Everyone complaining about no action on RMT, please read

[Eye_Gore]

We also know that as of the time the credits were being compiled, this task force didn't have the personnel needed for such a task

The listings of only 3 names is just pure speculation that those are the only 3. Is it possible that there are more who didn't want to be named? Maybe it is, or is it? Also reading the job description for GM, they also play a part in banning accounts.

[Havenae]

The listings of only 3 names is just pure speculation that those are the only 3. Is it possible that there are more who didn't want to be named? Maybe it is, or is it? Also reading the job description for GM, they also play a part in banning accounts.

It still doesn't matter. It is apparently that this task force doesn't have the staff or appropriate tools to adequately combat this issue. If they did, RMT spam would not be near as rampant as it is. It really only requires you to use logic to see this.

I appreciate that they do try to get this issue under control. What I don't appreciate is SE blatantly ignoring every decent suggestion to allow the player base to help. It's affects us much more than it does them and if it is possible (which it absolutely is) to streamline reports and give us the ability to block accounts from contacting us with spam without limitation on how many of them we can add to a list, then it should be done to improve our quality of play. Rather than this ridiculous and stubborn stance that they've taken that apparently says, "we'll handle it, we don't need your input."

Uh clearly you do.

[Eye_Gore]

It really only requires you to use logic to see this.

Where is the logic in assuming that they only have 3 people working on it? You have one little piece of evidence as to who's doing what. What info other than the 3 names in the credits do you have? They aren't they only ones. A little digging around SE's website proves this otherwise. People are so quick to assume, and have no idea what is really going on. Assumption is the mother of all f-ups.

A few people on here post that "oh look what I noticed while watching the end credits". Most everyone then just jumps on that bandwagon jumping all over them saying they don't have the manpower, tools, software, etc.. All assumptions. So quick to point fingers, with nothing to really back up that claim. Show me where its stated that these 3 people are the only ones working on RMT.

This game is popular at the moment. Expansion just around the corner. People are buying Gil, that much is obvious. AS the cash flows to the sellers we will keep having spam. Anything short of disabling all communication except direct contact, will not work. There is always a way. Put in tell filters, they'll use shouts, they already do. Put in level restrictions, they'll just level the bots. Put in friend request restrictions, they alienate new legit players.

No matter what is done there will be a counter-point to it.

[YukariOro]

Where is the logic in assuming that they only have 3 people working on it? You have one little piece of evidence as to who's doing what. What info other than the 3 names in the credits do you have? They aren't they only ones. A little digging around SE's website proves this otherwise. People are so quick to assume, and have no idea what is really going on. Assumption is the mother of all f-ups.

One thing I am aware of, SE looks for rmts using different methods than other Western mmos tend to use. SE uses complex algorithms to look for suspicious behaviors within the game, i.e. selling too many items to a vendor, and their focus from my experience in XI seems to be less on tracking down transactions than the behaviors that rmts use to get the gil that they sell.

[Havenae]

stuff

I don't believe I said anything about se only having 3 people working on the team that deals with RMT. The logic is in seeing whatever number of people they do have and the methods they use is obviously insufficient.

[Niwashi]

AS the cash flows to the sellers we will keep having spam. Anything short of disabling all communication except direct contact, will not work. There is always a way. Put in tell filters, they'll use shouts, they already do. Put in level restrictions, they'll just level the bots. Put in friend request restrictions, they alienate new legit players.

No matter what is done there will be a counter-point to it.

No, the spam won't continue as long as players are willing to buy gil. The spam will continue as long as the spam bots can reach enough of those players that their spam brings in more money than it costs.

Every spam bot costs the gilsellers money. If it gets to spam tens of thousands of players for a week or so before being banned, it will find enough gil buyers to bring in a return on that investment.

If it's banned for its first /tell message and before it's had a chance to send out more than half a dozen others, then it won't find enough gil buyers to bring in a return on that investment.

Note that both of those scenarios end with the spam bot being banned, but just the change in timing means that in one case it was profitable and will keep getting replaced, whereas in the other case it's not profitable and once there are enough that being unprofitable is a clear pattern, they won't be replaced anymore. Gil sellers aren't going to keep spending money on bots that don't bring them back more money.

This is why the efficiency of the reporting and banning process is so important. Bans only work on spam bots if they're immediate.

[YukariOro]

They seem to have gotten really bad with spamming their tells recently, have had to go on busy where before I never did. That said, I'd like to see an easier method to report rmt spam, like what you find in other mmos such as SWTOR and WoW, where along with the friend/party/blacklist options, you would also find the "Report Spam" option. It's just so time consuming to report it currently that more often than not, I just don't bother anymore and just go on busy instead and I'm sure others do the same. I definitely think making the reporting process simpler, streamlining it, would go a long ways to helping reduce the problem, but that's just my opinion of course. =)

But being a FFXI vet and seeing the effect the rmts had on that game, I'm not entirely surprised to see how bad the rmts have gotten in XIV either, I'm sad to say. I definitely do want to see them gone tho.

[Kallera]

The STF was created to help assure players that the issues of rmt were being combatted and that it will not continue to harm the gaming experience.

People are angry because this isn't being done to satisfaction. It is sad that the running answer to this by the players is social isolation. And if the rampant tell are an indicator that rmt is increasing in turn, it is likely that it is influencing other activities, which mean the stf's efforts are insufficient.

Meanwhile, the pressures of clearing content and buying things before the expansion mounts....

[JimboTCB]

I finally had enough and moved tells to their own tab and disabled notifications.

Goldfarmers can continue spamming but I'm not listening any more. It's a shame that the only way to block this crap is to cut off all communications from all players, but in the absence of any actual effective action I'm not left with much choice, I'll just retreat into my little bubble and only communicate with FC and LS members. Way to build a community, devs.

[Wulfyn]

Question is are there anyone working the week ends to deal with rmt? As there has been 2 bots farming ornery karakul all week end preventing legit players from farming mats. 4 player FC that have chocobo companions and appear to be spirit bonding. More thought given to some of the toons names with the exception of chocobos having the same names. Contact Us apparently not working as no new reports even showing up in history. No response while my game enjoyment is being interfered with. Yea, I can see why players are frustrated and feel like nothing is being done. I try to be patient, but seriously 2 days now I have been trying to farm.

I also believe those selling wins or carries/loot drops contribute to rmt in varying degrees. Who knows? Perhaps some sell gil to the spammers too.