ToS: Third Party Programs and Turbo Controllers

[Matsume]

A recent Dev post in the French forums has elaborated upon the Terms of Service (ToS) and the use of Third Party Programs, including Turbo Controllers and other automation services in regards to botting:

Bonjour,
Good day,

Je voudrais clarifier la situation concernant l'utilisation de logiciels tiers ou autres outils ayant un impact sur Final Fantasy XIV.
I want to clarify the sitation concerning the use of third party software and/or other tools having an impact on Final Fantasy XIV.

Tout d'abord je tiens à rappeler les règles présentes sur notre site d'assistance :
I will begin by reminding all of you of the rules presented on our assistance web-page:

Activités affectant l’équilibre du jeu
Activities affecting the game's equilibrium (or balance)
Notre définition des activités qui faussent l’équilibre du jeu
Our defenition of acitivites that distort the game's equilibrium
L’usage de programmes ou d’outils tiers dans FINAL FANTASY XIV est strictement interdit en ce que ces dispositifs permettent aux joueurs de jouir d’avantages usurpés au détriment d’autrui. Le recours à ces programmes ou outils dans FINAL FANTASY XIV, qui ont fonction d’automatiser certaines actions en continu, revient à jouer in absentia de façon robotisée, ce qui est aussi défendu dans FINAL FANTASY XIV. Outre ceci et sans s’y limiter, les joueurs peuvent, au cours d’une enquête sur leur pratique du jeu in absentia, être interpellés par un Game Master et devront dans ce cas obtempérer aux instructions données. Ne pas se conformer aux injonctions d’un Game Master est considéré comme une violation et peut entraîner des mesures disciplinaires à l’encontre du compte du joueur en faute.
The use of third party programs or tools in FINAL FANTASY XIV is strictly prohibited in that these devices permit players to enjoy benefits at the expense of others. The use of these tools or programs in FINAL FANTASY XIV, which have the function of automising certain actions continuously, is like playing the game absently in a robotic maner, that which is also against the rules of FINAL FANTASY XIV. Besides this and not limited to, players can, over the course of an investigation on their playing the game while absent, be arrested by a Game Master and should in such a case obey the Game Master's instructions. To act against the Game Master's instructions is considered a violation and can be followed by disciplinary mesures against the account of the player at fault.

Les activités suivantes sont également prohibées :
•la modification, l’analyse, l’intégration et l’ingénierie à rebours de données de jeu ;
•la création et la diffusion de logiciel utilitaire ;
•l’exploitation d’une éventuelle faille dans le code de programmation de SQUARE ENIX afin d’en soutirer un profit ou de défavoriser autrui.

The following activities are equally prohibited:
•The modification, analysis, integration and reverse engineering of game data;
•The creation and diffusion of utilitarian software;
•The exploitation of an eventual fault in SQUARE ENIX's program code in order to obtain a profit or to disadvantage another player

L'utilisation de claviers possédant des fonctionnalités avancées n'est pas prohibée en soit. En revanche, l'utilisation de ces fonctionnalités afin d'automatiser certaines actions sur Final Fantasy XIV l'est. Être présent devant son ordinateur ne rend pas l'automatisation des actions acceptable. Ainsi, les joueurs ayant recours à un logiciel tiers, une fonction "turbo" d'un contrôleur de jeu, des touches de claviers programmables ou une méthode plus artisanale (telle que coincer une touche) prennent le risque de voir leur compte de service Final Fantasy XIV suspendu ou fermé.
The use of special keyboards containing advaned funtions is not prohibited. On the other hand, the use of any of these functions in order to automate certain actions in Final Fantasy XIV is prohibited.To be present in front of ones computer does not make the use of these automated action programs acceptable. So, any player who uses third party programs, a "turbo" controller, programmable keybord keys or any other method (such as taping down the enter key) is taking the risk of seeing their Final Fantasy XIV account suspended or closed.

J'aimerai aussi rappeler que l'Unité spéciale est bien présente et active sur Final Fantasy XIV. N'hésitez surtout pas à rapporter les joueurs suspects directement via le Centre d'assistance Square Enix (choisir "Signaler une violation à l'Unité spéciale" en bas de cette page). Les enquêtes concernant les joueurs en infraction peuvent être longues. Les mesures prises à l'encontre des joueurs en infraction peuvent ne pas être visible, cela ne veut pas dire en revanche que rien n'est fait.
I would also like to remind you that a Special Unit is indeed present and active in Final Fantasy XIV. Do not hesitate to report suspicious players/activity directly via the Square Enix Assistance Center (choose "report a violation to the Special Unit" at he bottom of this page. Reports concerning players who violate these rules can be long to process. The mesures taken to counteract these players can be invisible to others, this does not mean that nothing has been done.

En cas de doute concernant l'utilisation d'un logiciel, fonctionnalité d'un clavier ou tout autre chose ayant un possible impact sur Final Fantasy XIV, n'hésitez surtout pas à prendre contact avec un maitre du jeu directement depuis le jeu ("Services et aide" depuis le menu principal). Ces derniers seront en mesure de répondre à toutes vos questions. Le service d'assistance par GM est disponible en français et ce 24 heures sur 24
In case you have a doubt concerning the use of a proram, keyboard function or any other thing that could have a possible impact on Final Fantasy XIV, please do not hesitate to contact a Game Master directly in game '"Help and Services" in the main menu) These GMs will be able to respond to any and all of your questions. The GM assistance service is available in French (English too, i'm assuming) 24/7

Merci encore pour votre coopération.
Thank you for your cooperation.

Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater,
Had a Bot but couldnt keep her,
Terms of Service are against all Automation
Even Turbo Controllers will see Decimation

Discuss...

[AdvancedWind]

I do hope watching anime while crafting is a legit way to level.

[Jashynvald]

What's there to discuss? If the devs say it's cheating, it's cheating.

What IS worth discussing is how to revamp and reform the many things (the mini-game, DoL leveling curve, etc) that drove people to seek out turbo-controllers as a sanity-saving solution.

[syntaxlies]

me and several other people i know repeatedly report an rmt bot on our server and he is still there so i don't know if the special unit is doing their job

[Quesse]

My thumb is a turbo controller. SE I dare you to ban me.

[Delsus]

My thumb is a turbo controller. SE I dare you to ban me.

Challange accepted, now wheres my ban hammer...

OMG its covered in cobwebs, how long has it been since I used it???

[KiriA500]

Oh, good! It doesn't mention watching Netflix while mindlessly pressing A on my Xbox 360 controller as being bad!

[TheVedis]

Oh, good! It doesn't mention watching Netflix while mindlessly pressing A on my Xbox 360 controller as being bad!

nope, but what is said there is failure to follow a GMs instructions should you be contacted by one is(which is pretty much the idea behind ignoring their tells if they are trying to talk to you in the case of an investigation)

so yeah, watching netflix not bad, but if you have your window minimized....you can still get nailed for ignoring the screen altogether(again, failure to follow a GMs instructions)

[REDace0]

I would really appreciate clarification from the reps regarding the following two:

•The modification, analysis, integration and reverse engineering of game data;
•The creation and diffusion of utilitarian software;

Specifically, do logs count as "game data" and does parsing them count as "analysis"? Also, what qualifies as "utilitarian software"? Would the YG Updater or the parser that generates data for XIVpads from the Lodestone pages count?

EDIT: how did this end up not replying to the thread in total? oh well.

[TheVedis]

I would really appreciate clarification from the reps regarding the following two:

•The modification, analysis, integration and reverse engineering of game data;
•The creation and diffusion of utilitarian software;

Specifically, do logs count as "game data" and does parsing them count as "analysis"? Also, what qualifies as "utilitarian software"? Would the YG Updater or the parser that generates data for XIVpads from the Lodestone pages count?

EDIT: how did this end up not replying to the thread in total? oh well.

i know that language!

basicaly what they are saying, is you cant use their source code for your own purposes, and you cant hack the game in general to do stuff to it


its not talking about 3rd party software in general, but the actual use of it to alter the game itself