Stalking/Harrassment

[DragoAskani]

Firstly, I reported you. Secondly, I have a completely different experience with SE support, that's all I stated.
I will also not judge a situation based on one side of the story. Have you considered that maybe the "victim" is not really a victim but a participant of a personal two sided war?
To get someone to stalk you that much you have to actively interact with said "stalker".

Anyway, this is an issue that should be discussed with the SE support, not publicly on the forum.

Then you have never really, truly been stalked. That fact that you are dense enough to think you have to interact with a stalker to keep their interest is laughable.

[Shin96]

Contact your local authorities. I think there's not much else SE can do at this point.

[AiUsagi]

Contact your local authorities. I think there's not much else SE can do at this point.

I have been incontact with them again recently and am looking into what can be done.

[Krojack]

Contact your local authorities. I think there's not much else SE can do at this point.

This likely depends where you live. I'm 99% positive if someone like me went to my local authorities with this problem they would laugh at me and tell me to get a life and stop playing video games. That's America for you though.

[AiUsagi]

If it lasts so long you must be doing something that gives the stalker satisfaction. Or not telling the whole story.
I can't imagine the GM's not taking any action if it was so one sided as you describe it to be. Based on my experience they do take action quite quickly.

Ah, I wish I had a stalker, the ones I had left me alone after getting blacklisted and ignored for a bit. I guess I'm not dramatic enough for them.

Some people literally have nothing better to do than to go out of their way to belittle or harass others; I mean, just look at you. I really don't care whether YOU believe my story. I have an entire FC that is also being affected by this harassment and people who have witnessed these occurrences. The fact that SE hasn't done anything is exactly why I took to the forums for help. I want to advocate for changes within the game, which is more productive than wasting my time "stalking my stalker" and instigating a situation that should have ended two years ago. I won't entertain you, do better as a human being.

[AiUsagi]

Crystal DC might need an exclusive moderation team, which is more or less what OP is asking for.

What I'm asking for is in game features to protect player privacy so that players can do more on their end to avoid these kinds of situations entirely and not have a need to rely on GMs to intervene. I should have been able to blacklist this other player and that should have been the end of it, but because they have access to my location and the location of my FC via Lodestone and Player Search, I literally have no way to put an end to the harassment BUT to rely on GM involvement, which is utter shxt. Removing a "friend" should happen on both ends, and likewise for deleting a bonding ring. I've name changed several times, but that name stays attached to the same lodestone page. Even WoW has better features to combat harassment.

[Aelin_Ashryver]

Some people's definition of harassment can be pretty loose at times I feel. That said I would like the option to private my lodestone profile, play as "offline" and just in general make it possible for me to be left alone when I want to be. I don't think Yoshi P understands how messy such situations can be that they require those solutions. I had many times where if I wanted peace, my only option was to leave a community I otherwise enjoyed being in and that is not fair. I should not be made to choose between dealing with one unwanted person and my entire community. Nor should anyone else.

[Abelisk]

I've been "playfully" stalked before by an FC member. It was weird at first, then I'd see her everywhere, then she started hugging me and she would keep doing it even after I left the FC. Thankfully changing servers put an end to it. The point is it's insanely easy to find out where someone is, and I really wish there were more tools in place to combat it.

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

The point is it's insanely easy to find out where someone is, and I really wish there were more tools in place to combat it.

Similar thing happened to me before, although it never actually bothered me because I too though it was out of playfulness in the end.

They stopped doing it when one day they come over and ask me why I ignored them all those times. Unknown to them, I actually turned off other PC’s names besides those in Friend List, Alliance, and Party. I, too would have never realized they’ve been subtly stalking me if they never told me their side of story.

That day had taught me that SE actually give a damn about stalker’s feelings. /facepalm

[Lunalepsy]

I have been harassed in game since December of 2019. Square Enix has seemingly done nothing to help me and I am beside myself. The same player has been creating alts to impersonate my character and attempt to slander my reputation in game.

They currently have created a trial account (thankfully this one is not an impersonation) and they have left it outside of my Free Company with search info that says,

"Ayatzi Metztli = H**"

(I just came back to the game after leaving because of this harassment, hoping that psycho had moved on, but no.)

I fail to understand how this is not being taken seriously and I'd like to know why this player is allowed to continue their behavior unchecked, despite being asked to stop & having been reported. SE updated their policies about ingame harassment/stalking but fail to provide players with any real means to escape these situations, or to actually follow through with repercussions for the abusers. GM responses are always automated and no results are ever seen.

If SE isn't going to actually help players with harassment, then they need to give players more options for privacy ingame and on the lodestone. I made a forum about this harassment 1yr ago in these same forums, and tried to explain the loopholes that stalkers are able to use to harass and follow others ingame. I'm very disappointed that I am still in these forums advocating for change and still requesting support against my own stalker. Do Better Square Enix, the policies are garbage and do not help anyone.

I understand you. One of my stalkers moved to FFXIV, but he won't dare approach me. He knows as soon as I become aware of his presence, I will report him and let the mods deal with him. This person made my life a living nightmare, but I learned many things when I was in that same predicament. I hope this situation also becomes an invaluable experience for you so you can learn and grow from it.