Season 7 Dev Blog #8
By PWE_BranFlakes @ October 24, 2012 at 12:00pm
Reputation System: Task Force Omega
EDITOR'S NOTE (11/13/2012): The following information was posted before Season 7's launch. From the time since this blog's posting, updates were made to Dilithium rewards earned from STFs. Please read this Dev Blog for more information.
STFs are Changing in Season 7
If you’re a max level player in Star Trek Online, then you’ve probably heard of the Special Task Forces as that’s where most of the best gear in the game can be found. As part of Task Force Omega, players have been facing off against the Borg for many months in order to obtain gear such as the Mark XII Very Rare MACO, Omega Force and Honor Guard sets.
We know it is “many months” because when we looked at the data, it showed that players were running Elite STFs hundreds of times and still not receiving the drops necessary for this gear. We didn’t really need to look up the data because a handful of players were telling us how frustrated they were that these drops were so rare. This was all marked as “working as designed” because it was exactly how we set them up. Getting the best gear was meant to be extremely challenging.
The problem, however, is that it’s unfair when someone lucks out and gets the very rare item they need after only playing one elite STF while another person is still running the same STFs over and over hoping to get the drop.
We agree it isn’t fair and are about to change the STF reward structure. We now have a better way to keep the hunt for these items challenging while removing the randomness of drops.
That is why in Season 7 we are nuking the STF reward tables from orbit and replacing them with the much clearer Task Force Omega Reputation system.
There’s a lot involved with this, so this blog post is going to go into all the details.
Why the new system is better:
- New Captain Abilities can be earned at each rank in the Task Force Omega Reputation
- The 42 different drop items needed to get the various gear sets is reduced down to 2 items
- You no longer need to run specific STFs for specific drops – all STFs reward the 2 needed items
- The number of Elite STF runs needed to get a Mk XII gear set has been reduced by 60 percent
- No more wondering when you’ll get the drop – you will see your progress via project status
- Earn progress through non-STF Borg content such as Red Alerts and Defera Invasion
- Earn gear with the other faction’s stats that use your faction’s visuals
- BOFFs now show visuals when wearing STF gear sets
- Dilithium is still earned via STF mission rewards and Task Force Omega reputation projects
By removing the random drop nature of the STFs, players will be able to use the Reputation System to visualize their progress towards obtaining these awesome gear sets. It is clearer, easier to understand, and by reducing the number of STF runs needed, the rewards are flat out more realistic to obtain for the average player.
That said, this does mean that the existing reward structures that use the 42 various items are being replaced with ones that use the 2 new items: Omega Marks and the Elite STF commodity (Borg Neural Processor).
Conversion of Existing Items
*Subject to change
When Season 7 launches, we will be converting all existing STF items that you have to Omega Marks and Borg Neural Processors using a rate that takes into account how many of these items you have acquired, and not yet spent, on your character.
We’ve reviewed the number of items currently on all characters so that we can ensure a smooth transition to the new system. The goal of the conversion is to make it fair and equitable for everyone and especially reward those that have been playing STFs for “many months” so that you will have a leg up in the new system.
NOTE: All STF “currency” items not spent before Season 7 launch will be converted to the new system!
There are 42 items that will be converted including:
- Encrypted Data Chips (EDCs)
- Marks of Requisition
- Recruit, Veteran, and Elite Requisitions
- Rare and Prototype Borg Salvage
- Common, Rare, and Prototype Tech
All types of these items will be immediately converted to Omega Marks and Borg Neural Processors when the owning character logs in for the first time after Season 7 releases.
(Updated!) Any items converted this way will go into a storage device which cannot be retrieved until the character reaches Tier 3 in the Task Force Omega Reputation System.
The storage device, called an Omega Conversion Crate, will denote how much of each item is stored for later retrieval and will remain locked until you achieve Tier 5 in the Omega Reputation System. Once unlocked, your character will be able to retrieve the Omega Marks and Borg Commodities that were converted along with a bonus amount of Dilithium Ore.
The Omega Marks (and Dilithium Ore) can then be used immediately to assist in purchasing any unlocked gear set rewards. After reviewing the data, the conversion rate for most players will allow for the purchase of a partial and in some case full set of their choosing. Or, if you’re already fully geared, an option will be available to convert surplus Omega Marks into additional Dilithium Ore.
Any existing Accolades, gear rewards and costume unlocks you have already earned by running STF content are yours to keep, even if you choose to not participate in the Reputation System.
Also, with the STF stores on DS9 going away, The MACO, Honor Guard, and Omega Sets will now be obtained directly through reputation projects which you select. This allows you to control which items you want next instead of waiting for a random drop and the stores can be accessed from anywhere.
If you are concerned that this system will be a difficult gathering challenge like Fleet Starbases, let me put your fears to rest. The Reputation projects are balanced for a single player, whereas Starbase projects were balanced for an average of 25 players. That’s a big difference. We want this to be much easier for individuals.
Furthermore, gathering inputs for the reputation projects isn’t based on players that can invest 18 hours a day into Star Trek Online, but rather on the average gaming habits of our entire player base, most of who play very casually.
Our calculations show on average a 60% reduction in the number of runs needed to get a full gear set using the Task Force Omega Reputation System versus the odds of getting the random drops you need. It is still challenging, but much easier and less random than it was before.
The inputs for Reputation projects will include readily available in-game items such as Expertise, Omega Marks, Refined Dilithium, and the new Borg Commodity (Borg Neural Processor). This is a grand departure from having to run the same STF over and over trying to get that one rare prototype tech you needed for an item which then needed to be turned into another item and then sold to the proper store to get the item.
What a confusing flow chart that was! We apologize this didn’t get improved sooner. It will now be much smoother when you can play a much wider variety of Borg missions to get those inputs and select the exact piece of gear you want next.
Vendor and Reward Changes
*Subject to change
In addition to the above changes, the existing STF vendors on DS9 will no longer be selling their wares. This impacts all of the Deflectors, Engines, Starship Shields, Personal Shields, Personal Armors, Kits, and other “standard” loot items they offered.
Instead, the STF stores have been moved and updated to become part of the Task Force Omega Reputation System. Once you reach the proper tier and complete the store upgrade project, the stores will become available directly from the Task Force Omega Reputation UI.
As part of these store changes, the existing “Anti-Borg” weaponry will be phased out, but will be replaced by newly upgraded weaponry that utilizes unique high-quality weapon models, and employs an improved anti-Borg damage proc that scales based on weapon firing speeds (slow weapons will deliver large bursts of kinetic damage, while fast weapons will deliver smaller hits on each pulse).
Aside from the existing STF rewards, the Omega Reputation will offer a collection of exciting new equipment that has been created specifically to entice players that have already obtained their prizes of choice, to progress through the system and reap the benefits of their prior efforts and experience.
Most notable among these new prizes are the following Space and Ground Sets:
The removal of the Assimilated Module from the existing Borg Space Set has been a balancing move we’ve been meaning to make for some time now. The availability of a four-piece set was an anomaly in our high-end gear and something we were not prepared to support or balance against. The fact that players were capable of benefiting from the 2- and 3-piece bonuses of the Borg Space Set, while using something other than the Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array that was intended to be part of that set, led to an unintended synergy that was never part of the original intended design. We’ll be watching feedback closely on how the set performs under these new restrictions.
The four-piece bonus of this set has been moved down to being a second 3-piece bonus. Players that obtain and equip all 3 pieces of the Assimilated Space Set will now have access to the Borg Tractor Beam in addition to the 2- and 3-piece bonuses already present on the set.
Players that own the existing Borg Space Set will find it has changed to being designated as a “Mk XI” set. For players that do not already possess it, this Mk XI version will be available at Tier 3 of the Omega Reputation, while a Mk X version can be obtained at Tier 1 and a Mk XII upgrade at Tier 5.
Aside from sets, players progressing through Task Force Omega Reputation will also be able to obtain upgraded versions of the Borg Prosthetic Arm Weapons (previously available in the Defera Ground Invasion zone) as well as Anti-Borg Consumables that will assist in their ongoing fight against the Borg.
In Summary
With the restructure of the rewards associated with STFs under the new Reputation System, players that enjoy participating in Special Task Force content will find a new, rewarding way to earn ongoing progress toward their end-game equipment goals. This predictable, regimented progression will allow players that have been playing for months (perhaps even years) without receiving the rewards they have been seeking, to finally have an achievable goal in sight, while also addressing the inconsistency of others receiving that same sought-after gear on their very first boss defeat.
We also believe that having an easier-to-understand reward structure will encourage more players to try out Special Task Forces, in order to advance their own Reputation and reap the rewards that come alongside that advancement.
Before Season 7 launches, the above changes will be implemented on the Tribble Test Server – this will allow you to check out the updates, including the chance to take a look at the contents of the Omega Conversion Crate you would receive based on the amount of the 42 different drop items your character has at the time of transfer to Tribble.
We will be monitoring the forums and reviewing feedback so let us know how you feel about these changes. I am also answering player questions in this forum thread, so make sure to stop by or watch the Dev Tracker. We realize that there will be a few people who may not like the change, but for the vast majority of players this should be a significant improvement. If any of the above information during the course of our testing, we will update this blog post as applicable.
We hope you are as excited as we for the launch of Season 7: New Romulus. We’ll see you in-game and in the STF queues!
Daniel Stahl
Executive Producer
Star Trek Online
eskevar @ Dec 21st, 2012 12:02AM
- This news have the biggest lie of the whole Season 7 within as fact have demonstrated after some weeks from start of it: "The number of Elite STF runs needed to get a Mk XII gear set has been reduced by 60 percent" Before this season I take 4 new klingon toons from lv 20 to 50 and give them full Honor Guard Space Set in only 10 days (I mean all not each so 2.5 days each). With one I do only 5 STF for have full set. Now the game time required for have same things became at least 3-4 weeks, a huge amount of time for earn dilithium, omega/romulan marks, Energy Credit for the TIER assignment. Waiting for see what will be the next big lie... Just to evade spam of who say that is better or worse, Im talking about the way of adv the news not about the quality of the season: that is another big problem...
ishtarianadmiral @ Dec 9th, 2012 5:47PM
But, the big question here is, even with all of the wonderful new devs, did they FINALLY fix the part where bridge officers don't use the weapon adapters when fighting the borg?
johndroid @ Nov 13th, 2012 11:50PM
Wow did you see the cooldown on recruiting officer and the massive dilithium increase in trading officers up , wow its like a 80% increase and I've done bunches of stf's and haven't recieved any dilithium from any of them ? is it broke or the way its gonna be now ? maybe when i read it was to have stf dilithium in blog post maybe it meant romulass only stf's 8) or someplace else if you find how to earn dilithium I'd appriciate a post on where it is now thank you :) Also where did everybody go ? to a different game ?
kennarde @ Nov 13th, 2012 9:24AM
Shoot!!! What's Roxy gonna do now?? Did anyone think about what's going to happen to HER?? shhhiiiiiooott!
johndroid @ Nov 12th, 2012 6:07AM
Oh Yeah change is good for us all sorry to say even if it pains us. Season looks fun and lil exciting for we know what is totally at hand. maybe new romulan ship aye ? hope is good and we got these fleet bases to finish :)Can't wait to play S7 thank you Cryptic and for real easing lots of great ships fast lately :)
johndroid @ Nov 12th, 2012 5:46AM
I just want to know if the drops well be getting only focus on honor/maco/omega equip and not on the other drops for great weapons or consoles is staying the same or getting reworked/reduced and controlled on percentage acomplished also , we all grind for that stuff as well very hard might i say , and the loot or need and greed don't work so wouldn't this be the perfect time to fix it do to there rebuilding the system and drops and where is the reports or news or info about that or is that also wait and see ?? jus curious and the facts/ stuff that matters just the same for me, woulnt be nice to get some very rare MkXII beams/cannons on the 60% rule of grinding :) this is an issue that needs discussing before its way to late to do anything until season * lol.Qapla
derbock203 @ Nov 7th, 2012 10:34AM
didnt any of the dev team said earlier, that there will be no dilithium costs on the projects? i think i read it somewhere on the tribble forum
cynder2012
THats correct...unless they plan on reverting that change...which i hope they dont....its already bad enough that they are making it a 4-6 week grind to get one full space set...
cynder2012
for the dilithium after getting to said teir level lol
insanedday69 @ Nov 5th, 2012 11:10AM
I hope dilithium is coming back to STFs when s7 goes live. just done one and completed optional, no dilithium reward. if you want people to invest in this system, we need a few more ways to earn dilithium.
ploop22 @ Nov 5th, 2012 8:37AM
Season7 is starting to sound exciting as well as more difficult for players to understand these new systems. Even I am having difficulty understanding the basics of what has been written. It took me a month just to understand the Borg STF system. And the difficulty of actually going to the STF is harder thn expected. Overall Season 7 gt me pumped up fr more
criss11 @ Nov 1st, 2012 9:58AM
how about an Undine ground set (from Terradome), or Romulan or Xindi or Suliban ? with new set bonuses ? Or a sniper weapon for Klingon Honor ground set ? I would prefer to stay and play and get/test news STF sets instead of using same old maco set for 2 hours login and btw that maco phaser rifle which is not so good on damage.. STF sets are awful and no variety to choose from..
crusader2007 @ Oct 30th, 2012 3:27PM
Oh boy...havent we heard this before...the dead of PvE and PvP...making more equal for "all players" at the cost of punishing those who "do better" WHY punish EXCEPTIONALISM...is not a disease is a GIFT" please double rewards for ground PvEs and dont punish individual contributions....is not a disease....
acg3269 @ Oct 29th, 2012 7:07PM
Have any of you tested the new system yet? Cause I have and I hate it. It is too much like the fleet starbase leveling system and requires 100,000 reputation to reach tier 5. It involves missions that only give out 2,000 rep. and requires things like 20 large hypos (which I'd much rather use on my character than on the rep. system.) and 1 day, 16 hours to complete. I think it is a huge waste of time and energy. Note to Cryptic: Why not modify the current system to dish out the proper rewards based on how many times STF's have been played?
acg3269
I also forgot to mention the ridiculous amount of dilithium required. It takes about 900 Dilithium per project. It takes 50 projects min. to reach tier 5. That's 45,000 Dilithum that I don't earn from the STF's that I'd have to continually play, and that I'd much rather spend on c-points, save up for a new ship, or get fleet gear with.
jamesburtchell @ Oct 29th, 2012 11:15AM
so what about the STF gear we already have? will we be able to keep and use it still?
fewzz @ Oct 29th, 2012 9:13AM
What a joke it has all become, be prepared to spend a awful lot of dosh
romeowood @ Oct 28th, 2012 7:55PM
Welcome to Star Trek Online! You Win! Send us money.
jmar1973 @ Oct 28th, 2012 9:58AM
As a casual player,I'm all for anything that makes my STO experience better,without a ton of grinding. I often work 8-16 hours a day,and as much as I love the game,sometimes I have to say no altogether to playing so that I don't miss out on a good night's sleep. The problem there is that when I DO play,I'm a total noob all over again because I can't invest the time into playing to where I can get my hands on the hottest,newest equipment. Therefore I'm "behind the 8-ball," so to speak. Yet I want the good stuff,fair and square. This will help towards that end. Thanks!!!!
hierrax @ Oct 27th, 2012 4:09PM
Did I understand that correctly that all OLD items will be converted to new OMEGA marks and processors, but that I will be only able to use those AFTER I finish the whole reputation system?? Thank you, but that sounds very strange and unfair. What would I need that stuff for once I finished all projects?? And why do I have to run 100s of STFs again to get the Marks and stuff, if I already have tons of that in my locker...?? That doesn't sound like I am being rewarded for running STFs umpteen times before...
captainmorgan210
No, you did not understand correctly. The only items that are being converted are EDCs, salvage, etc. The stuff you've already cashed in; your shields, deflector, engines, DOFFs, etc., you get to keep.
chengirpwe @ Oct 27th, 2012 2:46PM
Excellent! 10 out of 10! As I player who's been playing for years without those special drops; thank you, thank you, thank you. This is going to be great.
jolamc @ Oct 27th, 2012 1:06PM
don't think i didnt notice that picture of the standard issue XII borg weapons. 8500 dilith? When one prototype borg salvage only gives us 2300 dilith currently. How is this good for us? If i trade one in for dilith now it will take me the equivalent of 3 proto salvage to afford one standard issue weapon, plus all the omega marks and commodities it took to get to the Tier needed to buy the weapon in the first place.
lethal61 @ Oct 26th, 2012 6:03PM
I like it it will add new content and challanges to the game and im all for that.
sharpie65 @ Oct 26th, 2012 2:53PM
just a question: do we keep the original Omega Force sets?
sgtreusters @ Oct 26th, 2012 2:34PM
Thank you! Thank You! thank You!
sjamesh @ Oct 26th, 2012 2:06PM
I think this is a great change!
partiesplayin @ Oct 25th, 2012 3:19PM
I have one problem with this whole system. The problem i have is that i have been grinding stf's since season 4 have earned a crap ton of gear and now the only way ill be able to get gear again is by contribute to yet another project bases system, i don't know about you all but with the starbase the new embassy and now this new stf grind i don't anyone is going to be able to afford it, With them shutting down every avenue for a member to get ahead in the game. for example locking down crafting to where it takes 2 days for 1 character to be able to refine the amounts of dilithium to craft 1 aegis peice for example. Every single avenue since season 4 for getting ahead and gaining wealth has been slowly stripped away from us. I think dilithium rewards need to be increased and refine limits need to be raised if we are to be putting so much dilitihuim in so many places we need to be able to get more of it with out having to spend 6 hours a day trying to gather it . Also why cant the stf Vet's who have already aquired the sets be grandfathered in some how it doesnt seem fair to the people who have been grinding stf's since season 4. I guess i will only need to do infected space elite and kitomer accord elite now since i will only been need omega marks and and the other thing now i will no reason to ever run any of the other stf's and neither will anyone else.
blackgragon
Accept the change and be glad the system is being made easier. I ran hundreds of STFs for the Omega Gear, just to find that the Mk X only gives little customiztion. You loose it, require it using the new system. Also, its just ingame content, being redone, so instead of doing 100s of STFs, they follow assignments. You might get something in return after the change, so quit QQing about it. And if you continue, cry me a river, its called "Development" for a reason.
irrapirthesecond @ Oct 25th, 2012 2:44PM
"Omega Plasma Torpedo Launcher – This heavy torpedo launcher utilizes technology scavenged from the wreckage left behind in the defeat of Unimatrix ships that have recently begun invading known space." Did I hear that right? Torps salvaged from unimatrix ships? I hope that this means we can launch ship sized balls of plasma soon!
bbfknight
i dont know why they dont call it waht it is... borg v'ger torpedo from the borg ship v'ger
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