Request to speak to the Senior Game Master

[Rawrrior]

Hope everyone had a nice weekend

Still no contact from SE far as i know. Going to keep on waiting and keeping this thread alive till something happens. Won't let 2 months and a week of being on top of this go to waste just yet ):!!

[DSN]

Hope everyone had a nice weekend

Still no contact from SE far as i know. Going to keep on waiting and keeping this thread alive till something happens. Won't let 2 months and a week of being on top of this go to waste just yet ):!!

Just so you know this section is primarily for users to assist users with technical support, see the sticky "Welcome to Technical Support" at the start of these topics. You can keep updating this and you may never get anyone to look at it.
If you're friend is having account related issues he should use the proper channels if you want them addressed in any sort of timely manner, coming here is just going to make your 2 mo become 2 yrs.

[Rex]

Just so you know this section is primarily for users to assist users with technical support, see the sticky "Welcome to Technical Support" at the start of these topics. You can keep updating this and you may never get anyone to look at it.
If you're friend is having account related issues he should use the proper channels if you want them addressed in any sort of timely manner, coming here is just going to make your 2 mo become 2 yrs.

Yes and no to this, as there are moderators scanning every message and every post of this entire forum. Someone is seeing this.

But DSN here is correct about the 2 months becoming 2 years thing. At this point, Rawrrior, your friend could have made a new account and been further along in the game.

[Rawrrior]

Long post incoming.. I apologize if my post comes off rude and needy (Probably will).. I in no way mean to disrespect anyone, and even though i'm very disappointed with Square Enix, i still love your games. I'm just sure you understand our frustration with this Haven't had my coffee yet so i'm sure half this post is ranting. so i'm sorry, don't eat me D:

Edit: ;__; I'm one sad panda right now. I broke the coffee pot i so saaaaad!! No coffee for me today ;.; -sniffles-

Here we go..

Just so you know this section is primarily for users to assist users with technical support, see the sticky "Welcome to Technical Support" at the start of these topics. You can keep updating this and you may never get anyone to look at it.
If you're friend is having account related issues he should use the proper channels if you want them addressed in any sort of timely manner, coming here is just going to make your 2 mo become 2 yrs.

I very well know that, i read that post before making this post, but when every other form of official support refuses to help you further than reading a premade answer/ copy and pasting a premade answer to you, it's useless Posting on this forum was my last hope, and after 3 days of the post, they told the senior GM, and he DID post on here (page 3). He(she?) said they were going to investigate the account on this particular case, and said they it's most likely they won't reply again. But, when will the account holder, Mister Sirs, know about the results of the investigation? He at least deserves the right to know the results and why or why not he won't be unbanned ):

Yes and no to this, as there are moderators scanning every message and every post of this entire forum. Someone is seeing this.

But DSN here is correct about the 2 months becoming 2 years thing. At this point, Rawrrior, your friend could have made a new account and been further along in the game.

I know.. 2 months will most likely become 2 years. Square Enix doesn't seem to show much appreciation for their customers :/ Sure, he tinkered and hacked, but he reported it, and didn't abuse it, or even give me any of the money he spawned. Honestly, if they cared, they would try to get the account back, or even at least talk to him about it more in depth, or something! Sitting here being told they will investigate, and not even tell him what they found, or what not is just.. meh.

Yes, i know he could of made a new account months ago and could of shrugged this off, but it's the fact of how much time we spent playing together on those characters, the effort to get a couple of professions to 50 before getting to the end of the main scenario. It's also the goodies from the collector's edition and the preorder bonus, which he would never be able to get back unless they unban his account :/

We love the games Square Enix produces. We loved this MMO. We never imagined the support to their 2nd attempt to make XIV right would be this.. Troublesome. It boggles our minds wondering how this companies support isn't to helpful. And.. Seeing how they aren't trying to hard to help Mister with his case, makes him not want to purchase a new account and level all over again. See.. If he hacked, never reported the findings, used the gil for his personal gain, etc etc etc, then the ban would be justified, he would shrug it off and buy a new account because he 100% deserved the ban. But he didn't. Yes he hacked, but for good. How much more millions of billions of gil would be in the system now if he never bothered to report it step by step, or even bothered to hack? How Square Enix is handling his issue is sending the message to everyone who hacks with white hats on NOT to do the "right" thing and keep your findings to yourself to avoid these problems.

Even though how poorly this is being handled, i'm still here, trying this last line of contact in hopes at least more light shines down on his case so he isn't in the dark as to why he's still banned past "RMT activities" reason. And i myself also WANT to know. I want to know if they found in their investigation if he used any of that gil, so if he did i would never again stand up for him if he ever again gets banned from here if he starts playing again, and any other game.

I'm going to have to make him call/live support/submit a ticket again.. Maybe they put a new note on the account.. I. Guh. Maybe if i keep being persistent (hopefully not annoying) eventually we can get in contact with a superior (or Jhanaka) and can give him more information on his case ): Even if they don't unban him. Fact is.. i'm not going to give up what i started and have been keeping alive for soon to be 2 1/2 months. My dedication has to mean something.. Right?.. D:?

Square. I love your games, i really do. XIV:ARR has been fun as well, but very lonely without him playing with me and finishing what we started. But.. Your support needs a bit of work on.. I've seen threads around that talk bad about the support, and do you guys really want to be known for a wonderful game but bad support? This is your 2nd chance, you've made a wonderful game, but do you really want to scare off your players when they have a problem? And i'm not just talking about me and Mister, i'm talking about every other player out there that will ever need to contact you, or has. I know you guys can do a Lalafell dance and be an even better support team! But. I guess even if you have wonderful helpers willing to help you in anyway they can.. They just can't because of those above them.

If you read all of that, then here! A piece of pie for you! (> (retarded pie piece)
Thank you again, so much for reading my rants ;.;
I very much know that this thread as a tiny tiny chance of succeeding.. But..

I'll keep trying.

[Rawrrior]

My goodness. Almost 3 months since i created this thread and almost 3 months since Jhanaka's reply.. How time flies.. And yet, we know just as much as we did 3 months ago. Sigh.. More depressed than angry.

On a side note.. Happy St. pattys day everyone.

[Rawrrior]

:/ Is it really that difficult to ask that a superior (like Jhanaka) emails the account holder (Mister Sirs) with information as to why or why not he will be unbanned? He at least deserves the right to that knowledge of his account.

We are being ignored.. It's not right to reply to the thread that you guys will investigate, then don't even update him on your findings and decision..

Does he need to make a ticket or something? :/ This is getting ridiculous..

[C-croft]

Well, you can always try contacting the BBB and ask for mediation. It doesn't always do anything at all though. As long as you both realize hacking it in the first place was a bad move period, regardless of intention. As horrible as it sounds, sometimes you should turn the other cheek. Something's just aren't meant to be addressed.

[Rawrrior]

Well, you can always try contacting the BBB and ask for mediation. It doesn't always do anything at all though. As long as you both realize hacking it in the first place was a bad move period, regardless of intention. As horrible as it sounds, sometimes you should turn the other cheek. Something's just aren't meant to be addressed.

Hey! First, excuse my ignorance.. But.. What the heck is a BBB?..
Also, sorry for the huge post. I got carried away.. AGAIN.. Sigh..

And yes, we both knew that a ban was going to happen when he was reporting his findings. We knew that after reporting it, and after explaining to them step by step on how he was able to do it, he would be banned. We knew that after talking to GM Jhanaka in game while we were playing together would get him banned then and there.

But he didn't. He didn't get banned after filing his report. He didn't get banned after exchanging many emails with detailed information as to how he was able to hack the items and gil. He didn't get banned after talking to Jhanaka ingame. He didn't get banned at all till a month later when SE pushed out the blanket bans.

Here is my problem.. He followed directions to what he was told to do, which was stuff all the items and gil he spawned somewhere where he can't accidentally spend it or what not, so, he stuffed it in a newly made 2nd retainer at that time. After he stored it in that retainer, a week went by, we felt uneasy about having the things in there, so he tried sending an email to whoever it was he was exchanging emails with, asking what he's suppose to do with the retainer filled with the illegitimate things, if he can just delete it. No reply. Another week later, he emailed them again. no reply. I think he emailed them 1 - 2 more times after that trying to get in contact with SE, still no reply. Throughout that whole time, i kept telling him to just delete the darn retainer, he said no, cause the senior GM told him not to that it was to be left alone to investigate his account data.

So when he took a few days break back in october and was going to play one day (the time when the blanket bans were being pushed out and the forums were blowing up with people being banned and i was panicing) he tells me he's banned. he contacts SE and they tell him that his account is perma banned because of "RMT activities". This is NOT the real reason he was banned and i know it, and i also know he didn't use any of that gil to buy/sell/trade/make things with it, and i've been well over risking my account to stand up for him cause well, he can't.

Point is.. This is sending off many bad vibes to a lot of people out there that tinker for good instead of bad, and is just promoting "psst hey guys! If you hack, don't tell us so we don't know about it and can't punish you! We want large gil holes to be kept open!". Does SE really want that? It just fills me with sadness and rage and i don't know what other emotions when he was being thanked and that his efforts were very appreciated in finding such a large exploit that about 3 days later after he reported it in detail they PATCHED it. Then. He was ignored. It's not right when someone does a good for the good of the MMO, then ignored and tossed aside when they get what they needed. And by also how the support section of SE is handling this, it just doesn't look any better on their part.

Look.. I don't know how many times I've said this already.. This has infuriated us, filled us with sadness, confusion, and a whole lot of other things wondering how such a wonderful company can handle issues like this so poorly. We both love Square as a whole, and love this MMO as there isn't anything quite like it right now out there in the market that I've come across. Even after all this mess, i still find my self playing from time to time but end up not subbing for another month till a long while later because it's pretty lonely without having someone close to you experience it with you. I've tried to get him to come back with a new account, believe me, but between how this is being handled, the time he put into Mister Sirs, among other things, it's just keeping him away from XIV:ARR.

I thank Jhanaka for being such a nice GM and deserves the Senior position, and i can understand people above him override his decisions. But really.. Is it really that darn difficult to even at least give him a proper report to the investigation Jhanaka said they would do on his account to make sure the proper actions were taken on his account? Ignoring your customers like this.. Not trying hard to help him out, throwing him aside after finding such a large hole in your game, that is your 2nd chance at it after the 1st failed, and you just treat him like that without even at least going over this whole mess with him as to why you guys won't unban him, is just.. I don't know! He's so much more upset at how you guys are handling this than he is about the ban! I'm going to post what Mister Sirs said again on the first page on post number 5..

I am not going to tell everyone on the thread how to feel about what I did. I did what I thought was right by reporting a game breaking exploit I found. I enjoy tinkering with games and I did not use what I found for an advantage over others. I immediately reported my findings and the Senior GM was very appreciative. They can choose how they want to feel but that is off topic from the thread.

I would be less upset if they actually attempted to solve my issue. I have tried contacting the support team in several ways all of which they are very abrupt and honestly, unhelpful and seem to not care. I have saved the conversations with each support member and may use them at a later time but for now I don't think that needs to be shown. Here are some pictures of me talking to the Senior GM about this report however if it will help staff.

I can't let my 3 months of trying in my own way, to get more than what we have gotten so far. I'm risking my account for posting on someone elses behalf who can't post, i'm risking my account in hopes to prove that what he did was for good even though i know that messing with the game is against the rules, but if it ends up finding you guys a large exploit that can screw up the economy further that what it is to make the game a much better place, then wouldn't a 2nd chance be considered? Or at least a proper report from your investigation, or proper handling as to why he will remain banned or what not :/

If we are to just turn our cheek and let this to continue happen, and nothing would be addressed. Maybe this whole thing can have SE make their support section be a little more helpful and feel more.. like they want to help us instead of just reading notes and cutting us off when we show proof, as well as telling us "there are no superiors here" when we ask to talk to one. I can understand some things shouldn't be adressed but.. this. He did a good thing for the game, why should this be something that should not be adressed, ignored, and tossed aside in hopes it dies out? I'm not giving up just yet. We aren't the only one with problems against SE and the Support section. I've seen many posts and threads where it seems they just don't want to answer you, or don't want to help you. I've seen in-game tickets getting replied with "call support", and phone support telling them to make an in-game ticket. It's like.. What?.. But they just told me to call phone support!.. It's a bit of a mess.

I just don't know anymore.. And yes i know "in these 3 months he could of made a new account and could have gotten plenty of classes to max" and all that. Just.. I don't know. i'm going to keep trying till we get another form of contact and he privately gets contacted. If SE does i will NOT disclose ANY information that happens between him and SE.

I really need to stop making these long ole posts..

[Thundaja]

*Stretch* it has been a long time since I have been on the forums. Anyway, I have read your posts OP and I can see where you stand and I can see where SE stands. You don't want this to happen to anyone else and that is why you are trying so hard to have SE reevaluate their policy. From SE's standpoint their automatic system they developed "caught him" engaging in RMT activities. As with all automatic programs... They are stupid and do not have discretion. With that being said your friend may be stuck banned for a long time until the SFT either investigates his account (if they have not already) or decides to keep him banned. I fortunately was lucky to be poor after the beta was over and was not swept in the millions of Gil RMT bans...

How I stand on the issue? Your friend should be commended for doing the right thing morally and frankly if I could hack I would do the EXACT same thing. If he was a beta tester it makes sense... Our job is to test the game and break it. Even after launch our job does not stop until the game dies (hence why I refuse to leave FFXIV It was my first beta). Now from a black and white business standpoint... He did violate the ToS according to the automatic system and was banned due to the system seeing him as an RMT. My thoughts on why he has not been unbanned yet is that he is one person. That one person is viewed by the uninformed CSRs as an RMT and their policy is to not unban an RMT.

What I can try and do for you is submit a ticket and point them towards this forum thread and say the community is really passionate about this case and can confirm this person is not an RMT. I am one voice and frankly that is the best I can do. I am sure you are not the only person out there having this problem and frankly I was a little upset hearing about what happened to people in the mass bans. The crafters who I knew at the time worked hard and were banned and had their Gil divided by 10.

I don't pop on the forums much, but I will play FF later today and submit that ticket for you.

Good luck - Glacial Whisperwind The MNK

[Syrehn]

After reading through the posts in this thread. My thoughts are this...

Yeah, the hacking was wrong but in this scenario this user helped SE fix an apparently large exploit. SE should be grateful it was brought to their attention because said user in question did the right thing choosing to report it. When those blanket bans went out and this user subsequently got caught in it for following the directions that a SE GM gave him after his report (i.e storing the items/gil in a safe place and not using/spending them with no further communication as it all sat on a retainer), it should have been reviewed/lifted pending any further account activity for his original hacking to discover the exploit (i.e temp ban). There should have been no run-a-round via support in such a clearly documented case.

This was obviously an exploit beta testers/game testers didn't find regardless of if it was there during beta or popped up somewhere down the line; subsequently once SE was notified of it they pushed a fix out. Going forward this leads to the question of how does SE intend to correct those types of exploit scenarios if their players that find them are too afraid of severe negative repercussions to report them; it could lead to a very broken/buggy game. Is that really what you want SE?

While the response from the original GM involved on pg. 3 of this thread was appreciated there is absolutely no reason why, after going through several official channels, it should have taken creating this thread (3 pages in) to get an official un-canned response regarding this issue. It also sure shouldn't take an additional 3+ months going forward of 0 communication from SE to the involved party(ies). It's really not hard to send a communication that says something along of the lines of "we're still investigating", "yes you're permanently banned here's the reason why" or "after further review we have lifted your ban" to the party in question.

I honestly think that since it was such a big exploit the developer team that fixed it should have sent a "Thank you for making FFXIV better" style communication to the player involved and going forward, if the account gets unbanned, they owe this player a hefty apology for the grief that they caused.

I really hope that Mister Sirs gets his account back - until that point this whole scenario leads me to believe that SE would rather have a game riddled with exploits and flaws in their system rather than doing right by any players that find, report, and due to lack of communication/direction, get "caught" by their automated ban hammer. Poor show SE... Poor show.