How to get better items in shuttle runs?

Need Good Legends

How to get better items in shuttle runs? Do i need to a higher crew or fraction reputation? Why am i getting common run in shuttle runs?

<TGE> Clifford

You’d have to be more specific regarding what you’re getting from your shuttles. Some items, I believe, are fairly rare no matter what your reputation/success history with the faction is. (Usually 4* components.)

That said, I would say that mine have generally gotten better over time.

Need Good Legends

i am getting *2 items . mos t of my factions are despite hostile or neutral

Data1001

From my understanding, reputation doesn't mean as much in getting better rewards as difficulty level does.

As an example, I am Honored in all factions, but some time ago I worked on getting Section 31 shuttles down to :30-second missions (you can do this by purposely failing shuttles until you get there — for me it took several weeks). But while I can get Basic Holoprograms very easily on those shuttles, the higher-starred items do not drop very frequently at all, because my difficulty level is so low.

As WhiteClifford stated, there's no guarantee of getting the better items no matter what your situation is, but you will have a much better chance once your difficulty increases, which generally happens in concurrence with you having better and better crew who can pass the missions with more frequency. Just keep running them, and eventually you'll get to the point where you have about the best chance of getting those better items as anyone.

Marko Ramius

Data1001 wrote: »

Just keep running them, and eventually you'll get to the point where you have about the best chance of getting those better items as anyone.

I agree with this. Eventually, when you're honored in all factions, the success rate without boosts will even out at around 66% give or take. This plateau affords equal chances at all rewards, except for maybe the aforementioned 4* items. Also, once you get there, you'll realize that you actually need more of the 0* and 1* items than the 4*. Vicious isn't it?

Ironagedave

Concur just keep sending them out and do double boosts overnight. Sometimes it takes 8+ runs to get what you want, even if it is a lousy 0* piece of b-rated ancient film.

Almost a Angel

Send them out and have a piece of cake

Marko Ramius

Ironagedave wrote: »

Concur just keep sending them out and do double boosts overnight. Sometimes it takes 8+ runs to get what you want, even if it is a lousy 0* piece of b-rated ancient film.

I live for Federation events where I can stock up on those. For some reason every other crew needs a 2* single pot whiskey. STT is just a bunch of alcoholics running around boozing it up.

al103

Marko Ramius wrote: »

I live for Federation events where I can stock up on those. For some reason every other crew needs a 2* single pot whiskey. STT is just a bunch of alcoholics running around boozing it up.

*sigh* If only other rewards of EAS: Bravery In Action (Normal) weren't so bad... So question is if one Film worth 5/10 chrons + whatever you can farm from Elite/Epic.

Marko Ramius

al103 wrote: »

*sigh* If only other rewards of EAS: Bravery In Action (Normal) weren't so bad... So question is if one Film worth 5/10 chrons + whatever you can farm from Elite/Epic.

I can never justify it. I don't look at it as gaining an ancient film (maybe), I look at it as losing 10 chronitons per run. I'm a true gambler at heart, what can I say?

al103

Marko Ramius wrote: »

I can never justify it. I don't look at it as gaining an ancient film (maybe), I look at it as losing 10 chronitons per run. I'm a true gambler at heart, what can I say?

It right next to Top Marks though... which is Scientific Experiment (!), Identificaiton Code and First Contact Protocol (!!). There are better places for them certainly, but it doesn't look like pure waste of 10 chrons at least. Talk Less besides Medical Experiment have * Identification Code which by itself can cover 10 chrons. Also Hoverball (sometimes they get depleted) and Optronic Circuit which while mostly useless still can deplete in Galaxies - I have 300 of those in comparison to Top Marks basic Interlink of which I have 1500.

Ironagedave

Marko Ramius wrote: »

al103 wrote: »

*sigh* If only other rewards of EAS: Bravery In Action (Normal) weren't so bad... So question is if one Film worth 5/10 chrons + whatever you can farm from Elite/Epic.

I can never justify it. I don't look at it as gaining an ancient film (maybe), I look at it as losing 10 chronitons per run. I'm a true gambler at heart, what can I say?

my 0/196 chronitons makes the decision for me

al103

Ironagedave wrote: »

my 0/196 chronitons makes the decision for me

Well, for me today it was depleted reserve of ** IDIC. That it was 25-chron one is pure (if happy) coincidence, I would've took 15-chron one too.

Marko Ramius

al103 wrote: »

Well, for me today it was depleted reserve of ** IDIC. That it was 25-chron one is pure (if happy) coincidence, I would've took 15-chron one too.

There's a serious lack of hard to get, universally usable items on elite EAS.

al103

Marko Ramius wrote: »

There's a serious lack of hard to get, universally usable items on elite EAS.

Talk Less with Basic Holoprogram (with bonus Encoded Communique). It's like third of my EAS runs. Top Marks for Med Experiments (with bonus Coffee... and if Galaxies count Pattern Enhancers). Bravery in Action is worse Holoprogram source.

And only other sources of Holoprograms are normal CF (which is a big NOPE as one is locked on Elite and other on at least Epic and in general on last two Epic missions) and Shuttles where it rarely drops unless they are specifically tanked to 5-min ones.

tytlal

al103 wrote: »

Marko Ramius wrote: »

It right next to Top Marks though... which is.

being noobish, i really wonder what treasure do i pass in faction shops, while they arent being green or yellow marked. i know that with this q i might hijack this thread,and if so please correct me

Capt. Chaos

I always buy these common items: Dominion seals (Dominion), gagh and warnogs (KCA), holoprograms and case files (Sec 31), ancient films and orchids (Federation), poisoned drinks (Terran empire), medical experiments (Augments). An especially good deal for 50 merits.

Dirk Gunderson

Capt. Chaos wrote: »

I always buy these common items: Dominion seals (Dominion), gagh and warnogs (KCA), holoprograms and case files (Sec 31), ancient films and orchids (Federation), poisoned drinks (Terran empire), medical experiments (Augments). An especially good deal for 50 merits.

Add to that list science experiments (2* are still a deal at 250 merits), rare polyalloys, rare casings, rare clothing patterns, and uncommon bloodwine.

al103

Dirk Gunderson wrote: »

rare polyalloys, rare casings, rare clothing patterns

Those are pure waste of merits. 15-20 chron per one. While rare alcohol is like 50. And so are rare emitter crystals. Basic sensors have better chron/merit rate too and you need thousands of them even without Galaxies.

Marko Ramius

al103 wrote: »

Those are pure waste of merits. 15-20 chron per one. While rare alcohol is like 50. And so are rare emitter crystals. Basic sensors have better chron/merit rate too and you need thousands of them even without Galaxies.

I agree. Never buy anything from the factions stores that isn't a 0* item. I can justify spending 50 merits (cause I have like 20,000) on an item that you would otherwise have to run a faction mission for or try your luck on the cadet challenges (I recently ran all 6 cadet missions looking for 1 Bajoran Earring and didn't get any).

However, I feel like anything else is a waste. The faction stores highway robbery. Take the 3* items at 250,000 credits a pop. You can replicate an ENTIRE 5* item for the same amount. Also, 250 merits is a third of the way to a merit reward pull in the time portal, or 5 refreshes in the gauntlet.

There is no justification for overspending in the factions stores when your chronitons will refresh. Work on someone else and wait until tomorrow and try again.

Data1001

Well if you're not doing Merit pulls — and where I'm currently at, with a lot of 4* crew FF, I don't even do non-specialty premium pulls, so there's no way I'm doing those (except on my alt accounts) — then it makes a great deal of sense to spend Merits in Faction centers. 250 Merits is nothing, really, when I usually get a lot more than that from one round of Gauntlet battles. And I'd much rather do that than drop 50-100 Chronitons (or more) trying to farm an item. Of course, as noted above, certain items are easier to get than others. But I always buy 3* Alcohol in Faction centers when it's available for Merits. And I'll often buy the other rare items mentioned by Dirk, if I have a surplus of Merits — which, these days, I usually do. (As I said, I don't do Merit pulls, nor do I spend them in Gauntlet for refreshes.) Like so many things in this game, it's about not "living beyond your means" (so to speak); but if you're able to buy items without spending more overall than you're taking in, then it's not only worth it, but is, imo, a very smart use of resources.

Marko Ramius

I guess so. I can see reason for spending in the faction stores and for not spending there. I agree 3* alcohol is not easily obtainable otherwise, but for me, it still seems excessive. Everyone plays a different game, so strategies are different for everyone. I do play the gauntlet and do merit pulls from time to time, so for me, I guess merits are better spent there.

Dirk Gunderson

al103 wrote: »

Dirk Gunderson wrote: »

rare polyalloys, rare casings, rare clothing patterns

Those are pure waste of merits. 15-20 chron per one. While rare alcohol is like 50. And so are rare emitter crystals. Basic sensors have better chron/merit rate too and you need thousands of them even without Galaxies.

I don’t use merits to refresh the gauntlet and I find merit pulls to be a waste...725 merits for a couple of uncommon crew I immortalized a year ago? Not happening.

Also, your chron expenditures are off...and not in a fun direction:

Rare casing - 27.7/unit on Field Modifications (Elite), 29.9/unit on Rings of Time (Elite), and 33.4/unit on Pirate Problems (Epic)

Rare polyalloy - 31.9/unit on Ishka Issues (Epic), 100+ anywhere else

Rare alcohol - 56.9/unit from Operation Isolate (Normal), 73+ anywhere else.

al103

I'll make it simpler (best rates used):

Rare Alcohol 4.59 Merit per Chron
Rare Emitter Crystal 5.1 MpC
Basic Sensor 5.21 MpC
Basic Furs 5.32 MpC
Rare Synthesized Polymer 5.95 MpC

Uncommon Power Cell 6.58 MpC
Rare Optronic Circuit 7.16 MpC
Common Database 7.46 MpC
Uncommon Database 7.53 MpC
Rare Gold-Pressed Latinum 8.01 MpC

Rare Polyalloy 8.31 MpC
Rare Power Cell 8.33 MpC
Rare Casing 8.83 MpC
Uncommon Clothing Pattern 9.06 MpC
Basic Power Cell 10 MpC