World first races in FFXIV

[SeiyaSoiya]

With the upcoming release of the savage wing and as someone who just returned to the game after a long break, I was curious and watched some previous ffxiv world first VODs.
What I found was disgusting, people are streaming world firsts using cheats and programs that are against the ToS, in particular let's say "calculators" were used and programs used to modify ground markers at inhuman speeds.
Then I watched other raider streams and people openly stream themselves using these calculators as if it's nothing.
So my questions are, are cheated world firsts endorsed by square enix, and are cheated world firsts endorsed by the ffxiv community?

[DeWynter]

Most, if not all, prog raiders use third-party tools. That doesn't mean it's right, but it's a known fact of any high-end raiding that additional software is often used to interpret data and provide the user analytics or additional information to react accordingly. It's not just limited to FFXIV either, where possible and in most every other MMO that can be modified in a similar manner, that behavior exists, take WoW's most recent WF on Mythic Sylvannas for example.

Square clearly states their stance on their Prohibited Activities page:

■Behavior that disrupts the game balance
Square Enix strictly prohibits the use of third-party programs or tools as these disrupt the balance of the game. Third-party programs and tools that permit automated or "absentee" play are prohibited. A Game Master (GM) may speak to players to investigate and confirm "absentee" play, and if the player continues with this behavior, contrary to the GM's instructions, they will be treated as participating in "absentee" play and subject to penalties.

Accordingly, the following activities are prohibited:

- Modifying, analyzing, integrating, and/or reverse-engineering game software or data.
- Creating, distributing, using, or promoting utilities that interact with the game.

Despite this there are still shades of grey as to what is immediately harmful, and what isn't, it doesn't take long to understand Square obviously doesn't endorse third party tools or cheating by reading the above. The lesser evil, widely and freely available kind are often overlooked as a staple of the MMO community as a whole. Square could opt to ban creators and players who utilize these tools, but their primary focus has always been how tools such as those affect the community and it's players, parsing comes to mind as a big example of third party tools that can be used to harass or provoke another user. There are cases of users being banned for their behaviour using these tools, but not necessarily the use of the tools themselves, as many more users are happy to use them without levelling disdain for other players by the merit of the information found therein.

Are cheated world firsts endorsed by the community? Well, there's no major community outcry against using these tools from what I've seen beyond the occasional thread about parsers, so I'd wager endorsement is subjective entirely based on your personal values. These tools have been around for years for a reason.

[Skyclaw726]

Can we not bring the world first crap to this game.

[Menriq]

Can we not bring the world first crap to this game.

I'm not sure what you mean. World first has been around since ARR, when SE even congratulated Blue Gartr for their WF T5 kill.

[Skyclaw726]

I'm not sure what you mean. World first has been around since ARR, when SE even congratulated Blue Gartr for their WF T5 kill.

I know it's been around since ARR but i just don't want the culture that surrounds WF to come here. Like eSports i can't stand it because when that stuff becomes the focus everything else is secondary.

maybe i'm just bitter.

[Skiros]

I know it's been around since ARR but i just don't want the culture that surrounds WF to come here. Like eSports i can't stand it because when that stuff becomes the focus everything else is secondary.

maybe i'm just bitter.

Yes you are just bitter!

[Saraide]

I know it's been around since ARR but i just don't want the culture that surrounds WF to come here. Like eSports i can't stand it because when that stuff becomes the focus everything else is secondary.

maybe i'm just bitter.

Then just dont watch world first streamers or go into threads about world first races, simple solution.

[Skyclaw726]

Then just dont watch world first streamers or go into threads about world first races, simple solution.

Yea that's how the world works. "if you don't like X then don't talk about X in a thread about X"

[Saraide]

Yea that's how the world works. "if you don't like X then don't talk about X in a thread about X"

Are you forcing yourself into every thread on this forum? That sounds like a terrible idea. I dont enjoy reading the tales from DF thread, does that mean I have to go in there and tell everyone how little I like the thread they care about? Or does it mean I can just leave them be because they are not affecting me if I dont open that thread?

[Endariel]

Well actually, since TEA (and because of) we can no longer modify markers in combat, so only thing left are parsers.

And yes, Yoshi congratulated teams that performed WF on ultimates, which surprise surprise, used parsers.