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What Is Powerplay?
Powerplay is a new way to play Elite: Dangerous.
In Powerplay, you can participate in an ongoing battle for interstellar conquest and control that enhances every aspect of the Elite: Dangerous experience.
When Powerplay launches, you'll be able to ally yourself with any one of a number of galactic Powers, earning valuable perks, reputation bonuses and credits for your allegiance.
As a trusted ally of your chosen Power, you will be able to guide their strategy, take on special objectives to advance your shared cause, and dominate human space. Your choices and actions will have a direct and visible impact on the balance of galactic power.
And of course, Powerplay is a FREE content update for all Elite: Dangerous players and will be part of Elite: Dangerous for Mac and Xbox One at launch.
The Powers
Every Power is a fully fleshed-out organisation or character with a figurehead, biography, political leaning and faction-specific perks. Each one dominates an expanse of human-occupied space and your actions will see their influence grow as they overthrow neighbouring systems, or collapse as other players move against them.
"If you choose to participate in Powerplay, it will add a whole new dimension to Elite: Dangerous," Lead Designer Sandro Sammarco says. "These powers have their own ethos and methods. How they take control of systems varies depending on whether they favour warlike or more pacifist methods. Some will conquer systems with economics, others by just sending in the troops. Either way, you can be part of that."
Combat-focused players may choose to side with warlike Powers for combat missions and perks, while trade-focused players may prefer to side with a Power looking to expand their trade monopoly.
"You could choose a Power for any number of reasons," Sammarco continues. "Maybe you'll pick one who dominates a regular trade route you like or one that offers the kinds of missions you like to fly. Maybe you'll pick one whose politics you favour or maybe you'll just side with one who's about to go to war with your best friend's faction!"
"These characters offer us a chance to get deeper into the fabric of the Elite: Dangerous galaxy," Art Director Chris Gregory says. "Some of these Powers are new, and some will be familiar. You'll see fresh faces alongside names like Aisling Duval, Torval and Denton Patreus. Fans may already have a picture in their heads of what these people look like, but in some cases I think they'll be intrigued when they see those faces for the first time."
"We want players to love or hate these Powers," Gregory continues. "Because it's the players who will choose their actions on the galaxy map each week."
Conquest and Control
In the Powerplay update you'll find a new tab on the galaxy map, displaying the current state of galactic control among all the Powers.
"We've had to add a lot to the galaxy map," User Interface Head Jon Pace says. "Powerplay is like a massive strategy boardgame, but our conflicts play out in three dimensions, and we have to make that readable for players. You can see all their borders, what kinds of systems they control, who their neighbours and enemies are, and how the map changes every week as the Powers make their moves.
"And we've added new screens to your ship's UI," Pace continues. "So you can get an immediate overview of the Powers and their standing in the galaxy."
In Powerplay, every week is a fresh opportunity to expand and defend your Power's galactic influence. All week long players can perform actions to undermine enemy control over systems, fortify your territory against rivals attempting to undermine you, or prepare unoccupied systems for conquest. Systems prepared for takeover will become zones where duelling Powers can attempt to expand their borders.
"Players choose which system their Power targets," Sammarco says. "At the end of the week the target will be chosen and objectives will be created. If your Power tasks you to conquer a system, there will always be an opposing mission for the other side.
"One of my favourite parts of Powerplay is how the objectives match the faction's ethos," Sammarco continues. "For example, if a major economic Power sends in their traders for a financial takeover against a military powerhouse, the other side may be tasked with piracy missions to destroy or loot their cargo. You can always be a trader or a miner or a pirate for your own ends, but by joining a Power you'll be afforded special rights and be rewarded for playing the way you already like to play."
Risk and Reward
Participating in Powerplay is your choice. You can stand alone in a galaxy of giants or pick a side and be as active as you like in your Power's plans for galactic conquest. For those who enter the fray, there are valuable rewards and bonuses on offer.
"For starters, many bonuses only apply in friendly space," Executive Producer Michael Brookes says. "The size of that space is dictated by how much of the human-occupied galaxy your Power controls, so the more you control the further you can travel, trade and fight under your Power's protection and benefits.
"And every Power has ranks of its own," Brookes continues. "Achieving a high rank affords you more votes and more control over the Power's actions each week. The most valued pilots will have a lot of say in where their Power goes next."
By completing missions, players drive their Power’s expansion and boost their personal standing. A successful week will bring players rewards and see their Power expand across the galaxy, but failure may see your chosen faction weakened or finished outright.
By joining a Power that supports your play style you'll get better deals, cheaper repair costs, reduced fines, increased values for exploration data and more. Some Powers stand alone, but others have their own allegiance to the Empire or Federation and can offer reputation bonuses for their followers, potentially fast-tracking pilots to faction-exclusive starships.
Players will even have a hand in creating new Powers. The initial selection of factions will rise to a maximum of twenty as players provide assistance to minor local forces; as those forces establish a foothold across a handful of systems, they may rise to become Powers in their own right.
You can choose to defect if one of those new Powers is more appealing, but you should weigh the benefits of joining a new power against the consequences for your treachery. You may find yourself wanted by your former friends.
"But for me the best reward is how Powerplay changes combat," Lead Designer Sandro Sammarco says. "The Pilots Federation waives all penalties for engaging invaders in combat during times of war, so you'll have license to attack anyone from a rival power in your own territory without incurring a bounty. We're giving players a reason to engage in PVP against supporters of other factions, and a chance to feel like part of a team even if you prefer to play alone.
"Powerplay is a huge feature in its own right, and a huge change to the game," Sammarco continues. "Players have always been able to influence the background simulation and affect change in the galaxy, but Powerplay gives you control over these charismatic entities and wage war on a truly massive scale. It's a chance to choose a side, earn great rewards and reshape the galaxy in a really cool way."
More Content in the Powerplay Update
And we're not done. Powerplay will bring with it a host of new features and content that will change how you play Elite: Dangerous, no matter how you choose to experience the galaxy.
We're rebalancing roles, opening new opportunities and making the Elite: Dangerous galaxy more surprising than ever before. Here's a quick overview of some of the features and upgrades you'll find as part of Powerplay:
A new GalNet feed accessible directly from the ship User Interface, and a better player inbox to track options in branching missions.
An overhauled mission system to support Powerplay's new objectives and to give players dedicated missions based on rank and status.
New drones for collecting cargo, prospecting, mining and transferring fuel to empower you whether you favour trading, combat or exploration, whether you prefer to fly with friends or alone.
Two new player-piloted ships: the Lakon Diamondback and the Imperial Courier.
Higher-yield mining spots and high and low intensity extraction sites, adding risk to mining and dramatically increasing the potential rewards.
A bigger cash insurance safety net from the Pilots Federation for higher-ranked pilots so you can fly more expensive ships with reduced risk. We want pilots to be daring.
A number of improvements to the background simulation. You might not notice them, but they're all making the galaxy more credible and richer in every way.
A number of under-the-hood tweaks to balance the different ways players choose to play.
And finally, a gold Founder's ship decal for Kickstarter backers who backed Elite: Dangerous at £150 or more.