Roleplay/Partyfinder Discrepancies & Policy Enforcement by GM's

[Kaurhz]

There is a clause against obscenity in the ToS.

Incorrect. There's an entry for profanity, not obscenity, and they are not interchangeable either.

But regardless of this, I think the important thing to consider is that whilst they are not against the Terms of Service explicitly, it should be considering you should agree to act accordingly to the audience with which the game is designed for, and that does mean not potentially providing a public outlet in which people can be exposed mature audiences or conversations, consented or otherwise, some people don't understand the gravity of their decisions, that includes this

[NessaWyvern]

Incorrect. There's an entry for profanity, not obscenity, and they are not interchangeable either.

In the support centre, they clarify what could be considered harassment, and obscene comments fall into this category.

"■Harassment
"Harassment" means speech and/or behaviour that inflicts deep emotional distress on another person. It is an extremely serious violation. Where Square Enix determines that harassment has occurred, a penalty equal to or higher than "Temporary Service Account Suspension" may be imposed.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of behaviour that could constitute harassment in Final Fantasy XIV:

・Discriminatory expressions based on race/nationality/thinking/gender/sexual orientation/gender identity
・Discriminatory expressions about a state/religion/occupation/organisation, etc.
・Obscene/indecent expressions
・Actions that inflict emotional distress using content related to historical events or crimes
・Stalking
・Disclosing or indicating personal information such as contact details with the aim of meeting up in the real world
・Disclosing or indicating another person's real world personal information without permission
・Other actions that are generally regarded as actions that inflict deep emotional distress on another person

These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names. With regard to character names, if a phrase equating to harassment is formed within the full name, this is also regarded as harassment. In the case of a group action, all of the members involved will be subject to penalties."

So yeah, Obscene/Indecent expressions are prohibited and can get ya banned.

[ZackZero]

In the support centre, they clarify what could be considered harassment, and obscene comments fall into this category.

"■Harassment
"Harassment" means speech and/or behaviour that inflicts deep emotional distress on another person. It is an extremely serious violation. Where Square Enix determines that harassment has occurred, a penalty equal to or higher than "Temporary Service Account Suspension" may be imposed.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of behaviour that could constitute harassment in Final Fantasy XIV:

・Discriminatory expressions based on race/nationality/thinking/gender/sexual orientation/gender identity
・Discriminatory expressions about a state/religion/occupation/organisation, etc.
・Obscene/indecent expressions
・Actions that inflict emotional distress using content related to historical events or crimes
・Stalking
・Disclosing or indicating personal information such as contact details with the aim of meeting up in the real world
・Disclosing or indicating another person's real world personal information without permission
・Other actions that are generally regarded as actions that inflict deep emotional distress on another person

These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names. With regard to character names, if a phrase equating to harassment is formed within the full name, this is also regarded as harassment. In the case of a group action, all of the members involved will be subject to penalties."

So yeah, Obscene/Indecent expressions are prohibited and can get ya banned.

To be fair, here it's explained as part of what could be considered harassment towards a person. This is not the same as a general obscenity clause, which may or may not be present.

[NessaWyvern]

To be fair, here it's explained as part of what could be considered harassment towards a person. This is not the same as a general obscenity clause, which may or may not be present.

"These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names."
So even if you're not actively harassing a particular player, they might still be considered prohibited.

It's probably why a character called Chad Thunder-name for male bird/rooster- had to change his name, even though he wasn't harassing a particular player with it.

[ZackZero]

"These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names."
So even if you're not actively harassing a particular player, they are still considered prohibited.

Within the context of harassment, as they're expanded in that section of the Terms. Also, note that the operative term "could" does not mean that they do in all cases (though I would argue that discriminatory statements certainly do fall under a "would"). This places this under their discretion for enforcement.

EDIT: Before you claim that this is a defense of explicit advertisements, don't. As the saying goes, there's a time and a place, and that sort of ad certainly doesn't belong in a public search index.

[NessaWyvern]

Within the context of harassment, as they're expanded in that section of the Terms. Also, note that the operative term "could" does not mean that they do in all cases (though I would argue that discriminatory statements certainly do fall under a "would"). This places this under their discretion for enforcement.

EDIT: Before you claim that this is a defense of explicit advertisements, don't. As the saying goes, there's a time and a place, and that sort of ad certainly doesn't belong in a public search index.

I guess you'll have to refer to the ToS:

"3.3 Profanity and Offensive Language. You may not use profanity or any language that a reasonable person would find offensive. The Game is for players aged 13 and older. You agree to behave accordingly."

Sexual Language can be considered Offensive Language in many situations, especially in the context of which you're supposed to behave in a game where there may be those as young as 13 playing.
Combined with the "These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names." part of the support desk, and the fact that players have to change their names if they're too sexual, despite not harassing a specific person, I think it still holds up.

You know what? I'll make a ticket asking about it and see if I get a GM response on the issue. Something along the lines of "If Sexually explicit material is said in chats, despite not being targeted at a particular person, is it still a violation of ToS?" because this probably should be clarified.

[ZackZero]

I guess you'll have to refer to the ToS:

"3.3 Profanity and Offensive Language. You may not use profanity or any language that a reasonable person would find offensive. The Game is for players aged 13 and older. You agree to behave accordingly."

Sexual Language can be considered Offensive Language in many situations, especially in the context of which you're supposed to behave in a game where there may be those as young as 13 playing.
Combined with the "These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names." part of the support desk, and the fact that players have to change their names if they're too sexual, despite not harassing a specific person, I think it still holds up.

You know what? I'll make a ticket asking about it and see if I get a GM response on the issue. Something along the lines of "If Sexually explicit material is said in chats, despite not being targeted at a particular person, is it still a violation of ToS?" because this probably should be clarified.

I should have known a bad-faith option would be presented here. This reads as trying to box those of us arguing for clarification into a specific situation, whereas others like JanVanding have raised critical points of consented venues (private chats where consent between the involved parties is clear, etc.)

EDIT: A number of times, things are rather quick to go towards minors. Seems there's a lot of people with an axe to grind, seeing as there's been suggestions of grooming (a serious accusation that can be considered harassment if unfounded), open attacks against unspecific "degeneracy", and even one user later claiming sarcasm over unclear posts that suggest LGBT+ groups should go next because of - again - allegations of child grooming. Not necessarily from you, mind, but scattered amongst this whole thread.

[Kaurhz]

In the support centre, they clarify what could be considered harassment, and obscene comments fall into this category.

"■Harassment
"Harassment" means speech and/or behaviour that inflicts deep emotional distress on another person. It is an extremely serious violation. Where Square Enix determines that harassment has occurred, a penalty equal to or higher than "Temporary Service Account Suspension" may be imposed.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of behaviour that could constitute harassment in Final Fantasy XIV:

・Discriminatory expressions based on race/nationality/thinking/gender/sexual orientation/gender identity
・Discriminatory expressions about a state/religion/occupation/organisation, etc.
・Obscene/indecent expressions
・Actions that inflict emotional distress using content related to historical events or crimes
・Stalking
・Disclosing or indicating personal information such as contact details with the aim of meeting up in the real world
・Disclosing or indicating another person's real world personal information without permission
・Other actions that are generally regarded as actions that inflict deep emotional distress on another person

These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names. With regard to character names, if a phrase equating to harassment is formed within the full name, this is also regarded as harassment. In the case of a group action, all of the members involved will be subject to penalties."

Then I stand corrected on this specific account of it not being explicitly mentioned, didn't really think to check the support desk but..

Thank you for doing my homework for me and for convenience sake copying it and pasting it here in no unclear terms.

[Saefinn]

In the support desk, they clarify what could be considered harassment, and obscene comments fall into this category.

"■Harassment
"Harassment" means speech and/or behaviour that inflicts deep emotional distress on another person. It is an extremely serious violation. Where Square Enix determines that harassment has occurred, a penalty equal to or higher than "Temporary Service Account Suspension" may be imposed.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of behaviour that could constitute harassment in Final Fantasy XIV:

・Discriminatory expressions based on race/nationality/thinking/gender/sexual orientation/gender identity
・Discriminatory expressions about a state/religion/occupation/organisation, etc.
・Obscene/indecent expressions
・Actions that inflict emotional distress using content related to historical events or crimes
・Stalking
・Disclosing or indicating personal information such as contact details with the aim of meeting up in the real world
・Disclosing or indicating another person's real world personal information without permission
・Other actions that are generally regarded as actions that inflict deep emotional distress on another person

These are prohibited in all places where expressions can be made, including chat (including Quick Chat and Emote), markers, comments and names. With regard to character names, if a phrase equating to harassment is formed within the full name, this is also regarded as harassment. In the case of a group action, all of the members involved will be subject to penalties."

This is in the context of harassment.

It's not an obscenity clause. It's to account for when people use obscenities to harass or cause deep emotional distress

[JanVanding]

snip.

In cases of harassment, when another player has specifically asked another player to stop, ie, breaking consent.

In private venues, private rooms, door locked, that's not covered as it's effectively a "Private instance" which only the room owner and the person they are in there with that has Consented to it, thus removing the issue of breaching third party consent.

I'll never, ever agree with people that do these kind of behaviors in a public space like Limsa as they are straight breaking consent and falling under the constituted harassment policy, not to mention one other thing....

There's a warning if you click off the profanity filter that you are "Consenting" to seeing more adult language (why I'm also against using words like Brother/ERP/Courtesan in PFs because you're basically trying to bypass the profanity filter consent to offer adult writing in a public arena)

So if you go to an adult establishment, switch off your profanity filter and see people talking dirty to one another

Guess what? You consented twice.

Once by turning off the profanity filter

Twice by stepping foot in the venue

This doesn't change that some places need to be better to avoid potential issues avoiding minors that wander in and the PF thing was warned about as I previously said in Octobers RMT sting operation.

The important word here is "Consent"

If you turn off that filter, walk into a Brothel and go into a private chamber, you no longer have grounds to bring up any harassment report because you fully consented every step of the way.