!!Disclaimer about 3rd party software: though these are all approved to be used in conjunction with Y!PP, please note that you should only use at your own risk!!
Starting out:
- Beginner's Guide to finding answers - By Peanutswench
- An explanation of all YPP Terminology - written a long time ago by Greasy, but still a really good starting point.
- List of / commands and what they do - mainly, people just DON'T KNOW that typing /w on a ship lets you see the number of people on it.
- Puzzle score affectors - How puzzles work, and why your indicator is staying at blue. Although you should probably just youtube the puzzles you need.
- YPP FAQ Strategy Guide - Looking like something that should have been left in Notepad, it encompasses quite a lot of the basic areas of the game. Written in May 2011, it is also relatively recent.
(note: all these were compiled eons ago, so they are very sub ocean-centric, not to mention all are varying degrees of outdated.)
- FAQs and previous discussions - A comprehensive list of forum threads complied by Diamondblade to answer issues simple and complex.
- Links to everything you need to know - redundant, considering you can find most of the info from the yppedia, but still interesting to look through and click on things you probably didn't know.
- Tutorials, Tips/Tricks and other Useful Information - By Artemis way back when the OMs and Devs actually communicated with the player base.
Comprehensive guides:
All Puzzles:
- Dachimpy's Hints - A general How-to video site for all puzzles. Gives you a good idea on how to do pretty much any puzzle. (Video + text)
- Cade sim on Whirled - Practice with friends.
- Wind simulator, whirlpool simulator - Learn how your moves will translate with winds and whirls, especially good for new Os.
- Whirlpool video - whirlpools explained by Dachimpy
- Tzz's Puzzling guide - with general written tips on all and basic tokening. Doesn't include Patching. (Video + text)
Individual Puzzles:
- Evilduck's Post on Distilling - has pics, and so far one of the distilling guides I can actually understand.
- Hurtboss' Rumble Guide - A great pirate with a great guide.
Video Guides for Individual Puzzles:
- Abieh's SF video - with tips and shows how to do some basic openers.
- Fubsy's Sailing guide Part 1|Part 2|Part 3 - It is really really good and easy to follow. I wish I had this sail guide when I was trying to understand it.
- Wipley's Guide to Patching - He has a very soothing voice.
- SonnyZ's Distilling Tutorial - Generally regarded as the best distilling guide there is. (Too bad I still don't understand it.)
Pillaging Guides/Aids:
Guides:
- Master and commander for Officers - a bit tl;dr for my taste, but still good to read through for completely new Os or a quick refresher on what to do when hosting a voyage.
- Sloop Pillaging Guide - New Os on the seas should definitely have a read through this Yppedia guide.
- Pillaging Ramp explained - Very recent post by Julaxis, and might I add, quite informative.
- Simple explanation to whirls - A very simple but direct post explaining whirls. (Remember when people actually role played as pirates?)
Tools/Aids:
- YPP Web tools - By Merrkat of Meridian Web based damage counter and search functions for yppedia.
- Karnisov's Pillaging tool - Relatively up-to-date. Includes sorting and damage counter options.
- QuarterMaster - Currently not updated, but the most popular third party tool to date. The owner took the original link down, but has given permission for others to distribute.
- Booty Div Calculator - This calculator calculates only by the old method, whereas you don't get 1/2 the cut right after the battle has eneded.
- Monkey Boat Hunting Guide - To get that elusive Golden Banana! By Ninty-East of Meridian
(see also merchanting tools for a rum calculator)
SMH Guides:
- CI guides
- How to run a CI - by Bochet of Hunter. Pretty legit guide imo.
- Zarchi's CI Guide - With pics!
- Atlantis guides
- Minigun's guide to Atlantis Nav - Don't agree with everything here, but as good a place as any to start.
- XOing and MAA strategy on Atlantis runs - By Mullins, last updated sep '07. Nevertheless, a good starting point.
Shopkeeping/Merchanting:
Third Party Tools:
- YARRG - "YARRG is a system for helping find and plan profitable trade runs. "
- Rum calculator- A calculator to help you get the best deal when it comes to rum grades and how much of one grade will equal another. Also has a calculator for bid tickets including the cost per unit and refund if you were to deliver early.
- The Hold Calculator - As advertised, it is a calculator... of things you put in your hold.
Shopkeeping:
- Shopkeeping 101 - No more pics, but the basics are legit... if you can understand it without visual aids.
- Understanding Cloth and Dye - Just read the first part. The second part is outdated.
Statistics/References:
Statistics:
- Glowie's High Scores
- Glowie's Puzzle Pirates Activities Tracker
- How Ships Really Work - Repair rates number crunching
- Emerald's Political Map - I know the link says Hunter, but it is updated for Emerald.
References:
- Commodity Spawns Illustrated - Really something that should be read by all Governor wannabes.
- When an island is said to spawn X commodity, the trees and things are what spawn it. If you build something over the depicted spawn points, the spawn rate of X commodity will slow down.