I've 2 characters, one is RA 5 and the other is Cpt2. Neither one is anywhere close to clearing the Tactical Crafter Anichent. My RA5 captain has cleared the Engineering and Science crafters. My Cpt2 is estimated to be a third of the way through on Sci and Eng. My RA5 had to buy gear on the exchange costing more than the green/blue would sell for. And considering I bought the same crafted gear at 35%-50% (cause people cant divide by 2) I know selling it to the vendor is the best way.
The white gear necessary for crafting doesn't drop enough (I still cant believe Im asking for more white gear).
As an experiment, I spent one whole level grinding the DSEs in Romulan Space (specifically the Z-6 sector).
I had been grinding as a Cmd9 and Cmd10 but when I hit Cpt1 (and a new ship) it gave me a starting point for a test.
I spent the entire level grinding the DSE. I didn't take any defend missions. SP came purely from kills. I recorded every drop (minus some batteries that got used along the way). Everybody always say "back it up with data" so I did and here's what I got:
5 - Console, Tactical mk VI (white)
2 - Console, Tactical mk VI (green)
2 - Console, Science mk VI (green)
4 - Console, Science mk VI (white)
3 - Console Engineering mk VI (white)
1 - Provisions
10 - Weapons Batteries
12 - Shield Batteries
Disruptor Dual Cannons mk I (white)
6 - Entertainment Provisions
12 - Auxiliary Battery
Disruptor Beam Array mk VI (white)
Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons mk VI (white)
Phaser Cannon mk I (white)
3 - Self Sealing Stembolts
Shield Array mk VI (white)
Phaser Turret mk VI (white)
Positron Deflector VI (white)
1 - Shield Generator
Tetryon Turret mk VI (white)
Photon Mine Launcher mk VI (green)
Photon Mine Launcher mk VI (white)
Combat Impulse Engines mk VI (white)
Resilient Shield Array mk VI (green)
Phaser Dual Heavy Cannon mk VI (green)
Photon Torpedo Launcher mk VI (white)
Tetryon Dual Cannon mk VI (white)
Resilient Shield Array mk VII (white)
~77 items...
I only pulled one item that could be used in crafting.
I manually tracked my progress for crafting with this character and It cant be done with current drop tables.
I'm already buying engines and deflectors off the exchange to help clear the Science and Engineer crafters but plasma weapons CANNOT be bought off the Exchange for anything RESEMBLING a reasonable price.
I'm all for free market so I dont have an issue with that.
It the lack of adequate sources of white gear for crafting.
I'm a Captain 2 now... I should be using VII and VIII gear. I cant craft the gear I DO find because of the unreasonably high (and narrow for that matter) crafting requirements and the unfathomably low rate at which they drop.
I have NEVER, with TWO Captains, been able to find enough gear to craft without
heavily resorting to the exchange.
Lets not even talk about Plasma ship weapons... My RA5 NEVER EVER got a single plasma drop in the IV and VI range. I did pull a VIII once. My Cpt 2 captain has gotten lucky. I have pulled 2 Plasma Dual Cannons mk IV.
I don't wish come across as ranty. I'm only trying support a statement with hard data.
By all means... anyone that has cleared the Tactical Crafter... fill me (and anyone else) in on where you got your gear.
Cryptic, I get that you want people to play the game and not 'buy' their way through as it were but if you are going to make the crafters require so much of such a narrow band of gear then a source for that gear is necessary. Make it so you can buy VI and IV gear with badges and stuff. Theres a Ferengi running around let him sell it.
OR... make the crafters accept more gear and make proper 'upgraders' I mean really. Anichent only takes Plasma Beams and Dual Cannons.. theres Phaser, Disruptor, and Tetryon at those ranks. Theres also 4 different kinds of deflectors and 3 different kinds of Shields BESIDES COVARIANT.
Part of that 'not buying your way through the game' means not having to hit the Exchange for 250,000 plasma beams.
I, personally, dont mind having to hit the exchange to round out what I might need but with both captains the exchange has been main source (in the 75% - 80% range) of my gear.
If I'm not grinding the right spot then soembody tell me but I think (if my list is any indication) that I'm in the right spot for mkvi gear. Tell me if I'm wrong....
The good news is that I actually have 10 Entertainment Provisions for the guy in DS9; with out actually spending a small fortune to buy them.
Comments
I had done that to a degree... The kit crafts (for all the classes) require a lot of mats.... like 14 of one and 7 of 3 others and 3 of another 3...
I had begun that but ran out of mats quickly. I have like 350 exploration badges unused from grinding out exploration.
For tactical, I've done 2 mk iv sniper rifles, 2 mk iv DCs, 2 mk iv plasma torps, 4 mkvi kits and 1 mk vi Sniper.
2x 1, 2x 5, 2x 5, 4x 6, 1x 1.7 = 47,700...
And this is better than my RA5. My RA5 hit RA1 before clearing Engineering, and RA4 before clearing Science. And tactical... the RA5 has done less...
And thats the thing.... using just the gear from the crafters (you cant buy consoles or devices) it takes ~200K to equip your ship and a 5-man away team in mk vi gear. Mark IV gear is about half. At 700K, that 3 1/2 times as much gear as player would use.
It would be doable if the crafters took the gear you actually got. Tetryon, Phaser, Disrupters (not just Plasma)... Resilient, Regenerative, (Plain) Shields (not just Covariant)..... Cannons, Dual Heavy Cannons, Turrets, Dual Beams (Not just Beams and Dual Cannons)... Photon, Chroniton (not just Plasma, Quantum)....
Tachyon, Graviton, Positron deflectors (not just plain Defelctors)...
Again, in my original post... beween 2 captains I've only pulled 2 Plasma Dual Cannons mk iv. (The plasma torps mentioned earlier I got on the Exchange).
The Kit thing is good. Strangely enough, the Kits sell higher than the ship weapons (figure that one out) but they also have higher mat requirements (figure that one out too).
good point WLMF...
Anyone have a good spot for Plasma drops?
And, just because it is oh so true:
What a state of affairs when players need to ask for "common" items to drop, and be reasonably priced exchange wise.
It is so bad I just save up the "data" I collect, hopefully this issue will be resolved soon.
Yes, I am probably wrong so can I ask, what kind of stuff do you get I mean is it worth it in the long run?
I was finding that I was writing down the items that I needed, running back and forth to clean inventory and it just seemed like it was no fun.
Maybe I missed something.
Thanks in advance
Edit: upon closer inspection it does infact require a Mk V,:o those dirty buggers!
Last night, I bought 2 (T W O ) Quantum Torpedo Launcher mk vi... I paid 60,000 apiece for 6K items thinking, "If it helps get me clear of the crafter..."
I get the crafters and he wont take em. W T F !!!! then I notice.... out of a 100 other items that all the crafters really do is 'upgrade' them... this. one. item.... needs Quantum MINE launcher mk vi.
Oh I was fit to be tied... I thought about /bug-ing it but they haven't fixed the med shield charge -> large battery charge yet and that was bugged back in beta.
Silly rabbit, we are still in beta!