SE's most difinitive statement yet on parsers

[Amberyl]

(PS. Only an American could say something as conceited as 'No American players.' The TOS states no gaijin. There are more countries in the world outside of Japan than just America.)

"Connecting to the game server through the installed software is restricted to domestically located computer terminals. It's prohibited to directly connect to the server from outside Japan as well as to route a connection from outside the country through domestic computer terminals."

[Amberyl]

And, basically every SEA player has noted that most VPNs are totally unviable to use now due to the blocking scheme, which just results in them having shoddy connections that are unplayable.

Most SEA players didn't need them to begin with? Why is SEA relevant? I said western, not eastern.

It is also extremely trivial, if somewhat slow, for Western players to acquire arks cash now. If Sega didn't want them doing it, the services they use - which are in most cases blatantly fraudulent - would no longer be accepted. Period.

You've never been to Japan, have you? How could you ban cash culture, when the host country is a cash culture? Do you have any idea how many salarymen would end up in the divorce courts if their wives could see how much they spend on gaming each month? o_0

[Amberyl]

Whatever Sega did during the beta stages of the game is irrelevant to how that clause of the ToS is treated now, which is identical to how Square has treated the ToS with regards to parsing

One boils down to being unable to apply a ban consistently due to the game being FTP, and the offending player being able to roll another account without issue. The other boils down to the server being unable to detect the exploit in the first place. They are not comparable issues. If SE rolled out a gameguard system, you can guarantee parser players would disappear overnight.

Only someone who's on shaky ground with their statements grasps at semantics. Dig?

Relating a cultural failing has little to do with grasping at semantics.

[Kaethra]

Key statement is the second to last paragraph: "We would also like to remind players that third-party tools that modify or parse game data violate the User Agreement, and that players who are found to be using these tools will be met with strict disciplinary action."

Sorry to say, but you misread that statement. They said GAME DATA. Which is much different than LOG DATA. While people cannot use Radar or other hacks to find things in game, or modify files, or intercept game transmission from packets sent over a network. This has nothing to do with DPS parses. DPS parses use the log file located in the C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn folder instead of where FFXIV is installed.

SE has no control over what you do in that folder. That is where your UI configs and screenshots go as well. You're allowed to view, edit, and modify anything in that folder (otherwise anyone photoshoping their screenshots should be banned too!). The log files are simply text files and all a parser does with those files is read them, apply math, and displays the results. Anyone with notepad and a calculator could produce the same results.

So saying DPS parser users will be banned is like saying anyone using MSPAINT.exe, NOTEPAD.exe, and CALC.exe should be as well.

As for the argument that PS3/4 users can't do things that PC users can't. That's rubbish. There's plenty of things I can do that they can't with my PC that doesn't even compare to cheats. Such as alt tabbing to my browser to look up a wiki, VOIP, and use a myriad of peripherals (I'd be surprised if the PS3 or 4 could use a 17 button gaming mouse). Of course things like Radar and other hacks are bad, but don't lump DPS parsers in with those.

[Amberyl]

They said GAME DATA. Which is much different than LOG DATA.

While it's kinda cute, you are absolutely deluding yourself.

[Kaethra]

While it's kinda cute, you are absolutely deluding yourself.

You want to provide some facts of that? Those files are not located anywhere in the directory that FFXIV is installed to. Take a look yourself.

[Amberyl]

You want to provide some facts of that? Those files are not located anywhere in the directory that FFXIV is installed to. Take a look yourself.

Take a quick look at every single screenshot you take with the client, and tell me what they have in common. (hint, it's located bottom left, and you'd have to be blind not to notice it.)

Just because they don't necessarily enforce their ownership of everything that the client generates rigidly, doesn't mean that it's not theirs. Even the config files are their intellectual property. You either weren't paying attention in beta, or didn't play, but they have, in the past, enforced stricter usage rules of that content.

There is nothing that this game client creates that you own. And rightly so, you didn't make it. Go and read the EULA.

[Kaethra]

Take a quick look at every single screenshot you take with the client, and tell me what they have in common. (hint, it's located bottom left, and you'd have to be blind not to notice it.)

Just because they don't necessarily enforce their ownership of everything that the client generates rigidly, doesn't mean that it's not theirs. Even the config files are their intellectual property. You either weren't paying attention in beta, or didn't play, but they have, in the past, enforced stricter usage rules of that content.

There is nothing that this game client creates that you own. And rightly so, you didn't make it. Go and read the EULA.

I have. And I'll post this:

The manor sentry takes 84
(+22%) damage.
gains the effect of Greased Lightning.
moves into Opo-opo Form.
uses Heavy Swing.
The manor sentry takes 42 damage.
The manor sentry casts Stone.
takes 114 damage.
The manor sentry begins casting Stone.
hits the manor sentry for 45 damage.
You cast Stone II.
The manor sentry takes 144 damage.
uses Maim.
The manor sentry takes 54
(+47%) damage.
gains the effect of Maim.
gains the effect of Wrath III.

That is taken straight out of a logfile (with names taken out). Feel free to report that for breaking the EULA. If it gets removed, you're right. If not, then you're wrong. Point being. We can view this stuff. Whether it is in notepad, clipboard. Or a spreadsheet.

You'll also notice that info is viewable ingame in the Combat Tab (in fact it is the same exact text). Are we going to get banned for clicking on that too?

[Zakalwe]

Sorry to say, but you misread that statement. They said GAME DATA. Which is much different than LOG DATA.

This is the kind of torturous argumentation that led me to start this thread. While SE has been pretty clear in the past that parsers aren't permitted under the TOS, people keep coming up with ingenious reasoning that this certainly is not what their statements really mean. Now a very official statement is put out that mentions parsers by name, and a few hardy souls hang in there. Again, I'm not saying that parsers are good or bad for the game, as that is a different debate. The fact is that SE has most definitively said they currently violate the TOS.

[chocomaid]

So that makes cheating totally ok? Would driving a Marathon be ok then because it's more efficient?

Wrong analogy there.

Sprinter A: *finishes 100m sprint* Wew, I think that was my best run, I was on fire!

Sprinter B: *finishes 100m sprint* *Takes out stopwatch and stops it* Hmm, that was worse than my last run, I think I need work on my starting technique.

Sprinter A: Hey that is cheating!

Sprinter B: Uh, sorry what?