Alright. This is a dev compliment thread, so if your not into that thing, feel free to skip over reading my opinion.
I had a long absence from STO due to computer failure, but when I came back to the game, I noticed something truly heavenly: the new rep system.
I did lose overall power from being limited to only 4 rep passives in space/ground, but I didn't care that much about the loss of power since I actually prefer it that way. With that change, they trounced power creep right then and there and put limits on the maximum power a level 50 could attain. Not only is this going to be much healthier for the longevity of the game, it's just so much more pleasant to grind this way.
Instead of compelling a player rather by force to keep up with power creep to grind and grind to stay current with the ever increasing power standard of a level 50, it lovingly convinces the player to grind for gear/passives that they want. Overall, my mood when grinding reps now is no longer that of distaste, but that of ENJOYMENT.
Huh, never thought I'd say that about any grind. That's not all though!
They made the pot even sweeter and removed the commodity requirements for reputations. Oh how much I enjoy not having to constantly run around buying commodities and banking just to fill up a rep slot. That makes filling up those bars feel like a reward rather than a punishment.
On top of all that, they also standardized the rep requirements. The requirements for an XP mission are always the same and you never have to worry about differing costs.
Even though they removed Tier X and XI from the rep, it's still good in my book simply because it rewards hard work, and each piece of a set feels like a real achievement. No longer will I feel compelled to just get a junky X set to tide me over until I can get up the mental fortitude to keep grinding. No, I'm gonna grind up until T5 on everything, and I'm going to LOVE it.
In my opinion, they took everything negative about the reputations and turned them into a positive, all while opening the doors for new reputations.
Finally, I just want to compliment all the devs on the hard work and forward thinking they applied to season 9. If I had to grade this season I'd have to give it a solid A+.
Special regards to the reputation devs for the revamp and the art team for all the very polished and good looking new stuff in game.
Instead of compelling a player rather by force to keep up with power creep to grind and grind to stay current with the ever increasing power standard of a level 50, it lovingly convinces the player to grind for gear/passives that they want.
In other words, none of them.
Too bad there's nothing else to do in this game, so now its all boring.
I agree with everything you have said. They have ameliorated the grind process and in doing so have increased my ability to enjoy using multiple characters.
The fact that we no longer need to run around getting hypos and shield charges and industrial replicators every day really alleviates the grind. Plus there are a number of pointless steps removed, like unlocking a store item before having to buy it, and being tempted with sub-par Mk X and XI gear before any of the Mk XII is accessible. I really like the rep changes, but there are still some issues with mark income (Vault Ensnared and Azure Nebula for example).
I like the fact that you can get the gear pieces at different levels ((shield at t1, gun at t3 etc). This , gradual porgression makes advancement feel more measured and less grindy, and also helps spread the load of dilithium spending over a greater period of time.
For one thing I enjoy the boxes. Got lucky and didn't have to buy a single Rom plasma DHC. I have different opinion on certain things but overall I agree it was a decent change.
I have to agree, the changes to the reputation has made working on my alt a real blast. I didn't like the old way. I didn't like the fact that you had to spend so much money on trivial things such as hypos or shield generators, so not having them is a good thing.
Another good thing is the near-complete removal of the Expertise requirements. I can live with pouring them into the EXP portion, but that was what was turning me off from doing projects. I mean, when you need nearly 200k for a three-piece set? Gah
With that change, they trounced power creep right then and there and put limits on the maximum power a level 50 could attain.
Yeah, they really nerfed a2b+demarion, the scimitard and various rep/fleet gear to the ground. Oh wait, they didn't !
Real fact : powercreep was already a problem in STO before the very first rep powers. With or without them, I can do well over 20K DPS on my scimitard, and those parsers where done when BFAW was not critting. Granted, the scimitar came right after the rom rep.
I'm eager to see any fresh lvl50 do that with the money they have when they just finished leveling.
I'll add my voice in thanking the Devs on streamlining the Reps. While it isn't perfect, it is a much better and easier experience. I've actually started using my other characters since it isn't as hard to do for them. Instead of sticking on my current main, I brought my old one out of retirement, started up my Klingon again, working on my Rom, and probably going to add two more.
Also being able to slot other traits has been interesting as I've been experimenting with different traits to do different things. I'm not sticking to a single trait 'outfit'. There is probably a trait 'outfit' that works the 'best', but I'm willing to experiment with it and see what I can do. So thanks for that.
Oh, and when running 4 different characters (soon to be 6, 2 per faction), getting free Reputation gear via loot boxes, lessens my dependency on the exchange, so thanks for that. Even if I have to run different weapon types for awhile, it still helps out.
Cryptic nerfed future power creep by nerfing a system that allowed infinite power progression not fix the current power creep caused by Reputation. When we had 15 Reputations and 60 passive powers, then the Reputation system would have massive power creep that would make Fleet equipment and other sources of power creep secondary.
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Too bad there's nothing else to do in this game, so now its all boring.
Valdus | Charn | Costello | Typhus | Thyran
-K
Another good thing is the near-complete removal of the Expertise requirements. I can live with pouring them into the EXP portion, but that was what was turning me off from doing projects. I mean, when you need nearly 200k for a three-piece set? Gah
Real fact : powercreep was already a problem in STO before the very first rep powers. With or without them, I can do well over 20K DPS on my scimitard, and those parsers where done when BFAW was not critting. Granted, the scimitar came right after the rom rep.
I'm eager to see any fresh lvl50 do that with the money they have when they just finished leveling.
Also being able to slot other traits has been interesting as I've been experimenting with different traits to do different things. I'm not sticking to a single trait 'outfit'. There is probably a trait 'outfit' that works the 'best', but I'm willing to experiment with it and see what I can do. So thanks for that.
Oh, and when running 4 different characters (soon to be 6, 2 per faction), getting free Reputation gear via loot boxes, lessens my dependency on the exchange, so thanks for that. Even if I have to run different weapon types for awhile, it still helps out.