Thinking of grinding for prismatics. Advice?

[sb413197]

No, fastest way to go to Lawless Fed- or Alliance- control system and interdict campaign trader ships (undermining). Each kill =30 merits, and they often go in convoys - more the merrier.
I usually grind weekly to Rank 4 in 2-3 hours. Then I manly wait for 4 weeks for shield to unlock. Actually its so easy, I am thinking of going for Rank 5...

I would argue for a still faster path. Use EDDB.IO to go to an anarchy control system (not another empire power though!) and go to the nag beacon, drop in on it, then fly like 15k away. Log out to main menu then back in, you'll notice about 3-5 powerplay ships, kill them for 30 each. Log out and back in, complete until you have 10k merits. Sadly you cannot buy back your soul with them but it's quick and dirty, about 3 hours to level5. Which puts it in line with some of the best moneymakers currently too, as with about an hour or two per week you can keep that level5.

 

[RidingTheFlow]

I would argue for a still faster path. Use EDDB.IO to go to an anarchy control system (fed or independent) and go to the nag beacon, drop in on it, then fly like 15k away. Log out to main menu then back in, you'll notice about 3-5 powerplay ships, kill them for 30 each. Log out and back in, complete until you have 10k merits. Sadly you cannot buy back your soul with them but it's quick and dirty, about 3 hours to level5. Which puts it in line with some of the best moneymakers currently too, as with about an hour or two per week you can keep that level5.

Oh, that excellent, repped. Didn't realise they spawn at nav beacons - obviously good old instance reset always makes for the best.
That 50 millions a week is too hard to resist

 

[sb413197]

Oh, that excellent, repped. Didn't realise they spawn at nav beacons - obviously good old instance reset always makes for the best.

They do, but you need to fly away from it a bit first or you get all kinds of random ships as well. You want powerplay-only!

 

[o'moylan]

Fastest way to earn merits is to simply haul fortification materials from Cubeo (any station should do) to Riess Hub in Lambda-1 Tucanae. It's a full sized station, so you can use a large ship to make the run.

Sorry Korn,
I did it this way in a cutter. Not my last post.

 

[coca_fr]

Prismatic Shield are wonderful but only for medium and big ships !

With Prismatic Shield you can have good traders, miners, explorer and war ships !

Indeed you can outfit the minimum shield class you can fit for your ships and make a kickass trader ship and still have good shield.
Or you can use the biggest Prismatic Shield and make the best war ship ever seen.

But for small ships and medium one oriented for combat Bi-Weave shields are a lot better.
Prismatic Shield will not provide you with that much more shield and as in small ship you'll have your shield down pretty fast anyway, it's better to have Bi-Wave shield so you can get your shield back very fast.

So for a Cobra or Type-6 as you are suggestion... I really discourage you from using Prismatic Shield.

It's more meant for a ship size from Python to the biggest one. Even the FdL is not meant to be used with Prismatic Shield in my opinion.

FdL, Vulture... and all ships of those side are not designed to be used with Prismatic Shield but more with normal shield or Bi-Weave.

 

[Mrat13]

Can someone explain why commanders who don't even have a ship costing more than 10 million, or sometimes even just 1 million, flock to power play for prismatic shields.

As far as I can tell as well, there not even that good, becuase for the energy and weight required, you just slap shield boosters to an A rated shield for the same effect, and not have a ridiculous recharge rate.

Heck, for combat, most of the time, it's recommended to go for a bi weave shield with high resistances, instead of pure mj like a prismatic.

Yet these relatively new commanders still flock to aisling for her shields.

Is their something I'm missing? Becuase anyone will tell you, don't do power play yet, it's an endgame activity, and the rewards are just their to sweeten the deal. Don't pick a faction for their reward, pick them becuase you like the faction, then actually try to help that faction. Just look at how the Alliance is first every week in the CC reserves, becuase their players actually care about their faction, not just the rewards. Becuase they know, the rewards are not the point of power play.

Look....just....don't follow the herd, ok, you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment. And maybe you'll learn something one of my friends can't seem to learn. The art of ignoring the distracting shiny things.

I need to stop writing such long posts....I think I have a problem......

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

Can someone explain why commanders who don't even have a ship costing more than 10 million, or sometimes even just 1 million, flock to power play for prismatic shields.

As far as I can tell as well, there not even that good, becuase for the energy and weight required, you just slap shield boosters to an A rated shield for the same effect, and not have a ridiculous recharge rate.

Heck, for combat, most of the time, it's recommended to go for a bi weave shield with high resistances, instead of pure mj like a prismatic.

Yet these relatively new commanders still flock to aisling for her shields.

Is their something I'm missing? Becuase anyone will tell you, don't do power play yet, it's an endgame activity, and the rewards are just their to sweeten the deal. Don't pick a faction for their reward, pick them becuase you like the faction, then actually try to help that faction. Just look at how the Alliance is first every week in the CC reserves, becuase their players actually care about their faction, not just the rewards. Becuase they know, the rewards are not the point of power play.

Look....just....don't follow the herd, ok, you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment. And maybe you'll learn something one of my friends can't seem to learn. The art of ignoring the distracting shiny things.

I need to stop writing such long posts....I think I have a problem......

Because you can free up a larger slot for larger SCBs or more cargo, and retain same base shield strength.

 

[RidingTheFlow]

Is their something I'm missing? Becuase anyone will tell you, don't do power play yet, it's an endgame activity, and the rewards are just their to sweeten the deal.

Prismatics aside, 50 million salary per week is far from "just sweeten the deal". And pretty good money booster from even not-so-recently started player.

Most popular powers are ones with most popular bonuses - so its pretty silly to claim that majority of players pick them just because of faction. They still here for rewards (even not for only equipment rewards).

 

[Mrat13]

Because you can free up a larger slot for larger SCBs or more cargo, and retain same base shield strength.

Shield boosters go in the utility slot???

Unless you mean you can down rate shields like say a 5A to a 3A prismatic on a type 7. But the OP has a cobra, and the shield slot has to be a size 4, not smaller or larger, so you can't make more room switching to a prismatic.

Either way, I still don't understand why the OP want prismatics.

 

[Mrat13]

Prismatics aside, 50 million salary per week is far from "just sweeten the deal". And pretty good money booster from even not-so-recently started player.

Most popular powers are ones with most popular bonuses - so its pretty silly to claim that majority of players pick them just because of faction. They still here for rewards (even not for only equipment rewards).

7*24 = 168.
50mil/168 = ~300 thousand credits an hour.

You can earn that by doing one passenger mission in 5 minutes.

The alliance player base gets it, becuase they use to help their faction, and role play. It's above merely earning credits, and as such, if you need just raw money, you can do other things.

Oh, and the usefulness of any power play item is debatable, not just the prismatics.

I just don't get why so many players don't think this sort of thing through.

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

Shield boosters go in the utility slot???

Unless you mean you can down rate shields like say a 5A to a 3A prismatic on a type 7. But the OP has a cobra, and the shield slot has to be a size 4, not smaller or larger, so you can't make more room switching to a prismatic.

Either way, I still don't understand why the OP want prismatics.

Shield Cell Banks.

 

[Achibot]

Shield boosters go in the utility slot???

Unless you mean you can down rate shields like say a 5A to a 3A prismatic on a type 7. But the OP has a cobra, and the shield slot has to be a size 4, not smaller or larger, so you can't make more room switching to a prismatic.

Either way, I still don't understand why the OP want prismatics.

While you are correct from a "stats perspective" as the Prismatic is likely sub-optimal in this specific case (Cobra) the OP has said straight up it's a more a matter of being a "collector". As such I would suggest the "worthiness" of the module is not at issue in this case.

 

[Mrat13]

While you are correct from a "stats perspective" as the Prismatic is likely sub-optimal in this specific case (Cobra) the OP has said straight up it's a more a matter of being a "collector". As such I would suggest the "worthiness" of the module is not at issue in this case.

Even so, power play shouldn't be played early game, it'll just leave a sour taste in your mouth. When you have noting else to do, that's why it gets interesting.

 

[Commander_Brucitor]

On a side note to the OP, you want to earn your 750 merits after week three. That when the following Thursday comes around you'll be at rank 4 in the fourth week saving you a week of waiting as it doesn't unlock right at 750 merits you have to wait for the next cycle for it to register. I've got prismatics and their better, however you do need a hefty upgrade in power to run them alongside everything else.

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

While you are correct from a "stats perspective" as the Prismatic is likely sub-optimal in this specific case (Cobra) the OP has said straight up it's a more a matter of being a "collector". As such I would suggest the "worthiness" of the module is not at issue in this case.

Yep, ship makes a big difference.
Cobra MkIII with 4A prismatics = 148 MJ
FDL with 4A prismatics = 481 MJ

 

[sb413197]

the rewards are just their to sweeten the deal. Don't pick a faction for their reward, pick them becuase you like the faction, then actually try to help that faction. Just look at how the Alliance is first every week in the CC reserves, becuase their players actually care about their faction, not just the rewards. Becuase they know, the rewards are not the point of power play.

Look....just....don't follow the herd, ok, you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment. And maybe you'll learn something one of my friends can't seem to learn. The art of ignoring the distracting shiny things.

I need to stop writing such long posts....I think I have a problem......

Thanks but no thanks, I don't find the mechanics of powerplay compelling so I'll happily keep using my prismatic shields, causing mass hysteria with my containment missile equipped cutter, and raking in billions with LYR5 from exploration.

Nothing against those who like powerplay but I just don't enjoy it much. It needs a lot of work for me to find it fun...maybe in 3.0. Hey I like stuff others don't too (exploration, piracy as the bad guy, outrunning pirates as the innocent trader: had a thrilling game of cat and mouse with an obliging FDL pirate that had some close calls and ended in a stalemate with me orbiting the planet with him trailing me: I couldn't land because he would get me and he couldn't interdict me because of orbit)

 

[FunGas]

If you're not into the combat thing and want to trade your way to Prismatics, here's my old route:-

Kamadhenu, Shajn Market collect Garrison Supplies & take Coffee to Nagi, Bolkow City then return with Marine Equipment

also,

Kamadhenu, Shajn Market collect Garrison Supplies & take Animal Meat to HIP 21778, Crown Gateway then return with Marine Equipment

OK. These trade routes are old now, they might not be feasible any more, but that's the way I did it...

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I went the murder route.

25 PowerPlay kills and you're done.

You just need to find an Anarchy System to do it in.
Just drop in to the nav beacon, light up any PowerPlay ship. Then either fly out and back, or relog to start the spawning again.

Although, to be honest, being chased by angry feds was fun. Lol

Edit: I don't really recommend prismatic shields though. But Packhounds. Yes. So much fun!

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Starman 1966]

Well, I've done PP so far for the Packhounds and the Prismatics, actually I'm waiting two more weeks for unlocking the Pacifier frag cannon. I'm somewhat underwhelmed regarding the Prismatics. I've modded them G5 reinforced and even with two thermal resistant and one resistance augmented shield boosters you will stick around 35% thermal resistance. The increased shield strength does not really make up for this and you are severely hampered by the insanely slow recharge. I'll remod one of the Prismatics to thermal resist and try again. But I think for PvE there is no better choice then Bi-Weave. The Prismatics are more a PvP special or if you really want a stronger shield in a smaller size.

Same with Packhounds. Nice to look at, but if the target pops a heat sink they are going elsewhere. I'll see how the Pacifiers are working on a Python or a FAS, but I've come to the preliminary conclusion that the PP modules give additional nuances (aka "balancing") only rather then real advantages.

 

[Ozram]

Op, when I go for Powerplay goods I do it cheap and lazy. I have a T7 for the job. The night before the monthly cycle ticks over, I make three deliveries totalling the 750 merits required and the following day the item is there for the taking.