FFXIV: Cheat 2 Win - The New Norm?

[Kerowyn]

Actually there were Addons that let you scan and track specific mobs in the game. Quest related or not. I remember there was an addon that people could use to find rare mobs that were needed for specific rare items in the game. All you had to do was be in the specific zone that the mob spawns in and it would scan and then target the mob once it was within targeting range.

[Sove92]

snip

It's got nothing to do with the minimap. The computer needs to be aware of all the mobs around you and their locations in order to render them and include all the functions they serve (NPC, mob, object etc.). The app does nothing but get this information and parse it on an overlay on top of the ingame-map (or minimap).

Everything your computer does is based on instructions found in the RAM, and this information is uploaded there by your hard drive, network card etc. It's called working memory for a reason.

[Worm]

So I assume that's a "yes" in reference to you stating your laymen's opinion with more authority?

I feel like there's a way they can break the addon. I honestly don't have much experience with cheat engines, but I'm pretty sure wall hacks and radar apps are detectable in FPS style games, right? They should just have to do something like that. I mean maybe things like this are common in all games and FFXIV would need some anti-cheat engine, I don't know.

[Sove92]

snip

They already do this with every patch by remapping memory addresses, but the developers simply roll out a fix within hours. Hacks are detected because they modify the memory, but this app simply reads it (which is done by so many different programs you can't use it as a ban reason). Anti-cheat software checks for memory manipulations, textures you are using and many kinds of different checksums. You can make a player radar for an FPS game and it won't be detected by technical means, they get caught because their cheat software comes with many hacks that are detectable. They also often have have a blacklist that blocks software with a specific hash from running, or simply bans you for it (but this is easily bypassed, it's a cat and mouse game).

You can detect memory editing as an obvious cheat, but you cannot detect merely reading it as a cheat attempt. The app does not directly interact with the game at all, it merely draws an overlay on top of the screen, interaction with the game would be detectable.

[Kallera]

I think we all can agree that there needs to be something done about this, no matter which FC or LS is caught with it.

[Wolfram_Alexandros]

Actually there were Addons that let you scan and track specific mobs in the game. Quest related or not. I remember there was an addon that people could use to find rare mobs that were needed for specific rare items in the game. All you had to do was be in the specific zone that the mob spawns in and it would scan and then target the mob once it was within targeting range.

I'm pretty sure this was during the relic questline. I'm not so sure if it considered an addon because it is built into the system, rather than having a third party application track it for you.

[Magis]

Problem is this application is probably really hard to detect. From what I heard, it's probably reading the game memory and not modifying anything, nor sending data to the server (like the underground botters do). This makes it hard to detect. Square would have to implement a "Warden" style service in the game to scan for programs reading FFXIV's memory and flag the accounts that do. The other way is investigate LSs and characters that have admitted to using them in chat, though that can be circumvented using mumble or skype.

[Fendred]

I think it all comes down to money. SE can't afford to lose thousands of paying customers (literally) so they turn a blind eye.

They can't do anything about third party apps without violating player privacy. Their software would require the ability to read all processes on your machine, which requires administrator level privileges. They'd be in violation of privacy laws in several countries.

edit: Just to clarify, I am referring specifically to those apps that read incoming data and not hacks, which effect ingame memory.

[Worm]

*snip*

It just seems so UNREAL to me that someone could be making this kind of simple and hugely advantageous tool for FPS games that is TOTALLY UNDETECTABLE and not bother to make it stand alone but instead package it with a bunch of detectable programs. Though I appreciate your explanation but with that explanation I just cannot believe these aren't 100% common in FPS.

I mean I tend to believe you since you seem pretty knowledgeable but I just have a hard time believing that such an undetectable exploit and further an exploit you suggest that is 100% intrinsic to how computers work fundamentally isn't in literally all online games all at once.

[Kerowyn]

I'm pretty sure this was during the relic questline. I'm not so sure if it considered an addon because it is built into the system, rather than having a third party application track it for you.

I was talking about an addon that was used in WoW to find and track rare spawns. For example there were rare Hunter Pets like the Ghost Wolf that Hunters in that game could tame.