A suggestion on how to fight RMT

[AruTheUnicorn]

Ok, this is coming from one developer to the developers and System Admins to consider.

Just banning accounts isn't going to be enough. You guys need to start making this stick so here is my suggestion. Use the client to query for the MAC address of the guilty party and then setting the ban on the MAC address. That would in turn make many RMT accounts and account creation null and void.

A MAC address is burnt into a NIC (Network card or in many cases the chip on the mobo) and is extremely hard to change and in many countries illegal since it can damage entire networks....In turn for them to get back on here to create temp accounts they would quite literally have to remove a NIC card or even a mother board. Quite costly to their pocketbooks, hit them where it hurts.

[SantaClaw]

You don't need this high technology (?), what MAC or NIC (whatever) to fight RMT.

To get rid RMT you just need to understand why player buy gils in the first place. Selling primals/coil runs, housing, crafting, etc.

You really think your suggestion will work? Nope, it won't work at all because it doesn't stop the desire of the players to buy gils.

[Raist]

You don't need this high technology (?), what MAC or NIC (whatever) to fight RMT.

To get rid RMT you just need to understand why player buy gils in the first place. Selling primals/coil runs, housing, crafting, etc.

You really think your suggestion will work? Nope, it won't work at all because it doesn't stop the desire of the players to buy gils.

It always comes down to this... if the players are too impatient to work towards a goal in a legit fashion, and there is a way to exchange something of value for a faster path (buying items on a market board, paying for a carry or rights to lot an item, etc.), a black market will be created to provide the item of value that gets traded.

It would take some fundamental changes in how players progress through content to truly reign in the gil selling properly...so we get stuck with sloppily applied band-aids that just barely slow the bleeding.

[KoolAidPitcher]

MAC Address spoofing is so easy this won't work.

Here is my suggestion to defeating RMT advertising:


Only allow players with leaves next to their name to send "tells" to 10 unique players who are not on their friends list an hour. They can message those 10 players as much as they want during the hour, but you cannot spam every player on the game. You could probably also make this rule around friends requests which are rejected. More than 10 rejected friends requests an hour and you are probably advertising.

[Conradus]

Ok, this is coming from one developer to the developers and System Admins to consider.

Just banning accounts isn't going to be enough. You guys need to start making this stick so here is my suggestion. Use the client to query for the MAC address of the guilty party and then setting the ban on the MAC address. That would in turn make many RMT accounts and account creation null and void.

A MAC address is burnt into a NIC (Network card or in many cases the chip on the mobo) and is extremely hard to change and in many countries illegal since it can damage entire networks....In turn for them to get back on here to create temp accounts they would quite literally have to remove a NIC card or even a mother board. Quite costly to their pocketbooks, hit them where it hurts.

Unfortunately, your information is incorrect. The MAC address is a firmware setting and can be easily changed.