Powerplay Is it worth getting to Rating 5?

[IAXEM]

Hello everyone! After being hesitant about going anywhere near Powerplay (As it seemed to confusing and not all that interesting at first).. I have decided to pledge for A. Lavigny Duval. It wasn't until just yesterday that I began earning merits by attacking enemies in enemy control systems (Now I have a big bounty on me but whatever!). I've earned just over 1,500 merits as of now, and am currently grinding to turn in 1,000 more before the next cycle (Today I've earned 600 so far).

My original intent was to get to Rating 5 for the credit bonus, as I'm really running quite low on credits, and normal bounty hunting is taking too long. However, I wasn't aware of how the decay system works. But by now, I see that each week you lose 50% of your merits, which makes me wonder if I'll have to keep doing the same things over and over just to maintain the rating. I'll gladly help with other activities needed (Which, by the time I began, all goals had been met, so not much to do). But I also want to have time to just do normal bounty hunting or take short breaks from PP. I'm not sure if I can do that while still maintaining the highest rating, though.

So, is it worth it? are there any faster ways of earning merits? I DID read that staying at Rating 5 is a lot easier than getting there. I need to hear your output though.

Thanks, and may the emperor prevail!

 

[Saiidin]

Yeah, I did the same thing. Early posts on the PP subject suggested that after 4 weeks of hitting 10k merits you'd only need to grind 1250/week to maintain, but they were doing the math wrong. It's actually slightly over 5000 that you have to get each week.

If you like blowing up random npcs in an opposing system and getting nothing for it unless you remember to trek back to your control system in time for the Thursday Am deadline, and getting all your pay in a lump each week instead of in installments as you dock between RES bashes, PP rank 5 is for you.

I'm just gonna go with rank 4 since it won't take long at all to maintain and any further npc bashing I do will be in a RES for credits. I work for a living, no need to grind merits even for a hot space princess.

 

[IAXEM]

Yeah, I did the same thing. Early posts on the PP subject suggested that after 4 weeks of hitting 10k merits you'd only need to grind 1250/week to maintain, but they were doing the math wrong. It's actually slightly over 5000 that you have to get each week.

If you like blowing up random npcs in an opposing system and getting nothing for it unless you remember to trek back to your control system in time for the Thursday Am deadline, and getting all your pay in a lump each week instead of in installments as you dock between RES bashes, PP rank 5 is for you.

I'm just gonna go with rank 4 since it won't take long at all to maintain and any further npc bashing I do will be in a RES for credits. I work for a living, no need to grind merits even for a hot space princess.

Hm, I'm not sure if I should sitck with Rank 4 though XD Like I said, I'd love to continue helping out in the cycle and all, but would also wish to Bounty hunt at times. I worry that I'll have to spend more time holding up Rank 5 than I will doing anything else, in which case I might stick to 4. The 50 mil bonus +100% in bounties seems really nice though. Can i still do both?

 

[teatmecoder]

Elite Dangerous is a pretty cool game.

 

[Bigglesof206]

Undermine on your own (as I do) and you are looking at 300-600 merits an hour, mainly down to the spawn rate of targets. For rank 5 you need to reach 10,000 pts once, then earn approx. 5400 a week from then on to maintain it. Depending on power the PP bonus can really help - for Hudson I can BH and get 100% bonus on payments (and get overpaid even on that) which brings in 3-5million Cr for 30 mins in a Hasres. (Note, players with more hand eye coordination will probably do rather better). I can use some of that towards better ships and equipment, some of it goes on fast tracking supplies in PP which means I can choose how to grind out my 5400.....I tend to do part via combat (undermining) and part by hauling fast tracked supplies to help fortify - at 10 million Cr for 1000 tons fast tracked the BH earnings are essential.

Other powers will have variations on this sort of thing - but I believe most rank 5 players would agree that it is easier to maintain than to initially gain, and it is worth doing. Since Christmas I have added a nicely specced Imperial Clipper, a 400t cargo Anaconda, and fuily kitted out my FAS, plus stuck 100 MCr in the bank for walking around money - and I wouldn't have managed anything like that without the 50MCr pay and BH bonus. That's very probably just chicken feed to many.

Dave

 

[IAXEM]

Undermine on your own (as I do) and you are looking at 300-600 merits an hour, mainly down to the spawn rate of targets. For rank 5 you need to reach 10,000 pts once, then earn approx. 5400 a week from then on to maintain it. Depending on power the PP bonus can really help - for Hudson I can BH and get 100% bonus on payments (and get overpaid even on that) which brings in 3-5million Cr for 30 mins in a Hasres. (Note, players with more hand eye coordination will probably do rather better). I can use some of that towards better ships and equipment, some of it goes on fast tracking supplies in PP which means I can choose how to grind out my 5400.....I tend to do part via combat (undermining) and part by hauling fast tracked supplies to help fortify - at 10 million Cr for 1000 tons fast tracked the BH earnings are essential.

Other powers will have variations on this sort of thing - but I believe most rank 5 players would agree that it is easier to maintain than to initially gain, and it is worth doing. Since Christmas I have added a nicely specced Imperial Clipper, a 400t cargo Anaconda, and fuily kitted out my FAS, plus stuck 100 MCr in the bank for walking around money - and I wouldn't have managed anything like that without the 50MCr pay and BH bonus. That's very probably just chicken feed to many.

Dave

Yup, that's what I've been doing as of late. It's getting kinda boring/repetitive though, only because I just have to fly around and wait until some of these ships spawn XD But oh well, all for the sake of getting to Rank 5. I'm currently at 2,000 merits. I have enough to keep rank 4 and well... I'll try to reach 10,000 by the end of the cycle. Think I can make it? XD

I'm currently with A. Lavigny. Also a 100% bonus + a 20% bonus I think.. Even more if she's in the top 3 (Sadly we aren't right now ;-; ). But well, even with my current 20% bonus i notice a difference on what i earn from bounty hunting

Wait, question though! I read something about that.. Where you could technically buy your rank just by filling up your cargo with the supplies needed for Fortification/Preperation and delivering them. Is this true? It would be VERY helpful if I could, say... Buy 2,500 merits, and earn the rest by undermining to hold on to the rank o:

 

[Kruger]

I've thought about joining PP under A. Lavigny Duval as well because that bounty boost (I could really use the money). But a couple questions regarding PP with ALD that I'd like to get clarification on.

First, the boost to bounty hunting. Does that activate the moment you join, or do you actually have to make rank first?

Secondly is in regard to undermining. For a power all about justice, it seems wrong that you must commit crimes in order to gain her favor. And as a Bounty Hunter, you uphold the law, not break it. So my question is this, is it possible to undermine through self-defense? You know, just hang around an enemy controlled system and wait for them to interdict you and start firing on you and killing them in defense? Or is it tied to me interdicting an enemy and killing them?

 

[Crumly]

I've thought about joining PP under A. Lavigny Duval as well because that bounty boost (I could really use the money). But a couple questions regarding PP with ALD that I'd like to get clarification on.

First, the boost to bounty hunting. Does that activate the moment you join, or do you actually have to make rank first?

Secondly is in regard to undermining. For a power all about justice, it seems wrong that you must commit crimes in order to gain her favor. And as a Bounty Hunter, you uphold the law, not break it. So my question is this, is it possible to undermine through self-defense? You know, just hang around an enemy controlled system and wait for them to interdict you and start firing on you and killing them in defense? Or is it tied to me interdicting an enemy and killing them?

You don't get the bonus until after you earn it. So if you had 10000 merits right now today, next Thursday at 12:00am (mountain time anyway) you will become rank 5 and THEN get the bonus.

Even if you don't go for rank 5, rank 2 is a big boost to bounty hunting earnings. I don't see a good reason to to go for rank 4 as a goal though, unless you want more power commodity allocations for free.

You can definetly hang out and wait to get interdicted. *BUT*, the most common NPC's (for example I'll use federation) FED-AID will not interdict you. But those are the ones in opposition systems that you need to kill to actually oppose the expansion. As far as plain undermining in a control system, all of those NPC's will interdict you but it's less common and harder work, you have to get in front of them, and even then sometimes they won't notice you and just fly past you.

The sub reddit for each power all have guides in there explaining all of this.

You don't need to only undermine. Opposing expansions gives you faster merits due to more NPC's spawning. If you own power is expanding some powers you can go to the expansion system and fight NPC's like at a RES to gain merits.

 

[Kruger]

You don't get the bonus until after you earn it. So if you had 10000 merits right now today, next Thursday at 12:00am (mountain time anyway) you will become rank 5 and THEN get the bonus.

Even if you don't go for rank 5, rank 2 is a big boost to bounty hunting earnings. I don't see a good reason to to go for rank 4 as a goal though, unless you want more power commodity allocations for free.

You can definetly hang out and wait to get interdicted. *BUT*, the most common NPC's (for example I'll use federation) FED-AID will not interdict you. But those are the ones in opposition systems that you need to kill to actually oppose the expansion. As far as plain undermining in a control system, all of those NPC's will interdict you but it's less common and harder work, you have to get in front of them, and even then sometimes they won't notice you and just fly past you.

The sub reddit for each power all have guides in there explaining all of this.

You don't need to only undermine. Opposing expansions gives you faster merits due to more NPC's spawning. If you own power is expanding some powers you can go to the expansion system and fight NPC's like at a RES to gain merits.

Ah, yeah. I'm mostly interested in that Bounty Hunting boost. As long as I maintain Rank 2, I'll be fine. That bonus from Rank 5 would be nice (Who doesn't want a 100% increase in bounty payouts + 50 million a week), but getting there and maintaining it seems like a waste of time, especially since I'm not keen on committing mass murder just for merits (I don't like having bounties on me).

 

[Lupin]

Level 5 seems to require combat, while level 4 I can easy mantain just doing fortification.

Simple time vs. effort, can you get 50mil quicker outside PP with missions & trading.

 

[Euklides Diophant]

Depends on how you look at it, but since the merit gain from killing opposing faction ships is strictly related to the ones in enemy territory. Makes me think the feature is a bit underdeveloped and in turn you should probably not derive to much in game moral from it. I mean, I get nothing for killing enemy faction warship harrasing my factions support ships and citizens in my factions capitol or control system defending it? Odd to say the least.

So meanwhile make a reason, because the FD:evs have not really given you an option. Me? When I undermine for winters, I free political prisoners unrightfully captured and set them free. Or I blockade garrison supplies that are heading to maintain the slavery of a planet! The pilots that flew these craft very well knew what they signed up for, don't let their cowardly whining in the comms fool you!
(Incidently I play a very boring RP character that just want the galaxy to be a better place, looking at their methods of attaining power and maintaining it I would have gone with either mahun or winters, stuck with winters for the sole reason that she uses the carrot in her developments rather then the seemingly over used stick used by other powers, BONUSES BE DAMNED, though cash is nice... But its nothing you will get anyway once you have the ship you like)

 

[Rubbernuke]

If you want to help your power, yes.

If you want simply to earn credits, no.

 

[Bigglesof206]

Yes you can fast track to your 10,000 target - at least I can with Hudson - it's okay if you need to grab a few k merits to reach rank 5, and BH earnings are great for subsidising this. Be aware that if you simply fast tracked 5400 merits a week (at least some of which would, of course, be free, but let's imagine you have a wild desire to buy every last ton) then 5400 merits would set you back 54 Million credits.

Fast tracking has its place in allowing you to vary what you do - sitting in dock collecting 50 free tons a half hour to fill up a 400 ton cargo bay doesn't bear thinking about- but it's not a cheap option.
Dave

 

[GilliganTX]

If you want to do Power play, yes.

The increased commodity allocation per/hr is, IMO, pretty essential to staying sane/out of debt while fortifying/preparing.


If you just want to grind credits, no.

EDIT: OP, where are you hunting?

 

[IAXEM]

If you want to do Power play, yes.

The increased commodity allocation per/hr is, IMO, pretty essential to staying sane/out of debt while fortifying/preparing.


If you just want to grind credits, no.

EDIT: OP, where are you hunting?

Hunting for what? Merits, or bounty hunting?

For Merits, I'm basically following the Subreddit for Lavigny, seeing the best places to undermine or oppose, or otherwise just picking at random. For bounty hunting, Gende (Haz RES). I think Powerplay seems like an interesting concept and thing to be part of along with the community, the credits are a nice bonus to that I kinda gave up on trading to earn credits, and bounty hunting is taking too long, so I'm hoping to earn a lot more via this, while also trying out something completely new about the game to me.

Anyways, my plan is to try and get to 10,000 merits by the end of the cycle, and keep that up mostly by fortifying/preparing, with a little bit of undermining and whatnot, as well as using whatever time I have to bounty hunt with the 100% bonus. I just want to fully outfit my ship and possibly buy more expensive ones x'3

 

[IAXEM]

Alright, day 3 of this New cycle and trying to get to 10k merits.. So far I'm at 5,450. Not bad, but in all honesty, I'm not sure if I can keep it up before Thursday x.x It's just so, SO tiring having to sit here for hours just grinding to get these bonuses :/ I dont always have a whole lot of time, and I kinda feel like I waste time just by repeating the same actions here. I need to keep earning at least 1,000-1,500 each day until Wednesday if I want to have Rank 5 by the next cycle.. And after that, the very steep decaying continues x.x It may be easier if I can buy my way up to rank 5 by then, when Im able to help fortify and prepare (I'm kinda sick of only undermining by now ). All for the bonuses! XD

But yeah, Frontier definitely needs to work on this and not make Powerplay be so time consuming nor repetitive.. The increase to 30 merits per kill was very nice, just some other things could really use some changes.

But ah well. Still looking forward to trying more things out once I've got this out of the way. Might consider just staying in one of the lower ranks if I can't maintain this one, I guess it's more of a sacrifice people have to make rather than a flaw within the gameplay mechanics. I don't know.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Do it in stages. I did it in about four cycles doing 5k each week to avoid too much pain.

Admittedly I 'waste' 10k but it was nice and easy.

Its quite possible to do it in one cycle, but its hard work and very exhausting.

 

[Apos]

Rating 5 is among the most easily sustainable ratings, but only after you attain it. After that it's pretty much the only Rating that pays you just enough to maintain it.

 

[ToveriJuri]

Rating 5 is among the most easily sustainable ratings, but only after you attain it. After that it's pretty much the only Rating that pays you just enough to maintain it.

What about rank 4? about 1 hour for 5 mil. Or is that too little for barely paying out?

 

[Kruger]

What about rank 4? about 1 hour for 5 mil. Or is that too little for barely paying out?

I'll go for Rank 4. Sure, 5 million isn't as glorious as 50 million but it's something. I'll work my way up to Rank 5, but several weeks at Rank 4 isn't so bad.