Do trade missions offer merits at all? Figured I'd ask since most of my income lately has been by expansion farming. (I got a new FC to upgrade/keep funded for a few years)
Power Play 2.0 Merits Progression Feedback
- Thread starter Revelation_jeff
- Start date
I love combat and I’ve been farming merits doing this, and it’s really fun too. Definitely agree that speed is a huge help - I’ve been using my Courier with zero problems. I usually grind CZs with that ship, so fighting something that doesn’t have a metric crapton of engineered armour while I only have three medium hardpoints has been refreshing, haha.
Only missions I saw to ever rewards merits after handing in, are only those of donate 1m credits or random cargo for 23 merits each...
Every station offers from 2 to 10 of these, for someone with millions to spare is kinda nice, lil' merits and ton of rep gain, but to gain 34 level from it and by doing it alone, its like donate over 100 billion(!), not to mention how long it would taken to hand in that much by missions menu, well as amount of station needed to visit as well, so would not advice to focus on that too much. It should be buffed atleast by factor of 10 to be even worth consider to do all the time to gain merits, yet it would still look pale to methods already suggested in this thread.
Not sure if there is any other mission types that does, and it might be diffrent for each Powerplay state, whenever missions does gives merits upon cashing in, but given amount of missions type, and number of Powerplay state (Fortified, strongholds, etc), well as Power itself, it might be some other missions that would give out merits but did not saw any or heard about it.
I'd like to actually play the game how I currently actually am playing to participate in pp2.0 if Fdev wants to remain true to their 'Just Play the Game' statement in regards to the new merit progression. Changing locations is fine, being forced to change how I play entirely to progress for some minor bonuses and modules I'm not interested in is kind of lame.
I haven't seen a single benefit from a power that would benefit me aside from ones that increase minor faction rep which I usually max out by selling a single page of exploration data which I can fill out in an hour of honking things in the Mandalay. They're all either far too specific (focusing on a single type of trade good/Or wing bonds) or focused on parts of the bubble where you don't even find good trades outside of missions (which not a single power gives any benefit to.)
For someone like me, pledging to any power gives nothing but negatives currently.
As for a reference to how much I'm currently profiting. Every one of these missions is earning me 50 each and I have my FC parked right outside the turn-in. Loaded with the needed materials, purchased at the lowest price possible.
(Ps: It only takes about 15-20 minutes of research on inara.cz to find a system to do this in. An FC makes it easier. Just find an agri/industrial system with a pop over 1 million that just recently entered an expansion state then sell them a full page of exploration data to cap your faction rep. Profit scales exponentially with wingmates)
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So just to confirm, I just did another power conflict zone for Yuri and this time it was a bit quicker as we had spec ops helping. I was getting lowest 65 merits for competent, up to 120 for deadly. In total I got 3500 merits in just under an hour
Also bounty hunting can be very lucrative, got 850 merits in about 10 mins in a Haz res, with Kill warrant scanner. In a wing this would amount to decent merits per hour.. The merits vary a lot depending on your power and which type of system you're in. Will play around some more and report back.
In a wing, I'd imaging you could easily get 10-15000 merits in an hour, which is more than the current rare runs (in my experience). I'll see if some of my squad mates are up for trying this and will let you know.
So after a bit while of doing SLF method, was able to vastly improve merits gained per hour, by using specialized bulid to deal with taipans and them alone, as those in Alliance space, does not have anything like chaff or point defence, but only armed with AX MC's, thus making them extremly easy targets for seekers. Forget about fixed or gimballs, bunch of seekers what is needed here! Each taipan gives 72 merits, atleast those found within mahon carriers.
Python 2 with... quad g5 high cap large seekers, all with overloader. With that setup, its guaranteed easly to one-shot each SLF by using single volley of 4 seekers, and missile does not drain any WEP, so either of 3-3-0 or 2-4-0 for permaboosting, without need to worry about WEP at all, and always have some SYS protection while permaboosting wich helps a lot to staying alive under heavy fire.... with that setup, I was be able to kill each SLF under 10 seconds on average, and whole load of missiles before ammo count drops to 0, does gives approx. 6000 mertis per rearm (84x72=6048), and so with player carrier parked next to stronghold carrier, rearming takes like 1-2 mins at top, and that also means level up every 2 rearms.
One can also synth missile ammo if wanted, but given if rearm can be done very quick, I found doing that is waste of mats.
Once I did done that for while today with such setup, I am able now to fully deplete my missiles load in about 10 mins, with each salvo, does one-shot SLF.
I dont care anymore about any other chessing, this one is just insane (35k/hour) to say atleast, and its quite fun to do, unlike brainless extreme boring selling one-ton-at-time or rare running, wich both suffers from server lag (as one still need to jump around), or worring about "limpet bug" for whatever boring chessing it does.
Hate me or love it for spreading that method, thats how its done!
Python 2 with... quad g5 high cap large seekers, all with overloader. With that setup, its guaranteed easly to one-shot each SLF by using single volley of 4 seekers, and missile does not drain any WEP, so either of 3-3-0 or 2-4-0 for permaboosting, without need to worry about WEP at all, and always have some SYS protection while permaboosting wich helps a lot to staying alive under heavy fire.... with that setup, I was be able to kill each SLF under 10 seconds on average, and whole load of missiles before ammo count drops to 0, does gives approx. 6000 mertis per rearm (84x72=6048), and so with player carrier parked next to stronghold carrier, rearming takes like 1-2 mins at top, and that also means level up every 2 rearms.
One can also synth missile ammo if wanted, but given if rearm can be done very quick, I found doing that is waste of mats.
Once I did done that for while today with such setup, I am able now to fully deplete my missiles load in about 10 mins, with each salvo, does one-shot SLF.
I dont care anymore about any other chessing, this one is just insane (35k/hour) to say atleast, and its quite fun to do, unlike brainless extreme boring selling one-ton-at-time or rare running, wich both suffers from server lag (as one still need to jump around), or worring about "limpet bug" for whatever boring chessing it does.
Hate me or love it for spreading that method, thats how its done!
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Nice work! I'll have a go at this. Do you have a link to your build?
So the technique is, fly to the carrier, agro it so spawn Taipans, boost away and reverski with seekers nailing them, when they turn back towards the carrier at 15k out, follow them and nail them some more, rinse and repeat?
Yep, exacly as it is.
You can also shoot them when they swarm you. Make sure to try lure them away from bigger ships, as some might carry PD's and shoot some missiles out... technically, 3 overload seekers should one shot taipan, yet sometimes they dont get one-shoted by 3, hence always use 4 of them.
And when you lock on SLF, at very moment where you relase your salvo at it, you can already change target to next SLF, as launched missiles "knows where it is" and will hit its target, hence fire and forget. This is what make this bulid superior to any other possible loadouts, even the most skilled cmdr out there, with perfect fixed aim, will not keep up with it, if they would not use seekers, and fact that you dont need bother with WEP at all, makes staying alive even more easier.
Maxed out Python 2, go with high MJ shield and high res (just stack boosters - 3x Res aug with 3xHD will do - on any type shield will do as well), and make sure you get maxed out at G5, 4x large high cap seekers with all overload munitions, rest what you use is irrelevant. Shields should last enough time for missiles ammo drop to 0, if that happens then its good enough.
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Trade gives merits, but I think it has to be at 40% profit. I bought silver for 30k and sold at 40K and didn’t get any merits as it wasn’t a 40% profit.
Look at the buying price and multiply by 1.4. If you can sell it at the new figure you should get merits.
Wow. I just tried this method. One hit kills on Taipans, 72 merits each. With a bit of practice and finding the rhythm of the battle, this will be as lucrative as you say
I had to leave before I ran out of ammo, but I allowed myself to get swamped too easily. Going to keep trying. Made around 1500 merits in a couple of minutesIndeed, with practice, you will be constantly seeing "Earned 72 merits" as before that fades out... new one is earned, and that keeps up until ammo is out. Something like this :Wow. I just tried this method. One hit kills on Taipans, 72 merits each. With a bit of practice and finding the rhythm of the battle, this will be as lucrative as you say
While it might be bit difficult to reach 35k/h, on bit more relaxed pace, easly over 30k/h, as emptying all of 84 shots its about 10-11 mins with about 2 mins needed per rearm. Again - All 84 hits equals to 6k merits, this might be surely among the best ways to earn merits of them all...
Try not to reverski too long in same vector, but to change FAOFF vector often as 1-2 SLF killed, to not eat too much of SLF shots. While normal ships can be easly kited away from carrier group, SLF are able to keep up for while within fire range of thiers weapons, but best defence is to actively getting rid of them, while "circling" around carrier group (just lil' outside of laser range - but close enough to draw agrro from SLF's), and make sure you are not far than 20km away from carrier.
When I get warmed up at this, I can almost kill them fast as they can spawn.
Funny fact is that if somewhat 2 of SLF dies at very same second, the merits reward will "merge", giving award at 104, instead of 144. Like as if bulk tax apply here for some reason, but I got it only twice, out of hundreds SLF killed today. I am close to 144k (level 21) by now, and might as well today reach desired 34 level by chessing it further.
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I'd say this is the new meta to be honest. Far quicker than the rare runs, and so much more challenging and fun! Even if you're not so efficient as you have been, the merits per hour is excellent. I'll report back again after a few days of playing around with the new combat style
Seems to me that PP2.0 is fast becoming the "New Grind" with many players wanting to get to lvl 100 and unlock everything as fast as possible. I have a feeling as soon as everything is unlocked PP will once again be forgotten for most players. I'm seeing a lot of YT videos and Reddit post show up now about how to "grind 10k, 15k, 20k, 35k merits per hour". I don't think FDev meant for players to go from lvl 1 to lvl 100 in 1-2 months, I think they meant it to be a gradual climb as you played PP2.0 over a longer time span.
And it will be even better once gettin hang of it! I was quite suprised today (2th day of SLF farming), when tried missile bulid and then compared to results from ealier day(1st day of SLF farming), where I used 2xbeam+1xseeker+3xrails bulid.... the diffrence earned was more than extreme.
At first, I barely got 5k-10k/hour, when tried bunch of bulids with gimballed and fixed weapons, because even if I am quite confident and despite being quite good with fixed aim, killing SLF every 10 sec was very, very difficult even for likes such as myself, due that one need be very mobile and nible at this, since lot of evading is also required here!... Right now, I keep changing my vectors every with SLF killed, or in other words I keep boosting all the time (do not go lower than 500 M/s - high speed must be maintained all the time), to have max turn rate while at FAOFF, to keep that lock on doing its thing. My bulid is only 800MJ but 50-60% all resists, but its about enough to last where I am firing last salvo... But when I leave to rearm, I usualy dont have more shields than 10%. But thats given I am very good pilot, so I can get away with it, still I would suggest getting highest MJ shield there is (full boosters with primatics+all optional internals with shield reinforce - hull is not really needed here as shields are), and never let go of that pips at SYS from 2 to 3. Best Pip setting is 3-3-0, where I can almost permaboost (enough to keep SLF in sights), while keeping much needed defence bonus for shields!
My current tactic is to circle around carrier group within 8km to 11km, just outside main carrier range, and keep anything bigger than SLF, stay away from me, out of thier weapon range, while at it, all that time, I kill SLF one after another, while dodging and circling around carriers. By staying at that range from carrier, SLF that spawn, should constantly join the fray, and die soon, to be replaced by next one.
Sometimes its really tough, when like 13 npcs + main carrier + 8 SLF all at once attackin ya, but with good flying, it can be managed. And most importantly, this is so intense, that one even does not even realize how fast time passes on while doing it! This is far from being "boring", in fact, I even enjoy it more than when started doing at first!
Hmm, just took this pic like few seconds ago:
I keep and keep doing it, cant Stop! Still pays 72 each.