Stalking and Harassment, GM/Square Enix Refusal to act

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Originally Posted by Ashemmi

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ff team has a lot of work (needed) to do on the social tabs and overall systems. if they improved blacklist functionality im sure a lot of this stalking could be circumvented

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Originally Posted by AnnRam

Another Balmung episode.


Sadly SE won't do anything besides a slap in their wrist, I mean hacking and modding got out of control, but they don't do anything because means less subscriptions per month. If that person keeps coming with alts that's a jackpot for SE.

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How, exactly? Free trial accounts, if anything they cost SE $. Storage for them, the manpower to even click a button on report. The free accounts aren't subs. The ones that never past level 1 or 2 aren't even hopeful subs.
Nobody would do this on their main account, not like this. Nobody would risk actual skin in the game (money, time). SE should honestly pull the trigger fast on accounts that have been around but never level, especially when the entire account hasn't done so.

Free accounts can't shout, yell or tell.
Free accounts can't trade or access the marketboard.
Free accounts can't hire retainers.
Free accounts can't send letters.
Free accounts can't join an FC.


All these things are forbidden because of the potential for abuse. Hmmmmm. Crazy thought there, absolutely wild.
Reports come in on one of these accounts, termination of them /should/ be pretty darned quick.

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Originally Posted by Kitty_Cat

I have a feeling that even using a plugin to hide the stalker, a certain friend will feel the need to relay everything to the OP, wouldn't that be a surprise, I think not actually, as I'd bet money it's a close friend in the first place.

It is just my opinion anyway.

My question still stands unanswered, what started this.

Personally, I would ditch the account completely and start fresh, for my own sanity, as, in your case too, your own wellbeing and sanity is of a higher priority than entertaining online friends.

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I used to run an RP venue, a Tavern. Legitimate at that. We didn't have courtesans and didn't do sex trade. It quite literally was a place for those wanting to gather to meet others.
My best guess, they approached my girl and she turned them down. Otherwise... I've a very long history of trying to help people.

As to starting fresh. No, no way. I'd be giving up a number of friends, houses, and years of leveling work. I /truly/ worry more for my friends.

This will most likely be a ever ongoing issue. GM's can sometimes be useless. Even with proof they may not do anything cause of either hands tied or might be a friend of theirs.

Need to find that magical GM who will do something. On your end all you amd your friends can do is just ignore the person. Unfortunate as that choice is. Would rather fire people like this out of a Canon into omegas larboard/starboard.

A possible fix would be for them to pull the trigger and have trial only data center. That was if the stalker and other such things do stuff on their paid. Then they screwed

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Originally Posted by Bobby66

Their irl information got released the target was a real person. The target here appears to be the character. Unless they have target them as a person beyond the scope of their characters.

Yes one could argue a person is behind the character, but I don't think legally a character is offered the same protections and rights as the person in control of said character.

Has the OP be doxdd irlm

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It's not the character being harassed. It's the individual that uses the character as their in-game avatar for social interaction that is being harassed.

We're long past the point where people should be dismissing things as "it's just a game" when there are real people involved.

One small slip by the wrong person who has real life information about the individual and the aggressor could have what they need to track down the OP in real life to do far worse. There is a vast amount of information you can get about individuals online starting with very basic information. For all we know the aggressor has somehow obtained a little information about the OP and is trying to find them in real life. Or maybe they are already in contact without the OP knowing. It's not unknown for criminals to play concerned friend while being the one causing the problems in the first place.

We are not law enforcement or the justice system to be making the determination of whether or not this situation is worth investigating. It needs to be left to those that do have such jobs to make that decision. These types of situations are getting more and more common and leading to more and more tragic endings in some cases so law enforcement in some areas are taking these things far more seriously.

This needs to go to law enforcement. Let them decide.

SE could make some changes to the systems that are directly related to player interaction but that's not going to stop this type of thing from happening. Those determined to harass a specific individual will always find a way to track that person down regardless of blacklists/whitelists/character databases, etc. That's not to say those things shouldn't be done, they would still be QoL changes for players.

But none of what I see getting suggested for SE to do would make things any different for the OP at this point. The person involved knows too much about the OP in platforms outside of the game (such as Discord) as well as in and too many people trying to be friendly/helpful are too likely to answer a request for information from a random stranger about a "mutual friend".

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Originally Posted by Ashemmi

All these things are forbidden because of the potential for abuse. Hmmmmm. Crazy thought there, absolutely wild.
Reports come in on one of these accounts, termination of them /should/ be pretty darned quick.

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Reality check.

Those things aren't forbidden because they can be abused. They're forbidden to encourage those players to purchase the game and subscribe. And it evidently works very well.

The GMs still have to investigate complaints made by subscribed players against trial accounts. They're not going to randomly terminate a trial account just because someone complains. That's counterproductive to why the trial exists if that means they start banning players who have done nothing wrong just because a subscribed player wants to make trouble.

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

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Of course they are within their right to go to law enforcement, and see what can be done. I just personally do not understand what exactly they expect to be happen. So many issues with stalking irl end up horribly because our legal system at least in the US is reactive not proactive. So many people seek out orders of protection, and while many are granted a temporary order of protection, the permeant ones are often turned down because "the allegations are not proven true" because unless they physically done something that has harmed the person filing the petition it is extremely hard to prove the person they wish to file the order of protection against will do something.

Everything you stated is possible, that is the issue at hand here it is possible, possible alone does not make a creditable threat sadly. Until the aggressor crosses that line and does something that that impacts in the OP irl, I am sure the station will take the report but it will just sit in a box and nothing will do be.

Should we be long past that point? Sure, are we? I do not think so, I have been looking and have yet to find a single case where someone was being stalked solely in a game, or things like discord without making any form of contact IRL be charged with any crime what so ever. If you know of one I would love to read about it.

I doubt this is also just some one off thing that happens, I am sure it happens all the time, just our laws have not caught up and until they do the OP has very view protections.

The OP really only has two options ignore the person, or delete all social media, quit the game, and put this chapter of their life behind them.

Curious if this ever got resolved for you or if it's still ongoing.

I want to add onto this thread as I've reported a 2 individuals in an alliance sized duty who has viciously harassed me and other players in the duty. I'm very sure the gms did absolutely nothing about it (maybe cause this person is a high ranked player?pfff) , not really surprised given how many have this problem. Disappointed they don't take this serious and just allow this stalking and harassment to continue.

I do not appreciate the amount of inaction from the GMS. They are just encouraging this behavior to continue.

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Originally Posted by Laun_dingo

I want to add onto this thread as I've reported a 2 individuals in an alliance sized duty who has viciously harassed me and other players in the duty. I'm very sure the gms did absolutely nothing about it (maybe cause this person is a high ranked player?pfff) , not really surprised given how many have this problem. Disappointed they don't take this serious and just allow this stalking and harassment to continue.

I do not appreciate the amount of inaction from the GMS. They are just encouraging this behavior to continue.

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That is exactly it. Them not taking action on something's while being extremely heavy handed on very minor and petty offenses is ridiculous. Then not telling us when someone who has made a more severe violation has been properly dealt with. Or when someone has made heinous violations and you provide them with all of the proof, and they do nothing, that means they're literally protecting/encouraging/enabling abusers and criminals. I say this with a wide variety of scenarios in mind from free company usurpers and bug exploiters to people harassing , and many more

I've found that getting harasses in ffxiv banned is extremely difficult and takes multiple people reporting. Holding my own issues with a kick happy crafting mentor in nn. Its best to take matters into ur own hands. Talk it out with them and if it does nothing. Ignore then entirely. They really hate it since all they want is your attention. If you just ignore them eventually they'll get tired. Try not to blist them. But pretend in ur head yu have. Then just mass report everything. Eventually. Something will get done