As part of my process for trying to understand why CMDR's play Power Play. I have made a merits calculator on Google Docs.
It is available for any body who uses this link:
It is available for any body who uses this link:
| Elite Dangerous Power Play Economics for the merits via transportation | |||||||||||||
| This 1st chart shows that merits derived from transport is not profitable. Even at rating 5 the best that can be achieved is a huge loss in week 1 and for the 2nd to 4th week is a break even and from then on it will be a lss | |||||||||||||
| Whilst transport materials can be obtained for no cost every 30 mins it is not fesible. For rating 5 it would require 100 hours in the 1st week and over 50 hours in subsequent weeks. | |||||||||||||
| WARNING: If you are using PP (power play) to get the modules, please be aware that PP isnt cheap and it takes 4 weeks to unlock the modules. You will probably need substantial funds. Getting "rating 3" in the 4th week is quite doable through combat and wont cost you a cent but if you want to do it through trade it will cost you 7.5 million. The modules can be expensive. I have heard that Prismatic shields cost 250 million each. | |||||||||||||
| BE NICE: Play the game any way you like. But if you want to be nice to the crazy players who actually enjoy PP. Then always FORTIFY and never PREPARE when transporting materials. | |||||||||||||
| Rating | Merits required | trips required | merrits per payment | cost per que jump | cost week 1 | cost week 2 | cost week 3 | cost week 4 | Total 4 week cost | Weekly reward | Total reward 4 weeks | Profit/Loss | |
| 1 | 10 | $100,000 | free | free | free | free | free | $1,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 | |||
| 2 | 100 | 1 | 15 | $150,000 | $1,000,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $2,500,000 | $50,000 | $200,000 | -$2,300,000 | |
| 3 | 750 | 1 | 20 | $200,000 | $7,500,000 | $3,750,000 | $3,750,000 | $3,750,000 | $18,750,000 | $500,000 | $2,000,000 | -$16,750,000 | |
| 4 | 1,500 | 2 | 25 | $250,000 | $15,000,000 | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | $37,500,000 | $5,000,000 | $20,000,000 | -$17,500,000 | |
| 5 | 10,000 | 13.3 | 50 | $500,000 | $100,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $250,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $200,000,000 | -$50,000,000 | |
Example 3 is the one I'm using so you dont have access, you are free to change the vales in example 1 and 2 but its best to copy and paste to your own spreadsheet otherwise other may come along and change your values  | |||||||||||||
| KEY for bellow calculators | Input fields: Under "total desired" type in the amount you want to have at the end of that week. In field "Earnt this week" type in what you actually had at the end of that week | ||||||||||||
| This blue field shows how mant merits we need to get this week to reach the desired total we input. Once we input our actuals it just reflects the actuals. Before we input actuals one week ahead the merits we need for that week. | |||||||||||||
| Disclaimer | This spreadsheet isnt perfect Decimal places are hidden for neatness but are still calculated. I'm pretty sure the game drops the fractions, so, some of the numbers may be out a bit so always get a bit extra just in case | ||||||||||||
| Example 1 ..... 750 merits to unlock PP module | |||||||||||||
| Earnt this week | Total current | Total desired | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| week 1 | 750 | 750 | 750 | 750 | |||||||||
| week 2 | 500 | 875 | 750 | 375 | 500 | ||||||||
| week 3 | 375 | 813 | 750 | 188 | 250 | 375 | |||||||
| week 4 | 345 | 751 | 750 | 94 | 125 | 188 | 345 | ||||||
| week 5 | 425 | 754 | 750 | 0 | 63 | 94 | 173 | 425 | |||||
| week 6 | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 86 | 213 | 404 | ||||
| week 7 | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 106 | 202 | 398 | ||||
| week 8 | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 101 | 199 | 397 | ||||
| week 9 | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 100 | 198 | 402 | ||||
| week 10 | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 99 | 201 | 400 | ||||
| Example 2 ..... 10,000 merits to stay at rating 5 | |||||||||||||
| Earnt this week | Total current | Total desired | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| week 1 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | |||||||||
| week 2 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | ||||||||
| week 3 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 5,000 | |||||||
| week 4 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 1,250 | 1,250 | 2,500 | 5,000 | ||||||
| week 5 | 5,625 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 625 | 1,250 | 2,500 | 5,625 | |||||
| week 6 | 5,313 | 10,001 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 625 | 1,250 | 2,813 | 5,313 | ||||
| week 7 | 5,312 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 625 | 1,406 | 2,657 | 5,312 | ||||
| week 8 | 5,315 | 10,002 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 703 | 1,328 | 2,656 | 5,315 | ||||
| week 9 | 5,315 | 9,965 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 664 | 1,328 | 2,658 | 5,315 | ||||
| week 10 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 664 | 1,329 | 2,658 | 5,350 | ||||
| Example 3 ..... my current actuals | |||||||||||||
| Earnt this week | Total current | Total desired | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| week 1 | 2,670 | 2,670 | 750 | 2,670 | |||||||||
| week 2 | 2,520 | 3,855 | 10,000 | 1,335 | 2,520 | ||||||||
| week 3 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 668 | 1,260 | 8,073 | |||||||
| week 4 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 334 | 630 | 4,036 | 5,000 | ||||||
| week 5 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 315 | 2,018 | 2,500 | 5,167 | |||||
| week 6 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 1,009 | 1,250 | 2,583 | 5,158 | ||||
| week 7 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 625 | 1,292 | 2,579 | 5,505 | ||||
| week 8 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 646 | 1,289 | 2,752 | 5,313 | ||||
| week 9 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 645 | 1,376 | 2,656 | 5,323 | ||||
| week 10 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 688 | 1,328 | 2,661 | 5,322 |
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