Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy is here, and it's packed with new toys to (power)play with. One of the most anticipated of those is the revamped PowerPlay system. Now that you have your hands on it, we want you to explore the changes and explain them. It's up to you whether you simply explain the new system, discuss key changes from the old system, and/or (most helpfully of all) provide tutorials to help players get to grips with it all.
Some elements to consider including:
An overview of how the system works
The powers themselves
What's new
How best to engage in the gameplay system
The differences between late-game and early-game engagement
How to take advantage of the changes
If there's an element of the system that you don't quite understand, it's better to admit that or leave it out rather than guess at it.
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So from my basic understanding just looking at the system, every power offers all modules and its own organic bonuses based on rank earned through completing missions and the same old runs we did to gain rank through merits, the kicker though is that if you want a specific module faster, then pledge to the power that offers it first, if you dont care about it, then pledge to your favorite power.
Newly pledged powers and President winter have shown up along with some new modules i havent seen before and bonuses i havent seen before either but i dont have much to report on the powers themselves.
Like i said what really new and interesting is that you can get extra goodies from your powers by obtaining a high rank through merit runs, including weekly missions and throwing systems in chaos to convert them to your side. EG; LYR needs me to obtain rank 63 to get prismatic shields but that also covers other extras along the way.
Best suggestion to start is head to your powerplay HQ and get those merits going to get more rank per week (every thursday) and go from there. Once you got the hang of it then take on some weekly assignments. The only real difference between early and late game if the ships you have and you combat capability along with engineering. Take advantage of these changes, it actually makes powerplay more interesting and rewarding to those who grind it.
The overhaul brought several new features that fundamentally change how PowerPlay works and make it easier to jump into, even if you’re new, Here are some of the biggest changes:
Tiered Contribution Levels: Contributions are now tiered, meaning that newer players can contribute in smaller ways while experienced players can take on bigger missions. Higher tiers unlock additional bonuses and exclusive missions, giving players a sense of progression.
Enhanced Rewards: PowerPlay 2.0 has ramped up the rewards. Instead of fixed weekly rewards, contributions earn Power currency, which can be exchanged for things like unique ship modules, specialized weapons, or high-end commodities. The Power-specific rewards also make pledging feel more meaningful.
Power Specializations: Each Power has a specialization, which affects its playstyle. For instance, some Powers now have Espionage Missions, where players can infiltrate rival territories for intel. Others focus on Resource Extraction, Trade Manipulation, or Social Advocacy. This makes gameplay feel more distinct based on the Power you’re pledged to.
Faction Loyalty and Reputation: A new Reputation and Loyalty System means that your actions within PowerPlay have a lasting impact on your standing. High loyalty offers unique privileges, but betraying or leaving a Power reduces your reputation and limits certain benefits for a while.
If you’re new to PowerPlay or coming back after some time away, here’s how to get started and make the most of the new system:
1. Choose Your Power Wisely
Each Power has a different playstyle, so think about what you enjoy most. Are you combat-focused, trade-oriented, or into espionage? Choose a Power that aligns with your strengths or goals in the game. Keep in mind that loyalty now carries more weight, so pledging isn’t a decision to make lightly!
2. Start with Lower-Tier Missions
In PowerPlay 2.0, lower-tier missions allow new players to contribute without needing advanced ships or loads of experience. As you build reputation and gain loyalty, you’ll unlock access to higher-tier missions and specialized objectives.
3. Participate in Community Strategy
PowerPlay 2.0 gives players more control over their Power’s strategies through community voting. Each week, Powers will have strategic votes on targets, defenses, or resource allocations. Contributing to this system helps shape the direction of the Power and keeps you actively involved in its development.
4. Engage in Conflict Zones for Major Impact
If you’re looking for high-intensity gameplay, the new Conflict Zones are key. These allow you to join battles directly against rival Powers in high-stakes areas where territory is at risk. This is where PvP and PvE content meet, with players fighting alongside NPCs to secure victory for their chosen Power.
Tips for Making the Most of PowerPlay 2.0
Stay Loyal: Loyalty now carries more benefits than before. The longer you stay with a Power, the more benefits you’ll unlock, including high-tier missions and exclusive rewards.
Collaborate with Other Players: PowerPlay 2.0 is built for teamwork. Joining forces with other players lets you tackle larger challenges, engage in conflict zones, and coordinate strategy for better results.
Experiment with Specializations: Try your hand at espionage, trade manipulation, and combat to see where you’re most effective. Each specialization has different rewards and playstyles, so it’s worth experimenting.
I hadn't tried Powerplay until 2.0 was released. In this video, I recount my actual first-day experience, with didactic intent - I try to show the individual commander's version of Powerplay, and how it all works, from pledging to completing the first week's missions and earning the first Powerplay rank.
There's a strategic, 3-D chess aspect to Powerplay too, but that's for the advanced player. Perhaps there's another video waiting to be made....
Are you confused about which power to choose in Elite Dangerous? Watch this video for a helpful overview of Powerplay and make the right choice for your gameplay style! #PowerplayEliteDangerous #EliteDangerousPowerPlay #EliteDangerousAscendancy
💥 Welcome, Commanders, to the dawn of Powerplay 2.0 in Elite Dangerous. The stakes are higher, and the choices are more intricate. If you're wondering, "Which power should I pledge to?" you're in the right place. In Powerplay 1.0, many chose powers primarily for the unique weapons they unlocked. Now, Powerplay 2.0 introduces a significant change: you'll eventually have access to all modules across every power- meaning your choice can now centre on what each power stands for and the rewards that come with loyalty. Who will YOU choose?
NOTE: as the game evolves the bonuses and perks will no doubt change
Hello Commanders. Today we're going to talk about PowerPlay 2.0
An overview of how the system works
The system consists of allying with a power to obtain rewards
The powers themselves
There are 12 powers in total, 2 of which are allied with the "Federation", 4 are allied with the "Empire", 2 are allied with the "Alliance" and 4 are "Independent"
The most significant thing that changed is that with any power you choose you will be able to have access to all the special modules
How best to engage in the gameplay system
The best way to participate is to know the ideology and rewards of each power and from there, choose the one that suits you best
The differences between late-game and early-game engagement
In the late game you can have your power take control of new systems. Also, by reaching rank 100 of the power, you have full access to all the rewards of the power. In the early game you also have access to the rewards but to a lesser degree until you reach rank 100.
If you want to know what each power is like in terms of politics, the Galnet of November 7 talks about that. I have made a video analyzing that Galnet, which I invite you to watch on my YouTube channel. It is in Spanish but you can subtitle it in English or the language of your preference.
With the new system out and live for all to have fun with (abuse) X...
Powerplay 2.0 offers commanders a new way to interact with their environment and the factions present in the game. The powers along with the two new factions and brand new president winters have become more interesting and less stagnant with the new interactions the players can have with them while playing or being out and about.
All factions now offer all bonuses from before and powerplay modules along with specific bonuses for specific tasks based on the players playstyle such as piracy or trade. Players must earn merits either by (what the old system used to be) buying whatever that powers equivalent of undermining or reinforcement propaganda is for delivery to specific state systems, or get involved with the economy and earn merits through regular everyday things that you want to do.
Start by analyzing what you like to do whether its fighting pirates or taking down super carriers and earn merits by doing those activities, the more system to fortify, the more super carriers you will see in your powerplay zone. Just adds to the ambience of the powerplays space.
Early game and late game rewards dont vary too much other than unlocking all the modules though out the ranks and attaining all bonuses through out the powerplay ranking without switching powerplays. allows you to truly stay loyal and immerse more into the game via power. Honestly this is a plus when we talk about taking advantage on the system, find what makes the most merits for you and do that to unlock everything or do what you love and immerse yourself deeper into the lore.
For who that plays Elite from some years already knows that PowerPlay was a boring grind, and a gameplay loop hard to find. Now with the new PowerPlay 2.0 this is a way improved, everything you do matters to the PowerPlay loop.
To understand the PowerPlay system you need to know that this will simulate the dispute between big powers in the most inhabited region of the galaxy. And you and other players will influence in this simulations helping the power you're pledge to expand and defend itself. In the begging you had to do specific activities and rank up within your power. In some ranks you would be able to unlock some rewards like exclusive modules of your power.
Now you rank up doing normal activities, and will have some missions that you give your bonus of merits, that are the points that you have to gather to rank up. And the best part for me is that there isn't exclusive modules anymore, all the power will give the same modules but in different order.
Now talking about the powers themselves. There are 12 powers in total, most of them are part fro one of the 3 big powers, the Federation, the Empire (I won't want to be your friend if you pledge for the empire hahaha) and the Aliance, and some of those power are independent, like Pranav Antal and Archon Delaine. Those 12 powers fight against each other for influence and territory, and one of your objective is to expande or defend your power. You can do this by fighting and killing enemy forces, make trading or mining to intensifies the commerce in some system and giving influence to your power, and each power will have their way of doing this. Some are more aggressive and other more pacifist.
For star is simple, you just need to go o the right panel and go to PowerPlay, go and chose are you more concocted with, now pledged you can do the weekly missions or go in you normal activity, you receive merits overtime, and over time and talking with the community you will star to engage in more complex gameplay, like focusing on a system with your power to expand or defend a system, doing direct combat or redirecting some comercial route to that system. Explore, do bounty hunt, mining, everything will influence and gives you merits!
And about the end-game, it is now almost the same end-game of the game, you be doing hard bounty hunting, making complex trading, doing high conflict zones and the income that you receive will reflect in the PowerPlay loop
ps. for a personal opinion I think you shouldn't rush looking for fast way to receive merits. Instead do your normal activities and the merits will come and you won't break your immersion, at least not at the start, I still in the beginning but I believe I will try to find the most efficient way to rank up in the final ranks, but it will take some time yet. And now you don't need to change powers to get some exclusive module from another power.
As a player you can now ally with one of 12 galaxy's key power factions and help to influence their expansion and control across the milky-way galaxy.
Choose Power to support and carry out missions for them, earning rewards, gaining rank and affecting the galactic political landscape.
Superpowers are the Federation, Empire, independent figures and corporations. Each of this power represents a unique political or ideological group.
Powers also has unique benefits and bonuses that affect gameplay. As a player choose only one that aligns with your goals.
Combat Powers reward bounty hunting.
Trading Powers reward profit and influence through trade routes.
Exploration Powers, reward for discovering new systems and mapping stars.
As a player you will rank within your Power. Higher ranks unlock greater weekly rewards and better bonuses, but that require more effort to maintain.
Merits are each primary currency for PowerPlay and you earn them by completing tasks for your Power.
Tasks vary by each power like undermining enemy systems, fortifying allied systems, expanding influence.
Powers offer weekly credits rewards for reputation boosts, and Power specific modules or bonuses.
Systems that your Power currently controls generate Command Capital, which fuels your Power's influence and expansion.
Expansion systems are targeted for expansion, as a players you can help claim these systems through expansion missions.
Undermining missions, you involve in sabotage and conflict with enemy factions. Rival Powers may also undermine your systems, which weakens your system control.
Choose a target system for expansion by delivering preparation materials or data for preparation and fortification, also reinforcing control systems by delivering supplies or eliminating threats to prevent undermining.
Note that PowerPlay operates on a weekly cycle, broken into four main phases.
Preparation Phase is when new systems are selected for expansion and as a player you can can contribute by gathering preparation merits.
Expansion Phase is when your chosen power attempt to expand into prepared systems. This phase involves combat, hauling supplies, or completing specific tasks depending on the Power.
Control Phase is when your established power systems need fortification to stay in your Power's control.
When your Power's Command Capital drops due to undermining, it enters turmoil, risking losing control of certain systems. During recovery, your power’s systems must be protected until they regain stability.
Each Power offers unique missions and activities.
Archon Delaine, Kumo Crew for Pirates focus on undermining other factions by piracy.
Jerome Archer, Federation focus primarily on military and rewarding combat missions and defending systems.
Li Yong-Rui for Sirius Corporation supports explorers, rewarding exploration and mapping systems.
Aisling Duval for the Empire she is against slavery, with her missions involving humanitarian efforts and combat.
You must also prepare yourself for power play missions. Equip your ship according to the mission requirements. Some tasks involve heavy combat, so shielded ships and efficient weapon loadouts is a must.
Trade and transport missions use a ship with large cargo space and also on defensive modules.
Players and squadrons for power is a must for coordinated efforts when facing high-risk zones or complex undermining missions.
Also stay updated with weekly powerplay status updates to track the influence and strategy of your power.
Maintain your rank by earning more merits. Focus on one or two mission types your Power offers to gain merits faster and increase efficiency.
Avoid switching Power's too often as it reset your rank making it harder for you to earn more rewards.
Plan ahead and calculate each missions that will earn you most for your power to optimize influence on the galactic map.
Once you’ve reached a certain rank with your Power, unique specific modules and weapons become available.
These modules may include weapons, shields, and other enhancements exclusive to the Power. They can be a significant advantage but require sustained allegiance to unlock.
As a player you will actively shape the galaxy’s political landscape with your strategic decision while reaping unique benefits. Dive in and contribute to your faction’s dominance, but remember PowerPlay it's long-term commitment and teamwork, o7.
In PowerPlay 2.0, we can align with different Powers, each with their own goals and strategies, and which grant common improvements but with different delivery order. The different Powers existing according to their affiliation are the following:
FEDERATION
Felicia Winters
Jerome Archer
EMPIRE
Arissa Lavigny-Duval
Aisling Duval
Denton Patreus
Zemina Torval
ALLIANCE
Edmund Mahon
Nakato Kaine
INDEPENDENT
Pranav Antal
Archon Delaine
Yuri Grom
Li Yong-Rui
Missions and Merits
Merits are points you earn by completing tasks for your Power. Once you complete 5 initial missions a CMDR will gain ranks from 1 to 100, by gathering a stipulated amount of merits:
Earning merits: You can earn merits by completing specific missions such as delivering goods, destroying specific enemies, etc... Power Contacts, who can be found at any station or port, will offer to deliver or collect materials, salvage, escaped pods, etc.
Using merits: Merits accumulate weekly and simply determine rank within the Power. With higher ranks, greater rewards and bonuses are earned.
Since all Powers eventually deliver all rewards, there will no longer be a need to switch between them. Once the maximum rank number is reached, the player will continue to receive rewards for their affiliation with the Power.
State of the Systems and Activities
The state indicates the presence of a Power in a system:
Uncontrolled: not controlled by any power.
Expansion: your power is actively trying to expand into.
Contested: systems where two or more powers are trying to expand into.
Exploited: systems under the lowest level of control by a power.
Fortified: high level of control by a power
Stronghold: the highest level of a power's control.
Activities indicate the behavior of a Power in that system:
Resist undermining
Acquiring
Reinforcing
Undermining
Choice of a Power
As a starting point, you should be aware that affiliation with a particular Power will cause other NPCs and players from other Powers to treat you aggressively. The choice of a Power can be determined by several factors:
At the role-playing level, which character, background, message and style are more appealing.
Preference for the order of delivery of rewards for each Power.
It is important, if you belong to a faction or squadron, to know your existing affiliation with that group. Choosing a different Power may cause problems in the normal development of your participation with that faction or squadron.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Participating in the PowerPlay should be seen as an opportunity to represent one of the game's figures, share their vision, and gain benefits, understanding the risks that come with such affiliation. Earning merit for your Powerplay will be a gradual process that will occur with virtually any action you take in the game, so, as with all other mechanics present in the game, enjoy the journey and don't just think about the finish line.
PowerPlay is a system that shows the current political situation in the game. The core object of the interest is the Bubble, which is the region of all populated and unpopulated systems in the distance of 150-200 Ly from the Solar System.
12 different Powers is fighting for the influence in their regions, conquering other systems and reinforcing currently owned. Each Power has its leader and different benefits for its pledged Commanders. Commander (You) can pledge to any Power at any time and complete different tasks to gain Merits, which is the value that counts in the PowerPlay, so not Credits, not Arx, but Merits.
Collecting enough Merits will unlock more benefits from the Power, like discounts and increased payout for claiming bounties or selling cartographic data withing Power systems. Each Power grants also access to special modules, like Prismatic Shield Generator, when gained enough Merits.
Above casual Powers we have 3 Superpowers: - Federation, in previous millennium also called "The United States of America", democratic Superpower which stands for expansionism and regional development. - Empire, a rebel group that originates from Federation, that opposed its rule and became independent, stands for welfare and imperialism. - Alliance, a group of independent systems that decided to form one big... well, alliance to protect each other and have 1 leader to control the development and ensure their safety from other Superpowers.
Among the Powers are those who are branch of the Superpower but there are also independent Powers that are not under wings of any Superpower.
The new Ascendency major patch introduced a new system of Power Play. Every cmdr who had pledged before got unpledged, as we're getting to a new mechanic.
1. Overview and what's new
Basically it has the same spirit as the old powerplay system, except there're more ways to earn your merits (your points to define your loyalty to your pledge), in exchange to a more profound ranking levels system, with more rewards to earn as you progress your ranks.
Two notciable changes are a new power play module, the Concord Cannon, and all the powerplay modules are available no matter which power you're pledged to, but require different ranking levels to unlock. This makes the progress become a long-term commitment, as it takes a bit to get all the module, but you don't have to change your pledge anymore if you want to acquire all the modules.
The new ways to earn merits (i.e. "power kill" - destroying cmdrs of an opposite faction) also mean now this activity is more Open Play oriented, encouraging pvp and intereactions with other cmdrs.
There is no more merits decay: yes, you can chill now, they won't take away your whole week of effort anymore.
More initiative to boost Odyssey's activities: certain action at Odyssey settlements can help you to earn your merits, such as collecting powerplay commodities, or downloading powerplay data, uploading your faction's data, keep in mind that some of them can be illegal, so make sure no one's looking, and turn off the settlement's alarm :)
2. The powers
Like the old system, beside the flagship modules, each faction offers player some nice and hefty bonus as they level up their ranking. In example, Jerome Archer and Lavigny-Duval offer players bonus bounty's credits if they turn them in their systems, or Nakato Kaine and other factions offer bonus credits if you sell mined minerals in their systems, meanwhile the others like Edmund Mahon offer bonus credits from trading commodites.
3. How to engage
After choosing your pledge, it is required for you to complete your first assignments to be able to actually start getting in the ranking system. The initial tasks are quite simple, also give you a glimpse how a lot of activities now can be rewarded with merits, in example trading rare commodities (Lavian Brandy, Fujin Tea, etc.), hacking hologram ads at station with recon limpets, collecting bounties from killing pirates, etc.
5 initial tasks are required to complete before you can engage in the actual ranking system of your pledge. After completing them, the weekly assignments are not obligatory.
Hacking holo ads is one of the initial tasks, and you can still do it after finishing the tasks, it gives certain merits per ad hacked, remember to pay your fine after that.
4. How to take advantage of the changes/what to do to earn merits
If you want to be a part of Power Play, but still want to follow your normal schedules, I'd say just stick to your normal schedule, the only change is you might want to operate within your pledge's systems, different activities get rewarded depending in which systems you're doing it.
Here's a spreadsheet from CMDR DSS Lev (Archon Delaine) giving a breakdown of how many merits you get per action:
5. Which systems should I do certain things to earn merits
I found out there are certain confusion to be made in term's of system's situation respecting to powerplay. So here's a brief explaination in images
Acquisition system
Unoccupied system where your pledge's making a presence and taking part of the progress to gain control over it. Completing certain activities can help your pledge to win it.
Reinforced system
Your pledge's systems, completing certain activities to help further the point to get your pledge to keep their control
Undermining system
Undermining means weaken the influence of the controlling power, giving yours a chance to gain control over it
Systems that are undercontrolled of other powers, undermine it by flooding markets, killing cmdrs or npc, commit crimes, etc.
Systems that are out of reach from your pledge
You cannot really do much nor it's possible to gain control over them atm, but you can halt the other powers's influence by engaging in pvp
That's all I've learned until now, in conclusion, it's more engaging, and encouraging for pvp and open play. Overall it's way more interesting than the old system, and also more long-term loyalty oriented.
Remembering a little about what PowerPlay is, we have to know that it's a battle for territory: each power tries to expand into systems, extracting resources from them to pay for continued expansion and protecting the systems that are already being exploited.
So let's talk about PowerPlay 2.0. With the start of the new system, we now have 12 powers in the galaxy that represent the main participants in galactic politics, with each power influencing certain systems in the bubble. This way, as soon as you set loyalty to one of these powers, you can earn perks, bonuses and power specific modules from PowerPlay. The best thing here is to choose the Power that benefits you the most based on your style of play and type of gameplay!
Going even deeper into the details of each Power, let's talk about Ranks and Rewards: All Powers have 3 common benefits for all players, regardless of their choice (zero cost for repurchasing the ship in 2 specific contexts and access to the rank decal). Apart from these, each Power will have its own unique benefits that will usually favor the style of play that suits that Power, so it's important to choose carefully!
As for the modules, we have 12 types that can only be unlocked via PowerPlay, but rest assured that all Powers have access to all 12 modules, just changing the unlocking sequence of these modules. Okay, but how do these ranks work? As soon as you join a Power, you gain access to 5 activities, which, when completed, start to raise your rank. Each rank gives you more benefits, one example being care packages that have materials, component and credits. But the most important thing when you rank up is “Merit”, which will increase your power standing or decrease the power standing of another Power, and this has a total impact on your actions in certain systems such as selling materials. The main difference from PowerPlay 1 is that merits are now earned immediately and don't expire!
Another important thing about the new PowerPlay are the “System States” these include:
Unoccupied: No control of Powers;
Expansion: Your Power is trying to take control, but it hasn't succeeded yet;
Contested: Two Powers are actively vying for control;
Exploited: Systems that your Power has reached the lowest control limit;
Reinforced: When your Power has reached a new level of control;
Stronghold: Highest level of a Power's control.
NOTE: 1, 2 and 3 are Acquisition Systems while 4, 5 and 6 are Reinforcement Systems!
Now for a part that I liked a lot! The new PowerPlay 2.0 map. The control display for each Power has become much clearer and visually beautiful. What's more, it has the filter with the systems states that I explained just now, which makes it much easier to find what you need!
With these tips on how the new system works, I think it will be easy to start the rank tests! Good luck!
PowerPlay 2.0 brings a new approach to the political and strategic control of the space bubble in Elite Dangerous
PowerPlay 2 brings something new to the political and strategic control of the space bubble, with a system in which players can choose different “powers”, which are represented by leaders with different objectives. When we choose to support one of these figures, players help to expand and defend systems, earning merits and rewards. We have 12 powers and each one has its own specific advantage:
FEDERATION: Felicia Winters and Jerome Archer promote expansion and development.
EMPIRE: Led by Arissa Lavigny-Duval, Aisling Duval, Denton Patreus and Zemina Torval, they value imperialism.
ALLIANCE: Edmund Mahon and Nakato Kaine seek to protect their regions.
INDEPENDENT: Pranav Antal, Archon Delaine, Yuri Grom, and Li Yong-Rui operate autonomously.
What's new in PowerPlay 2.0
Merits are now cumulative on a weekly basis, which rewards long stays in a single power
System control layers: Systems can be in six states: uncontrolled, expanding, contested, exploited, fortified and fortress. The level of control directly influences the activities and challenges available.
Elite Dangerous’ PowerPlay 2.0: understanding the basics
If you’re new to the game, you might be wondering what all the buzz is about regarding the latest update, which is said to bring major changes to game dynamics. In fact, these updates might even be what drew you to the game - unique in its style, though it shares themes with other games in the genre. On the other hand, you might be a seasoned player who took a break for whatever reason and has returned to check out the new ships and updates, now wondering: wait, was there even a PowerPlay 1.0?
We’ll break it all down shortly, but first, it’s important to note that the PowerPlay system has been around since 2015:
But it never quite lived up to its potential, not due to its complexity but rather the challenge of creating a rewarding and immersive system that encouraged commanders to engage in the galaxy’s political activities. For many years, PowerPlay was just a button on the galactic map that would color-code areas where Powers held influence. I myself became a commander in 2017 and took a while to realize I was ignoring a whole game mechanic—and even then, I didn’t engage with it.
But now, that seems to have finally changed. With the Ascendancy Update, the system has been reworked, not only doing justice to its potential but also making it far more inviting for commanders who value immersion and political gameplay. The Elite storyline has always been exciting, and now, commanders of all ranks can actively participate. There’s even talk that Powers might be removed from the game if they lose their systems or due to other events… but that’s just a rumor.
What we do know for sure is that there are better rewards—financial, equipment-based, and Power-exclusive perks. It makes sense, for example, that your Power would cover the costs of your ship losses in battles to defend it or if you're destroyed while mining in a controlled system. More than that, though, we’re being offered a new perspective on the territorial tug-of-war between Powers, which can now expand and must protect their territories more than ever.
There are six system states, as they are shown on the Galaxy Map, divided into two main categories:
Acquisition or Unoccupied systems:
Reinforced or Reinforcing systems (or simply, Control)
These general categories mean that a system is either unoccupied by any Power or in the process of being acquired by a Power—either through expansion or through contesting the control of an existing Power. The other category concerns Control, with stages like Reinforcing, where actions need to be taken to secure the system (or, conversely, Undermining, if a rival Power is contesting it), and Reinforced, marking the end of a conflict, regardless of which side prevails, a Reinforced Control system would belong to the winning Power if it's classified as Exploited. However, the losing Power might still maintain control if the system was at least Fortified - at least until another Power successfully undermines it repeatedly, potentially reducing it to Unoccupied status. Alternatively, if an Exploited system isn’t within the control range of a Fortified or Stronghold system, it may also revert to Unoccupied at the end of the weekly cycle.
With these categories in mind, it’s easier to understand what each system type represents. In Unoccupied systems, no Powers are active, so they can still be targeted for expansion. If a Power meets the Conflict Threshold and Control Score, the system will shift to the Expansion state, meaning PowerPlay activities must be carried out for that Power to establish stable control. This is what Aisling Duval, for example, is currently attempting in a system:
For controlled systems, there are the Exploited, which, like Expansion systems, need to be within the “control bubble” (20Ly) of a well-controlled system, such as a Fortified or Stronghold. Control mechanics are essential when it comes to territory disputes, determining the state of a system at the end of the weekly cycle. With stronger control, an Exploited system can become Fortified, enabling Power expansion into nearby systems, while a Fortified can turn into a Stronghold—the most secure state, accessible only to ships pledged to the controlling Power. You can monitor this dynamic on the PowerPlay panel of any selected system on the galaxy map, as shown in this example where Edmund Mahon is reinforcing an Exploited system but is losing (notice the Control Score/Points difference and the lower bar, with the yellow-bordered triangle representing the current stage of the dispute):
And, as one might expect, Contested systems are where territorial disputes are most intense, as two Powers are vying for Control over them. The system will become Exploited by the Power with the highest Control Score at the end of the weekly cycle. If you're looking for intense action, you'll most likely find it in the Contested systems:
Even Stronghold systems can be “contested,” with the goal of weakening the controlling Power and downgrading it to Fortified, for instance:
In this example, Jerome Archer is winning in Control, and by the end of the cycle, the system should be even more solidly under his control. However, in some cases, this can actually weaken the state of the system, as in this example:
Another big change is the broader range of activities Commanders can engage in under PowerPlay, making nearly every in-game activity in ED beneficial to your pledged Power. Some mechanics can even benefit you more directly, like Jerome Archer, who offers a 100% bonus for bounties claimed in his systems:
Here’s a list of independent activity bonuses offered by each Power to their commanders:
Edmund Mahon: +50% Trade Bond on Rare Goods sales; +25% Trade Bond on sales.
Aisling Duval: +200% on Search and Rescue payout.
Arissa Lavigny-Duval: -30% on Weapon Module cost.
Yuri Grom: +15% on Exploration Data sales; +15% Trade Bond on sales; -30% Weapon Module cost.
Pranav Antal: +30% Organics Data sales; +50% Technology Commodities profits.
Li Yong-Rui: +100% Exploration Data sales; -100% Rearm prices; -100% Refuel prices; -100% Reduced Repair; +25% Trade Bond on sales.
Jerome Archer: -30% Weapon Module cost.
Nakato Kaine: +50% on Mining Commodities profits; +150% in Minor Faction Reputation gain; +120% on Search and Rescue payout.
Archon Delaine: +30% on Black Market profits.
Felicia Winters: +60% on Food and Medicine profits; +100% on Minor Faction Reputation gain; +100% on Salvage profits.
Zemina Torval: +45% on Mining Commodities profits; +50% on Imperial Slaves Commodity profits; +20% on Trade Bond on sales.
Remember, these perks only apply to actions performed in a system controlled by the respective Power. A new “Road to Riches”! Just imagine, by allying with Nakato Kaine, for instance, that 50-million platinum mining run becomes 75 million! Not to mention the bonuses in exobiology combined with discovery rewards.
Additionally, every Power offers access to all new special modules as you progress in Ranks, so don’t worry about which modules belong to each Power when making your choice; focus instead on which modules you want first, as the key difference lies in the order of module availability - and it’s no coincidence that Archer, focused on Bounty, offers military modules first as you earn Merits. Merits, by the way, are the “currency” you earn for PowerPlay-related activities, so aim to collect plenty of them.
So now you’re ready to experience PowerPlay 2.0… or to ignore it, as unpledged ships suffer almost no drawbacks. Almost none, because the only downside I’ve seen so far is that in Stronghold systems, you can be attacked if scanned, which can be annoying but makes sense, as access to such heavily controlled areas shouldn’t be open to everyone. That said, only about 40 systems in the Bubble are Strongholds, and you’ll only be attacked if you try to enter a Starport, which can be avoided with Heat Sinks or by activating Silent Running.
With these tips in mind, the choice is yours to pledge or not to the Power you choose. It’s an optional game mechanic, and you can play for hours without being affected. And if you are, well, you know how politics works…
