On-going rp name blocking harassment.

[EyreJane]

Don’t enable people’s delusions. It really is t helpful

I don't see the harm in validating their frustration and offering a workaround solution while they wait for a response from SE.

[RFiend]

I don't see the harm in validating their frustration and offering a workaround solution while they wait for a response from SE.

Definitely a lot of frustration on my and rp partners end. But it happens everyone has their own opinions and views.

At this point and 6 tickets including that which included the admission of intent to harm nothings going to be done about it. So will be giving my final thoughts on the matter, and likely end up getting this post locked due to them.

I've come to deeply appreciate the transparency in how many criminal justice systems around the world function. They are there to protect people.

Learning from this incident, as I expected first going into this, GM service aren't there to protect the customer. GM services exist to make the customer feel better and protect the investor's as all companies do. Which is what I expected. Anything that hurts the bottom line gets nailed down hard and fast. Such as that which affects a majority of players. Things like bots, malicious software, controversial modding, etc. Anything that doesn't gets likely a stern talking to, or temporary suspension of services at best, less it's possibly a high profile case. I doubt a person like Ross O'Donovan, who plays on my server periodically oddly enough, would have struggled as roughly should something similar have happened.

[RFiend]

So effectively speaking, at the end of the day, the abuser and or those breaching the ToS succeed in what they've intended to do in this case. Deny access to a legitimate use of a service by parties who don't intend to breach the EULA with it's use.

Should a case like this arise in the future that is higher profile. I can only point to how this case has been handled overall, which is to say, it effectively wasn't. And there should probably be better guidelines or clarity in how niche cases are handled. I recall, relatively recently past year or two, how party finder's were being banned for advertising rp events in it under other. An that resulted in a good chunk of the community crying out about to the point Yoshi P even had to say something about it. And that is a pretty niche case, but still a valid one.

Advice for those if something similar happens. Try to discuss it with the other party if able - I was effectively told no when they first admitted to doing this to cause harm - you may not always be able to, but, I tried. Contact GM services, they may not have effectively solved the issue in this case future issues similar to this may be handled differently. People will do things you don't expect, family, friends, friends of friends, etc., sometimes for little reason. Be very cautious when sharing rp details of someone tied to your character with other players, more so if they're rp family members. Try and have least a couple fall back names - even if part of the name is so unique it was tied solely to a single account prior - because evidently stuff like this does happen.

Sadly though. It worked. 6 tickets in and even if it was addressed in some way shape or form the one who broke the EULA succeeded in what they set out to do breaking the EULA. Deny use and access to service and game play (albeit a niche one RP is still part of the game else the RP tag would not exist, and Yoshi P wouldn't have had to speak out about the party finder RP ban stuff) for malicious reasons.

Thank you again to everyone has viewed, commented, or responded. Whether questioning, criticism, or suggestions made, I've appreciated it all since it shows other players how GM's and the general player base responds and views these kinds of issues.

[Rongway]

Deny access
EULA
the one who broke the EULA
breaking the EULA
Deny use and access to service and game play

They didn't deny or interfere with your service, not by a long shot. They did not interfere with your connection to the game servers. They didn't cause you to disconnect from the game servers. They didn't prevent you from playing the game. Was their intent malicious? I'm sure you would know more about that than I. But was it interfering with your access to the game?

Unequivocally: no. It was no more an interruption of your service than someone naming their character Naruto Uzumaki before you could take it for yourself, and in that case it's not an interruption of service. You cannot ride the interruption of service clause because it just simply doesn't apply. You can still play the game. You still do play the game.

It's probably harassment, yeah, but that's a different clause. And if you don't have enough evidence to satisfy the GMs that harassment has occurred--namely, in-game messages from the other person explicitly saying they're going to bogart your character name and in-game messages from that person as that character name taunting you--you probably don't have a case.

PS - you're still in the Localization forum. This should be in General Discussion if at all.

[RFiend]

They didn't deny or interfere with your service, not by a long shot. They did not interfere with your connection to the game servers. They didn't cause you to disconnect from the game servers. They didn't prevent you from playing the game. Was their intent malicious? I'm sure you would know more about that than I. But was it interfering with your access to the game?

Unequivocally: no. It was no more an interruption of your service than someone naming their character Naruto Uzumaki before you could take it for yourself, and in that case it's not an interruption of service. You cannot ride the interruption of service clause because it just simply doesn't apply. You can still play the game. You still do play the game.

It's probably harassment, yeah, but that's a different clause. And if you don't have enough evidence to satisfy the GMs that harassment has occurred--namely, in-game messages from the other person explicitly saying they're going to bogart your character name and in-game messages from that person as that character name taunting you--you probably don't have a case.

PS - you're still in the Localization forum. This should be in General Discussion if at all.

Thank you for being the first to actually say where this should be posted, again a forum moderator may move it at their leisure, I posted here a while ago because I'd seen similar feedback posts posted here.

If that is what they mean by disruption, being solely linked to ability to log in or in general access the game, then you're correct. Some of the EULA and ToS is again vague by what that means.
However, it can fall under prohibited activities.

・Other obstruction of play

This is due to the following also falling under obstruction of play. I am not arguing that is disrupts game balance or server access, as it doesn't.

・Spamming

The EULA version. It mentions including the disruption of SE computers and servers, not exclusively the disruption of them.

3.2 Disruption. You may not in any way disrupt or interfere with the Game experience of other players, including the disruption of Square Enix's computers and servers.

It's ironic you mention someone naming their character Naruto Uzumaki, as that is by definition against the EULA too.

EULA 3.5 Naming Right. You may not use any name or other intellectual property belonging to Square Enix or any other third party in your use of the Game (for example, naming a character after a celebrity, company, product, or superhero).
I believe that would apply in this case, much to the dismay of some players. But it'd likely not be enforced, less there was a high profile case, as mentioned. Services and EULA to protect investors not players.

[Iscah]

Some of the EULA and ToS is again vague by what that means.

And being vague doesn't mean "anything you can wrangle into that definition is automatically against the rules". It means that you may be overreaching by assuming that it applies to your situation.

I'm with the others saying that you've potentially got a case for harassment if you have the evidence of it happening, but not that they are obstructing your ability to play the game. All they have done is prevent you from selecting a specific character name – and as much as you may not find it ideal, you are entirely free to assign your character a slightly different name and continue on. From the sound of things, that may be your only option even if a harassment claim was upheld and the offending account banned, because your desired name would be taken down with it.

[AlwaysConfused]

I just don't understand what you are saying? You are trying for a specific name, but the name is taken? If yes, that happens to all of us, all the time. Especially this late in the game for FFXIV. On the other hand perhaps I just don't understand.

[RFiend]

And being vague doesn't mean "anything you can wrangle into that definition is automatically against the rules". It means that you may be overreaching by assuming that it applies to your situation.

I'm with the others saying that you've potentially got a case for harassment if you have the evidence of it happening, but not that they are obstructing your ability to play the game. All they have done is prevent you from selecting a specific character name – and as much as you may not find it ideal, you are entirely free to assign your character a slightly different name and continue on. From the sound of things, that may be your only option even if a harassment claim was upheld and the offending account banned, because your desired name would be taken down with it.

Based on recent changes in wording to EULA and Prohibited activities, I may not have been the only one misconstruing or misinterpreting categories stuff fell under. For disruption in this case, I was using first dictionary definition, "Disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process." In this case the activity pertains to roleplaying certain things out.
At the end of the day though it's harassment that succeeded in what it went out to do, regardless what category or multiple it fell under. There is evidence, there's the conversation of them flat out admitting their intent behind what they did is to cause harm and emotional distress. It's rather frustrating being forced to in the case of my rp partner, potentially if the route is taken, pay to change a last name of multiple characters that until this incident had a name unique across all data centre. I'd link the lodestone page, but that'd breach privacy despite the lodestone being publicly accessible information.

[RFiend]

I just don't understand what you are saying? You are trying for a specific name, but the name is taken? If yes, that happens to all of us, all the time. Especially this late in the game for FFXIV. On the other hand perhaps I just don't understand.

To summarise the issue, while maintaining some detail, based on event order and the in-game conversation containing evidence of harassment.

Had let someone use a character name of a rp family member. Had a falling out with that person asked them to change name because no longer comfortable with them playing that character in relation to us, they did so and I had offered to front the costs even but was declined or ignored. RP partner and myself ended up deciding we'd just play our twins together instead, and move forward. Within the week of the name change taking place, back in January of 2021, while me and rp partner will still trying to process everything and decide what to do moving forward the name intended to be used was blocked across the data centre. Had been fighting the issue since. In May a conversation took place in-game - outside game stuff doesn't count according to GM's which I comprehend, third party issues and all that - were I got open admission of the intent behind the name being blocked across the data centre being to cause harm, emotional duress, and block access to our use of it.