If you are pricing in dilithium, then he is correct, contraband isn't worth as much. Takes 5 contraband (instead of 3) to get 2k dilithium. His contraband has lost value.

Which is because they're counting on the SB construction thing to keep players around because they have no plans for aditional mission content before Season 7.
grindgrindgrind...

Which is surprising since contraband is currently at 60k instead of the normal 50k it usually is at.

That may be due to players not listing stuff with the confusion of the exchange.

+2 contraband and +2 hours added to complete the task is a kick in the pants. It would be acceptable if it was one or the other, but not both.

In other words: Cryptic hates small fleets.

I won't be surprised at all if it will be 10 contraband for 8 hours in future. It is their way to push you to buy zen

Not really, demand is also way up. Contraband is used sometimes up to 50 at a time in starbase special projects.

Yup, I;m skipping those since I;m just in a Me Myself and I fleet.

In their defense the turn in contraband assignment was too easy. I was running it 8 or nine times a day between supports tickets. I know I had 100k in ore backlog for some time. Others as well.

Unless you want to use a Klingon character for some reason, then they're rendered useless without the farming.

Don't give "Them" ideas, of course they're probably considering this anyways. But you're right, "They" don't want us to actually earn Dilithium. "They" want us to buy "The Currency"