Dear Square Enix - this is tragic, it really is sickening and disgusting

[Its_Elodie]

I don't see where the problem is..

My problem with rmt is having to stay on busy status the entire time I'm logged on this game, so I don't have to hear and get 5 tells/friend requests every 5 minutes, especially during cutscenes, ruining my game immersion. I live on busy and don't receive ready checks in duty now and only socialize in this mmo through fc chat and my five linkshells. Since when is driving your customers into antisocial states to avoid constant harassment a healthy foundation for a socially driven game like an mmo?

[KisaiTenshi]

Sadly the only way to stop RMT forever would be to make gil pointless.

True, but then it comes in the form of other tradeables.

Like, if we really want to get into the nitty gritty of how best to bludgeon RMT's to death, the easiest way is to remove all forms of tradeable "currency" in the game. We have gil, gc seals, alliance marks, and now gold saucer points. This is just... kinda stupid. Other games did the "new untradeable currency" thing too, and all it does is fragment things and make a mess.

Like here's a proposal that only solves one problem:
- Remove Gil as a tradeable. HQ items can only be traded via the market boards. Crystals can only be traded for other crystals.
- Only the Retainers can trade gil, retainers would be programmed to "buy X at Y up to Z quantity" and "Sell X at Y for quantity Z" up to 20 of each. Players wouldn't be able to buy anything off the board unless their retainers have the gil for it. Retainers would only be allowed to "exist" in one market. Items can not be placed below NPC sell price nor 5% above the highest last-sold-for price. Items that are listed and not sold in one week are automatically delisted and returned to the retainers inventory.

This cripples the ability to trade items and gil

Targeting botting itself is usually best solved through some kind of PvP/Bounty system, but since it's easily abused, requires some kind of game mechanic that is more forgiving of mistakes. So maybe summoning a high level monster to kill the target would be more appropriate (eg summoning an aggressive version of the A-rank hunt target, or a Morbol) with bait tagged to the target.

The only real way to fight RMT is to leverage the player base who hates RMT by giving them tools to disrupt and report RMT activities. The same tools tend to be used to abuse/grief actual players, so it's a bit of a conundrum.

[Etcher]

I don't want to tempt fate, but Phoenix server doesn't seem to have this problem at all.

[Lemuria]

If SE made shards easier to get through gathering there would be fewer people buying them, and fewer people filling the gilsellers coffers. Of course, they don't so this sort of thing remains as prolific as ever. Getting 1 shard per harvest is incredibly dull and slow given the rate at which you burn through them crafting. Wards only work once per node, and even then eat up so much GP that it can't be done regularly.

The gathering classes need a buff to make it more viable to get your own rather than rely on the marketplace. It won't happen, but we can always dream.

[SevenHeavens]

it was like this in 1.0 too

packs of lala running around

don't think it will ever change unfortunately

[Zabuza]

I don't see where the problem is.. cheap shards? That should be good for our crafters.. They're causing us no harm

You don't see the big picture. This is the root of the supply chain. They make their gil off the shards and give it to their respective gilselling websites, which is part of what keeps them running and spamming other people with /tells.

[charlemagne]

I don't see where the problem is.. cheap shards? That should be good for our crafters.. They're causing us no harm

The gil the RMT make from the shards is sold to players who can then pay more for stuff on the ah. This drives up prices for everything else. It means the crafters who can make the expensive stuff make even more gil relative to gatherers and other players, distorting the economy. This helps cement and widen the divide between the haves and have nots in terms of gil.

[Lambadelta]

You don't see the big picture. This is the root of the supply chain. They make their gil off the shards and give it to their respective gilselling websites, which is part of what keeps them running and spamming other people with /tells.

The big picture is the root of the problem are players who buy the gil making it profitable to create bots, and farm the gil to sell them. If people just didn't buy gil then problem would be gone but scrubs need their T13 buys

[Canadane]

The guys in the opening post are still there.

[Canadane]

it was like this in 1.0 too

packs of lala running around

don't think it will ever change unfortunately

Oh the memories...

Apparently I don't change my "Found some RMT" pose even after 4-5 years.