Please add something to FFXIV that disables 3rd party software interactions.

[Zfz]

Is it even possible, though, from a systems engineering point of view? Things like:

• Is it possible for an application to tell whether one specific input action received is automated or human? For example FFXIV currently accepts input from Windows TSF services, which itself could possibly be considered a third party tool.
• Is it possible for an application ito hide its network traffic such that not even the operating system can inspect it? Because if the OS can inspect it, then any tool that gets Administrator priviledge necessarily will be able to inspect the traffic.
• Even if all of the above are possible in practice, what are the ramifications and impact to the system while the game is running? Would FFXIV have to literally take over the whole system and the only way to interact with anything other than FFXIV is to log-off and close FFXIV?

I suppose if FFXIV is ran inside a sandbox pre-configured by Square Enix to allow only FFXIV to run, it may be possible? But I feel this is going beyond what a game company is capable of and is more likely done for software that requires the highest security, for example financial institute authentication service applications.

[RoyalBeef]

Original Everquest operated like that, was only runnable in Fullscreen and as soon as you tried to tab out or run other applications you got disconnected. It was an unpleasent user experienced to say the least. They even added an ingame MP3playerso you couldlisten to music at least lol.

[HWalsh]

Is it even possible, though, from a systems engineering point of view? Things like:

• Is it possible for an application to tell whether one specific input action received is automated or human? For example FFXIV currently accepts input from Windows TSF services, which itself could possibly be considered a third party tool.
• Is it possible for an application ito hide its network traffic such that not even the operating system can inspect it? Because if the OS can inspect it, then any tool that gets Administrator priviledge necessarily will be able to inspect the traffic.
• Even if all of the above are possible in practice, what are the ramifications and impact to the system while the game is running? Would FFXIV have to literally take over the whole system and the only way to interact with anything other than FFXIV is to log-off and close FFXIV?

I suppose if FFXIV is ran inside a sandbox pre-configured by Square Enix to allow only FFXIV to run, it may be possible? But I feel this is going beyond what a game company is capable of and is more likely done for software that requires the highest security, for example financial institute authentication service applications.

There are things that can be done. The real problem is that anything done can be worked around.

So, here is an example:

To combat RMT bots - You have to cancel any and all free trial time abilities. If every account costs $60 to start (the price of the game) then it becomes less feasible to make it work.

Even then, if it is profitable enough, people would still do it.

Another thing to do is cut the inflation off at the knees. People resort to RMT because they don't want to grind for months to afford one thing off the market boards.

I grind ore sales out and in my whole time playing I've only made about 3 million gil. When there are market items in the 30 million gil range it means those are simply things I'll never get.

So a combination of price controls and removing free accounts are the best way to combat bots. This has a higher chance of working than any software solution.

[RoyalBeef]

So a combination of price controls...

No. Have you every played BDO? That is the worst system ever. A friend has a spare weapon they want to give you to get you started?Well too bad, there's no private trading, and MB prices are set so he has to put it up for sale for a price you cannot pay. And even if you can, purchases are randomized along all poitential buyers, so GL sniping that item when 20other ppl want to buy it as well and it's random who gets it. it's the worst. There is already too little player interaction, taking away the private exchange of items/gil, including fc chests etc surely wont make the game any better,

[HWalsh]

No. Have you every played BDO? That is the worst system ever. A friend has a spare weapon they want to give you to get you started?Well too bad, there's no private trading, and MB prices are set so he has to put it up for sale for a price you cannot pay. And even if you can, purchases are randomized along all poitential buyers, so GL sniping that item when 20other ppl want to buy it as well and it's random who gets it. it's the worst. There is already too little player interaction, taking away the private exchange of items/gil, including fc chests etc surely wont make the game any better,

Nobody is saying you can't trade.
Nobody is giving you a minimum sale amount.

Price control is a maximum sale amount and that's about all it is.

[KageTokage]

I've played games with anti-hacking/botting measures, but they were all of the oversensitive sort that would oft purge the client simply for tabbing in/out momentarily and people did start finding workarounds.

To combat RMT bots - You have to cancel any and all free trial time abilities. If every account costs $60 to start (the price of the game) then it becomes less feasible to make it work.

Even then, if it is profitable enough, people would still do it.

It's worth noting that the only type of RMT bot that utilizes free trials are the gibberish-named spam bots you hear near the aetherytes.

Any other type is using the starter edition of XIV, presumably purchased via credit card fraud.