the mod/addon is getting out of hand and is spreading to other platforms JUST STOP!!

[Zaene]

I admit I did make a mistake in equating 'cactbot' to 'XIVAlexander'. However, I would strongly challenge your assertion that 'XIVA' is similar to a VPN. Perhaps at a macro level, you could say that the end result is you do things faster. But a VPN doesn't directly interact with the game's animations essentially providing a -unique- advantage.

I call upon your metaphor. Someone using a VPN may cut their latency by 30% but someone using the aforementioned add-on could(using essentially speed hacks), achieve things in game that even someone living next door to the ffxiv server could not do. Couple that with actually good ping, and someone could be breaking the game left and right.

Additionally, I want to state my fervent desire that SE make Datacenters for countries underserved by the current ones. There's no reason that anyone should be forced to have a substandard experience simply due to the place of their birth. Especially, when we live in such a world as thing, in such times as this.

[MilkieTea]

I admit I did make a mistake in equating 'cactbot' to 'XIVAlexander'. However, I would strongly challenge your assertion that 'XIVA' is similar to a VPN. Perhaps at a macro level, you could say that the end result is you do things faster. But a VPN doesn't directly interact with the game's animations essentially providing a -unique- advantage.

I call upon your metaphor. Someone using a VPN may cut their latency by 30% but someone using the aforementioned add-on could(using essentially speed hacks), achieve things in game that even someone living next door to the ffxiv server could not do. Couple that with actually good ping, and someone could be breaking the game left and right.

Additionally, I want to state my fervent desire that SE make Datacenters for countries underserved by the current ones. There's no reason that anyone should be forced to have a substandard experience simply due to the place of their birth. Especially, when we live in such a world as thing, in such times as this.

The only way one could do such a thing would be to tamper with the program in such a way that the program developers did not intend. Out of the box, the only difference between XIVAlexander and a VPN is the way they provide their services - XIVA by reducing animation lock and VPNs (or tunnelers to get more specific) by changing which nodes your internet travels through.

[Rolder50]

I call upon your metaphor. Someone using a VPN may cut their latency by 30% but someone using the aforementioned add-on could(using essentially speed hacks), achieve things in game that even someone living next door to the ffxiv server could not do. Couple that with actually good ping, and someone could be breaking the game left and right.

The tool's functionality does not change in that way based on your ping. It sets you to a specific value no matter if your ping is 50 or 500. In no way can it be used as speed hacks or to effect your actual GCD or cooldowns.

[MilkieTea]

The tool's functionality does not change in that way based on your ping. It sets you to a specific value no matter if your ping is 50 or 500. In no way can it be used as speed hacks or to effect your actual GCD or cooldowns.

I question whether or not the people who are against such tools have had an actual look at what the tools do, versus just simply hearing thirdhand off of someone who heard it from someone else who heard from someone who glanced at a reddit thread about it once.

[Zaene]

I question whether or not the people who are against such tools have had an actual look at what the tools do, versus just simply hearing thirdhand off of someone who heard it from someone else who heard from someone who glanced at a reddit thread about it once.

I once again cede ground to those who seem to know more than I do about these concepts. However, I ask this question of all of you. Does the use of this add-on provide an advantage that for example, my friend living in South America can not get on his PS4? Do you think that is fair? Do you think that he would have a better or worse time in the game changing to PC and using these programs? Should he have to to clear the content he desires to?

[GaiusDrakon]

I once again cede ground to those who seem to know more than I do about these concepts. However, I ask this question of all of you. Does the use of this add-on provide an advantage that for example, my friend living in South America can not get on his PS4? Do you think that is fair? Do you think that he would have a better or worse time in the game changing to PC and using these programs? Should he have to to clear the content he desires to?

Maybe blame SE for not implementing these basic QoL and fixes instead of people using addons lol

[Towowo]

I once again cede ground to those who seem to know more than I do about these concepts. However, I ask this question of all of you. Does the use of this add-on provide an advantage that for example, my friend living in South America can not get on his PS4? Do you think that is fair? Do you think that he would have a better or worse time in the game changing to PC and using these programs? Should he have to to clear the content he desires to?

There actually is something that helps with console players too on that front. Requires more setup but it is possible.

[MilkieTea]

I once again cede ground to those who seem to know more than I do about these concepts. However, I ask this question of all of you. Does the use of this add-on provide an advantage that for example, (1) my friend living in South America can not get on his PS4? (2)Do you think that is fair? (3)Do you think that he would have a better or worse time in the game changing to PC and using these programs? (4)Should he have to to clear the content he desires to?

1. Depending on his location, yes or no - that yes being with major caveats. There are people in South America who have better ping than I do, and that is the "advantage" that XIVA provides - simulating better ping by reducing the animation locks by a set value that cannot be changed unless one is extremely determined and goes against the wishes of the developer of the tool. Your friend can utilize a VPN to gain similar effects to their gameplay.

2. It absolutely is not fair, just like how it is absolutely not fair that those of us who live in states such as New York or New Jersey experience the same ping to NA servers as we do to EU servers. XIVA provides something that should already be ingame natively - and it proves that it's something within the games capabilities to do and provide for users. Your skill should not depend on where you live or whether or not you can have access to a VPN or XIVA.

3. Some of the best players in my group play best on the PS4. I play my best with an MMO mouse. If your friend plays well on PC, they play well on PC. If they play well on the PS4, they play well on the PS4. Addons cannot force you to play well - see the mass amounts of people who utilize addons and still play like hot garbage. Addons are not a replacement for skill, the majority of them merely do what the game should already be doing.

4. He should not, and does not have to. And if anyone tells him that he needs to, then he knows to avoid them because they likely are hot garbage. This is the mindset of most who use addons. No one will force you to use an addon, you do not need an addon to play the game at high tiers, and those who do use addons typically only use them to supplement the game with features that should already be in the game.

[JudgeRAW]

4. He should not, and does not have to. And if anyone tells him that he needs to, then he knows to avoid them because they likely are hot garbage. This is the mindset of most who use addons. No one will force you to use an addon, you do not need an addon to play the game at high tiers, and those who do use addons typically only use them to supplement the game with features that should already be in the game.

And the craziest thing about this is Yoshi P talked in his letter about taking some of the features from add ons and adding them to the game. Yet they're banning people for using those add ons that they are going to make a part of the core experience.

[Zaene]

1. Depending on his location, yes or no - that yes being with major caveats. There are people in South America who have better ping than I do, and that is the "advantage" that XIVA provides - simulating better ping by reducing the animation locks by a set value that cannot be changed unless one is extremely determined and goes against the wishes of the developer of the tool. Your friend can utilize a VPN to gain similar effects to their gameplay.

2. It absolutely is not fair, just like how it is absolutely not fair that those of us who live in states such as New York or New Jersey experience the same ping to NA servers as we do to EU servers. XIVA provides something that should already be ingame natively - and it proves that it's something within the games capabilities to do and provide for users. Your skill should not depend on where you live or whether or not you can have access to a VPN or XIVA.

3. Some of the best players in my group play best on the PS4. I play my best with an MMO mouse. If your friend plays well on PC, they play well on PC. If they play well on the PS4, they play well on the PS4. Addons cannot force you to play well - see the mass amounts of people who utilize addons and still play like hot garbage. Addons are not a replacement for skill, the majority of them merely do what the game should already be doing.

4. He should not, and does not have to. And if anyone tells him that he needs to, then he knows to avoid them because they likely are hot garbage. This is the mindset of most who use addons. No one will force you to use an addon, you do not need an addon to play the game at high tiers, and those who do use addons typically only use them to supplement the game with features that should already be in the game.

I agree with the vast majority of this. I too hope that SE can implement a systemic change to their game that can quash the need to use add-ons. I'm not very optimistic however. In the meantime, I wonder how the game will evolve. I honestly don't want a situation to arise where there is a large gulf between people who have add-ons which (may) provide advantages the average player doesn't have and other folks.