ok, I've read a few other suggestions about using gems or crystals to upgrade certain items.
my suggestion is to make the materials needed to upgrade weapons obtainable from mini games. they would all cost a lot more when compared to the other rewards of the mini games. I also think these items should not be tradable.  this can also be another reason to add a new mini game.

1st reason: it will give us another reason to play mini games. most mini games are inactive atm, and rewards kinda suck=/. most people don't play mini games for the items you can buy.

2nd reason: if these materials are untradeable , it will give emps more items that have to be worked for instead of being bought. which I think would be great.

3rd reason: if there are any mini games coming in the future, this can be a possible reward given to them.

I don't think adding crystals to a reward from a minigame is a good idea at all.

I don't think adding crystals to a reward from a minigame is a good idea at all.

I personally think that adding items that can be added to existing items to make them better to minigame reward shops is a great idea. I believe the highest tier weapons and their potential upgrades should still only be obtainable from bosses though (this way it actually is somewhat of a challenge instead of a grind). But there certainly is room for upgrades to lower, medium and high tier weapons/armour. They don't even have to be limited to stat increasing upgrades. Perhaps upgrades to increase their effectiveness when slaying or bossing is a good idea? Like I said before there is a lot of room for these kind of things and coming up with interesting and useful item upgrades shouldn't be too difficult. I really do think this is a nice way to create variety and specialized equipment.

Quote from: Callmedragon on January 28, 2016, 10:55:57 pm

I don't think adding crystals to a reward from a minigame is a good idea at all.

I personally think that adding items that can be added to existing items to make them better to minigame reward shops is a great idea. I believe the highest tier weapons and their potential upgrades should still only be obtainable from bosses though (this way it actually is somewhat of a challenge instead of a grind). But there certainly is room for upgrades to lower, medium and high tier weapons/armour. They don't even have to be limited to stat increasing upgrades. Perhaps upgrades to increase their effectiveness when slaying or bossing is a good idea? Like I said before there is a lot of room for these kind of things and coming up with interesting and useful item upgrades shouldn't be too difficult. I really do think this is a nice way to create variety and specialized equipment.

Through the wide spectrum I see what you are coming from. I was so narrowed down on the crystal idea that he was talking about that I didn't keep an open mind going forward.
For you clarification and explanation I see how it could be a good addition to the game adding in new items that are UNTRADEABLE.
I think making them untradeable, like Ryheem said is a key point.