Operating System:
Windows 10

ISP:
Charter

Type of Internet Connection:
Cable

Internet Connection Speed:
100+ Mbit/s)

Date & Time:
Date and time of when the issue occurred. Please be sure to state the time zone of your region. (Example: Pacific Time = PST/PDT)
May 6 1983; 6:05 AM CST

Frequency:
State how frequently the issue occurs. Please select from the following.
It happens the first time a character interacts with the NPC while the Eminence Objective "assist channel" is active.

Character Name:
Firwyn

Race:
Race of your character when the issue occurred.
Mithra

World:
Siren

Main Job:
Dancer

Support Job:
Thief

Area and Coordinates:
Windust Waters (K-10)

Party or Solo:
Solo

NPC Name:
A.M.A.N. Liason


Steps:

With "Assist Channel" records of eminence active I interacted with this NPC. I did not realize before doing so that it was related to the assist channel. I have long ago hidden the assist channel in chat settings and have no intention of ever interacting with it again. As such I tried pressing escape to get out, but could not do so. I felt stuck, trapped in the conversation. I was essentially soft locked as far as I could tell. I couldn't even try logging out because all menu options were locked out.

Eventually I realized that I could only leave by clicking through each and every option of text. I was so frantically intent on escaping I didn't bother reading any of it. Once I got to the end I was finally released from the conversation and was awarded 300 sparks for completing the Assist Channel objective. On subsequent tries I was not stuck and could leave by pressing escape at any time.

If this is intentional, it's horrible. Literally every other NPC interaction allows the player to leave at any time, but this NPC prevents the player from even logging out until it's done spewing text at the player. I can understand wanting to educate a player, but trapping them is not good game design. It also discourages the player from interacting with new or unfamiliar NPCs. However, it feels like it is a bug, likely related to the way the game adds new lines of options after each area of text is pushed. I already didn't like the assist channel feature, but now I want nothing to do with any NPC that has anything to do with the assist channel. Any game feature that can soft lock me, even temporarily, is not something I want to risk getting involved in.

Detailed steps on how the issue occurred.

I was just walking by, noticed the NPC, and chose to interact with it.