Chat filters to filter out certain copy-pasted messages and spam in the chat

It would help reduce the number of RMT messages that keep getting sent to the player and also filter out FC advertising shouts that happen often in towns


Edit: Just to be clear I'm suggesting player-made filters which can be set by the player

The problem with chat filters is they inevitably only work for a brief time, until the RMT spammers work out what words and phrases are being blocked, and then come up with creative ways around said filters or blocks.

For instance, a common trick used by RMT /tell spammers was in FFXI where any message with 'com' in the message would be blocked (as RMT messages usually have a web address to their website), so RMT would replace the 'o' in 'com' with an '@' and even inform the recipient what the url really was. Hence the same would only happen here - it's a zero-sum game, no matter what SE does the RMT will always find a way around it.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

The problem with chat filters is they inevitably only work for a brief time, until the RMT spammers work out what words and phrases are being blocked, and then come up with creative ways around said filters or blocks.

For instance, a common trick used by RMT /tell spammers was in FFXI where any message with 'com' in the message would be blocked (as RMT messages usually have a web address to their website), so RMT would replace the 'o' in 'com' with an '@' and even inform the recipient what the url really was. Hence the same would only happen here - it's a zero-sum game, no matter what SE does the RMT will always find a way around it.

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Sorry, I wasn't clear enough

What I'm suggesting is player-made filters

SE can't keep up with the RMT text changes but the players could

The person behind the RMT spam would have to manually change the message if he wants to get through

And people have to make their own filters would still be a hassle, because RMT can still get around it by changing a single thing in the message. RMTs have bot programs for a lot of what they do. Go look at RMTs from other MMO RPGs, they can fill up chatboxes in not even a second with external programs posting for them.

Hell, this is my 20-somethingth MMO RPG, and there's never been a 100% way to stop RMT for too long, and SE is trying their best at it.

Did you play XIV in the first weeks of 2.0? It was WAY worse then. You couldn't even step into one of the three towns without your shout box filled up in a second. It's way better than how it used to be

Since many people just black list characters that are spamming, I think an addition to the black list would be great. Why are you blacklisting this person? Have two or three choices and then its done. If you choose spam, RMT, or what ever, the last few posts that that character had are automatically forwarded to support with their server and character name. Also it locks the character so that it cannot be erased till the support can review the incident. IF spamming is involved the account is already flagged and it will be easier to eliminate the account. What ever violation can be dealt with a great deal easier than the support looking up who sent the report and who was doing it when and where and see if it was just random or they were just being a pain.

I have character from months ago sitting in my blacklist even after I reported them, that still are spamming the game.