Suggestion: every week, double the points received per mission, for all missions.

    Effects:
    (1) Anyone who wants to continually grind will still stay ahead of the other players and have an advantage in levels and items.
    (2) Players who fall behind cannot completely catch up to a player who is maximizing their leveling, but they can close the gap so that it is worthwhile to keep playing.
    (3) Players will hit level 50 faster. At that point, actual strategy will play a significant role. Right now, strategy takes a distant back seat to level difference.

    Example:
    Assume that in one week, an active player trying hard can accumulate X points from mission at the starting level for points per mission.

    Week 1
    Player 1 plays actively and accumulates X points, winning some tournaments.
    Player 2 was on vacation / sick / bogged down at work and couldn't play week 1.

    Week 2
    Player 1 keeps up the pace, earns 2x points, and now has a total of 3x.
    Player 2 starts playing, trying to catch up, and makes it up to 2x total. They are still 1x behind, same as if no change in points per mission.

    Week 3
    Player 1 keeps playing hard, earns 4x points, now has a total of 7x.
    Player 2 is still trying to catch up, earn 4x points, now has a total of 6x.

    Player 2 can never catch up if player 1 doesn't take a break. But what happens if player 1 does take a week break now?

    Week 4
    Player 1 takes a break, stays at total 7x points.
    Player 2 keeps playing, earns 8x points, now has a total of 14x.

    Week 5
    Player 1 is in shock and denial :) Earns 16x points, end with a total of 23x.
    Player 2 keeps going, earns 16x points, end with a total of 30x.

    The % difference isn't great between players 1 and 2, and will decrease as time goes on.
    But they'll both be dogged by other players, and if they both take a break, they could be passed up as the ever increasing missions points will overwhelm any point lead if they stop for long.

    I think that would add some excitement to the game. The way it is now, if you can't grind all day, every day, then after a couple of weeks you fall so far behind that you might as well just give up any hope of ever making the finals, much less winning.

    When many players hit level 50, it will be a bit of a free-for-all, but more active players will still be finding more level 50 items and have a better chance to get really nice ones.