I'm currently a Commander, and just getting around to messing around with the crafting. I got my Commander Cruiser, and messed around getting Badges of Exploration 3rd Rank for gear for a while .. and decided to see if I could upgrade any of that gear via crafting. Sure enough, I see that I can buy a Covariant Shield Array Mk VI with 200 some odd Badges, and then I can upgrade it at Memory Alpha at Tier II. Getting past Tier One only took a minute or so, so this all sounded like a great plan.
I first realized I was going to have a problem when I went to buy the shield at Earth Spacedock. The person you buy them for with the Badges, has two for sale that are called exactly the same thing. I jetted off to Memory Alpha to see if there was any other information, or some sort of hint as to which one I was supposed to buy that would upgrade. Seeing nothing but the name .. I made a guess that it didn't matter which one I bought since they were pretty close stat wise. One was a little higher in regen, one was a little higher in overall shield. So I bought one and headed back to Memory Alpha. Upon arrival at Memory Alpha, I was faced with confirmation of what I'd feared. While I had the shield it was asking for in my inventory .. in the store list, it wasn't lighting up for me to upgrade it. I also found this to be true for a few weapons I purchased with Badges.
So now I'm totally confused. The names are EXACTLY what they're asking for .. but it's not lighting up for me to upgrade. Did I just buy the wrong one? And if so, how are you supposed to know which one to buy when they're both named exactly the same? What about when there's three of the same item that's named the same, but has slightly different stats?
Any help on this would be greately appreciated .. this really doesn't make any bloody sense, and I've burned through a TRIBBLE ton of Tier I items thinking that I had to keep going until someone said something .. but I have the Tier II Stores open to me, so I know I've completed Tier I. This just doesn't make any sense .. there needs to be some sort of notation so that you know which item you're supposed to buy to upgrade, and which cannot be upgraded.
They will also upgrade from items in your bank, as well as use the crafting components you have banked as well. Very nice as I tend to drop all my anomalies into the bank as they take up far too much space!
If they only accept white versions for upgrading .. then where can you find the white versions of those items? I haven't found a place that sells Mark VI White shields or ship weapons. Are those supposed to be just drops? Because while it may say it's "Common" I'm sure as hell not seeing them.
As far as I know, the commons you can upgrade are drops only, or you buy them from the Exchange. Would be a bit simple if you could just buy them from a vendor, wouldn't it?
Comments
You can't upgrade uncommon or rare items.
And for those common items it's just one version of each.
Go to the klingon homeworld and buy them http://stowiki.org/wiki/Maj