Trooper, no one said beign a Pirate was easy.
It is not a race choice you want to take if winning the game is your objective. It's a change of pace and a challange.
Historical examples of pirates are they are small bands of marauders that would not be able to stand up to a fight with the military force of even a small nation state. They exsist by preying on the weak and knowing when to run. They thrive in areas of relative lawlessness and try to eeke out a living without doing enough to warrant a large amount of attention from a major power.
If that is soemthing that appeals to you, be a pirate. If it's not, be a regular race. SJ's mod gives you the choice you don't have with the stock game.
Gesochmo