Pirates are able to communicate with each other in various ways, sometimes dependent on their location. There are multiple modes of speaking, which affect how the text appears on screen, and multiple channels which can be spoken on. Each channel sends the message to a different group of pirates.
History
There are four history modes: fade-overlay, small-overlay, large-overlay, and full-screen. Change between them using the history buttons, next to the chat field.
Toggle between the three 'overlay' modes using the 'scroll' icon to the right of the 'send' button. Change to full-screen (and back) using the 'window' icon to the right of the 'scroll'.
You can copy and paste history by using the full-screen chat mode. Note: if you've been playing a while, and have a large chat history, switching to full-screen may take a while, during which YPP will be unresponsive.
Filters
Some words--many of them widely considered obscene--can be filtered by the game automatically. If the default settings are used, a piratey equivalent of the filtered word is used instead. This, however, is not an excuse to use obscene words in public places. Attempting to bypass the filters can get you in trouble as well.
See List of known filtered words
Substitutions
Some text will automatically substitute other text in its place or change the mode you speak in. These substitutions may need to be the first thing in the message.
Smilies: These make your pirate emote smilies (if allowed in the channel).[1]
:) =) 8) :-) =-) 8-)
:] =] 8] :-] =-] 8-] smiles
:} =} 8} :-} =-} 8-}
:> => 8> :-> =-> 8->
:( =( 8( :-( =-( 8-(
:[ =[ 8[ :-[ =-[ 8-[ frowns
:{ ={ 8{ :-{ =-{ 8-{
:< =< 8< :-< =-< 8-<
:p =p 8p :-p =-p 8-p sticks out a tongue
(replacing '-' with '*', works in all the above as well)
;) winks
afaik as far as I know
afk dozes off
asl a/s/l as/l a/sl Ahoy! From which port do ye
hail, and how many years are
upon ye? (trailing characters
removed, unlike others)
brb Be right back
btw by the way
gg good game
gl good luck
iirc if I remember correctly
lmao laughs heartily
lol laughs
ne1 anyone
n00b noob greenie
np no problem
omg Billions of blistering blue barnacles!
rofl laughs uncontrollably
ty thank ye
ur yer
wtf What in the seven seas
Modes
Emote
Emotes state that you do something by simply placing your name in front of the text.
Emotes are useful for general expressions, for example 'Callistan has another drink.'
You can emote anytime by typing /emote (/em or /me), e.g. '/emote has another drink.' to achieve the above.
Emotes only work in certain channels: Speak, Vessel, Crew, Jobbing Crew, and Game.
Think
Similar to what can be achieved with emoting by typing '/emote thinks hmmm...' but creates a different visual when in chat circles.
Use: /ponder or /think.
Shout
This is arguably the most controversial mode of speech. Greenies are not allowed to shout on islands. No pirate can shout outdoors on colonized islands, or inside an inn.
Channels
Speak
This is the default chat mode on land. When you say or speak something in a building, everyone in the building will hear you, regardless of chat circles (stalls count as separate buildings for this). When you say or speak something outside of a building or on a vessel, only those in your chat circle will hear you. You can also speak without typing /sp by selecting the "Speak" bubble to the left of your typing line.
Use: /say <message>, /speak <message> (/sa, /sp)
Game
This is the default chat mode when playing parlor games, swordfighting, and drinking. Messages are sent to all players, and watchers of the game, and not to the room you are standing in. There is a /game command but it only works if you are playing, or watching the game.
Vessel
This is the default chat mode when on a ship. Messages are sent to all players aboard the vessel. This mode only works if you are on a vessel.
Tell
This allows you to send a message to another pirate privately. You can only send the message to a single pirate and you cannot combine /th, /sh, /e with /tell. You can also send tells without typing /te by selecting the "Tell" bubble to the left of your typing line and selecting or entering in the name of the pirate you wish to send them to.
Use: /tell <piratename> <message>, /msg <piratename> <message> (/te <piratename>)
Crew
This is crew chat. Everything you type in your chat box, if prefaced by /cr, will be shared with everyone in the crew, including jobbers. It only works if you're a member of a crew. You can also crew chat without typing /cr by selecting the "Crew" bubble to the left of your typing line.
Use: /crew <message> (/cr)
Jobbing Crew
This is the crew chat of the crew you are jobbing with. So, if you're jobbing with Bilging Maniacs, and they are on crew chat for their crew, your comments will go to their crew chat if you preface them with /jcr. Anyone not jobbing with Bilging Maniacs won't hear their crew chat. It only works if you're jobbing with a crew. You can also jcrew chat without typing /jcr by selecting the "Jobbing" bubble to the left of your typing line.
Use: /jcrew <message> (/jcr)
Officer
This is crew-officer chat. Everything on this channel is shared with everyone ranked officer or above in your crew. Jobbers who are officers in their own crews don't count as officers in your crew.
Use: /officer <message> (/o)
Flag Officer
Flag Officer Chat allows officers of a particular flag to speak amongst themselves. One way to activate Flag Officer Chat us to prefix the command "/fofficer" to your message. /fofficer can be shortened to /fo.
How your flag uses Flag Officer Chat may vary. For some flags, it is a constant communication channel. In others, the /fo channel should be used sparingly.
(Sophomoric humor: /fofficer can also be shortened to the rude sounding /foff.)
Royalty
A separate channel much like Flag Officer which only Flag Royalty can communicate. Prefix the command "/royalty" or simply /ro.
Flag Broadcast
The flag royalty can use the command "/fbroadcast" or simply /fb to send a message to every member of the flag, regardless of that member's rank. Jobbing pirates will not see this message.
External Links
- http://www.puzzlepirates.com/docs/communications.html
- Phoenix Reborn's Piratey Commands Tutorial (very slightly out of date screenshotwise)