-The system has two main parts: this website which maintains a -searchable database of commodity prices, and an upload client, which -screenscrapes the commodity data from the Puzzle Pirates game client -and uploads it to the database. +Information about commodity prices is collected by pirates like you +and uploaded to the YARRG server, using the special yarrg upload +client. You can then query and search on this website for commodity +prices and good trade routes. + + +
+ +
+
+ +You will also probably at some point want to read the +Documentation for Experts which covers some +features of the website which you might not guess just from using it. + +
First look at the top of the page. You need to select your Ocean, +the sort of Interface you would like and the type of Query you wish to +ask. + +
+ +
+ +Which ocean do you want to trade on? +Just click on that ocean's name. + +
+ +
You can choose to enter commodity and island names by typing them +into a text entry field or by selecting them from a drop down menu. +The "select from menu" option allows only a restricted number of +options to be entered into each field. + +
+ +
+ +There are currently four types of query available which answer +slightly different questions. + +
+ +
+ +For pirates who know where they are going. Trades for route allows +you to enter a route that you are planning to sail and find out if +there are any profitable trades you can make along the way. This is +for pirates who already have a definite sailing plan for some reason. +Under "Enter Route" you need to type (or select from menus) the names +of the islands or Archipelagoes that you plan to visit. If you wish +to know about arbitrage opportunities at an island you can enter just +that island name. If you enter only one Archipelago then you will get +arbitrage opportunities in that archipelago; if you enter the same +archipelago twice you'll get trades within that archipelago. + +
+ +
+ +For pirates wanting to sell or buy a specific commodity prices for +commodity returns the best buy and sell prices for the selected +commodity at each island where trades are available. Type (or select +from a menu) the name of one commodity at a time. This is useful for +pirates wishing to purchase or sell a specific commodity and wanting +the best price. + +
+ +
+ +For pirates wanting more details about commodity prices at specified +locations. Offers at location returns all the offers to buy and sell +wood at the selected location(s). Type (or select) a commodity and the +islands (or achipelagos) you are interested in. This is useful when +the best buy or sell offer is for only a small quantity: you can check +what the others offers are like. + +
+ +
+ +For pirates just wanting to make some poe moving commodities about. Find +Profitable Route finds you a profitable trading route: first select +either "open-ended" (which might take you anywhere) or "circular" +(which takes you back to where you started) then type (or select) your +starting point (or points - you may for instance have two ships in +different locations either of which you could use). + +
+ +
+ +Data age tells you how long ago data was uploaded from each island in +your ocean. Data changes very quickly and trusting old data to be +accurate is unlikely to be rewarding. + +
+ +
+ +"Prices for commodity" and "Offers at location" give very similar results; +there will be two tables: the first titled "Offers to BUY" your +commodity, the second "Offers to SELL" it. The tables can be sorted +as you wish by clicking on the arrows in the headings. + +
+ +"Trades for route" and "Find profitable route" both return voyage plans. +"Find profitable route" has an additional step to get at your results - +when you enter your query you are given a list of 15 good routes for +total profit and 15 good routes for profit per league which visit +different islands. Select your preferred route: perhaps you will choose +to take the best profit or perhaps you need to miss out one island +because it is blockaded or another because you don't have the charts +to get to or from it. If you have asked for a trade for route or +after selecting the profitable route you prefer you will get a Voyage +trading plan - this provides you with instructions for what to do (buy +this, sell that, sail there). + +
+ +Sometimes no useful trades are available. In this case the results +section says simply "No profitable trading opportunities were found". + +
+ +After this there is a table reporting the age of the data used. And +then a table of "Relevant trades" which lists just about everything you +could want to know about each trade the plan suggests you make (yes, +this table is fairly complicated). The ticky boxes down the side of +this table allow you to choose which trades you like the look of - +untick any that you are not interested in (for instance you may be +uninterested in trades with a low profit margin). + +
+ +
+ +These options are very useful, and not very advanced, but not needed +for searching the data. -
-The lookup page gives access to the uploaded data; -there is also documentation to help with using that -website. +
-The YARRG upload client uploads both to YARRG and to the -PCTB testing server. +You can't trade more than fits in your hold. If you don't say +anything YARRG assumes that you have infinite hold space (perhaps you +will go over the route many times). You can enter a ship-type, a mass +or a volume; additionally you can subtract quantities of commodities +from a ship-type (for instance 'sloop - 10 grog' gives the capacity of +a sloop that has 10 grog already on board); click the ? by this field +to get a full description of permitted entries here.
-The current official version of YARRG for use as an upload -client can browsed here: - http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ijackson/ypp-sc-tools/master/ -See particularly the -YARRG README. +
-To install the client, install the `git' version control system -and the other dependencies listed in the `Installation requirements' -section of the README and then run: -
-git clone http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ijackson/ypp-sc-tools/master/.git ypp-sc-tools -cd ypp-sc-tools -cd yarrg -make --this will download the code into the directory
ypp-sc-tools,
-and build the software.
+
+How much poe do you have? If you don't say anything YARRG assumes you
+have infinite poe to spend, but you probably don't. Enter the amount
+you are willing to spend on commodities for trading with.
-When new versions of the upload client are released, you can: -
-cd .../ypp-sc-tools -git pull -cd yarrg -make --to fetch the new version. +
+ +How much do you expect to lose to the dastardly brigands? Enter either +a % (as eg - 1%) or a fraction (as eg - 1/100) of the goods you +expect to loose to Brigands. Brigands take 10% if they defeat you, +but only you know how often you are defeated. Note that this doesn't +include rum-consumed so you will need to account for that +seperately. + +
+ +
+ +How far are you willing to sail today? The default is 20 leagues, the +maximum supported is 35. Are you willing to sail all the way across +the ocean for a profit? Or would you prefer to go only a short way? + +
-There is not currently an upload client for Windows which feeds data -into YARRG. It would probably be straightforward to modify the -Windows PCTB v5 upload client to upload to YARRG as well. +
-See our Developers' information page. +The search information is encoded in the URL - you can bookmark pages +for searches you want to perform a lot and go straight to them without +re-entering you data (or you can copy the URL and tell your hearties +and crew mates if you want to). There's no need to come back to the +introductory page each time. + +
+ +Javascript magic: when you type things into the text entry fields +YARRG will try to guess what you meant. If you pause for a moment then +beneath the text entry field you'll see what YARRG thinks you meant. +If it's got it correct you don't have to type any more of that +commodity/island name: just go on to the next one. + +
+ +You'll probably want to upload data to ensure you have fresh data +available. Unfortunately YARRG only has a Linux upload client at +present (a windows one is in the works). You should read about how to upload: particularly the linked +README page for information about the client which contain +easy-to-follow instructions to download, install and run it in the +form of a few comand line instructions that you can copy and paste. + +
+ +It's all free, both free-as-in-beer or free-as-in-speech. If you're +interested, read the Development pages for more +info about how to contribute or how to run your own website using +YARRG data (perhaps you don't like our colour choices) + +
+