Improvements To Blacklist and Blocking Features

[handlesscombo]

Hi all,

This is my first time using the official forums, so if my post here is misplaced, I take no offense to a moderator moving it to the correct location. Thanks in advance!

In light of today's showcase announcement, I wanted to voice some concerns that many players (myself included) have had for a while now regarding the intricacies of FFXIV's social features. As the development of Data Center travel is now under way, I want to be certain that the game is enjoyable as ever and safer for players both new and old. While many of us are excited about the possibility of meeting our friends abroad, many others have had to leave Data Centers as a result of consistent stalking/harassment, and are currently hoping for a solution that allows everyone to have fun while being safety-conscious. I've tried to condense my suggestions into a list below...

1. Housing Kick Feature: As it currently stands, players on a user's blacklist can still enter that user's home. There is to my knowledge currently no way to forcibly remove them from the venue. While it is against ToS to remain in a housing space after being asked to leave by the owner/qualifies as harassment, this is sadly not enough to dissuade determined harassers. A kick button that the owner and/or appointed FC members can utilize would significantly mitigate the issue.
2. Blacklisted Player Invisibility: As of now, it is still possible to encounter users on one's blacklist in public areas. This opens up the possibility of further conflict and harassment. If an "ignore" feature could be implemented that prevents blacklisted players from appearing in-game, that would create a much less stressful environment for both players and GMs.
3. Roulette Party Blacklisting: As it currently stands, it is fully possible to be matched with blacklisted players in dungeon and raid roulettes. If a player wanted to leave the duty out of discomfort with other individuals present, they would then incur a penalty for doing so; the system unfortunately cannot account for the possibility that it may be punishing victims of harassment for stepping away.

In-game harassment is an unfortunate constant for which there is no universal solution; what I hope is that these changes or similar features could at least mitigate the severity of the issue and make FFXIV a safer community for all of us. As Data Center communities begin to mingle, these issues may only become more and more apparent--now is a better time than ever to consider revamping the existing blacklist structure. Thanks for reading!

If anyone has further feature suggestions/concerns, please do add them! This is a community effort that I'm happy to be part of. :-) Thank you in advance for any additional feedback on these ideas, as well.

[astralmoon]

Agreed with this, would also like to add for the possibility of removing all messages from blacklisted players completely from the chat window - as it stands, while blacklisted players cannot send you direct messages, you're still able to see any achievement/crafting notifications from said player on the chat log. It seems minor but I think it would help immensely for victims who wish to not see their abusers at all.

[Glaschuu]

I've had to switch data centers because of harassment/stalking. Another way the current blacklisting tools are not enough:

4. If two players friend each other, then one of those players unfriends the other person at some point, the party who didn't unfriend can still see where the other party is in the overworld. This makes it extremely easy to stalk ex-friends.

5. If Eternity Bonded with another player, if one of the players doesn't 'divorce' by turning in their Eternity Ring to the NPC, they can still teleport to the other person every thirty minutes.

Both of these glaring oversights have been used against me. I'm all for Data Center travel, as I want to play with my friends in Aether and Primal. But as it stands, the Blacklisting/Social Safety tools need a serious rework for this to be a fun, comfortable experience. Players shouldn't rely on external tools to provide these tools that should be part of the game already.

[handlesscombo]

I've had to switch data centers because of harassment/stalking. Another way the current blacklisting tools are not enough:

4. If two players friend each other, then one of those players unfriends the other person at some point, the party who didn't unfriend can still see where the other party is in the overworld. This makes it extremely easy to stalk ex-friends.

5. If Eternity Bonded with another player, if one of the players doesn't 'divorce' by turning in their Eternity Ring to the NPC, they can still teleport to the other person every thirty minutes.

Both of these glaring oversights have been used against me. I'm all for Data Center travel, as I want to play with my friends in Aether and Primal. But as it stands, the Blacklisting/Social Safety tools need a serious rework for this to be a fun, comfortable experience. Players shouldn't rely on external tools to provide these tools that should be part of the game already.

Thank you for adding these! I've only been playing for about six months now, so anyone with more experiences to share in the thread is a godsend.

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. Sending support your way!

[NaiaLalita]

I have long bemoaned the fact that the existing Blacklist feature is nothing more than a glorified self-administered blindfold. I understand the practicality of making such a feature user-end, but we're long past the point where we need some server-synced and enforced effects to actually protect victims of harassment, stalking, and abuse.

[heichoukun]

Yes!!! Another issue I had (related to the friends list thing) was that harassers would just spam send you mail since you were still on their friends list. I'm not sure if you could be able to read the message or not, but the blinking icon and the pings with new mail seems like enough of an issue to me...

[rykitsu]

God. Yes. Please. As someone who recently had to bring public attention to someone who has been harassing me in game and on social media due to the severity and frequency, this game needs a massive overhaul on the blocking system. The sheer fact that blacklisted people can still just WALTZ into your house is insane. I really want this DC travel feature to be fun and the only way that'll happen is if this system is fixed.

[Xion136]

I back this, especially when it comes to housing. More tools to keep your spaces clear of stalkers and the like is extremely welcomed.

[gachabasta]

Also in agreement, the blacklist system in the game leaves a lot to be desired and with the coming of cross-data center travel it's imperative that more is done to protect players who have moved data centers for their own safety.
Also just in general, if I encounter a terrible person while playing the game, I don't wanna see them nor do I want them to be able to see me in any capacity.

[micahronii]

In agreement as well, there are a lot of people I would like to avoid in game, even in the same server since I can’t really afford to change servers, so it would be very helpful.There is a reason I blacklist people and it’s a shame that it’s nothing more than “can’t see their messages in chat”