Powerplay 2.0 Activities

A summary of Powerplay Activities based on the Pilots Handbook and info panels in the Galaxy map. See also @Ian Doncaster 's Activities Reference Card, part of his Powerplay tool suite, which has extra details on the Activities.



Note: Merits were suspended on 19/11/2024, for activities marked ✽✽✽ below. Ascendency Update 1 (21/11/2024) restored merits for Odyssey settlement data but not for rares and escape pods. Assignments for these will still complete regardless. Merits for other activities were adjusted upwards.



Powerplay activities are grouped according to who controls the system which they affect. Usually the most part of the activities will take place in the target system. Sometimes there are additional requirements, noted alongside the activity.

There are three main types of target system:
  • Acquisition - the target is currently not controlled by any Power, and close enough to one of your Power's fortified or stronghold systems that your activity can help your Power to gain control (20LY for Fortified, 30LY for Stronghold.)
    • This will be abbreviated as AS (Acquisition System).
  • Reinforcement - the target is currently controlled by your Power. Your activity can progress it from Exploited to Fortified to Stronghold and resist attempts of other Powers to weaken and control it.
    • Abbreviated as RS (Reinforcement System).
  • Undermining - the target is currently controlled by an enemy Power. Your activity can weaken the enemy Power's control. If the system is weakened to a lower control level, enemy control of nearby systems might be lost.
    • Abbreviated as US (Undermine System).
For more on system types, see images in @CMDR Kraag 's splendid reddit post on finding Appropriate System Types


All the activities listed below should earn merits for all pledged players when done in the right system type as shown. (modulo bugs and documentation errors)

Additionally, Powers favour particular activities and will award bonus merits (50% has been suggested) according to their 'Power Ethos'. Those Powers are indicated alongside their Ethos activities as follows:
  • A: Aisling Duval
  • ALD: A. Lavigny-Duval
  • D: Archon Delaine
  • DP: Denton Patreus
  • EM: Edmund Mahon
  • FW: Felicia Winters
  • JA: Jerome Archer
  • LYR: Li Yong-Rui
  • NK: Nakato Kaine
  • PA: Pranav Antal
  • YG: Yuri Grom
  • ZT: Zemina Torval

Other abbreviations:
  • CS: Controlled system - any system controlled by your Power
  • Supporting system: a Fortified or Stronghold system where the target system is inside its control range (20LY for Fortified, 30LY for Stronghold)
  • PC: Power Contact - Contact for your Power via the contacts section in port menu
  • Enemy: vessel or personnel aligned with a different Power to you
  • Ody: the activity is an Odyssey (on-foot) task, done at Odyssey settlements
  • BUG?: likely bugged in some way, and more information is needed

ACTIVITIES

Acquisition
- in Acquisition System (AS)
  • Bounty hunting - collect bounty vouchers in AS, merits awarded on kill (ALD YG DP JA)
  • Collect Escape Pods - collect from AS, deliver to Power Contact (PC) in Supporting System (A ALD PA FW) (✽✽✽ merits suspended, see notes)
  • Holoscreen Hacking - at ports in AS (A ALD NK JA LYR FW)
  • Power Kills - kill Enemies in AS
  • Retrieve specific goods - (Ody) retrieve from Power containers at settlements, return to Supporting System (D)
  • Scan datalinks - at Megaships in AS (YG PA JA)
  • Sell for large profits - buy commodities in Supporting System and sell in AS with at least 40% profit (EM DP LYR ZT) (see notes)
  • Sell mined resources - sell mined goods in AS, must be mined in Supporting System. (EM NK ZT) (see notes)
  • Sell rare goods - sell rarities in AS, but not bought in AS (EM A DP LYR) (✽✽✽ merits suspended, see notes)
  • Transfer Power classified data - (Ody) Download this data type from settlements in AS, deliver to Supporting System (YG JA D) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transfer Power association and political data - (Ody) Download from settlements in AS, deliver to Supporting System (ALD LYR D) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transfer Power research and Industrial data - (Ody) Download from settlements in AS, deliver to Supporting System (EM YG PA DP ZT) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transport Powerplay commodities - from PC in Supporting System to PC in AS (ALL THE POWERS) (see Powerplay commodity types)
  • Upload Powerplay malware - (Ody) obtain from PC in Supporting System and upload to settlement data port in AS (D)
Conflict - additional activities for AS that are in conflict state (two powers have enough control points to cross the conflict threshold)
  • Complete aid and humanitarian missions - Do Support missions(?) in AS (NK FW) (see notes below)
  • Flood markets with low value goods - sell commodities at below 500 credits per ton in AS
  • Scan ships and wakes - Scan ships and low wakes with built-in scanner, high wakes with Wake Scanner, in AS

Reinforcement - in Reinforcement System (RS)
  • Bounty Hunting - Collect bounty vouchers in RS, merits awarded on kill (ALD YG DP JA)
  • Collect Escape Pods - collect in RS, hand in to PC in same RS (A NK) (✽✽✽ merits suspended, see notes)
  • Complete aid and humanitarian missions - do Support missions in RS (EM A PA NK FW)
  • Hand in biological research samples - turn in exobiology data to PC in RS (PA LYR) (see notes)
  • Hand in cartography data - Sell exploration data in RS via Universal Cartographics (EM A PA NK LYR ZT)) (see notes)
  • Hand in salvage - collect salvage and hand in to PC in same RS (EM YG PA DP JA D FW ZT)
  • Holoscreen hacking - revert hacked holos at RS ports (A DP JA)
  • Power Kills - kill Enemies in RS (ALD YG DP JA D)
  • Reboot mission completion - Do reboot missions in RS
  • Scan Datalinks - at megaships in RS (see notes below) (ALD D ZT)
  • Scan ships and wakes - Scan ships and low wakes with built-in scanner, high wakes with Wake Scanner, in RS (ALD YG PA DP NK JA D FW)
  • Sell for large profits - trade commodities making at least 40% profit in RS (buy from any system) (EM A LYR ZT)
  • Sell mined resources - mine and sell mined goods in RS, must be mined in same RS (EM FW) (see notes)
  • Sell rare goods - Sell rarities in RS, but not bought in RS (LYR D) (✽✽✽ merits suspended, see notes)
  • Transfer Power classified data - (Ody) Download this data type from settlements, return to PC in same RS (NK) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transfer Power association and political data - (Ody) Download from settlements, return to PC in same RS (YG LYR) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transport Powerplay commodities - from PC in Stronghold system (but not the RS) to PC in RS (ALL THE POWERS) (see Powerplay commodity types)
Undermining - in Undermining System (US)
  • Collect Escape Pods - collect in US, awarded on scoop (EM A NK FW) (BUG(S)? see notes, ✽✽✽ merits suspended, see notes)
  • Commit crimes - do crime in US (YG JA LYR D) (see notes)
  • Complete aid and humanitarian missions - do Support missions in US (EM NK)
  • Flood markets with low value goods - sell commodities at below 500 credits per ton in US (A LYR ZT) (must be traded where sold - see notes)
  • Hand in salvage - collect salvage in US (awarded when? hand in where?) (PA FW)
  • Holoscreen hacking - Hack holo ads at ports in US (A JA LYR)
  • Power Kills - kill Enemies in US (ALD YG DP JA D)
  • Retrieve specific goods - (Ody) return Powerplay goods from Power containers in US settlements to a PC in CS (D)
  • Scan datalinks - at Megaships in US (YG DP JA FW)
  • Sell mined resources - sell goods mined in US in same US (see notes)
  • Tranfer Power classified data - (Ody) Download from settlements in US, return to PC in CS (ALD DP FW YG) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transfer Power association and political data - (Ody) Download from settlements in US, return to PC in CS (EM A PA NK LYR ZT) (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transfer Power research and Industrial data - (Ody) Download from settlements in US, return to PC in CS (ALD PA NK LYR ZT (✽✽✽ see notes)
  • Transport Powerplay commodities - from PC in a Stronghold System to PC in US (ALL THE POWERS) (see Powerplay commodity types)
  • Upload Powerplay malware - (Ody) obtain from PC, upload to settlement data port in US (YG PA DP JA D ZT)
Vulnerabilities - each power is weak to up to two additional undermining activities in systems they control, as follows:​
  • A - holoscreen hacking, transfer Power association and political data
  • ALD - commit crimes, scan datalinks
  • D - bounty hunting, Power kills
  • DP - commit crimes, scan datalinks
  • FW - retrieve specific goods, flood markets with cheap goods
  • EM - flood markets with cheap goods, holoscreen hacking
  • JA - commit crimes, retrieve specific goods
  • LYR - upload Powerplay malware, flood markets with cheap goods
  • NK - holoscreen hacking, flood markets with cheap goods
  • PA - transfer Power classified data, flood markets with cheap goods
  • YG - commit crimes, upload Powerplay malware
  • ZT - retrieve specific goods, sell mined resources
Note: The activity may already be an Undermine activity for your Power. Occasionally, in this case, the activity is shown twice in "local activities" in the powerplay info panel for the system.​
At Stronghold carriers - additional undermine activities are listed in "local activities" for all Powers at enemy Stronghold carriers (apart from at Power capitals)​
  • Destroy carrier objects
  • Kill power ships around carrier
  • Shutdown carrier defences
  • Disable carrier defences
  • Disable carrier generators
  • Hack carrier datalinks
  • Hack carrier cargo bays
Notes and queries:
  • ✽✽✽ Merits suspended on 19/11/24, for activities marked ✽✽✽ as described here. Assignments on these tasks still complete, meritlessly. Merits reinstated for Ody settlement data as of Ascendency Update 1 (21/11/24)
  • See also (or instead!) the spreadsheet from @Ceres_O7 via a comment here. H/T for the "vulnerabilities" !
  • Sell for large profits - Acquisition: the requirement to buy commodities in Supporting System is undocumented, see comment here
  • Flood markets with low value goods - "the commodity must be traded by the station (demand or supply)" according to one reputable source
  • Sell mined resources - The requirements for sourcing (mine in Supporting System for Acquisition, mine in same US/RS for Undermining/Reinforcement) are not documented, H/T @DemiserofD and @Ian Doncaster for info on this. @Zombi3 advises not swapping ships carrying mined goods.
  • Collect Escape Pods for undermine systems claims to reward merits on scooping the pods, but this is not the case, even before suspension of merits for escape pods. This might be an in-game bug or a documentation error.
  • Scan datalinks appears as a favoured activity for ALD, D and ZT for reinforcement systems in right-hand panel in gal map even though it isn't listed as a reinforcement activity in the handbook
  • Commit crimes more information is needed on exactly what illegal actions will be rewarded with merits and when. Murder counts, crimes against property less so, it seems.
  • Hand in biological research samples - BUG? Player reports this is not providing merits. More data needed. Should count "if collected from 7 November 6PM UTC." - Frontier . There is a thread starting to collate merit rewards for exobiology and exploration
  • Hand in cartography data - Players report this is not providing merits. Most likely systems handed in just need to be above some threshold Should count if collected after 6PM 7th Nov. See also the exploration merits thread.
  • Complete aid and humanitarian missions bonus for NK & FW is the only bonus given for a conflict-specific Acquiisition activity
  • There will be some mistakes, I'll fix if you let me know.
 
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Love this list, have been looking for this.

My big question is...these are favoured activities. but are they restricted activities? Can you do any of these actions in any system as any power and get merits, or do you only get merits for specific ones? or is the answer even more complicated than that? does doing a favored activity give you more personal merits, or does it it pay the same for everybody and just help the undermine/acquire/reinforce activity more?
 
Great list, thanks! I wasn't aware the different powers favored different activities. They just need to add piracy and smuggling to the "Commit crimes" activities that contribute, especially for Delaine.
Thanks. It's still in progress - as mentioned in the notes part some undermining activities are available depending on who you're undermining, and I still have to fix/add stuff to take that into account, so use it as a rough guide and check with the Powerplay Information panel on the right hand side of the galaxy map to be sure!
 
Thanks. It's still in progress - as mentioned in the notes part some undermining activities are available depending on who you're undermining, and I still have to fix/add stuff to take that into account, so use it as a rough guide and check with the Powerplay Information panel on the right hand side of the galaxy map to be sure!
I should clarify that piracy and smuggling don't currently reward merits or any benefit in PowerPlay, which is surprising. I'm hoping FDev add them as crimes that contribute in undermine systems.
 
Grom pledger here. I've got a couple of pics for you showing that rare good selling gives us merits in Acquisition and Reinforcement systems. I would assume that directly translates to actions that affect the power stats of these systems.

Kudos for the exhaustive list, I'm sure this will be of big help to a lot of players down the line o7

Pic 1: Current pledge status
1730758863407.png

Pic 2: Acquisition - Sold 20 Soontill Relics at Darkwater Station in the Stopover system (unoccupied) - Bottom right corner shows I received 944 merits for this transaction; you can also notice that I had a weekly task to sell rares in an acquisition system

image (1).png

Pic 3: Reinforcement - Sold 20 Soontill Relics at Gallardo Agricultural Farm in the LFT 142 system (Grom exploited) - Bottom right corner shows I received 771 merits for this transaction
1730759078595.png
 
Grom pledger here. I've got a couple of pics for you showing that rare good selling gives us merits in Acquisition and Reinforcement systems. I would assume that directly translates to actions that affect the power stats of these systems.

Selling rares should earn merits for all pledges in Acquisition and Reinforcement systems. The Powers I've highlighted alongside are ones that earn extra bonus merits because of their "Power Ethos."

The pilots handbook explains this:

activities.jpg


You can check if you'll get a bonus for some activity by seeing if it's listed as a "local activity" in the Powerplay Information panel using the button on the right of the galaxy map.

Here's what I see if I pledge to Grom

Reinforcement:

grom_reinforce.jpg


Acquisition:

grom_acquire.jpg


So this means you should get the base+bonus merits for those activities listed, and just base merits for ones that don't appear. This is separate from the bonus I think you get if it's a weekly activity. The merits for rares also depends on how much profit / how far away the rares are sourced I think.

Hope this info is of some use. I'll try and add something to make the base + bonus situation clearer!
 
I have a basic question about Ranks, I have 2500+ merits for a given power, but I am still listed as Rank 0. Do I need to do something, talk to someone to "Rank up"?
 
I have a basic question about Ranks, I have 2500+ merits for a given power, but I am still listed as Rank 0. Do I need to do something, talk to someone to "Rank up"?
Have you already completed ALL of your listed specific 'Weekly Assignments' shown within panel-1 transactions tab yet ?
 
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these are favoured activities. but are they restricted activities? Can you do any of these actions in any system as any power and get merits, or do you only get merits for specific ones?

Favoured, not restricted, base merits for any of the activities, base + bonus for favoured ones is my understanding. Other modifiers exist like "behind front lines penalty" in undermine actions, for example. I hope I've clarified this a bit now in the post. Somehow I only just saw your comment!

or is the answer even more complicated than that? does doing a favored activity give you more personal merits, or does it it pay the same for everybody and just help the undermine/acquire/reinforce activity more?

It definitely gives you more personal merits, I assume it helps the system progress more but no hard data on that AFAIK. The normal relation is one merit equals one point of system progress, but not for the weekly task bonuses, according to one comment, at least.
 
That's not only surprising... it is a total no-sense.

Seems that crimes only get merits when you're caught? If you get merits for being caught with stolen/illegal goods (?) then it's at least a bit odd for unsuccessful smugglers to progress the system while successful ones have no effect!

Selling goods to a black market would be a good undermining activity to add, maybe.

The distinction between piracy and murder is a murky one to me, and I guess murder counts as a crime at least!
 
Seems that crimes only get merits when you're caught? If you get merits for being caught with stolen/illegal goods (?) then it's at least a bit odd for unsuccessful smugglers to progress the system while successful ones have no effect!

Selling goods to a black market would be a good undermining activity to add, maybe.

The distinction between piracy and murder is a murky one to me, and I guess murder counts as a crime at least!
Piracy is stealing stuff, hopefully without having to actively kill someone although that does sometimes end up being necessary.
Murder is just straight up killing.

At least, that's the distinction I make.
 
Seems that crimes only get merits when you're caught? If you get merits for being caught with stolen/illegal goods (?) then it's at least a bit odd for unsuccessful smugglers to progress the system while successful ones have no effect!

Selling goods to a black market would be a good undermining activity to add, maybe.

The distinction between piracy and murder is a murky one to me, and I guess murder counts as a crime at least!
Well.. committing crimes vs. being caught whilst committing crimes... I don't get it either 🤷‍♂️
 
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