Need advice: static imploding because of cheater.

[Kansene]

Teamcraft is a third party tool.
14Angler is a third party tool.
XIVGlamour is a third party tool.
Gamerescape is a third party tool.
The FF14 Wiki is a third party tool.
So's anything posted by the Balance Discord.
Heck, using Discord is technically considered one too.
Youtube guides for raids are a third party tool.
Shaders are a third party tool.
Parsers are third party tools.

Just to clarify though:
Cheating and Botting. You may not create or use any unauthorized cheats, bots, automation software, hacks, mods or any other unauthorized software or hardware designed to modify the Game and gameplay. In addition, you may not take advantage of game system bugs and exploits during gameplay.

This is what the literal terms of service say on the matter. Some of the things listed fall under that category, some do not.
Someone reading about strats on a site or watching a youtube vid isn't against the ToS at all.
If they've said otherwise elsewhere, they've still not added it to the ToS and as such it isn't binding.

[Midareyukki]

Just to clarify though:
Cheating and Botting. You may not create or use any unauthorized cheats, bots, automation software, hacks, mods or any other unauthorized software or hardware designed to modify the Game and gameplay. In addition, you may not take advantage of game system bugs and exploits during gameplay.

This is what the literal terms of service say on the matter. Some of the things listed fall under that category, some do not.
Someone reading about strats on a site or watching a youtube vid isn't against the ToS at all.
If they've said otherwise elsewhere, they've still not added it to the ToS and as such it isn't binding.

They didn't state "otherwise" per-se, but they did make a weird explanation elsewhere on Lodestone. (Edit: well, weird in terms of what people took from it). Specifically this link, which a GM told me to check when I asked.


I specifically asked about shaders btw.

And what people can and did pick on is how that page it says it prohibits the "Use of tools that allow players to more easily complete content."
Because it was extrapolated that using tools to access information on the content, in-game items or even using discord for call-outs was problematic.

Which I'm 100% sure it isn't... But a lot of people will argue to the death that they are.

And as I said, likewise will you find people arguing the same for mods, or even within 3rd party tools that ARE visibly prohibited (plug-ins, for example) on whether they're constituting a cheat (giving an advantage over others) or not.

Again. At the end of the day, it don't matter. Square's the one who needs to define and act on these things, and their actions so far have made it relatively clear what they actually consider a violation vs what they consider to be peanuts.

[Rolder50]

Just to clarify though:
Cheating and Botting. You may not create or use any unauthorized cheats, bots, automation software, hacks, mods or any other unauthorized software or hardware designed to modify the Game and gameplay. In addition, you may not take advantage of game system bugs and exploits during gameplay.

This is what the literal terms of service say on the matter. Some of the things listed fall under that category, some do not.
Someone reading about strats on a site or watching a youtube vid isn't against the ToS at all.
If they've said otherwise elsewhere, they've still not added it to the ToS and as such it isn't binding.

The literal text of the TOS states (https://support.na.square-enix.com/f...la=1&kid=68216)

Square Enix strictly prohibits the use of third-party programs or tools as these disrupt the balance of the game. Third-party programs and tools that permit automated or "absentee" play are prohibited. A Game Master (GM) may speak to players to investigate and confirm "absentee" play, and if the player continues with this behavior, contrary to the GM's instructions, they will be treated as participating in "absentee" play and subject to penalties.

Accordingly, the following activities are prohibited:

- Modifying, analyzing, integrating, and/or reverse-engineering game software or data.
- Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game.

"Square Enix strictly prohibits the use of third-party programs or tools as these disrupt the balance of the game." seems pretty gosh dang open ended and could include everything on that list. Same with "Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game."

Edit: In hindsight that FAQ article could be different then the TOS but the point still stands that it's an official article from them.

[Kansene]

The literal text of the TOS states (https://support.na.square-enix.com/f...la=1&kid=68216)

Square Enix strictly prohibits the use of third-party programs or tools as these disrupt the balance of the game. Third-party programs and tools that permit automated or "absentee" play are prohibited. A Game Master (GM) may speak to players to investigate and confirm "absentee" play, and if the player continues with this behavior, contrary to the GM's instructions, they will be treated as participating in "absentee" play and subject to penalties.

Accordingly, the following activities are prohibited:

- Modifying, analyzing, integrating, and/or reverse-engineering game software or data.
- Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game.

"Square Enix strictly prohibits the use of third-party programs or tools as these disrupt the balance of the game." seems pretty gosh dang open ended and could include everything on that list. Same with "Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game."

Accordingly
"as a result; therefore."

They sum up exactly what is considered prohibited, which is the part where they say:
- Modifying, analyzing, integrating, and/or reverse-engineering game software or data.
- Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game.

Granted, this could have been worded more clearly, but to me it seems very cut and dry.

EDIT: The only dodgy part of that though, is the word "analyzing". Because that is indeed a very open-ended word, so I'll definitely cede on that. The spirit of the word appars to be software that directly interacts with the data (e.g. parsers) but seeing as I have to use the phrase "the spirit of the word" it's not definite at all.