In my Currency tab, I’ve reached the maximum allowed 100 Planetary Commendations, and I went to the Republic Fleet to see if I could spend them somehow. I found a “Basic Commendations Schematic” vendor, but all of his selections were greyed out, that is, not lit up, and they all were “schematics” (whatever that is) requiring Level 53. There was also another area for commendations, but these were for specific planets, not just “Planetary Commendations”. I read somewhere that Planetary Commendations could buy some useable gear, but I am obviously missing something. Any advice?

In the supplies section, there are vendors for all the planets who sell great gear for commendations. Whatever your level is, go to that planets vendor (if you're 24 to 28, it would be Tatooine, or 28 to 32 is Alderaan, for example) and spend your comms.

Go to the supplies section on the Republic Fleet/Imperial Fleet and spend your comms on mods/armor/enhancements.

 

Make sure you use it at the highest possible level. Don't purchase level 10 commendations if you're level 27.

Edited March 23, 2014 by SithEBM-Reborn

There was also another area for commendations, but these were for specific planets, not just “Planetary Commendations”.. Any advice?

 

This is where you were supposed to go. Next time click a vendor and see instead.

Each planet has it's own section in the "Supplies" section in the fleets.

Imperial Fleet is the Top Left section, while Republic is the Bottom Right.

Each planet's vendors offers different items, from Mods to Gear. I'd advise buying the Mods of you have Orange/Modable purple gear or find a vendor that sells a orange modable gear you can use ^^

I I found a “Basic Commendations Schematic” vendor, but all of his selections were greyed out, that is, not lit up, and they all were “schematics” (whatever that is) requiring Level 53.

 

Schematics are needed to craft things with crew skills.

To purchase items sold by that vendor you need Basic Commendations, which are a different currency than Planetary. You start earning them around level 50.

 

There was also another area for commendations, but these were for specific planets, not just “Planetary Commendations”.

 

There used to be a different type of Commendations for each planet, but thankfully they did away with that. Now you can use the same currency, Planetary Commendations, to buy from all those planet-named vendors. The planet gives you an idea of the item level, although sometimes you have to check the next planet's vendor to get the best gear for your level. It's a good thing that they're all close by on Fleet.

 

Keep in mind that some full moddable gear pieces cost 10 commendations, and some of them cost 14; whereas a full mod upgrade for a moddable piece costs 11 commendations (7 armoring, 2 mod, 2 enhancement). Most of the time is cheaper to upgrade than to buy a full new piece, but not always.

Each planet has commendation vendors in the main city. The Fleet has a whole wing with commendation vendors that are the same as the planets.

 

So you can either buy your stuff as you arrive on each planet, or you can go to the Fleet and they have all the planets there, just in case you want to buy an older item or something from a future planet (which you won't be able to use it until you level up, though).

In the supple area, lot of vendors (this is on your factions Fleet)

 

I suggest using them on Mods, if you own orange gear. Enhancement and Mods cost 2 coms each, really good deal. The armoring and hilts / barrels cost 7, most of the time I make my own armoring, and buy hilts or barrels, cause you can get purple quality and blue ones for dirt cheap, depending on the tier. If you lack orange quality gear or weapons you can also get those off the supply vendors (buying off the low level vendors works, cause when you put in the mods your level, they scale to you!)

 

I rarely get the "mystery chests" I always get crap blue items in those...not really worth it. Unless you can farm comms faster then you are using them