Just some questions for those that unlocked it, playing the game since day one but never got into Powerplay, so what do I need to do to get those packhounds? I know you have to stay 4 weeks with that faction and get a certain rank/merits, but how does the player experience change aside from being Hostile to everyone else? Can you play the same way and get those merits by doing simple missions like trading and such in the main system? Or do you need to do things you don't want to do? (illegal stuff, war zones, etc)
I want those packhounds because they just look awesome but one month of play time is too much if it will be a pain in the *** to get that thing only.
This way is the easy, non combat way, and assumes you have plenty of spare cash and access to large cargo carrying ships (t9/conda/vette/cutter)...
1. Join li-yong rui (spelling?), Preferably on a Thursday afternoon as this means you're right at the start of a new PP cycle.
2. Wait 3 weeks
3. Open galaxy map and select the powerplay view
4. Select the expansion thing on the left to see where the power is expanding into, look for the system that has the crosshair type icon.
5. Find a system controlled by li-yong whatsit close to the crosshair/expansion system (usually no more than 30-40ly away)
6. Dock at a station in that system and goto contacts menu/powerplay contact
7. You should see an option to purchase sealed contracts, at rank 1 (which you will be) you can only buy 10 at a time.. buy 10..
8. You can then fast track to your next allowance of 10 by paying 300'000cr (or wait 30min- but seriously, don't do this)
9. Repeat step 8 until your cargo hold is full.. in my case that's 400t.
10. Fly to the crosshair system identified earlier.
11. Dock, goto powerplay contact, and select "deliver sealed contracts".. make sure you deliver the full load.
12. Head back to the 1st station and buy more contracts and keep delivering them until you have delivered 750.
13. You should now have 750 merits for your power, but you will still be rank 1 as your rank won't tick over until the Thursday reset.
14. Once you've been joined for 4 weeks AND the Thursday powerplay reset has happened, you will jump up to rank 3 (thanks to the 750 merits you earned as a contract courier) and you now have access to Packhounds
I've used the above method to get Packhounds from li-yong rui and Prismatic shields from bluehair.
*Ninja'd