Basic Pirate's Guide

Getting started: do all the beginning quest. These will give you a good amount of initial items as well as about 30k worth of diamonds, save diamonds. Through this beginning save up for warbrig and prepare to get a mid level ship. For entry level ships don't bother with diamond upgrades, just get gold upgrades.

Getting a mid level ship: There are a few options here. A Frigate or Large Frigate available for diamonds (Do Not Buy For Diamonds!) and also available for gold in the daily auctions. A third option is the Devastator, unlocks with one 1v1 arena win and cost around 9 Million gold (a bit expensive and undersized for early on). A fourth option and a better one is the Dhuka, unlocks by completing quest series starting in zone 8b and cost around 3 Million gold. Fifth option, the Piranha, unlocks with by ranking up your PvP rank and cost 500 skulls. For mid level ships Gold upgrades are a good start, then battle upgrades (Battle bulkheads, battle keel and front battle deck for Piranha), some diamond upgrades would be good such as sails. Sixth option, Paladin (might not be considered a mid level ship but not quite an event ship), unlocks by being a member of a top ten guild ( must have been a member since before the 15th of the previous month to get the unlock) and cost 55k diamonds, but you can wait for a half of ships day.

Event ships: These are the "big ships" or the ones most pkayers choose to really build up. They have a larger number of cannons and launchers usually as well as more HP and most event ships have their own decks to add a some more cannons and launchers. Here is where most players invest to build up a ship completely.

Seals: Seals are awarded 1 per level as you level up. Also awarded on a select number of quest and as a benefit for premium users one per day. Don't waste seals on just anything. A good early goal to unlock Perforator on Scroll of Power page 3 I believe. It will increase your cannon fire damage.

Farming: Is what you'll do most of the time to save uo gold, diamonds and items. Higher level zones give more gold and diamonds generally.
But every zone is better/worse for some items and or gold/diamonds.

These are just some basics and a very limited starters guide. Hope it helps some of you out. Feel free to add to it something you feel was left out.