cryptic refuses to learn: Retiring Glossy Photos

[cmdraftbrn]

https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star- ... il/9644853

Information about the return of Q’s Winter Wonderland is just around the corner! As part of this year's holiday festivities, we will be retiring the “Autographed 8x10 Glossy Photos of Q” and changing how starships will be earned during this event.

Before this happens, though, we want to give you the opportunity to trade in any leftover Autographs for something special. Beginning on DATE PENDING (just after Maintenance completes) we're opening access to the "Winter Buyback" store. This special store, accessible from your Event Reputation Store button, will be offering a selection of unique prizes in exchange for your Autographs of Q.

Here are the items that will be available:

ITEM / AUTOGRAPH

1 Specialization Point = 200
1/2 Specialization Point, 78,200 XP equivalent = 125
1/10th Specialization Point 15,640 XP equivalent = 30
500 Specialization XP = 1
Event Buyback Tech Upgrade - Universal (Large) +25,600 Tech Points / No Research / No Dilithium Cost = 50
Event Buyback Tech Upgrade - Universal (Small) +12,800 Tech Points / No Research / No Dilithium Cost = 30
Elite Queue R&D Material Reward Package Available in all varieties. Player chooses contents. = 15
Starship Emote Pack: "Smile" and "Sad" = 40
Starship Emote Pack: "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" = 40
Starship Emote Pack: "Live Long and Prosper" = 40
Starship Emote Pack: "Rock, Paper, Scissors" = 40

** 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 1/10th), or the amount (500 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 Summer and Winter Buyback Stores for the time being, these Emote Packs will eventually also become available for Gold-Pressed Latinum.

FAQ:

Why are you retiring the Autographs?

We want to maintain the exclusivity and collectability of the event ships from the Winter Event each year, and in order to do that we will be retiring the existing items. When the 2015 Winter 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 Winter Reputation project in progress?

Those of you that already have a winter 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 Autographs, or with the new currency when it arrives.

Can I slot a new project for previous Winter Ships?

No. These ships are being retired with the start of the 2015 Winter Event.

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 a Winter Reputation project?

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

More to come!

More information on the 2015 Winter Event is right around the corner! The event goes live very soon!

[Pottsey]

Worse it’s having the opposite effect to what’s intended. Due to the massive influx of Specialization Points I am playing less as I no longer need to grind them.

[JarekCyphus]

Why?

WhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhy?

[WelshAvenger]

God forbid we stockpile the excess photos to use next year because it would surely doom the game. DOOM!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LBlackmoor]

God forbid we stockpile the excess photos to use next year because it would surely doom the game. DOOM!

You said it... now I can't stop myself... Oh NO! Here it comes...


On a serious note... It does kind of suck, though we had to see this coming after the summer event...

[cmdraftbrn]

welcome to the rest of your life

3 grind ships a year
2 gimmick ships a year + 2 ship sales in said year
2 seasons a year.

oh and we'll arbitrarily change our rules based on our "metrics" and whatever lame excuse we could concoct at the time.

zZzZzZzZz

and now to end this meeting on a high note

[JarekCyphus]

At this point, Trek or not, Cryptic is one more Shenanigan away from me bowing out away from this game for good.

[Mike]

Cryptic said this was going to happen when they did the same thing with the summer event.

I really don't get why people are upset...

And it's because people got the new event ships on day 1 they made this change.

And at least we get some usefull stuff for our old photo's etc.

[Pottsey]

Cryptic said this was going to happen when they did the same thing with the summer event.

I really don't get why people are upset...

And it's because people got the new event ships on day 1 they made this change.

And at least we get some usefull stuff for our old photo's etc.

The change has the opposite effect to what it’s designed for but the devs seem blind to that. Personally I don't find trade in stuff useful.

Another reason some players are upset is before we could put in x amount of days of play time last year and make up for missing days this year. For example if you are on holiday during the event you can spread your play time over two years.

[cmdraftbrn]

Cryptic said this was going to happen when they did the same thing with the summer event.

I really don't get why people are upset...

And it's because people got the new event ships on day 1 they made this change.

And at least we get some usefull stuff for our old photo's etc.

the most basic reason for this change stems from the peoples being smarter then cryptic. so cryptic comes out whining how the players cheated them.

what they wanted was, people to buy keys, open scamboxes (lockboxes), then spend the lobi for the ships. Or run event (x), (z) number of times for item (r).

this is crytics MO. if we're not playing their way, they get all uptight and pissy.
delta rising is a prime example of this. the testers on tribble told cryptic that the xp was too low and wasnt carrying you through the content. and we got told poo hoo. then someone found out that if you did patrol x you could do it again. when DR launched cryptic stated that if you're having problems with xp go do patrol x. not even a month later the EP went psycho on the community and called everyone a bunch of cheaters.