On a simpler level, how do I find ships to blow up for merits? Is this the "interdict cargo carriers in supercruise" method in those systems with shield icons? That's a bit tedious, but doable. I read something somewhere about a "Political Combat Zone" but have no idea what that is or where to find it.
Also does killing "Shield Of Justice" (insert proper name for power) ships do anything PP or merit worthy? If not, what's the point?
Im with an Independent power, so id need to go to a Control system (not Exploited system) of any other power than my pledge, and interdict and kill any ships pledged to the same power as the system itself (other powers' ships are usually Wanted, and are supposedly doing the same thing you are: You dont get merits for defending the power you're supposed to be attacking) You will gain Power bounties which affect the transfer costs of the ship you are in, but dont make any difference in any other way & dont increase your notoriety) Carry some collector limpets if possible, there are good materials on offer, especially from killing T9/7s and AspXs, and the occasional big ship. [to find Control systems, go to Galmap, select the powerplay tab and select the button for Control systems, they will be highlighted for the selected power, go to any of them that suits. If you don't want to inadvertently cause an Incident, try to avoid undermining a system to completion, and stick to systems that aren't heavily undermined already.]
There is a far more effective method, instead of interdicting, which is essentially an exploit of spawn mechanics. Strategic attacks in Powerplay are so horribly underpowered, that large groups of players are willing to '5C' and pledge to their enemy in order to attack it from within. In that context, using/abusing a secondary exploit to make undermining feasible, is not considered underhanded between PP groups.
It's really not necessary for getting your 750 merits though, so enjoy the better gameplay from doing it 'properly'. That is certainly more fun & immersive, if that's ur cuppa tea.
Alternatively, a shieldless cutter will carry 750 tonnes of cargo, and that will cover your 750 merits in one haul. Some powers haul from control systems back to their capital, others haul the other way. Expansions run from control systems to the target system. These are favoured by 5c groups, so generally speaking, the highest merit system for any given power will be the most destructive for your pledged power. You can see that for yourself though, by the positive or (most likely) negative CC balance it is projected to provide in the event of success.
Powerplay groups will always appreciate your beneficial contribution, no matter if its just for the weapons, and just 750 merits. So u may as well join their discord to see where theyd like the merits done. If undermining, they may even wing up with u & show effective ways to do things. Either way, its all good flavour for the game and there's never any imposition beyond what you wish to contribute, excepting a screenshot to show your pledge is genuine. Discord is a harmless text app primarily, so you may as well get in contact.
