I have been asked by some tradewarriors this question lately and I have a comment.
Not all "private scripts" are really private. However due to the originating authors wishes upgrades and such can't be posted on Grimy's etc. You must ask around to get a copy for your use. So for you newer or returning players. Just ask here on this forum if the script your asking about cant be given out then someone will have something that does the same thing that can be.
There are several other catagories of private scripts that I will leave others to comment on.
 

I'll bite.

One such category would be scripts with Easter eggs. Nasty, but legitimate imo; if you use someone else's compiled script, best of luck. They are compiled for a reason, not necessarily Easter egg.

Another category would be scripts written in a little currently used language. I write Telix SALT, there are probably as many Carribean cannibals left as people who use SALT. Downside of SALT, nobody else uses it, so cant discuss methodology. Upside, unpredictability.

Truly private scripts are written for permacorp members or very select friends. These scripts are kept private due to giving an advantage to those that have them over the public scripts that are released.

I have two scripts that were given to me that I would not want to go against and the script writer's ability in writing them is far beyond mine. The writer and I talked at length about the scripts and their need to stay private, and I am glad he trusted me enough to give them to me and in .ts form. This illustrates a key requirement in gaining access to private scripts - trust, and sometimes it takes a long time to build that in our anonymous alias world.

As Parrot stated, if you are needing a specific type of script, post it and possibly someone will release it. A generic "I need a ptorp script" isn't much information to go on. There are at least 6 methods for launching a ptorp attack and variations within those methods. Be as specific in what you are wanting as possible.

If you have the be-all-end-all idea for a script and don't want to post it, contact a scripter that you trust to write it, or better yet ask how to write certain parts w/o giving away your new idea. Check out Sing's site for some of the better examples at navhaz.com. Post in those forums, vulcan's forge, and these forums as well to gain exposure to your questions. A new forum is being created, however I don't have all of the details yet, but you get the idea - ask questions in several places.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

As we're on the subject, I may release some previously private scripts which have been leaked horribly anyway and have been updated.
Once I track down all the ones that have been updated and are on "underground circulation" I will try to get the best version and upload it to grimey's.

That'd be swell, Slim.

Anyway as said, a private script is just a script who's author(s) don't want released to the public. People w/ private scripts shouldn't pass them out to others (altho it happens) and you really can't expect them to be up for download.

There are a LOT of private scripts out there. A private script is just a script that isn't for public consumption. I've got... tons of them. I'm sure just about every other scripter does too. Most stink to high heaven, some are kindof cool. Some get passed to my corpies, most never do because... well, why bother?

Prome: hehe, you've made me curious about what those 2 magic scripts do... .

heh don't answer that ops:
Private scripts... yea i got a couple... but mine... cause i'm on dial up... i need to comensate for hi speed enemies... Rider my best bud... wrote most of the gridder i use... i just added a few things to make it safer and more deadly to enemies...
who has my scripts... a couple peeps... but i normally compile em and do a check that makes em useless to others unless they get a copy from me... copies i pass out are game locked or locked to who i send em to...My alien ship cap... heh that can be made by any scripter who takes the time... nothing fancy in mine... but I keep a couple private... and hush Prom...lol ... If ur even talking about mine...
I ain't got nuthin on Dyn or the M()m scripts...

Heh! Thats just the thing. If they are private why ask around for them? That's how stuff gets spread around that was never meant to be spread around.

the heavily modified st.for instance bot that Sing and others worked on for instance is all over the place, Seems everyone has it. Since then, yes, it has been even more improved.

My corp made an st.bot also heavily modified after The Oz bot and Sings heavily modified version, gave it to one person long ago and U know who U are. Welp, now its everywhere. It also has been even more modified since that version.

Oz's Scripts, all he wants is to kindly be asked for them and he has been more than willing to send them via e-mail. Yet I have seen many ppl say to others .. "Oh, here ya go I got them. Let me send them"

Just seems that some ppl aren't sure what "private" really means. So now ppl have resorted to locking scripts because they aren't sure who they can trust not to give them out.

Script takes work and a lot of time goes into testing and pefecting them. I thank and respect all the scripters out there that have been kind enough to share on Grimy. I especially thank MD and TBH my very own private scripters. *CACKLE*

*edited for spelling* and still prolly s*cks!

MisB makes a very good point on why some scripts are also kept private - testing and perfecting them. I would not release some of my scripts because I don't want to put forth the effort to try and get them as bug proof as possible.

An example of a simple script that I released that has a "bug" is the proping.ts script. If you run it from anything but the sector prompt it will hang. It is using a waitfor "Command" to kill the script. It won't get you killed, but is a good example of not scripting for people who might run from another prompt. A more complex script such as an attack/cashing script has the possibility for a lot more issues.   Yeah, I will fix proPing sooner or later.

I don't know of anyone that wants to hear that their script took someone out of a game because of a bug and that means spending a lot of time on scripts that could do that if they crash. So, not all private scripts are the polished uber script that some may associate with "private".

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

KISS...
luv ya Mis

<quote> So now ppl have resorted to locking scripts because they aren't sure who they can trust not to give them out. </quote>

Have to say ur right there Mis... thats exactly the reason why... Private script are for ur own corp.. to give u an advantage over the enemy... its the art of WAR...There will almost always be a private version of any script thats a tad bit faster or better in some way... Its in Man's head... or Woman's...lol... never give all u know away... one day ur friend might be ur enemy...
what was that line in school?...
Et tu Bruta?

I have to agree with prom, Alot of scripts remain private as they are not polished for the everyday player. I don't write alot of scripts as I don't have the time, but the ones I do are usually crude and do a function that I need for the time. If I gave it out, people would die left and right for using them, and I would hate for that to happen, and don't think its right.