Powerplay PowerPlay 2.0 potential exploit identified! 16K merits per hour with no way to counter.

[DarwinPon]

I've identified a potential exploit with powerplay that allows a player to farm around 16000 merits per hour. As can be seen from the two screenshot images, which were taken exactly after 1hr of farming. Now I know this doesn't sound THAT crazy compared to other methods, the problem with this is that it potentially breaks game balance due to the following reasons:

1. Very low skill floor, anyone with a little bit of cash and experience can do it if they know the technique.
2. Very low risk involved, theoretically the ship doesn't need defenses or weapons.
3. Very fast loops, one full loop can be completed in less than 10 mins yielding ~3000 merits
4. Very hard to counter, whether in solo or in open. This strategy effectively makes a Stronghold system unassailable, very unfair to enemy powers trying to undermine.

I won't give away the details of this potential exploit just yet, to avoid causing problems in the game. I'll go as far as to say it involves spamming escape pods. The reason I say "potential" exploit is because it's not caused by a bug in the game, but through connecting a series of intended and legit game features to create a potentially unintended, and in my opinion unbalanced result. I would really like to discuss this in private with some community leaders and hopefully FDev staff in order to determine the nature of this method and whether it should be patched out of the game.

If it is decided that this method is legit then I'll make a video or infographic for everyone to see

Edit: after some testing using the data exploit, I can confirm that my method is twice as effective.

 

[Rebel Yell]

Ahoy matey, do you know if a ticked has been open on this one?

 

[DarwinPon]

Ahoy matey, do you know if a ticked has been open on this one?

Not sure, but probably not. See this is part of the issue, it's NOT a bug.

 

[Rebel Yell]

Not sure, but probably not. See this is part of the issue, it's NOT a bug.

Hmmm may be 16k/hr is not that a big amount of merits to raise eyebrows.

 

[DarwinPon]

Hmmm may be 16k/hr is not that a big amount of merits to raise eyebrows.

it's not just that it generates a lot of merits, that alone is not a problem imo. the problem is that it requires 0 skill to do, and 100 skill to counter.

 

[Shadowsnog]

id contact support directly. they will be able to tell if its bug/intended gameplay/...

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I'll go as far as to say it involves spamming escape pods. This strategy effectively makes a Stronghold system unassailable.

Doesn't that make it straightforwardly counterable, then, at least? Escape pods can be used with much the same effectiveness for both undermining and fortification. Or is there something weird about this one which means that fortifiers can use it but underminers can't?

I would really like to discuss this in private with some community leaders and hopefully FDev staff

Email community@frontier.co.uk

No guarantee that they'll answer or even read it but it's more likely to than a forum post is.

 

[DarwinPon]

id contact support directly. they will be able to tell if its bug/intended gameplay/...

you mean submit a support ticket?

 

[Factabulous]

Is this something better than Amaethon farming, or just optimising Amaethons? Haven't bothered trying to max 'em out but it's the same ballpark. Not sure I'd say it's zero skill, as the skill is in finding these places - and if it was zero skill they wouldn't all still be farming Rares

 

[Shadowsnog]

you mean submit a support ticket?

exactly

 

[DarwinPon]

Is this something better than Amaethon farming, or just optimising Amaethons? Haven't bothered trying to max 'em out but it's the same ballpark. Not sure I'd say it's zero skill, as the skill is in finding these places - and if it was zero skill they wouldn't all still be farming Rares

what is that? and no, I'm not talking about whatever that is. Though I'm pretty sure it takes less skill, my method is hard to beat in this department

 

[Factabulous]

Ah good - if it's not Amaethons you can get it banned and I don't care

 

[DarwinPon]

Doesn't that make it straightforwardly counterable, then, at least? Escape pods can be used with much the same effectiveness for both undermining and fortification. Or is there something weird about this one which means that fortifiers can use it but underminers can't?

Yes, it's that "something weird", which one side can use and the other side can't.

 

[DarwinPon]

Doesn't that make it straightforwardly counterable, then, at least? Escape pods can be used with much the same effectiveness for both undermining and fortification. Or is there something weird about this one which means that fortifiers can use it but underminers can't?


Email community@frontier.co.uk

No guarantee that they'll answer or even read it but it's more likely to than a forum post is.

what is that email address btw? I'd like to know who I'm mailing before mailing anything

 

[DarwinPon]

Ah good - if it's not Amaethons you can get it banned and I don't care

dang... so you've found yet another secret way to farm merits I presume? care to elaborate?

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Yes, it's that "something weird", which one side can use and the other side can't.

Ah. In that case - while I'll need to check something in-game later - I think I know what it might be. I'll say no more for now.

what is that email address btw? I'd like to know who I'm mailing before mailing anything

It's the Frontier Community Managers - see for example https://www.youtube.com/c/FrontierDevelopments/about

dang... so you've found yet another secret way to farm merits I presume? care to elaborate?

The Amatheon method isn't a problem - it only works in systems with that extremely rare non-dockable megaship type, and it can be used equally by both sides.
(Find one of them in-game and it should be obvious what to do)

 

[Factabulous]

The Amatheon method isn't a problem - it only works in systems with that extremely rare non-dockable megaship type, and it can be used equally by both sides.
(Find one of them in-game and it should be obvious what to do)

yeah this ^^^ . We've talked about them but as Ian says - their locations make them less useful (and finding them with the associated system states makes for a challenge). They're ok merit farms, but not as much use for actual PP.

 

[Vermin]

it's not just that it generates a lot of merits, that alone is not a problem imo. the problem is that it requires 0 skill to do, and 100 skill to counter.

Currently thats an issue with the system at large due to its influence from PG/Solo. "Skill" is barely part of the equation when discussing PP 2.0.

 

[DarwinPon]

Currently thats an issue with the system at large due to its influence from PG/Solo. "Skill" is barely part of the equation when discussing PP 2.0.

For one, playing PowerPlay in private has always been considered dishonorable and is thus highly discouraged by all powers. And two, if Power A plays privately against Power B, Power B could always do the same or similar activities to counter Power A even though they don't encounter each other in the game. However if Power A uses my method, Power B can't do anything about it, they can't even respond by doing the same activity. THAT becomes a real problem imo.

 

[Vermin]

For one, playing PowerPlay in private has always been considered dishonorable and is thus highly discouraged by all powers. And two, if Power A plays privately against Power B, Power B could always do the same or similar activities to counter Power A even though they don't encounter each other in the game. However if Power A uses my method, Power B can't do anything about it, they can't even respond by doing the same activity. THAT becomes a real problem imo.

You would think huh? But one cursory look at the Open Only Powerplay thread will tell you otherwise.

FDev have a lot to do to fix this system, and ideally quickly, or its just gonna end up stagnating like the previous iteration and all this work would have been for naught