Abuse of the TOS. Loophole regarding griefing/trolling. Needs a solution.

[spf1200]

Stalking is both creepy and illegal. It shouldn't happen in game or real life. Don't be creeps people. It has real consequences.

Following someone is a game is NOT the same thing as stalking them. Stalking is much more serious and can actually result in harm to the victim. Someone following you around in a game is not dangerous as you can easily teleport away from them or turn the game off, yes it is annoying but it isn't dangerous.

[Gula]

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Warrior of Light who is upset by trivial things

As someone who actually works in law enforcement - I can tell you that you will be laughed out of whichever police station you decide to visit with your "evidence". No one is going to take you seriously when you claim that someone on a video game is "stalking" you unless they have actually made threats to you. It doesn't matter what your state law says - those laws are primarily to make it easier to prosecute cases of ACTUAL stalking. Please don't waste our time with this rubbish unless you want to get laughed at.

Kinda rude to openly laugh at someone no matter how seemingly random their distress. Is this why cops are seen in such a negative light these days?

[Kaethra]

Kinda rude to openly laugh at someone no matter how seemingly random their distress. Is this why cops are seen in such a negative light these days?

I question the validity of their claim. Besides any LEO that 'laughs' at any sort of distress would be out of a job.

[Shadha]

I question the validity of their claim. Besides any LEO that 'laughs' at any sort of distress would be out of a job.

Just because someone's in distress doesn't mean they're right to feel that way. These are people who deal with things like murder cases. "Someone who doesn't know me in real life followed me in a video game" seems like it very well could earn a few laughs.

And again, we're talking about a case of griefing here. It wasn't charming, but it wasn't stalking. I was literally there when it happened. Chill out.

[Enla]

You know reading a lot of these posts I do have to wonder how much sympathy would be gained if the OP wasn't an RPer, especially since they've stated this has happened multiple times and that the people in question followed them even after they attempted to move. If OP was crafting or just hanging out with FC mates I get the feeling people here would be more sympathetic instead of 'ew erp, ew Balmung'.

[Machi_Machiavelli]

You would laugh too if you saw the kind of people who waste our time on a daily basis. I work for my state police in a district that has a highway connecting one of our major cities with the next state's closest major city. Of course I would laugh at someone claiming that someone on a video game is stalking them because they interrupted their RP when I'm still thinking about the guy last week who took a spill on his motorcycle at 85mph and ended up having pieces of himself spread out over a 100 yard stretch of road. There is REAL distress out in the real world, and someone popping off fireworks at your RP session is NOT one of them. Like I said - don't waste our time with this unless someone is actually seriously threatening you.

Not to mention it could actually blow up in their face and end up getting penalized for false claims and/or wasting state resources.

[AngelCheese77]

You seem to be confused as the stalking example was with a person outside of their house in a car IRL ... that is what they were talking about reporting, not the person in game.

[Diggles]

You seem to be confused as the stalking example was with a person outside of their house in a car IRL ... that is what they were talking about reporting, not the person in game.

Nope. The person I was replying to was clearly suggesting that "stalking" in the GAME is not only against the ToS (which it is), but also illegal (dubious at best and would never actually be prosecuted).

According to my state's law, it doesn't require active harassment, but observation, monitoring, and surveillance. And does not even have to be done physically, but can be done electronically through electronic messages and other eletronic medium. Apparently my state is in the 21st century on this.

So not only are these people breaking TOS, but they are breaking actual state laws.

So my advice to the OP, keep recordings of this. SE may not take the evidence but your state will. Your state can subpoena SE for the owners' information of any characters involved and prosectute them.

This isn't some silly fun, stalking is serious. Royalbeef, this is not something to play around with, and the only reason I can see you defending this, is if you've done this to RPers or others in the past. I recommend you stop. You can face serious penalties.

Uh oh, just realized she's probably going to accuse ME of stalking now. The cops should be kicking down my door any second.

[Kaethra]

You know reading a lot of these posts I do have to wonder how much sympathy would be gained if the OP wasn't an RPer, especially since they've stated this has happened multiple times and that the people in question followed them even after they attempted to move. If OP was crafting or just hanging out with FC mates I get the feeling people here would be more sympathetic instead of 'ew erp, ew Balmung'.

I believe this is the case too. Someone even admitted to targeting RPers for harassment in other games already.

I guarantee that if people were to follow them around on one of their hunts or fates and did activities that hindered their ability to complete the content they would be raising a major fuss. But because RPers are 'different' and not like them, they are fair game. In fact there's posters in this thread that feel that it SHOULD be done to chase them off and halt their RP.

There's definitely a sickness in some of these people. Blaming victims for being the targets of harassment.

[Gula]

You would laugh too if you saw the kind of people who waste our time on a daily basis. I work for my state police in a district that has a highway connecting one of our major cities with the next state's closest major city. Of course I would laugh at someone claiming that someone on a video game is stalking them because they interrupted their RP when I'm still thinking about the guy last week who took a spill on his motorcycle at 85mph and ended up having pieces of himself spread out over a 100 yard stretch of road. There is REAL distress out in the real world, and someone popping off fireworks at your RP session is NOT one of them. Like I said - don't waste our time with this unless someone is actually seriously threatening you.

Sorry, dated FBI. They seem to have more of a straight faced approach moreso than giggling like school bullies. But I guess the intake of donuts will have you more giddy. If someone feels they're at risk, no matter how random, then it doesn't hurt anyone to shake your head and say it's not the City/State's problem. You know who also gets laughed at? The people who actually commit crimes.

Y'ain't gonna be laughing when an off duty cop gets popped because someone crazy enough to report something from the internet decide to show how actually crazy they were.

/fc so you call it harresment if they do that, but if RP ppl stand mid limsa spamming the chat or even half blocking event sides cause "muh rp has to be in /say" i am supposed to ignore it yes? suuurreee...

Limsa isn't an RP hub on Balmung. It's just a hub. Maybe visit and see for yourself. I also am going to go out on a limb and guess you have never seen people RP. I mean actually RP. Not spam emotes back and forth. Cause that isn't it.