How Can I Play Like This?

[Zojha]

There's no ban on third party software, only third party software that modifies the game or the data stream.

2.5 Data Mining. You may not intercept, mine or otherwise collect information from the Game using unauthorized third party software.
http://support.na.square-enix.com/ru...1&tag=users_en

Activities that Negatively Affect Game Balance
Third-Party Programs or Tools. SQUARE ENIX strictly prohibits the use of third-party programs or tools – including programs and tools that permit automated or “absentee” play – in FINAL FANTASY XIV. Accordingly, the following activities are prohibited:
· Modifying, analyzing, integrating, and/or reverse engineering game software or data.
· Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game.
[...]
http://support.na.square-enix.com/fa...6&id=5382&la=1
(Also: Quite a few Feast chatlogs constitute harassment according to those definitions. See 3.3 of the first link for double reference)

Basically, if it's in the game folders, you're not allowed to touch it. If you are super strict about it, you are not even allowed to look at your logs with an editor, because the logs are game data and the editor analyzes it. Nope, no copy&pasting macro/UI data from one character to the other either.

SE is simply lenient with the rule because as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, they don't care. Whether that's a parser, copied files, a model swap in the game files or any other third party software - it's fine as long as other players experience is not infringed by it. And that is why they treat the exact same violation differently when it comes to cheaters.

[Februs]

SE is simply lenient with the rule because as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, they don't care. Whether that's a parser, copied files, a model swap in the game files or any other third party software - it's fine as long as other players experience is not infringed by it. And that is why they treat the exact same violation differently when it comes to cheaters.

Well ... SE does get a little nit-picky for some of this stuff.

Several Parser users have been banned in the past, including some major forum contributors and guide creators. They were only showing data for gear and stat scaling requirements, as well as the occasional parsed Ex/Savage Trial/Raid, for the sake of community awareness, but they still got slapped with a ban. That's why a lot of the people in those forums will now tip-toe around the issue by avoiding even the mention of the word "parser." They still discuss stat scaling data and dps numbers, but direct screen captures are rarely shown, and no point of reference for the data is mentioned. It's kind of ridiculous, because everyone knows how this data is collected, but they're all afraid of SE getting their panties in a twist over it.

Other than that, you're definitely correct. SE does offer some leash when the use of such software isn't causing problems directly to the community. They also follow the "if I didn't see it, then it didn't happen" philosophy of policing the community. However, if they do see it, they have grounds to act on it. Anything that compromises the community, or SE's own corporate interest, is subject to punishment.

[Culfinrandir]

Zojha - You're wrong in your interpretation I'm afraid. Reading a plain text file is not data mining. If viewing said files with third party software was banned it would forbid you from ever looking at screenshots because they require decryption & display by third party software. Condition 2.5 was clearly aimed at decompiling or decrypting data to which it was never intended that the user could access. Such activities could give an unfair advantage or otherwise affect the experience of others.

One of the best, & clearest, definitions of data mining is from the Canadian Information Commissioner:
"a set of automated techniques used to extract buried or previously unknown pieces of information from large databases". The key words being "buried or previously unknown", the data is not buried as it in unencrypted & it is not previously unknown as it has been displayed both onscreen & in the log system. There is zero interference with the game software or data transmission by reading the text files &, as a result, no effect upon the game play or experience of other users.

TL;DR - Reading a text file that you have already been shown is not data mining.

[Zojha]

Zojha - You're wrong in your interpretation I'm afraid.

Might be, might be not - Only SE can tell right or wrong there. The second link (Prohibited Activities) first goes to say that third party tools and programs (with no specification) are strictly prohibited (twice) and then goes to list further activities that are also prohibited. Such as analyzing game data - it does not specify how you are not allowed to analyze it. It does not specify data mining either and curiously enough is listed in the context of absentee play/bots. It is implied that you aren't allowed to do it with third party tools due to the previous paragraph, however, the next prohibited point after my quote lists "Exploiting SQUARE ENIX programming bugs or glitches.", which is typically done manually. And "interacting with the game" is not exactly specific either.

I gladly agree that there is a high chance that they indeed are trying to refer to your given definition of data-mining with all that - that's common sense. That's how anyone would understand it during a casual read. But that's not how they phrase it - they phrase it far more broadly and therefore if there, for some obtuse reason, ever is a conflict that requires the broad interpretation, they are well within their right to use it and all you can say in your defense is that you understood it differently - which is a weak argument, especially in court. That's legal formulations and why I say it's technically and strictly speaking prohibited.