Powerplay Sooo...Powerplay. Is earning merits through combat pointless?

Finally giving it a go after years of playing ED. Is there really any point to the combat option? It seems like it's just not worth it, versus just delivering stuff. And why cant you get your merit rewards in the system you are fighting it out in? And the bounties! Don't get me started. And while we are at it, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT!!! I accidently graze a system authority vessle with a beam, get a 300 cr bounty, no big deal. But when I went to pay it, I got shipped off 5 jumps away!!!! FOR 300CR!!!! By far the lamest addition to the game.
 
I just kill 167 ships every week by dropping 30-90km from a nav beacon, this forces at least 3(often 5-6 :D) PP NPCs to spawn and you don't have to sort through all the traders and pirates to find em. Often there is at least one ship capable of using fighters, so take those out before you kill the mothership for extra merits.

You can disable FSDs and weapons from the fighter capable ships and keep grinding them if you feel like it, endless merits but super boring. I wouldn't recommend this as you might fall asleep and lose all the merits you've grinded so far.

When everything is dead, face the nav beacon, supercruise & tap the fsd key so you drop asap and end up 30-90km from the beacon again.

It takes me about two hours to get the 5k to stay at rank 5 every week, imo its the easiest way and you can grind experience for crew NPCs while doing it.
 
Finally giving it a go after years of playing ED. Is there really any point to the combat option? It seems like it's just not worth it, versus just delivering stuff. And why cant you get your merit rewards in the system you are fighting it out in? And the bounties! Don't get me started. And while we are at it, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT!!! I accidently graze a system authority vessle with a beam, get a 300 cr bounty, no big deal. But when I went to pay it, I got shipped off 5 jumps away!!!! FOR 300CR!!!! By far the lamest addition to the game.
Quite the opposite, I only earn merits via combat. I can't think of anything more dull than spamming the menu 75 times or whatever it is.
I use the opportunity to gather manufactured materials, and test out new builds.
I also operate out of anarchy systems so, no bounties. 😁

Only takes 25 kills to hit rank 3, and they can easily be found in nav beacons, supercruise and RES sites.

Also, don't shoot security, they don't like it. It helps to become allies with the local power so they show up green, and thus far easier to spot on radar, as they make their obligatory suicide run. :p

I usually leave crimes off, so they stop pestering me. It's not like they actually do anything useful. Half the time they just chase me around trying to scan me, but can't because I'm always outrunning them. :unsure:
 
Earning merits has a large chance of being pointless if you don't earn them in the right place.. PowerPlay is a group activity - and works best when you work with your Power's other CMDRs to put merits in where they count the best for that Power. Please seek out your Power's Discord channel (or at least Reddit) to learn the co-ordination targets, meet others etc...
 
The game is pointless... you play it for enjoyment.

PowerPlay is part of the game, and many players get a lot from it. It is player group vs player group activity. And in many respects is a bit of an end-game activity - it will never end, there are lots of deep tactics, and anything can only be achieved by a lot of work and co-ordination. If you have tried to do power play as an individual only, then yes, it will feel fairly pointless - because an individual cannot make a significant difference by themselves in the PowerPlay world. Which is why I said what I did - join the Discord server for your power, and join in the group activity - and then it makes sense... and together, you can make a difference.
 
Yup, I agree it feels very pointless to do the group stuff. I couldn't care less how much territory my dude controls when all it really does is make some different named npcs spawn in the system.

If there was some point to expansion, I'd probably contribute. Right now people are taking over the sandbox so they can sit on it and feel that the grind is somehow meaningful when it's done together :D

I've had more Archon pledgers shoot at me than the other powers, so I don't really feel like we're a family who should stick together anyways.
 
Coordinated efforts with other players in PP leads to much fun in PvP when a system is being prepared/undermined - hunting down players in cargo ships or fighting back combat wings is fun. Power Play bounty can't be payed off and accumulates on a ship. I think this is great and rewarding for the other player who finally kills you and gets few millions credits. Strange thing is I didn't notice merits earned for player. Only for NPCs what is not a challenge. Growing your Power isn't pointless. For example when you are pledged to ALD you have bounty bonus even additional 100% on level 5 but it is limited to systems controlled by her, so the more systems she control the biggest hunting grounds are ;).
 
Try go to a Resistance Pocket signal source, you will gain merits very fast if killing Archon Delaine supporters gives merits for the power you are pledged to (or opposite if you are pledged to him).
 
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Try go to a Resistance Pocket signal source, you will gain merits very fast if killing Archon Delaine supporters gives merits for the power you are pledged to (or opposite if you are pledged to him).

*Other Powers also available. Antal, Hudson, ALD have combat expansions.
 
I like it, and i'm reaching level 4 with combat only. Use the nav beacons.

I use the nav beacon method, work alone, average 1000pts per hour. This is haz res type combat, no interdictions involved. Works even faster in a wing.

Note: I'm experiencing deja vu, like I already responded to this thread but that post is gone?
 
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