Powerplay Is anyone else maintaining Rank 5 consistently?

[knyghtblade]

So I have been at Rank 5 for several weeks now and I am starting to run out of steam (read interest). I have found a nice little anarchy system where I can mow down opposing agents and couriers all night with little or no threat.

But even at a steady pace of 1000 pp credits a night that's still 5 nights a week for a couple of hours each night.

The money is good, but I wondered if other pilots did this for a short amount of time to rack up credits and then moved on to something more interesting?

Also I would prefer the addition of another tier, a middle ground of 5000 pp/w for 25 mill, because maintaining 10,000 credits a week is a big jump from tier 4.

Thoughts?

 

[CMDR Endincite]

Is anyone else maintaining Rank 5 consistently?

Well, yes quite a lot have and still do. I did for...9 months or so (having periods of lower activity before and afterward, before giving up merit-gaining after ~18 months of Powerplay)? I don't think I know anyone personally who's maintained R5 non-stop since Cycle 1, but a few since Cycle 20 perhaps. Most everyone who does it for a long time takes a break at some point - those who don't simply burn out and vanish, that is.

Indeed, the jump from R4's 800 merits to maintain/5mil salary to R5's 5334 merits/50mil is pretty intense. I don't think a change to this by itself would have much impact, but as an addition to more significant changes it certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[knyghtblade]

I forgot to add - is there a faster way to gain credits other than hunt agents for 30 pp a ship? I have tried crime sweeps, but 10 pp a ship doesn't seem an improvement when considering time / effort / risk.

Would joining a wing help?

 

[CMDR Endincite]

Would joining a wing help?

Very much so. Each wingmate gets full merits for each kill they help with, so while inefficiency will likely not allow 4x merits/hr/CMDR, you can easily surpass 2x. Maybe 3x with a very experienced wing? Hard to say.

 

[Pakhuis1973]

3,5 months now. But I don't bother undermining the whole thing. I invest the 50 million. Just a few cutter runs. I make money using the rank 5 bonus.

 

[zimms]

I did for many months, but eventually I had to stop. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to enjoy the game anymore, I'm afraid. And there were other... problems with PP.

 

[UnhappyDev]

Is 50 mill worth the effort of maintaining rank 5?

 

[zimms]

If you're just after money, then no.

It was when PP was released, but nowadays there are many ways to get way more money faster than with PP.

 

[Smykes]

Ive managed to keep rank 5 for about 2 months now.

Every week I only need to earn 5500 merits to qualify for the next week..thats 10 trips Fortifying AD systems at 550tons per trip...
Cutter Rules
That costs me 50millionCr to "buy" 500tons, but the first batch of 50t is "free"....

Powerplay eventually pays for itself..although you have to commit your time and up to 100millionCr to achieve the first 10k merits required to reach Rank 5.
Sustaining it isnt an issue for me, I cannot work any more due to health problems and other real-life issues, and Elite helps me fill in the time that would otherwise be spent doing useless things, ...but I digress.

I can easily make up 50millionCr doing a mixture of A-B-A trading and some missions for the locals that week before the next PowerPlay tick.
I sometimes go to either Bunda/Neche (Felicia Winters), Quan Gurus (Edmund Mahon), Meiri/ HIP 26926 (Li Yong-Rui), Itzmnets/ Yuror (Archon Delaine) for some Undermining Fun ( extra merits and cash).
Trade CG's are fun, trying to beat my personal best delivery time, discovering the best approach route to the station/planet, the direct route is not always the shortest time, avoiding potential interdictions if it's Hostile space.
I dont board/mode hop to refresh the board, but I do take any and all missions that station offers, system rep is useful.

For AD and the Empire !!
07

 

[Misaniovent]

I've been R5 since probably Cycle 30 or 40. It was a slog when I was in an Anaconda, but with a Cutter or a good wing undermining, it's only a few hours of work every week. I try to recommend that folks, if possible, do a 20/30 split between undermining and forts. Mix it up!

 

[TigerTen]

No...

 

[UnhappyDev]

If you're just after money, then no.
It was when PP was released, but nowadays there are many ways to get way more money faster than with PP.

Yes, if it was near the 80 million mark I would be tempted, but 50 million is more easily made elsewhere.

 

[knyghtblade]

I think the undermining would be much more interesting if the agents were travelling in greater numbers. Right now the max is a wing of 3 (normally a transport or hauler with 2 cobra's) - which I can normally burn through before my FSD is off cool-down. Having them travelling in convoys with protection of 6 or 8 other ships would not only reduce the grind, but add more difficulty and risk to attacking them.

Right now I mindlessly pick them off in small groups while watching ST:TNG on another monitor. No brain power, skill or engagement needed.

 

[bigity]

I'll be rank 5 a couple of weeks coasting now! Hippie season is good this year!

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I think the undermining would be much more interesting if the agents were travelling in greater numbers. Right now the max is a wing of 3 (normally a transport or hauler with 2 cobra's) - which I can normally burn through before my FSD is off cool-down. Having them travelling in convoys with protection of 6 or 8 other ships would not only reduce the grind, but add more difficulty and risk to attacking them.

Right now I mindlessly pick them off in small groups while watching ST:TNG on another monitor. No brain power, skill or engagement needed.

That sounds wonderful. Except FDev is all about not making things group oriented. And then adding features like wings and multi-crew.

 

[knyghtblade]

That sounds wonderful. Except FDev is all about not making things group oriented. And then adding features like wings and multi-crew.

They should add PP to the multi-crew options. I would happily go sit in someone else's gunner position for a while if it counted toward my PP score as well.

 

[tiddymun]

I think the undermining would be much more interesting if the agents were travelling in greater numbers. Right now the max is a wing of 3 (normally a transport or hauler with 2 cobra's) - which I can normally burn through before my FSD is off cool-down. Having them travelling in convoys with protection of 6 or 8 other ships would not only reduce the grind, but add more difficulty and risk to attacking them.

Right now I mindlessly pick them off in small groups while watching ST:TNG on another monitor. No brain power, skill or engagement needed.

Join your power's Discord/Teamspeak etc, and get involved... its an ever evolving non-stop community goal for each power. Don't do it for credits.. do it for your power's community - you'll meet tons of great folks, and get to do whatever careers you like - PvP response, fortifying to stop losing systems, undermining with 10 others to bring the pain to another power, swapping advice etc about anything ED related.. or espousing salt..

Its a shame ED doesn't build more of a bulletin-board thing into PP, but its all out there waiting for you to get involved.

I don't need the Cr, being a long-time player. But I find PP a great reason to play, personally. if it weren't for PP, I would've probably gone and done something more worthwhile with my life

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Oh, and as others have said, maintaining Rank 5 can take as little as 3-4 hours/wk if you re-invest the 50M pay check. Or if you need the cash, undermining gives the equivalent of 300k per ship.. 115 kills at 30 merits/kill/wk.

Ive known people to have >40k merits in a week undermining - once you get slick, you can do 1000/hr easily, even on your own in solo. I made 19k merits last week, and another 70M in trading / doing missions. Probably played about 4-5 hrs a day, with 2 or 3 days off (so lets guess 20hrs). But if I wanted Cr, I could have done the 130M in a few hours elsewhere.. It would have been soulless though - last week's tick was one of the most exciting in a year or more - massive moves being played by ZYADA vs Hudson, intense conflict at ALD's expansion in Gitse, Antal trying to defend against huge attack... Grom benefitting from mysterious no merits/kill for the last 12 hours of the cycle.

o7

 

[Elprez]

I think the undermining would be much more interesting if the agents were travelling in greater numbers. Right now the max is a wing of 3 (normally a transport or hauler with 2 cobra's) - which I can normally burn through before my FSD is off cool-down. Having them travelling in convoys with protection of 6 or 8 other ships would not only reduce the grind, but add more difficulty and risk to attacking them.

Right now I mindlessly pick them off in small groups while watching ST:TNG on another monitor. No brain power, skill or engagement needed.

I am fairly new to PP. Actually joined to try out the weapon from Zac Hudson. Increasing the convoy size is a fantastic idea. I have been maintaining rank 4 for the 5 million a week by going after Kumo Crew. I seldom see wings of 3 but when I do it seems to make it much more entertaining. I can see where this will become a boring side attraction after I get my weapon.

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Join your power's Discord/Teamspeak etc, and get involved... its an ever evolving non-stop community goal for each power. Don't do it for credits.. do it for your power's community - you'll meet tons of great folks, and get to do whatever careers you like - PvP response, fortifying to stop losing systems, undermining with 10 others to bring the pain to another power, swapping advice etc about anything ED related.. or espousing salt..

Its a shame ED doesn't build more of a bulletin-board thing into PP, but its all out there waiting for you to get involved.

I don't need the Cr, being a long-time player. But I find PP a great reason to play, personally. if it weren't for PP, I would've probably gone and done something more worthwhile with my life

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and as others have said, maintaining Rank 5 can take as little as 3-4 hours/wk if you re-invest the 50M pay check. Or if you need the cash, undermining gives the equivalent of 300k per ship.. 115 kills at 30 merits/kill/wk.

Ive known people to have >40k merits in a week undermining - once you get slick, you can do 1000/hr easily, even on your own in solo. I made 19k merits last week, and another 70M in trading / doing missions. Probably played about 4-5 hrs a day, with 2 or 3 days off (so lets guess 20hrs). But if I wanted Cr, I could have done the 130M in a few hours elsewhere.. It would have been soulless though - last week's tick was one of the most exciting in a year or more - massive moves being played by ZYADA vs Hudson, intense conflict at ALD's expansion in Gitse, Antal trying to defend against huge attack... Grom benefitting from mysterious no merits/kill for the last 12 hours of the cycle.

o7

So, undermining is basically seeking out the rival powers ships and killing them? Fortifying taking the leaflets to a system that you are expanding in and dropping them off? Does it matter which ships I kill? Right now I am maintaining rank for with Kumo Crew ships. If I am Zac Hudson should I be going after other types?

 

[bigity]

Also the PP balance is weighed far more to fortification than undermining.

 

[rjwhite41]

So, undermining is basically seeking out the rival powers ships and killing them? Fortifying taking the leaflets to a system that you are expanding in and dropping them off? Does it matter which ships I kill? Right now I am maintaining rank for with Kumo Crew ships. If I am Zac Hudson should I be going after other types?

We generally attack the ZYADA powers, which would be the 4 imperial powers plus Grom.

Fortifying and preparation are two separate activities using the hauling mechanics. Preparing systems we don't want can actually be very harmful. For fortification you gather garrison supplies from Nanomam and deliver them to one of our control systems. We maintain a list of systems we would like fortified on our weekly cycle objectives here https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteHudson/ . If you'd like to join the rest of the organized Hudson team you should join our discord server here https://discord.gg/tjcTmWn

 

[tiddymun]

I am fairly new to PP. Actually joined to try out the weapon from Zac Hudson. Increasing the convoy size is a fantastic idea. I have been maintaining rank 4 for the 5 million a week by going after Kumo Crew. I seldom see wings of 3 but when I do it seems to make it much more entertaining. I can see where this will become a boring side attraction after I get my weapon.

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So, undermining is basically seeking out the rival powers ships and killing them? Fortifying taking the leaflets to a system that you are expanding in and dropping them off? Does it matter which ships I kill? Right now I am maintaining rank for with Kumo Crew ships. If I am Zac Hudson should I be going after other types?

Elperez,

Joint the Hudson discord, and I promise you, a whole new aspect to the game will open up. Click on link in RJwhite's post.. As I say, PP takes the game to a whole new level IMO, but only if you are involved in your power's active community - otherwise, you don't get to see any strategy, or team-working, which is the life-blood of PP.

if you click on the discord link, go to the right tab once signed in and message someone in FRC leadership (names in yellow) - they'll talk you through how to get to the message boards etc.