Powerplay 2.0 : what we know from partners' streams

[Ian Doncaster]

As it stands it looks like a speed run to rank 34 grab your modules and unpledge...

Only if you only want one module, and definitely know how many of them you'll need for the rest of the game, I think.

From the screenshots, Rank 34 is at 247,000 merits, whereas Rank 97 (looks like that's where the final module is) is at 751,000 merits.

So if you want at least three modules, even if you get unlucky and all powers offer one of the ones you want as their last module, you'd be quicker sticking with a single power and just getting to Rank 97.

(And then staying pledged, so you can just buy the modules when you need them rather than having to fill half your module storage with "well, I might want one of these later", might often be the simpler option)

 

[Wily Rites]

utopia is exobio and trade?

did fdev forget that we're trying to re-educate people.... aggressively? exobio is where we send the dissidents that are too pointless to spend time to reform.

why would explorers be involved with pp? how much fortifying are they doing out in the black? this feels like fifth column shenanigans.

I gather that dropping exploration data is one of the most powerful ways to act in power play, always has been.

 

[Wily Rites]

Only if you only want one module, and definitely know how many of them you'll need for the rest of the game, I think.

From the screenshots, Rank 34 is at 247,000 merits, whereas Rank 97 (looks like that's where the final module is) is at 751,000 merits.

So if you want at least three modules, even if you get unlucky and all powers offer one of the ones you want as their last module, you'd be quicker sticking with a single power and just getting to Rank 97.

(And then staying pledged, so you can just buy the modules when you need them rather than having to fill half your module storage with "well, I might want one of these later", might often be the simpler option)

It certainly does seem more appealing to pledge and stay pledged with this mechanism, seems great, I can't wait.

I presume there is some slow gradual reduction of merits if you are not working towards your factions goals?

 

[Rebel Yell]

Seems pretty fitting to pirates nature though, only those at the top cream off everything; everyone else is dispensable, vis the buf to rebuys and also freebies as far as bounty payoffs, bringing in more loot.

I believe the saying is, Git Gud!

That will make also robberies of LTDs and other ores from NPC miners much more worthwile.

 

[Wily Rites]

That will make also robberies of LTDs and other ores from NPC miners much more worthwile.

Good for honing honest pirate chops! Arrrr arrr.

 

[Tifu]

It certainly does seem more appealing to pledge and stay pledged with this mechanism, seems great, I can't wait.

I presume there is some slow gradual reduction of merits if you are not working towards your factions goals?

Merits don't decay anymore, we're free of that

 

[Wily Rites]

Merits don't decay anymore, we're free of that

That's excellent news!

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I gather that dropping exploration data is one of the most powerful ways to act in power play, always has been.

Never had any direct effect at all in Powerplay 1. The most useful thing you could do with it was to reinforce an existing controlling faction which was of a favourable government type, and exploration data was a pretty time-inefficient way to do that, whereas trade and bounties you could probably fit around your PP activities in the region.

(And exobio data never had any effect on either Powerplay or the BGS)

I presume there is some slow gradual reduction of merits if you are not working towards your factions goals?

No. And since a lot of the design of PP2 seems to mean that it'll actually be quite hard not to do something at least theoretically positive for your faction if you're hanging around most of the bubble, a slow gradual increase of merits almost just for staying pledged might be more the experience for a lot of people.

 

[Wily Rites]

I thought that the instant allied with the faction, would have been a lot of use in some way, but never really tried v1 only just now getting to grips with the BGS.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

Only if you only want one module, and definitely know how many of them you'll need for the rest of the game, I think.

From the screenshots, Rank 34 is at 247,000 merits, whereas Rank 97 (looks like that's where the final module is) is at 751,000 merits.

So if you want at least three modules, even if you get unlucky and all powers offer one of the ones you want as their last module, you'd be quicker sticking with a single power and just getting to Rank 97.

(And then staying pledged, so you can just buy the modules when you need them rather than having to fill half your module storage with "well, I might want one of these later", might often be the simpler option)

Not my first time round the block, this is just a repeat of my main's acquisition of Cytos, and with the alt I have a more defined objective with limited number of ships so storage isn't an issue.
I can certainly remember the mass of Cytos my main had which all got engineered and did take up a fair amount of module storage earlier in my game, but that's the only PP item I'm interested in so that'll work.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I thought that the instant allied with the faction, would have been a lot of use in some way, but never really tried v1 only just now getting to grips with the BGS.

There's a big difference between Powerplay and the BGS - in Powerplay v1 they're almost entirely separate systems.

The BGS (more precisely, the Political BGS - Frontier has four of them) is what determines which minor faction of the 80,000 or so out there owns which station, and what state it's in. The main purpose is to provide a dynamic background - hence the name - rather than static trade prices, environments, etc. but of course some people have built an entirely unofficial game of "make the biggest minor faction" on top of it, and Frontier has acknowledged that a bit in some of their changes.

Powerplay is at a much more bubble-spanning level, and therefore only has the 11 (soon to be 12) Powers. Its main purpose is to be directly and deliberately influenced by players.

Lots of things affect the Political BGS which don't affect Powerplay v1
On the other hand, it looks like Powerplay v2 might well have a bunch of things affecting it which don't affect the Political BGS.

 

[Wily Rites]

There's a big difference between Powerplay and the BGS - in Powerplay v1 they're almost entirely separate systems.

The BGS (more precisely, the Political BGS - Frontier has four of them) is what determines which minor faction of the 80,000 or so out there owns which station, and what state it's in. The main purpose is to provide a dynamic background - hence the name - rather than static trade prices, environments, etc. but of course some people have built an entirely unofficial game of "make the biggest minor faction" on top of it, and Frontier has acknowledged that a bit in some of their changes.

Powerplay is at a much more bubble-spanning level, and therefore only has the 11 (soon to be 12) Powers. Its main purpose is to be directly and deliberately influenced by players.

Lots of things affect the Political BGS which don't affect Powerplay v1
On the other hand, it looks like Powerplay v2 might well have a bunch of things affecting it which don't affect the Political BGS.

I really appreciate the clarification, thanks! Not the easiest of things to do, get a global, or rather galactic view of how it all works together. I've just learned how to get data from megaships and scientific stations in game, and am excited to learn that this kind of antics may well be on the 'todo' list in the factions planning station.

I must say I have noticed a certain similarity between the listings and the work of certain faction maintainers in organising their troops on discord; Very cool initiative on the part of the direction, a tried and tested methodology.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Do all powers UM the same way? I'm trying to get a streamer not pledged to The King to see.

 

[Rubbernuke]

After a quick check... Archon Delaine's BM bonus requires a substantial buff, like +100% (which is obtainable at rank 100+) otherwise it's pretty mush unrelevant.

The best thing though is- the 100% reduction on your bounty might now be compatible with doing crime, given crime is merit rewarded (and thats what PP 'sees' rather than flat BGS INF).

So within the Kings domain, those who have that perk can do whatever they like, to anyone or anything.

I'm not going to let that go to my head........honest....

 

[Felix DiCestria]

Do all powers UM the same way? I'm trying to get a streamer not pledged to The King to see.

I saw something about hacking station billboards on Psykit's stream.

 

[Rubbernuke]

I saw something about hacking station billboards on Psykit's stream.

Cool! I just wondered as The King has committing crime and I wondered if all powers did that, or, each power UMs in a way thats more 'them'.

EDIT: just had a reply to this on another thread where someone pledged to the King does this too

 

[Tifu]

Watching the 16 minute BuurPit video on PP 2.0 & the Mandalay. Link courtesy of @Cosmo

Source: https://youtu.be/FJIWvN4NAAc

 

[Tifu]

Stronghold Carrier defenses are quicker and much more aggressive than that of your regular orbital stations. They will respond with laser fire and will sic defense ships on you (if pledged to a hostile power). That's it I'm afraid, the rest of the video is on the Mandalay.

 

[yianniv]

I think it's self-explanatory, but do we keep access to previous pp modules when we get each new one?

 

[Rubbernuke]

I think it's self-explanatory, but do we keep access to previous pp modules when we get each new one?

Yes. Each powers 100 tiers unlocks each one eventually.