For the full version of this guide go to

http://www.tlgrounds.com/index.php?p=*Pirate
^remove star

Before Joining
Are the pirates right for you?

Before you decide to try the pirate life there are a few things you should know. Pirates are a smaller community than mainlanders who work together to gather resources and send invasions. The size of their community has lead to a few diversions from the mainlander way of life. 1st among these is the pirate code.
The pirate code is a set of unenforced rules that exist to help the pirates feel closer as a group, and to help prevent situations that might upset the harmony on Skull Island.
Some of the rules in the pirate code include returning DD's when on skull or to a known pirate off skull. Not thieving players working at the hooks edge university, and not informing anyone of imminent pirate invasions.

Recommended stats before joining
Mining level 10 (there are no Tin and Copper mines on Skull, only Iron)
Smithing level 10 (minimum level required for smelting/smithing Iron)
Fishing level 10 (required to fish Herring, a key resource to make pirates with)
Cooking level 9 (required to cook Herring)
Combat level 10 (recommended combat level if you want to train combat, as you can only train against Pirates (CL 6) and Dread Pirates (CL 12) on Skull)
Magic level 5 (minimum level required for using orbs)

Other information
There is no Cave of Trades on Skull
Trading posts may be found at Hooks Edge or Rose Castle
There is no flower shop on Skull (pirates will need to use the Elven Gate or Anasco flower shop)
There is no place to train magic on Skull (pirates can use the Elven and Kanzo magic spots if they have the required levels)
If pirates die, they respawn Crabs nest (so if you die, you are still a pirate)
Pirates can not access Remer, Dearn, Mezno and Webbers island.
Pirates have their own chat: [6]Pirate chat (orange)
Pirates have their own section of the forum (not visible to mainlanders)

Example of an average invasion
Say an average invasion consists of 300 pirates of each type. A quick calculation shows us that such 'small' invasion would require: 

900 Iron Bars 300 Cooked Herring (300 Pirates)
1500 Iron Bars 300 Cooked Cod (300 Dread Pirate)
3000 Iron Bars 1200 Cooked Herring (300 Keelhails Pirate)
4500 Iron Bars 1200 Cooked Cod (300 Roughneck)
3000 Steel Bars 1800 Cooked Mackerel (300 Pegleg)
3000 Silver Bars 1800 Cooked Pike (300 Buccaneer)
300 Gold Bars 2100 Cooked Salmon (300 Hooked Pirate)
Captain Keelhail*

*Captain Keelhail is a group fight creature CL(331) HP (1000) he will attack a random town on one of the selected islands. He can NOT capture it and requires 0 resources to make.

Capturing towns
The goal of pirate invasions are to capture towns. Once an invasion arrives at a location, a timer will start. If the mainlanders manage to kill all pirates at that location before the timer hits 0, they have secured the town and it was not captured. If however, any amount of pirates is still alive when the timer hits 0, the town was succesfully captured and the pirate players that donated towards the invasion will receive a certain amount of negative fame and gold pieces. An invasion is normally considered succesful if 4/7 towns are captured.

Captain Keelhail may also join the invasion, He is a groupfight creature who does not count towards the total towns captured. The captain also has one other interesting property any player he kills will be "kidnapped" and sent to Skull, The players do NOT drop their items as they would in a usual death but are sent to the Crabs Nest jail with everything they were carrying at the time. These players will remain pirates until they choose to escape in the usual manner. Escaping is slightly easier for captured players for a short period of time.

And Finally How to join the pirates

1. Buy a Keg of rum from a shop or player
2. Wait for a pirate invasion
3. Sail to Xanso (Mezno island) during the invasion
4. Check you have the resources you will need on arrival
5. Click on 'Join Pirates'

How to leave the pirates

The only way to leave the pirates and become a 'mainlander' again is by trying to escape Skull island from Crabs nest. In order to do this, you will need your own boat (can be any type). Of course the pirates do not like traitors, so if you fail to escape the island (this is random) you will be locked up in jail for a short period of time. If someone is with you at Crabs nest, your chance of escaping is pretty low. If you do manage to escape the island, you will be locked up in Sanfew jail for the crime of piracy. For every negative fame point you had, you receive 5 seconds of jail time. If you escape the pirates, you lose all your negative fame.

Very well done !

Nice!
However, I think that 2 small changes should be made for the recommendations.
Cooking level 9 (required to cook Herring) Whoever cooks herring in the stockhouse at level 9 needs to be shot! That level isn't a good recommendation.
Smithing level 10 (minimum level required for smelting/smithing Iron) just say that smithing 10 is required for smelting, since there is no smithing in the stockhouse.

Edited on 10-01-2013 20:29

Jack.

Cooking level 9 (required to cook Herring) Whoever cooks herring in the stockhouse at level 9 needs to be shot! That level isn't a good recommendation.

it is what is required to cook herring so is the minimal recommendation

Smithing level 10 (minimum level required for smelting/smithing Iron) just say that smithing 10 is required for smelting, since there is no smithing in the stockhouse.

the skill is smithing and level 10 is required to smith and smelt the fact that you only smelt in the SH does not take away the fact the level is for smithing and smelting hence the wording used is accurate and does not need to be changed

Thank you. This was very interesting for me. Ive wondered some of the stuff about pirates but not enough to ask, so it was a good read.

I do have a question though. If you are 'kidnapped' by Captain Keelhail do you loose all your fame? Is it kind of like visiting the pirates or do you actually become a pirate? Thanks

"Escaping is slightly easier for captured players for a short period of time."

Are you sure this is true for players who get kidnapped by Captain Keelhail? I spent the better part of an hour trying to escape when I was captured...it took at least 3 tries, and maybe more. I know I'm unlucky about things like that, though, so maybe it was just me... ;)

It might be worth noting that you do not lose your +fame if kidnapped by Captain Keelhail. I'm not sure if you do eventually lose your fame, or if so, how it happens (e.g., if you contribute to the stockhouse, and get -fame as a result, does your fame get reset to 0 before being credited with the -fame, or is it just taken off your +fame? I didn't try the one time I was captured...) In my case, I managed to escape back to Remer around the time the pirate invasions were capturing, and thought I'd lost my fame because it showed up as 0 for a bit, but it was restored when my window refreshed.

Note: I would not have allowed myself to be kidnapped if Hazgod hadn't told me that I shouldn't lose my +fame. So keeping your fame if kidnapped is intended behavior.

Edited on 10-01-2013 21:54

I'm told it is easier if kidnapped.

Also you will become a full pirate over time I take it to mean after the first invasion you contribute too you will lose your fame.

Cap'n Deedar -

A wonderful job, sir!

*doffs his cap & bows*

600 seconds in Skulls Nose jail if you get caught trying to escape.

I know this is a bit "late" in replying, and overall, excellent post Deedar. I just wanted to make something else clear to new pirates. You don't have to have level 10 fishing when you join pirates. You can net fish to raise your level until you do get to 10 and can start fishing with a rod to get the fish the pirates require for recruiting.

But Deedar, very good post.

Should probably include the Code.
Edit: Ahhh, missed it

Edited on 12-03-2016 14:53

Brom, he did, at the end of his first paragraph.