This might be key! I remember a whole string of explore missions where there was no initial dialog box and no enemies to fight. It was like I had entered the area but it refused to give me a mission.

I am now getting the impression that they don't want many of us to play the game at all. See I have 3 characters at Rear Admiral. They haven't completed every last mission, because I want to do missions with at least one other player and my two RL friends who still play are frustrated with the game at present.

This means about all I have are Explore missions in the Zenas Expanse and the Explore Daily in the B'Tran Cluster. But Cryptic seems to have decided that I'm farming explore badges so I can get items and sell them on the Exchange. Which I most definitely am NOT!

Which begs the question: Why am I being punished for what others are doing?

Ok so I try to change things around and create a new character on the Klingon side. But now that character is bugged. And when I try to do explore missions I'm also getting less and less exp with every level. So many of this characters powers don't work. They are bugged at the character select screen. They cannot change uniforms. Many of their weapons and powers won't function properly. AND I can hardly level up because of the reduced XP gain!

Which begs the next question: What are you people smoking at Cryptic? Do you really NOT want people to play the STO?

Yes, I guess It was too easy to reach max level! (And NO I am not one of those who made it to RA5 in a week!) But you should have thought about that before the Headstart and Launch. Reducing XP gain now penalizes and frustrates new players. And while you may not care... I'd like to more new players.