Along with Q’s 8×10″ Glossies, the Qmendations from the anniversary event are formally being retired.  In the past 2 years long-term regular players could save up these tokens allowing them to effectively skip the races and events the following year but still get the rewards.  This was clearly not the intended purpose, the designers are shifting the game rewards to time-sensitive currencies to ensure they get as many butts-in-seats as possible.  For players with multiple alts, you will still be able claim the rewards for each alt once one alt has completed the task.

Previously slotted event ships will still be able to be finished, but you will not be able to add previously offered ships.  They will be retired.

The good news is if you can slot it, you can finish it.  You just can’t add ships from previous years.

As with the 8X10’s, the Event Reputation store will have options for people who stashed away savings from previous years.  A complete listing of the trade-ins can be found on today’s blog post, or at the bottom of this post.

But, but, but I still want the old ships!

As with Featured Episode rewards, I doubt these will be permanently retired.  While Star Trek Online has not provided guidance on where or how these ships may return, there is an opportunity here for monetizing the process.  In my opinion many of the free ships are actually better than Zen store equivalents, or are significantly different in design or performance that make them a must have for the collector.  In the age of Admiralty and the clear science deficiency for KDF and Romulan players, these ships represent an opportunity to help balance the factions.

A couple of ‘Free’ ship ideas to have them return.

1.) Add them individually to the dilithium store.  Given the current state of dilithium in the game and exchange rates fast approaching 300:1, this could provide a relatively decent dilithium sink if the ships are priced accordingly.  Repackage them with the same characteristics as lockbox ships, so that they must be acquired individually.  Perhaps even make small changes to them so that they are different than their original free counter parts.

2.) Add them as packages in the Zen Store.  Group them together – ‘The Risian Set’, ‘The Breen Set’ and include as part of these sets all of the relevant space gear that make them unique.  You could even tweak these sets with slight updates or capabilities making them uniquely different from the free versions.  If it’s a Zen store item, they would be available to all factions in the same way ships are currently offered.

Or better yet – add new set abilities and powers as easter eggs for players who already own the ships.  Use the Breen warp core from the winter event with the Shields, Impulse and Deflector from from the Breen mission rewards, and you get a NEW lance capability.

Both the dilithium and zen option would be effectively repackaged ships, but it would offer new players a chance to get these ships, and for admiralty players a chance to improve their options while still maintaining the value of the events themselves.

What’s next to be retired?

Looking at my bank I have crystal shards from the CC Event, Multidimensional Do-Dads from the Mirror events, etc.  Will these be retired as well for event/year specific currencies in the future?  As I shake my Warp Core Magic 8-ball, the answer comes up as “Response Hazy.  Try Again Later.”

I doubt these currencies will be retired as the rewards themselves are often worth considerably less, and the rewards seem to change for each event.  Plus having the capability to drop in a CC or MU event at any time throughout the year is a nice option to have if you’re running late for a launch of a new season, or there’s a forum fire needing to be quenched 😉

My Two Bits
Lootcritter

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Store Options

Star Trek Online is about to celebrate its 6^th Anniversary! Along with new content and prizes that can be earned during the upcoming festivities, it’s important for players to know that the previous years’ special event currency is being retired.

Before this happens, though, we want to give you the opportunity to trade in any leftover Qmendations for something special. Beginning on January 14^th, 2016 (just after Maintenance completes) we’re opening access to the “Anniversary Buyback” store. This special store, accessible from your Event Reputation Store button, will be offering a selection of unique prizes in exchange for your Qmendations.

Here are the items that will be available:

Sigh.  Frikkin Table structures – sorry for the mess – LC

ITEM 1 Specialization Point 1/2 Specialization Point 78,200 XP equivalent 1/10th Specialization Point 15,640 XP equivalent 500 Specialization XP Event Buyback Tech Upgrade – Universal (Large) +25,600 Tech Points / No Research No Dilithium Cost Event Buyback Tech Upgrade – Universal (Small) +12,800 Tech Points / No Research No Dilithium Cost Elite Queue R&D Material Reward Package Available in all varieties. Player chooses contents. Starship Emote Pack: “Smile” and “Sad” Starship Emote Pack: “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” Starship Emote Pack: “Live Long and Prosper” Starship Emote Pack: “Rock, Paper, Scissors”

AUTOGRAPH COST 400 250 60 1 75 45 30 50 50 50 50

 

** NOTE: Specialization Point packages may only be purchased by Level 60 characters.

A few prizes require a bit more information, so allow me to expand on those…

SPECIALIZATION / XP PACKAGES

Purchasing any of these items will immediately reward the buyer with either 1 Specialization Point, or an amount of XP equivalent to the fraction (1/2 or 1/10^th), or the amount (265 XP) indicated. These cannot be traded, and only players that are already Level 60 will be eligible to purchase them.

While the lowest denomination package may be purchased in bulk, it’s important to note that larger packages are more cost-efficient.

ELITE QUEUE R&D MATERIALS

These packages are exactly identical to the rewards given upon the completion of an Elite Queue. Players will be able to choose which Material they prefer to receive, by purchasing the corresponding pack:  
Craylon Gas, Argonite Gas, Dentarium, Trellium-K, Plekton Particle, or Radiogenic Particle

As with the standard Elite Queue R&D prizes, all of these packages include all of the following:

• 10 Common R&D Materials
• 10 Uncommon, Rare or Very Rare R&D Materials
• 7 Rare or Very Rare R&D Materials
• 3 Very Rare R&D Materials
• Common, Uncommon and Rare Materials are Random, while the Very Rare will always correspond to the Material type purchased.

STARSHIP EMOTE PACKS

Each of these packages unlocks one or two new powers, which can be slotted into your Starship Power Trays. Activating any of these Powers will display a brief holographic symbol above your ship while in System or Sector Space. All share a brief cooldown period, so as to discourage noisy over-use of this new feature.

Our hope is that having a few quick communication options at your fingertips may help even total strangers communicate with one another with ease, while flying among the stars.

While these will remain exclusively available on the Event Buyback Stores for the time being, these Emote Packs will eventually also become available for Gold-Pressed Latinum.

FAQ:

Why are you retiring the Qmendations?

We want to maintain the exclusivity and collectability of the event ships from all of our seasonal Events each year, and in order to do that we will be retiring the existing items. When the 6^th Anniversary Event begins, an entirely new currency will be needed to acquire the event starship. This will be the process going forward – a new item to be collected each year.

Our goal for this change is to ensure that everyone participates on equal footing for the release of each year’s new ship.

What if I have a partial Anniversary Reputation project in progress?

Those of you that already have an anniversary ship project in progress from a previous year’s event WILL NOT lose any progress, and can simply finish that project either with your existing Qmendations, or with the new currency when it arrives. 

 Can I slot a new project for previous Anniversary Ships?

No. These ships are being retired.

What about discounts for alts?

Moving forward, all starships earned by completing an Event Project will be unlocked for all characters on your account. Visit the Event Store to claim them on additional characters!

What if I don’t finish an Anniversary Reputation project?

All in-progress Anniversary Reputation projects will be removed before the subsequent year arrives.

Why are the Anniversary Buyback prices different from the Summer and Winter Buyback?

Anniversary festivities from previous years rewarded event currency at a different rate than either Summer or Winter. Packages of Qmendations purchased from the Lobi Store also included a different amount of event currency than the Summer or Winter packages. These changes in the supply of this currency necessitated the change in pricing.

More to come!

More information on the 6^th Anniversary Event is right around the corner! The event goes live very soon!