Originally Posted by toiva

First of all, it is not my intention to enrage those unlucky among us players, that don't reglarly get proto salvage, techs. If you are enraged by reading this post, please skip the first few paragraphs.

So, the reason for this thread is to pay homage to those good days that are now most likely close to their end. To the STF store, that is now destined to perish. Another reason is to show how a modified version of the Reputation system could work, if done with the right reasons in head.

- Yesterday, I hopped on my newest STF playing toon, looking forward to give him (his current ship, rather) a shakedown cruise through all space STFs. He was in fact new to elites. Only played 1 ISE the previous day, his inaugural run. And all worked as it should in that first ISE. The temporary build consisting of a Mk X MACO shield complemented with the Borg 3-part set, that I've gotten in the 20 or so normals, did great, despite the still mostly common weapons I got from the exchange and not a fully purple complement of active doffs.

Everything was going as it always was, groups were formed on EliteSTF fairly regularly, started a couple myself. And after rather easily achieving 2 CSEs, 1 more ISE and 1 KASE, I realised I got 2 proto salvages. Not that I never received one on my other toons, but still, getting 2 proto ones in only 4 elite runs was really pleasant. Regardless, to Roxy we went, and in a minute, 2 new Mk XII [Borg] weapons my toon got, making his presence in elites far more appropriate. End of story here.

That's a normal day playing STO (ok, in fact just about 1 hour and a half, or so ...), a happy one, but nothing miraculous.

- Now imagine the intended Season 7 changes were already live. Nothing of this could have happened, I would not get any salvage, I would only get some omega marks and dilithium (that I still got). Even in the case where my omega fleet reputation was unlocked to millionth tier, I still couldn't get those weapons. Heck, I couln't even get 1 such weapon after a full day spent playing (and completing) STFs. Why? Well, it's simple. No matter how many STFs I play on a given day, I just cannot get the 14k or so dilithium needed to buy one Mk XII [Borg] weapon. I would have to grind 2 days (4, if I wanted to end up with the 2 weapons I in fact got yesterday) for dilithium to get the weapon I was awarded freely for playing and completing STFs now before Season 7. How can such a system be an improvement to the current one?

Don't get me wrong, I understand there are players that really are getting the short end of the stick in the current luck-based system. Indeed for them even the now planned Season 7 reputation system is a notable improvement.

However, imagine such a reputation system where we would get the STF specific weapons (and advanced sets: MACO, KHG, Omega, for that matter) without the need for dilithium, only based on the number of (elite) STFs one plays. This could be easily achieved by gating this advanced loot by the intended Elite Omega marks (1 gained per elite STF).
Some 4-5 Elite Omega marks per one Mk XII weapon seem reasonable and would not feel like a kick in my face like the planned dilithium cost is.
Bear in mind you could get nothing more from those 4-5 elites than this 1 weapon. It still is grindy, but bearable. The MACO/KHG/Omega sets could then necessitate some 10 Elite Omega Marks per piece. That would make getting one Mk XII set already quite an investment, while not making you grind dilithium for almost 2 weeks nonstop (note that dilithium is probably easier obtained by other means that STFs, this dil oriented system might even detract players from STFs).

Note that even with my proposed change, I couln't repeat my yesterday's feat. I would need to run and complete 8-10 elite STFs to get 2 weapons, not just the four I ran. In other words, I'm still better off in the current system.
But, it's a compromise that assures every player gets the desired loot. Without grinding mindlessly for days.

Of course the numbers can be tweaked. Having to run 6 or 7 elites to get a weapon still seems better to me than having to wait for the next day (and amass dilithium in the meantime).

- Finally, there is one possibility of getting the loot you want, when you want it that I omitted. It is Zen you convert to dilithium. As far as I know, the amount of Dilithium you get by converting Zen is not limited. So (when your rep. system is unlocked as needed, which was supposed in my example), you can effectively get all the weapons you want, if you PAY.
If that was your goal, devs and producers, to make STF loot attainable rather by those who pay than those who play, then you succeeded. And no argument I would raise could sway your plans. And I'd be sorry to hear that.

EDIT: Wow, gotta be my longest post to date. Congrats to anyone who actually reads it through.

Originally Posted by tom61sto

Is there a post somewhere with how much things are going to cost? 14k seems pretty steep indeed.

Originally Posted by tom61sto

Is there a post somewhere with how much things are going to cost? 14k seems pretty steep indeed.