How is this allowed?

[AvoSturmfaust]

Thinking that potential Cybergrooming is not a big issue is wild. We have 12 y/o's on earth that are playing for example GTAV. A +18 warning doesnt do shit but doesnt mean that this is not an issue.
In several EU countrys its even against the law. This kind of "RP" could even get you to jail. Doesnt matter if you dont know the age of the other person or/and have the consent of said minor.

This Game is available to 12+ y/o's in my country.

How can someone think that this is not a big problem after looking at the 2 following screenshots



It also boggles my mind that almost every single person trying to defend this here comes from the american datacenter. Is America really that kind of place where stuff like this is socially acceptable?

Im from Germany and i tell you let them be, you can find something like that in every mmo out there and if you avoid the last area in the party finder everything is fine

[YukioKobayashi]

Im from Germany and i tell you let them be, you can find something like that in every mmo out there and if you avoid the last area in the party finder everything is fine

I can only repeat myself. I have nothing against that kind of RP existing in FF14. I have something against the way its advertised in the In-Game Partyfinder and Shoutchat on a daily basis.

Other games are not like this.
WoW: I can sit an entire day in Orgrimmar without seeing a single ERP Event advertisement.
BD Online: I can idle in Valencia City without someone normalizing pr**titution in public chat.
ESO: I can open the Partyfinder without someone advertising their +18 "RP" tavern

This is smth that shouldnt be advertised ingame. We got third party websites and discord server for this.
We need to protect minors and shouldnt confront them with pr**titution, virtual S** and all that stuff on a daily basis while they do the "normal" content. Not in a Game made accessible to 12 y/o. FF14 is not an "Adult Game".

[Mawlzy]

I can only repeat myself. I have nothing against that kind of RP existing in FF14. I have something against the way its advertised in the In-Game Partyfinder and Shoutchat on a daily basis.

Other games are not like this.
WoW: I can sit an entire day in Orgrimmar without seeing a single ERP Event advertisement.
BD Online: I can idle in Valencia City without someone normalizing pr**titution in public chat.
ESO: I can open the Partyfinder without someone advertising their +18 "RP" tavern

This is smth that shouldnt be advertised ingame. We got third party websites and discord server for this.
We need to protect minors and shouldnt confront them with pr**titution, virtual S** and all that stuff on a daily basis while they do the "normal" content. Not in a Game made accessible to 12 y/o. FF14 is not an "Adult Game".

Players are exposed to what appears to be sex trafficking as early as Sastasha if they go hors-piste; they are invited to escort a courtesan in one of the early levequests. FF14 is a 13+ game riddled with adult themes from ARR onwards.

[Daughterofdeath]

Players are exposed to what appears to be sex trafficking as early as Sastasha if they go hors-piste; they are invited to escort a courtesan in one of the early levequests. FF14 is a 13+ game riddled with adult themes from ARR onwards.

not even counting some snippets of people like thancred basically nude and storm blood girl who flat out tells you she was sold by her own family to a guy

[CCheshire]

I can only repeat myself. I have nothing against that kind of RP existing in FF14. I have something against the way its advertised in the In-Game Partyfinder and Shoutchat on a daily basis.

Other games are not like this.
WoW: I can sit an entire day in Orgrimmar without seeing a single ERP Event advertisement.
BD Online: I can idle in Valencia City without someone normalizing pr**titution in public chat.
ESO: I can open the Partyfinder without someone advertising their +18 "RP" tavern

This is smth that shouldnt be advertised ingame. We got third party websites and discord server for this.
We need to protect minors and shouldnt confront them with pr**titution, virtual S** and all that stuff on a daily basis while they do the "normal" content. Not in a Game made accessible to 12 y/o. FF14 is not an "Adult Game".

I don't RP so I do find the ads to be creepy and I'm not a fan of what happened to PF since 2020 but realistically RP is allowed in FFXIV and GMs can't ban every single poster who does 18+ club ads without being super controversial as seen in the past. They did it once, and many people came to complain here for pages.

[CNitsah]

I don't RP so I do find the ads to be creepy and I'm not a fan of what happened to PF since 2020 but realistically RP is allowed in FFXIV and GMs can't ban every single poster who does 18+ club ads without being super controversial as seen in the past. They did it once, and many people came to complain here for pages.

They kinda have to. I don't know how it works with the american rating organism, but the Pegi (european one) has one clause that mention that while they can't control user content, they have to act so 18+ user content is not easily available, basically that someone has to search for it to find it, and plain as day. They risk some fine or the game might even switch Pegi categories.

9.2 Community Standards: Signatories shall ensure that their terms of service with players in Online Gameplay Environments incorporate certain provisions in easily understandable language that are usually included under the heading of so-called ‘Community Standards’. These provisions shall:

9.2.1 prohibit players from introducing content or indulging in online behaviour which is illegal and/or harmful. Such provisions shall describe the consequences of any breach of their terms.
Examples of such content or behaviour can be: abusive, bullying, corrupting, defamatory, degrading, fraudulent, harassing, insulting, obscene, offensive, racist, sexist, threatening content, or content that incites violence, terrorism, hatred or self-harm, or that might impair the physical, mental or moral development of players.
9.2.2 ensure that all reasonably practicable precautions are taken to ensure that Online Gameplay Environments that allow text, voice, video chat, or image sharing protect children from access to age-inappropriate content introduced by other players.

Now, I'm no lawyer, but it feels like 18+ ads pf fall under 9.2.2 and should be monitored without even someone reporting them.

[Mawlzy]

They kinda have to. I don't know how it works with the american rating organism, but the Pegi (european one) has one clause that mention that while they can't control user content, they have to act so 18+ user content is not easily available, basically that someone has to search for it to find it, and plain as day. They risk some fine or the game might even switch Pegi categories.


So yeah, 18+ ads pf totally fall under 9.2.2 and should be monitored without even someone reporting them.

Isn't it the case that the clause "protect children from access to age-inappropriate content introduced by other players" is legally covered by the ToS prohibition of third party tools.

I can't think of any player-driven content that would be age-inappropriate if it is viewed vanilla.

[CNitsah]

Isn't it the case that the clause "protect children from access to age-inappropriate content introduced by other players" is legally covered by the ToS prohibition of third party tools.

I can't think of any player-driven content that would be age-inappropriate if it is viewed vanilla.

That's a good point, but questionnable when you see how unwilling SE is about doing anything about that. I guess there is no telling without an actual trial.

That said, text only can be innapropriate enough. When you advertise your PF as 18+ you know people will use the chat for unsafe things. Sexting is a thing, it's only words, would you say it's safe for childrent because there is no visual support?

[Mawlzy]

That's a good point, but questionnable when you see how unwilling SE is about doing anything about that. I guess there is no telling without an actual trial.

That said, text only can be innapropriate enough. When you advertise your PF as 18+ you know people will use the chat for unsafe things. I know it's not PF, but I remember a post from someone on the forum really pissed because someone DM'ed their 13 y.o. daughter (IIRC) to be a courtesan in a 18+ club, and they were pissed because their kid came ask them what a courtesan was. You might say it's not much, but it's still enough to fall under that article, and clearly enough to show that text only can still be inappriate.

I recall that thread and am obviously uncomfortable with minors receiving such an invitation.

Equally, unless incredibly sheltered, I imagine any 13 year-old on receiving an explanation of what a "courtesan" is would reply "oh, a prostitute!" and get back to playing the game. Alternatively they would simply Google it. As noted previously, they are just as likely to come across the term in (leve)quests.