Elite: Dangerous PvE - Mobius

I'm just having a dabble in PP and I am struggling to earn merit. 30/Hour is the rate I'm on now, being on a low ED time budget makes progress very slow.

I've been to a 'enemy' controlled system and looked for Empire Supply Ships but they seem non-existent.

Anyone got any tips to help me progress, (well before the Mobius faction starts).

Cheers.

I suggest hunting in well populated systems. It seems that the smaller populations spawn less ships, IMO.

As mentioned you can travel to a opposing faction and "undermine" by interdicting and killing npc's marked hostile for 30 merits a pop.

This will count as murder so you will get a 6000cr bounty per kill, but that's no problem really, just pick a system you have no other use for and never dock in that system you will never get stuck with the bill.

Any ship could probably do this but a viper or diamondback scout would be my suggestion if you don't have all that much cash, and even if you do no need to risk a 12 mil rebuy on your pimped out python when a Diamondback will do