Can we point out to how bad it is that SE bends the knee to chan brigades?

[Sebazy]

"Sorry I was speeding officer. But you should let me off the hook because there is a robbery 3 blocks down you should be focusing on instead."

It is handled by the severity. That is why it is a 10 day ban and not a permanent ban. What you are advocating for is whataboutism. Two wrongs don't make a right and minor wrongs shouldn't be dismissed because stronger ones exist.

Then tell me, why did I only get a forum ban and warning for what was essentially the same ToS violation at it's core? Why have so many others gone completely ignored?

Spoiler: It's because neither myself nor the other endless number of people were mass reported by 5ch.

And actually, you know what? Your reply is rather disingenuous tbh. Figures you'd make it from an alt. Grow a spine will you?

[Nav_Fae]

Then tell me, why did I only get a forum ban and warning for what was essentially the same ToS violation at it's core? Why have so many others gone completely ignored?

Spoiler: It's because neither myself nor the other endless number of people were mass reported by 5ch.

How am I supposed possibly know and explain what your ban was for when you haven't even mentioned what it is at all that you were banned over. I am not a psychic. Only you know what you did wrong. I don't know if others have gotten warnings or bans either unless they speak up. If you got banned and someone else didn't, then you probably did something a bit worse than them and just don't want to take accountability. That said, just because they haven't been banned doesn't mean they won't ever be.

[Sebazy]

How am I supposed possibly know and explain what your ban was for when you haven't even mentioned what it is at all that you were banned over. I am not a psychic. Only you know what you did wrong. I don't know if others have gotten warnings or bans either unless they speak up. If you got banned and someone else didn't, then you probably did something a bit worse than them and just don't want to take accountability. That said, just because they haven't been banned doesn't mean they won't ever be.

I got banned for making a video guide on how to do 1000 DPS as a Scholar in the first two HW dungeons. That was a lot of DPS back then, more than most of the DPS jobs could actually do. At one point the video had a parse window running in it to validate the numbers I was claiming. Basically, I got banned for clear evidence of addons in a video that was then linked on these forums. Not too dissimilar to the streamers right? Except I was reported here on these boards directly, I assume in fairly small numbers as the thread the video was in was positive with it comprising of questions, theory crafting and number crunching.

There are endless examples where SE have been painfully aware of teams using far more significant addons than anything Bagelgoose was seen running and they turned a blind eye, just look at the world progression winners, large numbers of them quite clearly have addons on show. Again to make this clear. Action wasn't taken because these teams weren't getting mass reported.

I can't stress it enough how important this is to understand what happened here.

This whole thing was never SE deciding to take a stance. Yoshida didn't set a ban wave in motion because someone stole his energy drink out of the fridge.

All of this drama is seemingly because 4/5ch were salty over the DSR world race results and decided to take it out on somewhat random streamers that had reportable things such as simple tweaks showing.

[QT_Melon]

I dunno why people "acting like dey brand new"

They have been banning players for ACT third party tools before, mass reports or not. Granted that harassment is usually the bigger violation but it's just "icing on the cake" as others have put it.

On reddit usually those posts were downvoted to oblivion so it's harder to find but there have definitely been topics or responses where people got banned, prior to the recent high profile ones.
They were downvoted because people generally don't want to hear it when it's been the "be discreet" consensus. That somehow became the "don't harass people with it"- even though Yoshi P's stance hasn't changed.

I think this video is very much the most fair - mostly due to the not taking one thing out of context (SKIP SOAR OR BAN DISCORD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4OPGYN6NGw

The article the video was using is here so you can read it in full - This is back in the launch of PS!!! 2014
https://gamerescape.com/2014/02/12/p...naoki-yoshida/

I'll post this part of the TL;DR - Though it's mostly to show that bans were happening back then - you can also see Yoshi P's response

GE: Recently, there has been noise from players about parsers, mods and third-party applications being used with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and about people getting warned, suspended or even banned by GMs for using such applications. There was also mention of a plug-in API for the game. We were wondering what the policy was, your stance on it, and how you were approaching these issues. Some players are a bit worried and don’t want to get banned.

Yoshida: This is a very difficult question to answer. We are first and foremost a software company, and as a software company we cannot really approve of anyone modifying our product in any way. We would prefer it if everyone played within the original design of the software, otherwise we can’t really guarantee the quality of the product itself. Officially, the policy is that any additions or modification to the game are against the rules and privacy policy and when playing our game, everyone has to have gone through the steps to agree to the Terms and Conditions when you sign up.

However, I too am a hardcore PC gamer so I understand that there are a lot of plug-ins and add-ons available to many games. So as a PC gamer, all I can really say is “Please, don’t get caught.” If you are going to use add-ons and plug-ins please be discrete about it. Don’t go around telling your friends you mod the game on chat, or ask a GM if using such an add-on is ok. We can’t really go around and check if add-ons and plug-ins will work with our game and debug it, and check that it doesn’t break anything – its too much. Really what it comes down to is I can’t really say “Yes” to these things, and players have to realize that by using an application that accesses game files that they are the ones that are assuming the risk of viruses and possibly compromising their account.

And as you probably know, Final Fantasy XI had a particularly strict policy on this kind of thing, so there are quite a few players out there who moved from XI to XIV who definitely view any kind of add-on to the game as bad. So please, just be discrete if you will be using tools or add-ons.


I remember the posts on reddit and I'm sure there's quite a few on this very forum and other sites about people complaining about being banned for ACT (usually though it's paired with harassment) but like I said most of these posts get buried because the community back then was of great understanding to be discreet.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme..._we_were_just/

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...5bd14ffec4345f (I know part of this dealt with another issue but still was reiterated)

Parsing was done in FFXIV way back in 2012 and was not the only app - at least at that time :P

[Sebazy]

There's a very big differentiator between the bans and suspensions you've listed vs the recent streamers though. As you mention, historically with parsers getting banned they've generally always 'handed themselves in' so to speak. The reddit example you've listed is just that, they talked numbers in a party that clearly wasn't receptive to it. My case was pretty much the same, I made the video then I linked it to a discussion thread here effectively committing the crime and proceeding to discuss it in the station lobby.

I'd argue that the communication side of things was the driving factor behind a lot of these bans you mention rather than the third party tools. Look at how many people have been banned over seemingly trivial things that technically fall foul of the ToS such as asking to be kicked from an instance or duty.

It's somewhat unusual for SE to go after people and start issuing bans over infringements that can't be linked directly from in game, I'm struggling to think of examples where such content wasn't linked within the character's in game bio or such. The 2 second GCD BLM from A4S or E9S Warrior are two more infamous examples where it's immediately obvious but SE have completely ignored it.

It really doesn't much sense until you factor in the 5ch bandwagon thing.

[QT_Melon]

There's a very big differentiator between the bans and suspensions you've listed vs the recent streamers though. As you mention, historically with parsers getting banned they've generally always 'handed themselves in' so to speak. The reddit example you've listed is just that, they talked numbers in a party that clearly wasn't receptive to it. My case was pretty much the same, I made the video then I linked it to a discussion thread here effectively committing the crime and proceeding to discuss it in the station lobby.

I'd argue that the communication side of things was the driving factor behind a lot of these bans you mention rather than the third party tools. Look at how many people have been banned over seemingly trivial things that technically fall foul of the ToS such as asking to be kicked from an instance or duty.

It's somewhat unusual for SE to go after people and start issuing bans over infringements that can't be linked directly from in game, I'm struggling to think of examples where such content wasn't linked within the character's in game bio or such. The 2 second GCD BLM from A4S or E9S Warrior are two more infamous examples where it's immediately obvious but SE have completely ignored it.

Here, let's make it simple for you.

Please tell me in the TOS, where it says "Streamers are exceptions to our TOS"

How it happened at this point is irrelevant. The fact is it's GOING to happen. Now it has.

So are you brand new?

[Semirhage]

What's the salary expectation from Square these days?

I ask because I assume Squeenix is giving you a stipend to simp over TOS bans like some righteous witchhunter, as if they "deserve" it for breaking the sacred rules. This community gets so self-righteous about things that literally don't affect them, that high horse feeling from smelling your own farts must be something truly special.

[QT_Melon]

What's the salary expectation from Square these days?

I ask because I assume Squeenix is giving you a stipend to simp over TOS bans like some righteous witchhunter, as if they "deserve" it for breaking the sacred rules. This community gets so self-righteous about things that literally don't affect them, that high horse feeling from smelling your own farts must be something truly special.

Ahh the smoke and mirrors argument. "This is really the problem, they're victims" .... It's detraction from the base problem.

What part of "Don't get caught" did you miss? It doesn't matter WHO you get caught by. 1 person could have sent the report or 500.

The people who post on reddit complain about getting banned. We barely know them - same thing "Don't get Caught"
Twitch streamer with multitude of UI add ons and tools visible to the public (oh look witch hunting!) - but it's the same thing "Don't get Caught"

Are you brand new?

[Semirhage]

Ahh the smoke and mirrors argument.

What part of "Don't get caught" did you miss? It doesn't matter WHO you get caught by.

Are you brand new?

Square hasn't gone on a banning spree before. Are you brand new?

[Sebazy]

Here, let's make it simple for you.

Please tell me in the TOS, where it says "Streamers are exceptions to our TOS"

How it happened at this point is irrelevant. The fact is it's GOING to happen. Now it has.

So are you brand new?

What? Put the Kool aid down a second sir.

SE historically haven't gone after streamers for ToS violations relating specifically to addon and mod usage. This is an indisputable fact. Feel free to prove me wrong on this one.

Here's evidence candidate #1: Arthas' ban in 2019. Here's a clip of what his stream used to look like.. He got banned for slander. His readout wasn't mentioned whatsoever.

Nevermind beating TPS to DSR world first is utterly irrelevant too, yet it's precisely what set all of these recent streamer bans in motion.

Lastly, may I cast your eyes to the very title of this thread. Are you brand new here?

Ahh the smoke and mirrors argument. "This is really the problem, they're victims" .... It's detraction from the base problem.

What part of "Don't get caught" did you miss? It doesn't matter WHO you get caught by. 1 person could have sent the report or 500.

Are you brand new?

It's been proven time and time again that 1 person reporting videos and clips of people blatantly cheating in all manner of content isn't enough to get someone banned.

Are you brand new?