Banned for Windower?

[Arcon]

What I said is that these type of exploits generally need an undetectable platform to be used [..], windower is proven [..] to be functional for that purpose.

And what are you basing those statements on?

There are other platforms that can be used and for that matter if you can program a hack you SHOULD be able to make your own interface, but it's there. Just because it isn't done with the windower crew's efforts or support doesn't mean that it can't be used in ways that are not intended or sanctioned by the makers.

Actually, it does mean just that. If they don't want you to bot through it, they won't let you, which they don't. You seem to talk about hacking as if it's very easy (and I'm not even denying that), but you don't seem to know how exactly it works yourself.

For an exploit to work (on a sustained basis) it needs to get into the server without being detected so you do want to daisy-chain your exploit on to something that does get through without tripping an SE monitoring program, which windower apparently does.

Windower gets nowhere near the servers. People keep saying that like Windower is hacking SE to get the information they do. The truth is, everything Windower shows you is on your computer, and only there. The TP and MP of your party/alliance members is sent to you by SE's servers. They probably added that years ago because they planned to expand on that. That's how Windower accesses that information. Your position as well as your target's position are also in your memory, which is how Windower calculates the distance.

All movement is done completely client-side. There's a number in your computer's memory that represents your movement speed. If you increase that number, you move faster. You don't need Windower for that (and I don't even think you can edit that with Windower, but I never tried it, it might be). On the other hand, you can access (and edit) it with a lot of completely legal and free tools available. Editing your own computer's memory is not illegal after all. The tools to do this are completely legal. Only how you use them is wrong. Windower doesn't make it safer nor easier to accomplish this. SE has their own protection in place for movement related issues, server-side (your new position is automatically sent to the server, so they can effectively check how fast you're moving).

Also, Windower doesn't monitor your connection to get information about ???s sooner either. Windower doesn't know it's there until the server says so, which is also when you know it's there. It may be in your memory a few milliseconds before it's on the screen, but your connection speed is a way bigger influence on whether or not you get the claim than Windower could ever be.

Windower is definitely illegal, make no mistake about that. But don't make it out to be a magic tool to make your character invincible and able to cheat yourself relics to your Delivery Box, it's definitely not.

[Glamdring]

1. either you don't remember or choose to forget the windower from about the peak of the RMT days. There were continued rants about the bots and such through windower. Since I didn't want to simply bandwagon on the complaints I went and looked up what was available, both through the program and the plugins. Among others, you could change your job anywhere, set your movement speed faster (and slower, although who would), and pile bots for fishing and a few other activities, even auto-bidding at the AH. Although the plugins to do so are no longer distributed through the windower site (and the current guys actually police it to prevent that) as most were simply scripted they can still easily be done. However, they are VERY blatant and anyone trying to do so would be caught quickly by SE's monitoring.

2. Windower is a download. Once you've gotten it from them you can do as you wish with it-on your end. as long as you don't try to upload your cheat to the windower site the team doesn't have the ability to stop anything. The most they can do is modify the code in the next update to try to block whatever the cheat is doing--if they hear about it. However, since most of the cheats are simply a scripted action they probably wouldn't do much, so they don't interfere with their macro functions (also a script) which is one of the main reasons windower is used (huge gear changes, etc.). As this scripting function is the main appeal to using windower they would be unlikely to remove the function just to block a more blatant cheat.

3. Windower interfaces with the POL client to send whatever commands it's set to do, which is the actual server interface, it allows you to do things at speeds that a human generally cant do, and in some cases faster than your "latency" (I'm using the term loosely, accomodating rendering, reaction, typing speeds, send/receive, macro line limits, etc.) allow. So yes, windower does not directly interface with the servers, it interfaces with the interface is I guess a more technical explanation.

The main reason windower is a platform that allows a player to exploit is because it is MUCH more user friendly for inserting outside commands into the game. Certainly you can edit the game commands directly, but look at the number of continually updated files you have to redo or simply sift through? the game is HUGE, iirc it's actually larger than some of the GUI it can run on. Again, MOST of the exploits are simply scripts, and outside of the windowing function, scripting is what windower primarily does (technically script insertion, but same idea). And since SE doesn't actively enforce the 3rd-party ban against windower, if you run your script through it (instead of directly through POL or the like)there's a fair chance it won't get flagged, as the most effective way to catch anything would be to run a time-stamped activity log of an individual player's actions and compare it to benchmarks set at very high levels by someone known to be playing it straight, and if it exceeds that speed you know you are dealing with a 3rd party tool (or a meth addict whose typing skills are unaffected by jitters). This is alot more effort than any company would reasonably spend to investigate anything but a very blatant cheat (again, job changing in the field, teleporting without the benefit of a mage, etc.).

Note that I'm not saying it's being done still. In fact, most of the complaints of botting or auto-claiming are simply rants by players that aren't as focussed on the game as the "bot" (who is simply paying attention, not botting) and thus miss opportunities, in other words, whiners. But if you look at those threads, frequently someone will not only say that it is techincally possible, but a fair number of those posts even say how, and generally there is a reference to windower and possibly a specific plug-in in the explanation.

[Ravenmore]

False. Very false.

Which part because getting anyone to do anything worth a crap before abyssea was like pulling teeth and the whole 2009 we got nothing. How bout the 3 years it took to finish a crappy expansion that was a bunch of overly long CSs with a fight here and there, with you guessed it another freaking earring will meh stats. There not bad but really not great for amount of time we had to wait to get.

The salvage bans only removed the elitest crap that if they had made trick more widely know would have gotten a warning at worst, but since they were so few compared to the number of players at the time.

Really you can only kill kirin, ground kings, grinding salvage, limbus or dynamis so many times before you don't even give 2 flying @#$#s about the event anymore. So people got bored and left.

Yeah at this point in the game you really have to sit in port going on about how your using windower, even then you might get a temp ban for spam or a perma if its your last straw.

[Invader]

The FFXI Gods have spoken!
... I mean mods.

[Emdub]

Greetings!

Thank you for your interest in our Rules & Policies! Please allow me to give a direct answer on this matter.

Third party software use is a violation of our Terms of Service. You can find the following information and more on our Knowledge Base on the Support Center website! Here is some information directly from KB article:12800

Definition
Usage of a 3rd party program is defined as usage of a program, made and distributed by an individual other then Square Enix, which impacts the game play in any way. Usage of any of these types of programs, regardless of if they give the player an unfair advantage over others or not, is strictly prohibited. The following are some examples of such prohibited activities:
- Use of a program or tool within any PlayOnline service that allows any actions to be performed automatically and continuously.
- Changing, combining, reverse engineering, or analyzing game data, as well as creating or distributing utility programs for such purposes.
- Use of any unofficial program to the benefit of any users.

* Please note that players who take advantage of in-game mechanics not intended as normal means of game play even without the use of unofficial programs may also face penalties such as account suspension. If you become aware of any such issue, please report it to a GM or the Special Task Force immediately.

Hopefully, this will provide you with an answer on our stance to any third party software use! If you need any additional information, please feel free to peruse our Knowledge Base here:
http://support.na.square-enix.com/main.php?id=20&la=1.

You may also reach the Special Task Force here:
http://support.na.square-enix.com/co...php?id=20&la=1.

At this time, I will now lock this thread as we have a nice, definitive answer.

Thank you for your understanding and apologies for any inconvenience!

-=Game Master Emdub=-