewards for being the best squad for that arbitration. Ultimately what is the point of end game without putting on a shiny belt and flexing eh? Maybe that's not very sportsman like but when I'm the best, I want people to see it, and when others are the best, I want to see them and aspire to beat them.

 

Conclusion: Congratulations if you made it through this wall of text by the way, thanks for listening to my rant. I don't expect everyone to agree with me on all my points but I as a veteran and a founder, and many of my friends who hold these same titles, have this to look forward to in a game we've otherwise mastered.