This is something that's bothered me ever since I found it out, but I have kept to myself... until now.

Yesterday, I did a Cardassian exchange program, and I sent in a green quality DOff. I got a green one back, only this one was a civilian. So I looked at my DOff list, and to my chagrin, I found 10 cardassian civies sitting looking pretty.

So I feel I must ask... why can we not use civilians as part of the exchange program? I mean, at first you will answer "they aren't officers. DUH." Well my answer would be "neither are the ones we get back. DUH." So again, if we can get civilians from these officer exchange programs, why can't we send civilians on them?

Just a thought.

Yeah, I agree it's an annoying assymetry...

And it's a good thought, one I've thunk before, too.

If they aren't going to allow Civis to be Exchanged away, then I wish they'd fix that "bug" and take civilians out of the rewards table for the Officer Exchanges assignments. I don't need anymore Bartenders and Chefs.

Of course, ideally, I wish STO's systems tech allowed the assignment to determine the type of input so that the Exchange assignments could return a matching officer. I send a Projectile Weapon Officer, I get back a PWO (with possibly different species, traits, ability, and quality, naturally), but same Specialization.

If not the exact same specialization, then at least the same department: If I send a Diagnostic Engineer, I might get back a Technician, but never a Conn Officer. Or if I send a Biochemist, I might get back a Medic/Nurse, but not a Botanist. And so on.

It's good to dream, I guess.

I personally don't mind the randomization. It's part of the DOff gamble. But like I said in OP, I seriously HATE when I send a non-civi and get a civi back, and I can't send the civi back for something else. Infuriating. The best I can hope for is I get a non-white civi that I can turn into whites to send again =P.

But that doesn't work with the Cardi exchange, since efficient and edetic memory are rare in general.

Bump. Stupid civies.

Yeah, this has erked me a bit too,

That and my on/off paranoia that all i get from officer/dominion prisoner exchanges are often 3 traited, blue, warp theorist/civilians,

Only last week i was horrified to receive a WHITE quality cardasian for a blue with 2 traits >_<

bleh.

On the plus side, as long as you don't get a civi, you can trade it back.

Hey don't bump, it's the holidays and Cryptic's all out on vacay. And besides it's against the rules to bump a thread.

(This isn't a bump.)

No... it's more like a Grind.

Reading "bump and grind" and then seeing your sig pic made me LOL Davey.

Thanks.