Special Task Force ?

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

I've noticed a lot of people complaining about the 'Special Task Force' as well as GMs who apparently 'do nothing' about RMTs, bots, etc. even after being reported multiple times.

Quite frankly, I'm pretty curious myself. I've also reported some RMTs and bot crafters in the past and I continue to see them in the game regardless. As these illegal activities can have a big impact on the game we are paying to play, I think we deserve some answers as to what SE is actually doing on their end to respond to and investigate these types of illegal activities.

I've seen dev posts such as these.

I would also like to remind you that a Special Unit is indeed present and active in Final Fantasy XIV. Do not hesitate to report suspicious players/activity directly via the Square Enix Assistance Center (choose "report a violation to the Special Unit" at he bottom of this page. Reports concerning players who violate these rules can be long to process. The measures taken to counteract these players can be invisible to others, this does not mean that nothing has been done.

But if indeed action has been taken, why do I continue to see these players in-game long after a report has been made.

Looking at this page, I can see that there are various levels of penalties for breaking the ToS. However, I believe that actions such as RMT and botting should be considered the worst type of violation, and should be treated with a "zero tolerance" type of policy. In other words, people who engage in RMT activity, especially the sellers, should automatically receive the final penalty of account termination without any prior warnings or temporary suspensions.

I think most legitimate players would agree, that if they report a RMT bot farmer, it is because they want them out of the game immediately, and they don't want to see them in-game again.

I guess what I'm asking for, is to get some more discussion on the topic, so that we can get a more clear definition of what the 'Special Task Force' does in FFXIV. What are these so-called "invisible actions", and why does it seem to me like it has no effect. If these players are being punished with mere suspensions (really the worst is 3 day suspension ?), then I think they need to adopt a stricter policy.

I can understand why, as a company whose aim is to make a profit, SE would be reluctant to ban these people permanently, as the bot farmers are paying the monthly subscriptions as well. However, in the long term, you'll lose subscriptions from legitimate players who feel victimized by RMT, and also from those who feel that SE is not providing adequate customer service by acting on the reports to the 'Special Task Force'.

SE needs to remember that RMT are also out to make a profit, and the monthly subscription fee is a drop in the bucket compared to what they make in sales from simply running a bot program. SE also needs to remember that legitimate players are customers too, and it angers the customer when people can just get away with cheating so easily. If all I have to worry about is a 3 day suspension then heck, why shouldn't I just use a bot to play for me too, 3 days isn't gonna be a big deal if I can max out all my classes and get capped gil while I'm at work all day long.

[Brimstonelove]

<Thinks of only words to sum up the above.....>
Amen!

[Quesse]

I've also reported some SUSPECTED RMTs and bot crafters in the past and I continue to see them in the game regardless.

ftfy

Love the witch hunt attitude.

[TheVedis]

I



But if indeed action has been taken, why do I continue to see these players in-game long after a report has been made.

This is easy to answer


because what you think is cheating/botting may not be so

Someone multiboxing to level multiple characters, while it may be suspciious of rmt behaivor, is not grounds to ban someone as such, if those characters have no log of them doing anything that can be attached to rmt other then the leveling as an 8 man unit itself, then you have nothing other then someone 8 boxing it.


I used an analogy earlier that holds true

Can a cop arrest someone based on someone elses word alone? No, no they cant

"Their name looks like an RMT name" is not grounds for punishment
"They have 8 people using autofollow" is not grounds for punishment(though it would warrent an investigation, but that may end up being 1 guy using 8 computers which is not against the rules until they engage in an actual rmt act)
"They are always in the same spot crafting" is not grounds for punishment
"He isnt responding to my tells while he is crafting" is not grounds for punishment, players are free to ignore whoever they want, they have no obligation to respond to you(though they do have to respond to a GM if they are called upon)


If players had the power to determine who was rmt and who were bots, and they just banned on our word alone, can you imagine what MMOs would be like? completely empty, thats what, because people would report anyone they didnt like to get them banned just cuz they could.




Alot of what I say does hold true, I am crafting ALL THE DAMN TIME, nonstop when I am home pretty much. And i got people snedin me these retarded tells checking if im there all the time too, and i choose to ignore the hell out of them because they dont mean a damn thing.(then again i do get alot of tells for recruitment purposes fore the shell im in too, thoe i do respond to)
and of course i talk to my shell in agme and on vent nonstop while doing all this.

Does me not responding to Mr mcrandom running up to me and trying to get my attention make me a bot or rmt? No it does not, but alot of people demanding people get banned are saying just that. They want people banned because they suspect them of something, but suspicion alone does not equal guilt!

[Vackashken]

Here come the bot defenders.

Makes you wonder

[TheVedis]

Here come the bot defenders.

Makes you wonder

people arent defending bots

we are just calling people who claim everyone who does something suspcious gets called a bot, and that these same people think they get to be the judge and jury in deciding it

[lamerider]

this game needs some kind of anti macroring system.
that kicks out players if he/she doesn't respond some several questions popped up

[Mychael]

This is easy to answer

[...]

Does me not responding to Mr mcrandom running up to me and trying to get my attention make me a bot or rmt? No it does not, but alot of people demanding people get banned are saying just that. They want people banned because they suspect them of something, but suspicion alone does not equal guilt!

I agree with everything you say. However, there are real bots in the game, no doubt about it. I've yet to see a single person banned, though I know that doesn't mean the STF isn't working.

If we could get some sort of "Crime Rates" statistic just to tell us how many players were banned, how much gil was removed, etc. I bet people would complain a lot less.

[Amherst]

ftfy

Love the witch hunt attitude.

Oh ffs. Yes, it's clearly a witchhunt. I mean, how can Faceroll McCedarwood be a bot? IT JUST ISN'T POSSIBLE! HE HAS SO MANY FRIENDS WITH SIMILAR NAMES!!!11

It's a problem that isn't being dealt with in the least, and people like you need to stop accusing anyone who brings it up of the good old days of FFXI.