Well, I will try this once again and see where it goes, but currently patrol missions and exploration are being sold short as an end game activity which is mainly driven by STFs and accruing dilithium. So let's go over some facts first:
- End game repeatable content in STO is lacking
- You can only refine 8k dilithium ore per day so the system is already time gated
- Exploration took a hit for end game replayability especially the lower "level" sectors
- Although patrols are now repeatable, there is little incentive to run them at end-game except for accolades
Now looking at those what can we do to make Exploration and Patrols more appealing in the short-term and my suggestion is that given the 8k refining limit there is no reason not to assign dilithium to them, even if it is a lesser amount. So, these changes go for both sides.
Patrols -
- These are relatively short mission so should not award too much dilithium
- Each patrol would offer 480 dilithium
- Each patrol would also offer a "level" appropriate item
- Items would depend on the difficult slider
- Easymode - Uncommon-Rare (Uncommom>>Rare)
- Advancedmode - Uncommon-Very rare (Rare>Uncommon>>Very Rare)
- Hardmode - Rare-Very Rare (Rare>>Very Rare)
Exploration -
- Again, but we now have double wrapper missions, one for Strange New Worlds/Breathing Room and one for the Sector.
- The dilithium wrapper mission needs upped one level so it wraps at least three exploration sectors, complete three explores and it can stay at 1440 (represents a bonus 480/explore) and a daily.
- Now missions are repeatable at the half hour mark and award dilithium based on the character's level and sector such that:
- Vice Admiral
- B'Tran (Vice Admiral) - 1440
- B'Tran - 1200
- Zenas, Rolor, Betreka - 960
- Eridan, Afehirr - 720
- Khazan, Hromi - 480
- Delta Volanis, Arucanis - 240
- Rear Admiral
- B'Tran - 1440
- Zenas, Rolor, Betreka - 1200
- Eridan, Afehirr - 960
- Khazan, Hromi - 720
- Delta Volanis, Arucanis - 480
- Captain
- Zenas, Rolor, Betreka - 1440
- Eridan, Afehirr - 1200
- Khazan, Hromi - 960
- Delta Volanis, Arucanis - 720
- Commander
- Eridan, Afehirr - 1440
- Khazan, Hromi - 1200
- Delta Volanis, Arucanis - 960
- Lt. Commander
- Khazan, Hromi - 1440
- Delta Volanis, Arucanis - 1200
- Lieutennant
- Delta Volanis, Arucanis - 1440
- Repeat this residual list for the Klingon slide
- Offer a second option of a "level" appropriate reward the same way as the patrols above based on the difficulty slider.
- Easymode - Uncommon-Rare (Uncommom>>Rare)
- Advancedmode - Uncommon-Very rare (Rare>Uncommon>>Very Rare)
- Hardmode - Rare-Very Rare (Rare>>Very Rare)
Dilithium Quota -
- Patrols
- Assume 10 minutes/patrol+travel time
- 2.8 hrs solid patrols = 8160
- Exploration
- Assume 30 minutes to complete an explore
- Assume player will explore the area of max dilithium reward
- 2.5 hrs solid exploration = 8640 dilithium