Userscripts.org

I just updated the script so it installs in a "disabled" state. When it runs it issues a warning about being banned in a popup window. The warning text contains instructions for enabling the script in case you really want to risk it.

You will get banned for using this script :) As I pointed out below, it was only a matter of time for the game authors to figure out how to implement countermeasures.

Andy, please accept my compliments on your wonderful Pirate game - its so addictive that I couldn't help myself.

Sonar, I added you to my msn list on Saturday.

Sonar, I'd like to establish direct email communication in order to work on the problems you have reported recently. The next time you get one of these errors, take a screen shot and also capture the HTML source (right-click, select 'View Page Source', in the resulting window press Ctrl-A and Ctrl-C, then paste the result into a document or text file). Attach the screen shot, html source, and send it to the following address.

stratocaster.5.6HSy72t3 at spamgourmet.com

Thanks,

-Ed

I've noticed that I need to restart Firefox occasionally in order to get the best performance out of this script. I have no idea what's going on with the other error you reported either. It puts quite a load on Firefox, so I'm not surprised or worried about occasional glitches.

This is an easy mod, but since these actions don't provide a
confirmation dialog I'm going to tell you how you can do it yourself.
From "Manage User Scripts..." select this script and click 'Edit'.
This should launch a text editor such as Notepad. If it doesn't,
check and modify the "greasemonkey.editor" value from the about:config
URL. Once the editor has launched, look for the comment that says
"// List of shortcuts placed in the sidebar" near line 266. Add at
the end of the line for 'Eat Ham' add a comma and then add the
following lines immediately after that:

'Upgrade Cannons', 'http://apps.facebook.com/pirates/buy.php?u=cannons',
'Upgrade Sails', 'http://apps.facebook.com/pirates/buy.php?u=sails',
'Upgrade Hull', 'http://apps.facebook.com/pirates/buy.php?u=hull',
'Upgrade Crew', 'http://apps.facebook.com/pirates/buy.php?u=crew'

Save the script. The links will appear the next time you refresh a Pirates page.

-Ed

Either you are really paranoid or if such people exist -- you know, the ones that are constantly refreshing your stats page -- then they need to get a life :)

My worry is about the developers of the game. Armed with this script and the server logs they could do some analysis and figure out who we really are.

Its an idea, but I'm not sure I agree. As a human I'd be entering the same value all the time, so randomizing the value would just make it more obvious IMO.

I figure its just a matter of time before we get busted anyway. The script source is publicly available and has been near the top of the Google search results for 'facebook pirates script' since about two days after its first post here. Or maybe the Pirate developers dont care -- take a look at the Leaderboard for Miles Traveled. How many people with that many miles in 3 days do you think have done it manually?

;-)

* Version 1.4
  - Added 'min_coins' preference value.  The script will dig up coins to
    ensure you have at least the number configured when in enemy waters.
    The idea here is to reduce the number of crew members killed since
    rumour has it that crewmembers are randomly killed when attacking
    towns without holding enough coins.  Although not 100% effective since
    I've lost crew members going into an attack with hundreds of coins, it
    does appear to significantly reduce the number of kills.  Also, you
    can set the h_stop_for_booty preference value to 'killed' and auto
    mode will pause or stop when one of your crew members is killed.

  - Added a 60 second delay between alerts for the level upgrade price.

  - This version of the script replaces the upgrade link with an
    alert when the price is not the lower than your configured threshold,
    so be sure to disable the level up price alert feature if you don't
    care about upgrade prices.  Disable price alerts by setting the
    k_level_up_price_alert preverence value to 0,1,1,1,1,1,1

  - Added the 'Eat Ham' shortcut link.  I found out that you can eat ham during 
    PvP battles.  During the battle just click 'Eat Ham' instead of firing
    at the enemy and you will be returned back to the battle page with increased
    hit points.  With this strategy it makes sense now to attack merchant ships.

OK, when you have no ham set the action keyword in the e_health_action preference value to 'disabled. Eg. the full value for this preference should be something like '@%20 disabled' (the percentage value doesn't matter when you disable this feture, but its still required).

Also, when you do have ham you have the option of using the 'pause' keyword there -- i.e., '@20% pause'. When your hit points fall below the configured threshold his will allow you to do something else manually instead of automatically eating ham (like hiring wenches instead).

Beginner pirates will need to tweak the preference values a bit in order to get things to run smoothly.

-Ed

Is this HAM issue something that you would like fixed? If so, I'd like to hear more about the symptom. Thanks.

* Version 1.3
  - Added auto navigation from level_up.php back to level_upgrade.php. 
    This allows flash buying without having to move the mouse at all -- 
    in other words, one click per level upgrade purchase!
  - Fixed a problem when throwing bombs at landlubbers in which the page hangs
    after typing the landlubber's name and clicking 'Throw' (updated
    the URL exclusion rules in the script's meta-data).

Here's a better solution to the problem throwing bombs at landlubbers... Add the following URL pattern to the FB Pirate Helper's 'excluded' pages via the Tools/Greasemonkey/Manager User Scripts... menu item:

URL pattern to exclude:

http://apps.facebook.com/pirates/throw_bomb_pick_*

I'll add this to the script meta-data for the next version.

-Ed

Try disabling Greasemonkey via the Tools/Greasemonkey/Enabled menu item before throwing the bomb at a landlubber. Re-enable it afterwards. I'm not sure what's going on with that.

Put something random in h_stop_for_booty, like 'foobarbaz' when you don't want to stop for any booty. This string is used to match text on the booty pages, so if it doesn't match you won't stop.

// * Version 1.2
//   - Set error page timeout to 15 seconds (was doc'ed at 15, but actually 30).
//   - Removed alert when auto-resuming from error page

I've just uploaded version 1.1. Changes include:

// * Version 1.1 
//   - Documentation fixes and updates
//   - added this version history (if you don't see it in your script, you have 1.0)
//   - added 'stop_for_quests' preference setting
//   - added 'stop_for_merchant_ships' preference setting
//   - added level-upgrade price monitor mode.
//   - added 'safe water' link in the shortcuts
//   - added auto resume after hiring wenches
//   - added auto-resume from the error page

I just found a documentation bug with the h_stop_for_booty preference. To disable this feature you must put some nonsensical text that doesn't appear on the pirate web pages into the preference value. The script header currently says set it to '' (empty value), but if you do this the script resets it the back to the default value the next time it runs. I'll update the script in the next version (1.1).

I'm going to add a mode for monitoring the price of level upgrades and providing an alert when its cheapest.

-Ed