About Action Taken Against Third-Party Tool Users

From Square-Enix: Recently it has come to our attention that an unauthorized third-party software tool was made available to the public. This tool allows players to change their job from anywhere in Vana'diel. In response to this, an emergency maintenance was carried out on Sep. 4 13:00 to 16:00 (PDT) to prevent further use of this tool within FINAL FANTASY XI. As a result of an ongoing investigation, it has been determined that over 600 accounts will be either suspended or terminated for the malicious and intentional use of this third-party tool. We would like to take this time to remind our players that the use of any third-party tools to change or modify the game in any way is strictly prohibited in the PlayOnline environment. We will continue to take any necessary actions against those individuals that we have confirmed to have used such tools. Please note that by using these third-party tools, the consequences may extend beyond action being taken against your account. Some tools may cause character information to be altered, erased, or personal information to be leaked to unwanted third parties. If you come across a third-party tool over the internet, we ask that you please refrain from the download of such a tool, no matter how minor it may appear to be. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

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It's not over.
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:12 PM Rating: Decent
You know, its great that SE did this, but this cheaters can go out and buy another game and be back at their old ways.
Hmmmm
# Sep 09 2005 at 2:53 PM Rating: Decent
I'm not sure about the d/c problem being SEs problem. Me, my step-dad, and brother had a discussion about this and we still have yet to be d/c. We are all on Leviathan but Shaun (brother) is in England, Stosh (step-dad) is in the Midwest and I am on the West Coast. Maybe....just maybe this is actually an ISP problem??
RE: Hmmmm
# Sep 10 2005 at 2:02 AM Rating: Decent
actualy I do not thing the d/c problem is an IP because me and my girlfreind can be standing next to one another live in the same house and use the same isp serves and one get d/ced and the other not
RMT
# Sep 09 2005 at 2:28 PM Rating: Default
RMT is cheating. It violates the ToS and modifies the economy of each server making it harder to play the game without buying gil. The horrible thing about it is if you buy gil, chances are you're going to spend it on an item that was farmed by a gilseller and give the gil right back to them throught the AH, which they will sell online again. Think about that next time you cruise IGN thinking about buying gil or not.
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 09 2005 at 2:25 PM Rating: Decent
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1,121 posts
i agree that this was a good thing to fix, but i think the windower without the plugins should be legal, i know i've read it somewhere before that microsoft requires all programs written for their OS has to be Alt-Tab able, and SE isnt exempt.
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:16 PM Rating: Default
FFXI is Alt-tab able... doesn't mean it has to continue running though.

Microsoft just doesn't want programs running that you can't get out of if it freezes. Unless, of course, your whole PC freezes.

The Windower should not be legal, just because if they wanted that, they would have made that. Personally, I don't want my WHM getting an AIM message in the middle of a fight, do you?
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 09 2005 at 9:44 PM Rating: Default
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218 posts
Honestly, I need the windower. Having two monitors can be kinda dangerous in the game otherwise. There's nothing stopping my mouse from moving to the second screen and if I miss-click, I'll exit the program and need to hope that I don't die, depending on my situation.

Well... I guess I don't need it, but one mistake can get me killed otherwise. At least, it has in the past. ><
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 10 2005 at 3:09 PM Rating: Default
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198 posts
Windowers give you an unfair advantage over anyone who isn't using one - for example, the PS2 players, or anyone who isn't using one on their PC. That's why it is considered cheating.
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 11 2005 at 9:03 AM Rating: Good
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218 posts
Yes. My being able to keep myself from accidentally disconnecting due to a miss-click is an unfair advantage.

<good job!>
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 10 2005 at 7:24 PM Rating: Good
Well if they were made part of the normal software, example the game itself ran in a windowed mode instead of fullscreen normally, then there wouldn't be an issue of people not using it. As for people playing on a PS2 how many of them have a computer nearby anyways and are using it to look things up? I know for a fact that if I get stuck in a video game I can turn around or ask across the room for my fiance to look it up. If he isn't here I can just pause or find a safe place, and then go look it up myself. Not trying to be ****** but those are things you have to keep in mind when you're trying to make an argument like yours justified.

P.S. I know for a fact that if we had an extra high speed card for the laptop or one of the other desktops we'd have that baby online for looking stuff up. Now would that be cheating? Or isn't it cheating if you're rich enough, or smart enough, to build/buy another computer for the express purpose of information lookup mid dungeon crawl?
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 09 2005 at 6:33 PM Rating: Decent
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99 posts
If that's the case, then don't have your IM program running. I believe the majority of individuals use the windower merely as a convenience, such as to quickly look up information from sites such as this or cannotlinkto, or even to websurf while looking for a party, screening Jeuno shouts, etc.
RE: Lazy folks
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:03 PM Rating: Decent
If you can provide a link to that story, that would be helpful. That is something I have never heard.
GOOD, enjoy your ban.
# Sep 09 2005 at 2:07 PM Rating: Default
Good riddance.

Now, do something about all the fcuking gilfarmers, SE! /angryjapanface
I guess I found a dream
# Sep 09 2005 at 2:06 PM Rating: Default
"Show me another MMORPG game where the admins do THIS
much to help out their customers, and i'll bet
it's a dream."

You mean like this?:

http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/

Frequent updates from the developers, ability to play on a test server to help troubleshoot upcoming updates to make them go smoother, updates from the producers, new content being added constantly, etc, etc??

Wouldn't call it a dream, but in general Sony does a better job with the community. Although they have had their problems (*cough*duping for real cash problem*cough).. They seem to be much more involved with their game than Square is, at least towards the NA/Europe players..
Good job SE.
# Sep 09 2005 at 2:06 PM Rating: Decent
I can easy live without any 3th part tool for FFXI and I understand that using this small helping tools is cheating no matter how small they are but something like to be able to change job wherever you are seems deep hack to me, it must be quite a hack to be able to do this without anyone will notice it.. ohh SE did so good job SE haha my point.

What if a 3th party program steals 100o gil from everyone who used it, sure it wont be a big deal to you since you wont notice it but it all adds up for the creator of it.
Glitch?
# Sep 09 2005 at 1:58 PM Rating: Decent
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135 posts
I am PS2 so none of these things means jack to me... or do they?

I was running through Port Jeuno over the weekend going to re-up my signet and in the middle of the Airship docks was a moogle... out of curiousity i clicked him and had access to my job selection, delivery box and storage. I thought this odd and just kept going to get signet. On my way back by from that, he was gone.

Was this just a glitch or perhaps someone nearby using that software. I didn't think twice about it till i read about this. Thanx.
RE: Glitch?
# Sep 09 2005 at 4:50 PM Rating: Decent
Quote:
I am PS2 so none of these things means jack to me... or do they?

I was running through Port Jeuno over the weekend going to re-up my signet and in the middle of the Airship docks was a moogle... out of curiousity i clicked him and had access to my job selection, delivery box and storage. I thought this odd and just kept going to get signet. On my way back by from that, he was gone.

Was this just a glitch or perhaps someone nearby using that software. I didn't think twice about it till i read about this. Thanx.


That was just a glitch, Happens once every blue moon.
RE: Glitch?
# Sep 09 2005 at 5:32 PM Rating: Decent
This glitch happens to me every time I switch jobs in jeuno :\
o.O
# Sep 09 2005 at 1:42 PM Rating: Default
Prettier Than You
*****
12,975 posts
That actually sounds like a pretty nifty hack.

Honestly, I wish SE would incorperate this into the game. I hate having to walk all the way to my mog house when I forget to change my sub job. (/fume. Switching between BST and THF is such a hassle sometimes.)

I don't support third party programs, other than the windower, but I have to admit, if SE added this into the game, I would be totally for it.
____________________________
Did you lose faith?
Yes, I lost faith in the powers that be.
But in doing so I came across the will to disagree.
And I gave up. Yes, I gave up, and then I gave in.
But I take responsibility for every single sin. ♪ ♫


Thank god I stopped playing MMOs.
RE: o.O
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:40 PM Rating: Decent
43 posts
as "nifty" as it sounds it isnt a good idea. It wrecks the whole point of all FF games. FF is about taking time to walk and get off ur *** to do things. Being able to change jobs at any times would be too easy. Also, it would make leveling way too easy... Ok im a level 5 Character in trouble from aggro, i quickly switch to 40 job and bam! full HP and easy fight. Or this level 5 Job, go to higher area, attack, switch to 40 job and right before it dies, switchto 5 job and get 200 xp easy... This is a terrible idea that would completely wreck the whole point of this game
A lesson
# Sep 09 2005 at 1:32 PM Rating: Decent
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1,189 posts
Quote:
We would like to take this time to remind our players that the use of any third-party tools to change or modify the the game in any way is strickly prohibited in the PlayOnline environment. We will continue to take any necessary actions against those individuals that we have confirmed to have used such tools.


Let this be a lesson to people who use third party programs to alter the way FFXI runs **coughWindowercough**.
Yay for SE!
# Sep 09 2005 at 12:16 PM Rating: Good
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119 posts
THANK YOU SE!!

Those 600 SOBs and everyone else will think twice abotu cheating I hope! I bet those 600 didn't just have this 3rd party addon either, probably a bunch more you couldn't get them for so I'm glad they were idiots and got caught :D.
Oh se....
# Sep 09 2005 at 12:07 PM Rating: Decent
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368 posts
You'll take care of this, but not the massive D/C problems, adding more useful phases to autotranslate, Make emp hairpin ex/rare with an impossible drop rate that only made the original jump from 1 mil to 2 mil.

Yes, thank you for taking care of this cheaters, but you guys still need to give us decent players something good to really look forward to. Not some time wasting bull that sends you to bastok.
...you really know how to whine, don't you?
# Sep 09 2005 at 12:42 PM Rating: Good
SE is doing a really really good job.
and you guys should be giving them credit...
They are trying their best to deal with this kind
of stuff, the fact that you are giving them beef
about a DDoS attack that they can't do anything
about is just too much.

Show me another MMORPG game where the admins do THIS
much to help out their customers, and i'll bet
it's a dream.
RE: ...you really know how to whine, don't you?
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:36 PM Rating: Decent
Quote:
Show me another MMORPG game where the admins do THIS
much to help out their customers, and i'll bet
it's a dream.


So absulutely right. The peeps who complain about SE's "shortcomings" on offering stuff to it's "decent" players must not have ever played EQ. **** you very much Sony, and thank you SE
Good Work
# Sep 09 2005 at 11:56 AM Rating: Decent
Good work SE, hope ppl will learn from this. btw, still having d/c problem, hope they will fix that too.
i concur
# Sep 09 2005 at 11:32 AM Rating: Decent
Yea i did see a lvl 26 rdm turn into a ninja 75 before my eyes i was left in awe i wanted to joni the pt thining it was a dam fine Exp pt at once XD
Windower
# Sep 09 2005 at 11:21 AM Rating: Decent
I think there is a big difference between some programs and others. The Windower allows people to play FFXI inside a window, which is pretty standard for computer applications. Other third party programs are far less benign. If SE would just allow people to play in a window, I think many users of the Windower wouldn't use it anymore.
To quote Nelson, "HA-HA!"
# Sep 09 2005 at 11:14 AM Rating: Decent
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371 posts
Thank you, SE. Bye-bye, cheaters.
Windower
# Sep 09 2005 at 10:38 AM Rating: Decent
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487 posts
I tried using Windower for a while, and found it very convenient to be able to jump out to reference some arcane bit of knowledge on Allakazham. Stopped when I found out it was an illegal activity. I now have a notebook about 3 inches thick with pages and pages of various synth lists, weapon and gear descriptions, maps, etc. etc. that I use instead. It would definitely make the game more enjoyable if this one feature were enabled by the SE programmers.
RE: Windower
# Sep 13 2005 at 7:20 AM Rating: Decent
I print out the stuff at work =)
I find that rather than print the pages directly, it much easier to cut and paste the page and alter the format font/size/color/background/borders/ect
and add the minor details to the page as well, (example: you could print recipe page for Grape juice, or you could make you own and add positions/prices ect/regional vendors/ GP if app)
as far as crafts go to the main page of the particular craft and copy the works paste it into database and change the format to hold either levels 1-10 of 1-20 it shaved my Recipe list down a lot. you can also remove the unwanted recipes ect. It also helps if you take a break from the game and filter out the old/completed pages. about 1.5 inch thick stack, most neatly stapled, I hate 3 ring binders and the dots they leave behind.
RE: Windower
# Sep 09 2005 at 1:05 PM Rating: Decent
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137 posts
[quote][/quote]

3inches thick? try 2 3-ring blinders about 4in
thick.
Ignore tham.
# Sep 09 2005 at 9:56 AM Rating: Decent
I was getting suspicious tell messages a couple of times on Hades server by someone called Maurie to check out a website that had crap like this on it. Never even heard of this person before so /black list. This was very similar to the adult bots that prowl yahoo chat rooms. All you do is enter a room and they start sending you private messages.
concerned
# Sep 09 2005 at 9:52 AM Rating: Decent
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128 posts
I have a quick question... My laptop doesn't have something that FFXI needs to run, it's called TNL or something like that. So I downloaded this thing that applies that TNL capabilities to my computer so that I can run FFXI better. The downside > it has an automatic windower. Is that so 'extremem'? Will SE delete my account for using that program? Thanks for the help ^^;
Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 9:46 AM Rating: Decent
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2,817 posts
Great job on the fast response to this issue. But hey, how about actually doing something against the infestation of gil sellers? SE sure hops to it when it's some kind of tool hack that violates the TOS, but for some odd reason other violation, such as RMT operations right under their noses, gets a blind eye.

C'mon, SE. Turn some of that agression loose on those players who do nothing but repeated activities in the same areas 24/7 for *years* now. Trace their transactions and find out where all that gil is going, and then ban their accounts, ban their subnets and MAC addresses, and reject their credit cards. Please, PLEASE purge the servers of these scumbags!
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:28 PM Rating: Decent
49 posts
It would be nice, but more than once, I've seen the difficulties of PROVING that someone is engaging in RMT. Big difference between strong suspicion (Hm, Rank 1 THF30/WAR10 with Rabbit Charm, Leaping Boots, Emperor Hairpin...) and solid proof in the legal world, as I gather it.

I'd also like to add that at least on Odin, I have noticed some known gilsellers have been gone for awhile... /poke Kuangli Kuangfeng
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 11:41 AM Rating: Decent
Knowing who uses a third party tool is easy for SE, but selling gils, as bad as it is, cannot be found by SE team. All the money transactions are made out of FFXI, and then gils are traded in-game. There is no way to find gil sellers then. And like AgerbonIfrit was saying, they cannot take anyone camping away because some of them are not gil sellers.

But SE can actually know who is a cheater or not! Gil sellers are not ''cheaters'' they are just scumbags, idiots, morons, no-life bastards but they still aren't cheaters doing gil selling... lol.
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 12:45 PM Rating: Good
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407 posts
If they went to some websites and bought some gil, then banned the person that sent it to them, that would be a start.

As I understand it, there are characters that take the gil from the gil sellers and transfer it to the gil buyers. Kill those central characters and you'll do a lot of damage. They'll never stop it all, but it would help.
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 12:59 PM Rating: Decent
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797 posts
Unless they are stupid, that wouldnt do anything, they probably use lv1 mules to send the gil, so if that character is banned they can make another in 4 minutes. If they do use their real characters to send gil then thats a great idea but I doubt a professional business would be that dumb.
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 3:10 PM Rating: Decent
Yeah, but what if they ban the account that used that mule? Say "Imamule" sends then gil with this method, and SE sees that "Imamule" belongs to someone like 'Mike Smith of Washington DC, USA' (followed by credit card billing info and the such) Using this, they can just ban this person from that account. Unless 'Mike Smith' changes his or her (>_>) billing information, this would even prevent them from just going out and getting another copy of the game.

SE can see farther than just the character that interacts with them personally in game.

The only way I could see around this is the gil sellers actually having some sort of account whose purpose is only for distribution of gil, yet that in itself, deleting all of the gil seller's money, would cripple their operation anyway and is thus a good thing.
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 11:29 AM Rating: Default
Ehh... montoring people in the game is kinda against their privity. me i run a strict Beeswax bezz i find a quiet never camped spot and just farm the hell out of it, sometimes peeps want some beeswax at like 30k (Ifrit stack price) and i get like orders for 8 stacks at times. So i get transactioned a large lump sum at times from players. IF se looked at what i was doing tehy would think i was buying gil or something and bam there goes my hard work (saving for good gear). i mean isee your tiny reason but it would kill players who werent gdoing anything wrong period. It is like Diablo2's Cash criss. You had alot of gold Bam they just slamed you for that i had the maxed out limit and tehy said see ya. hours and hours of killing endless crackhore zombies and NM's for nothing TY Blizzard. i cant wait for them to start booting like they did for d2 on Wow. boy it will be good luaghs and giggles
RE: Good job, SE, but let's not stop there!
# Sep 09 2005 at 10:57 AM Rating: Decent
was also quite likely 10% or more of the characters using the program were involved in RMT transactions at one time or another; once a cheater, always a cheater.
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