Elite Dangerous

So, Powerplay. Its not about 2.0 or something, just about powerplay in its purest Form.

First of all, who is it for? Like, I currently am pretty much just grinding for a new fer de Lance right now, and I found no real way of making worthwhile money while helping my power. So is it like only for people who have money to spare?

Second, is it just about the merits, or do people actually fight for their favourite power? Most tutorials just go over earning merits, so is there even a community actually using powerplay as it was intended?

3. Is there even any way doing what you like and supporting your power in the meantime, or is it just „do these hyper-specific things 50 times”. So, can I like make my power stronger in that system by doing missions or bounties?

I am very New to powerplay, but I did not find any guide to that, so I appreciate your answers