They do come in packs. As with all things it's via RNG, but they haven't been super rare in the pack drops recently, at least not in my experience They were also widely available during the recent Nightlife event. I believe after that I have over 100 sitting in my legacy storage even after spending a bunch of them. They were dropping pretty frequently from the slot machines.

Got another toon through conquest today. On the game servers I tend to shoot for several in one day, but since I'm trying to balance time testing with time earning actual conquest this week, and time doing things outside of the game I'm approaching it more by how much time I have to spend on a toon to hit their personal goal on the PTS. I realize this may not be quite as helpful as running multiple toons, but life outside the game does exist and demand attention. Today I hit conquest just by doing the deco objective and focusing on Feast of Prosperity. In the spirit of full transparency that character had about 10,000 points from a few little things I did with her yesterday. I hit one of the weeklies and finally got Cantina Dash to work correctly. It's great that the event objectives hand out so many points. However, not all events are created equal and some appeal to some and not others. Additionally, Feast of Prosperity looks like it will offer a lot more activity options than many of the other events. I feel like there needs to be an option for those points for solo play outside of events. Now, I'll be honest and admit that that is not really a deal breaker in my eyes, but would be nice for variety's sake.

Finally got the Cantina Dash game to work properly. I was immediately put inside the banquet hall in droid mode and the game did not go on endlessly. It was fun, not too long, not too short. I have not tried the hard mode yet, but will do so soon. So far I'm enjoying the variety of activities that come with this event. It's likely something I will repeat each year, assuming there is a wide variety of prizes, rewards, etc. Without the prizes or a vendor selling goods it's difficult to say for sure how much time I'll actually put toward the event. For example, I don't really care for the swoop races, but I'd do them if the vendors sold anything I was interested in buying (they don't, but to each their own). While I have found the games for Feast of Prosperity entertaining and different if the gain from those activities isn't interesting and varied I won't spend as much time repeating it. Some things that I would enjoy seeing as prizes, or vendor items would be decos such as tables laden with food. Let me be specific though. I'm not talking about tables that look like the basic civilian table you can get from Felusia under piles of food. While you could certainly have some of those it would be nice to see something more opulent. This would go particularly well in Alderaan strongholds. The cooler, grill, serving droid from the dash game, and any number of other things would make great decos as well. I'd also love to see some new rugs. The purple oval rug that's already listed in the decos but is unavailable in the game would be a fantastic option. A wide variety of decos in general will incentivize me to repeat this event. More than one set of armor, mounts with both a machine and creature option. Weapons, perhaps even an event specific tuning that could be either earned or purchased. Again, I feel the need to be specific on this point. A tuning would be cool, but not something horrendous like a ronto grease tuning, lol. Greasy weapons in combat would be both gross and on an immersion level, insane. Really, if there's a lot of variety in the items and prizes it will keep more people coming back to repeat missions.

See, the thing is, I enjoy heroics. I have favorites and I also cycle through different heroics as favorites at different times for different reasons. What the current iteration of conquest has done is make it possible for me to both hit conquest and play what I enjoy. It also really helped my tiny guild get more of our ship opened up in a timely manner. I fully support and encourage the development team to expand that flexibility to the players as a whole. People who like to do PvP and group PvE should have the exact same level of flexibility to do what they like and to hit conquest. My issue with the first PTS build is that it feels more like they are swinging the pendulum rather than fixing the problem. However, I watched the livestream and it provided some encouragement that the team is taking that into account and listening to that concern. I'm eager to test out the next build. I understand that there will be changes and probably reductions to what I can currently earn. That's okay, I'm okay with having to do a few more things to hit conquest as long as I can do the things I enjoy doing, and am able to do without hindering other players with my poor vision and need for extra patience. I mean, obviously my preference would be that they would balance by buffing the areas that need it and leave the rest alone, but that isn't likely to happen. I really like the suggestion of adding extra rewards at different times to try new play styles. It's a honey, rather than vinegar approach. Though, I'm actually open to and enjoy trying new stuff. I just have to find ways to do it that don't screw up anyone else. Still really want to try running ops, I have a feeling I'd enjoy the challenge. One of these days I'll just have to find a way to run it with people who are willing to teach and patient with my visual disability.

Oh, by leaving I meant I had to try to go to a stronghold, lol. Sorry, I didn't word that clearly, my bad. when I attempted to go toa stronghold it just popped me out of droid mode but did not take me to a stronghold for some reason. I did enjoy a few minutes of Cantina Dash, but it's not really something that appeals to me for longer than ten to fifteen minutes tops. I enjoyed the cooking games and would like to see both of them included in the actual event. The first easy one is very useful in helping the player know where the on and off switches are, and how the game in general is meant to work. I viewed it as a kind of tutorial for the harder timed game. I've not tried the gathering missions or anything else because I have limited time to play the game and didn't want to spend all of that time on the test server.

I'm sticking in the PTS feedback thread for these nerfs. I'm not going to drop the topic. If the squeaky wheel gets listened to than I will freaking squeak and squeak until I burst someone's eardrums. The team has already responded in that thread once, trying to justify the nerfs. Players are arguing against it. Go to the PTS feedback thread, voice your disagreement and do not stop. It worked with the living space for the Rishi stronghold. Players did not back down, Rishi got a living space.

That has happened to me every time I try to do it. However, if I leave and come back, then click the door again I can get in the banquet hall. But, it seems that at that point the minigame is just stuck on a never ending loop. Unless they intended players to keep serving tables for over 20 minutes. Last night I did it for 30 minutes before I finally just stopped. If it isn't bugged for me and I just need to stay in there longer then I have no clue how long I'm supposed to stay in there carting plates of food around. It's a fun little game, but not really interesting enough to do for an extended period of time.

Again, and I know I'm a broken record here, no you don't have to take points. If you still feel the points per minute aren't lining up then you need to further buff the other stuff. Nerfing is not the answer. Going along this same logic, it doesn't really address why you had to both reduce points and reduce objectives available for solo content. I would be okay with the smaller point value if you weren't also removing and gating so many of the things available to solo players. You're wielding a chainsaw where a scalpel is required. I'm not saying I love the idea of smaller point values, however if that was all that you were doing I would be less frustrated and disgusted by these changes. If all you changed were the points given from these objectives, but left the amount and variety, without lvl qualifications it would still be something I could go after while also playing the content I enjoy on the characters I enjoy playing that content on. All you really needed to do was add points for that harder and more involved content. From what I've seen just about everyone agrees with that, whether or not they play said content. The system does not need another overhaul. What is there now is great, it's fun, it's flexible. Buff where buffs are needed and leave it as it is. Fine tune, don't remake. Before the current iteration I quit conquest altogether because it felt like a job and not a game I play for fun. I finally started doing it again because I could actually just play and have fun while going after conquest. You took a step forward and now you want to take not two, but three steps back.

Tried the Cantina Dash again, on a different character and it just went on a never ending loop. Is there something I'm missing? It's fun, but after 20 minutes and no end in sight it loses its charm.

I've done the cooking quest and the Dining Dash quest. I preferred the cooking game but I suspect the dining dash game was bugged. It just kept going and going and going . . . and going. If that's by design it really needs to be shortened. Like I said, I believe it was bugged, i never did come to an end point. After what was close to a half hour I just left the banquet hall. I'd also like to know what the rewards are. That will go a long way in determining how much repeat appeal this event has. Though I am FAR more likely to do this one repeatedly than I am the Swoop races. I tried those once and have no real interest in doing them again. I do like that there seems to be a decent variety of activities. I'm going to try some other things today.

I would also like to point out that some players do not do PvP and Ops because it is not something they can do easily due to physical disabilities. While we may be a minority, we are here. I have a visual disability. I can see well enough to get through the solo stuff, and with friends on voice chat who understand how and when I need help I can do the harder stuff decently well. That being said, random groups where I have to rely on the chat window for communication, and have to explain my special needs is not really a viable option. I'm sure there are perfectly lovely people who would be willing to help me in a random group, but there are also plenty of people who would kick me from a group because they'd view me as a liability. Additionally, I don't want to hinder other players and ruin their play time by not being able to carry my weight as effectively. People like me rely on that solo content to get to conquest. I'm going to keep repeating this, as have many others, the notion that you had to take points from some areas, take objectives from some play styles in order to boost others is utterly absurd. Pretty much everyone is understanding and behind boosting the content that was not balancing out point wise. But this "we have to take from one to give to another" thought process is EXACTLY why there's such a huge rift between players of different styles. If you want to stop toxicity you need to stop making decisions that encourage it.

I'd like to point out that the idea was to balance out the time and effort required with a fair amount of points. By limiting the conquest objectives via planets and levels you have just increased the time and difficulty of completing those objectives. Fewer places to go will mean more people competing for the same things, will make these objective take longer and be more frustrating for fewer points. The solo players were happy, they were having fun. The group and PvP content needed a boost so that they could also be happy and have fun. "Also" is the important word here. "Also" not "Instead of." Conquest points are not physical objects with a finite number. They are invisible, imaginary values assigned to a game. Points can be added to content without taking away from other content. Why can't nice things be given to everyone at the same time? You want to address toxicity, you want to encourage people to play together? Well, further feeding the divide between player types is about the worst way to go about that. Now there will be even greater resentment between players than before. This will INCREASE toxicity which will in turn DECREASE the desire and willingness to group. Give the extra points to the harder, more time consuming content, but not at the expense of other content.

Finally got on the PTS. I got one toon to conquest. I tried out the Feast of Prosperity event to see if those missions were something I'd enjoy putting toward conquest. The few I tried were alright, it's an event I will likely participate in if the rewards are good. I couldn't find the vendor. I'm not sure if it was there. So those few things were a nice chunk of points. That being said, my usual daily conquest activities have been badly nerfed. I often stick to the easy ones so that I can get a toon to conquest and then have the freedom to do whatever I want after. Yes, I got one toon to conquest in a reasonable amount of time. However, it was a toon and class I enjoy, one that I've spent time and credits gearing well so I can clear content much faster on this character. Additionally, because it was the PTS there was no one else around to compete with for mobs and objectives which will not be the case on the actual servers. I will try multiple toons tomorrow and see how I feel about that experience. At this point I'm unimpressed. Speaking as one of the people who literally would not stop on the Rishi stronghold feedback until action was taken, I have a feeling you'll be hearing from me a lot on this feedback thread. Conquest was at a great place for solo players, all it needed was a buff to the harder, more time consuming and group content. Add those buffs and leave everything else alone. Stop feeding the divide between play styles.

Yes, I was keeping track of your posts and found them quite helpful and informative. Thank you for doing that. I will try to be as diligent in my feedback. I'm hoping my tiny, mostly inactive guild will still be able to continue at the rate we have been. The game is meant to be fun and conquest finally felt like part of that fun rather than work. This is a game, it should not feel like another job.

Occasionally, I luck out and make a point, lol. Still waiting for PTS to download. It may not get done early enough for me to play tonight but since Wednesdays and Thursdays are my busier days they'll present a good time to test the points available in relation to time available. I'll be sacrificing actual conquest points to do this, which is a touch annoying, but I feel I need to do this to be a voice for my guild members.

I fully agree that content that takes longer should have a higher point value. I do not see why they had to take points from other content though. Is there some weird vault of points that's finite? Is it impossible to give points without taking away? I feel like the answer is no, and it's decisions like this that contribute to the divide between players of different styles. Time and again the development team seems to go the route of taking from one group when they give to another. That does not need to happen. It does not encourage players to try different content. All it does is anger whichever group gets nerfed. Downloading the PTS now. I haven't gone the last few times because the changes weren't relevant to how I spent my time logged in. I run a teeny guild with three active members {counting myself), all who have been hitting multiple alts on conquest and working hard to earn encryptions to open our ship. I am skeptical of the claims that this doesn't slow people down. That being said, I try to be fair-minded so I'm going to try these things out for myself.

I primarily play solo and story. I do run some easier tier group stuff with a couple of friends semi-regularly and we enjoy the challenge of trying harder things. There's only three of use so we're a bit limited in what we can try. I have done PvP in the past, wasn't my thing. I want to try an op but have a visual disability that makes running things with random groups quite stressful and I don't want to hinder anyone's fun. With a group of friends who know where I need patience, and with voice chat I'm a solid enough player, but without those things it's just too much stress. I enjoy trying new things but my favorite aspect is the story stuff. I like being able to unwind with a bit of escapism.

A well constructed post and one I agree with.

Hmm, I haven't run into this issue. I recently started trying my hand at playing healer specs and learning my rotations by putting my comp on tank and doing the heals myself. I have an operative and a smuggler healer. I will say that a lvl 50 Vector seems to tank better than the lvl 50 Bowdaar. Not claiming Vector's universally better at tanking, but for me he has been pretty effective.

I have a JK I plan on romancing Arn with. Hopefully we hear more about him soon.

I play primarily solo as well, with just a few things I do with a couple of friends. I generally go after heroics and fps as we.. Conquest certainly isn't a deal breaker for me. I just worry that they'll repeat their history of over nerfing. I'll hop on PTS and give my feedback when the time comes. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Something that might help with the lack of credit sinks is to greatly reduce the number of currency types in the game. All these events/rep vendors have decos, mounts, armor, etc that are not only locked behind influence level but require a special currency rather than credits. I know they use those currencies as incentive for doing the events, but there is a ridiculous variety of currency in this game and most of what you can buy with pure credits is just junk. (Outside of GTN sales.) I have tons of credits sitting in my legacy bank, yes I have sold stuff on the GTN, but the biggest reason I've been expanding my credit number is just the simple fact that outside of gearing my toons there just isn't much I have to spend it on. Many of the items I want are things I purchase without using credits. So, I earn credits doing the events, but then use the special currency to buy the stuff I want from the vendor.

I encountered this a few times, but restarting my computer always seemed to fix it. I think I'd lose my mind if it was every time.

Hmm, I agree with the general idea, and that some things definitely need a boost in conquest points earned compared to time taken. However, I'm concerned that things that are incredibly solo and alt friendly now will be getting over nerfed and turn conquest back into a mega grind for small mostly alt players. I agree with adding points to those harder, time consuming objectives, but given the history of conquest changes I fear you're going to over tune this and make conquest miserable for small guilds primarily populated by alts. As conquest is now I can get numerous toons through and contribute to my guild's slog for encryptions to open our ship, while still having time to play what I want without concern for conquest. It's made opening the ship feel attainable. Before this it felt like a job rather than something done for recreation. I'll reserve judgement and test things on the PTS, but I'm pretty skeptical at the moment.

I keep seeing references to a "chat bug" but no actual specifics. I ran into a weird issue the other night where two friends and I were all on fleet. two of us suddenly stopped seeing new comments on chat, but our friend continued to see them. Now the three of us were on a voice call so we were not actually speaking in chat and it took a little while before we even realized something was off. From what I understand about "squelching" that's not what this is. Even if it were I think it would be strange that the two of us would be squelched since we weren't even using chat. I'm wondering if this is the bug people are talking about.