How to fix siege.

I think Saber is trying to make Siege be two different things at once, and the systems end up working against each other.

On one hand, the mode encourages players to complete side objectives, rescue Tech-Priests, collect resources, and engage with the map. On the other hand, the timer punishes every minute spent not clearing waves. If a side objective costs 3–5 minutes of DPS and puts the team behind the timer, the rational choice is to skip it. The mechanics are discouraging players from engaging with the very content the mode was designed around.

I would take the mode in a different direction. Rather than an "endless" survival mode that eventually has to overwhelm the players through scaling, make it a finite defense with a clear victory condition. Whether that's 35 waves or 50 waves, let the objective be to successfully repel the invasion. The mission ends because the defenders have won, not because the numbers have become mathematically impossible or the engine is reaching its limits.

To keep the mode fresh, let players choose the enemy composition before the match:

Tyranids only

Chaos only

Mixed invasion

Each would play differently and encourage different strategies while remaining within the same core mode.

That gives the developers a defined balance target, gives players a meaningful victory condition, reduces the need for extreme late-game scaling, and avoids technical issues associated with extremely long runs. Most importantly, it aligns the mechanics with the fantasy of defending an Imperial fortress: hold the line until the enemy breaks or reinforcements secure the position—not survive an endlessly escalating mathematical curve.