Would you be opposed to SE implementing a program to scan for addons/parsers?

[Johners]

I don't get all the FUD around anti-cheat in a multiplayer game. I've played many games with anti-cheats that work and don't cause any problems. My computer still works, my games work and I don't have any issues with software. I've seen people get bans because they've used the same VPN as a cheater but that was over a decade ago in some obscure FPS game that's dead now. Likewise, Luke from LTT (LinusTechTips) got banned by Blizzard's anti-cheat because he left Visual Studio open when playing (and one part of that IDE includes a memory debugger that reads the memory of running processes which is also something many legitimate cheats do).

It was at one time, wow does use an anticheat now because add-ons got to where they would show you the layout of abilities before the ability came up so you knew the safe spot every time in fights. I never use this but I remember them commenting on it and then adding an anti cheat to kill that addon and try to prevent future ones like that.

WoW's anti-cheat is separate from the add-on framework. Warden is to stop bots such as Honorbuddy (rotation bot was one function of this paid cheat back in WoD/Legion) or Tmorph (allowed you to change the model/armour of your character locally before transmog (glamour) was an official game function in Cataclysm).

Blizzard control addons and have broken things such as AVR and certain WeakAura functionality. More importantly, they can live patch the game client to change some of this behaviour without having to do server maintenance or even pushing a new download via the Battle.net launcher.

There's massive misinformation about addons in WoW and in reality, the extreme end of plugins in XIV is much more egregious than anything you can do in current World of Warcraft.

I'd say Blizzard do a much better job at enforcing their terms of service via more effective punishments. Honorbuddy ban waves in WoD/Legion were a prime example of this. It wasn't an instant permanent suspension for this, it was 6-month (first time) and 18-months (second time) suspensions alongside returning to your characters have no gear, inventory or gold (Gil in XIV).

More importantly, and SE have never seemingly done this, is that the ban wave dropped during peak raiding hours. Honorbuddy ban waves hit during peak hours when more people would be raiding etc and you'd be more likely to notice your guilds top DPS players, for example, suddenly going offline. They knew it would kill guilds etc but did it anyway.

The closest thing XIV has to this is Party Finder being less active when plugins are broken during the first few days post patch. We all know those people that suddenly don't play because their totally legitimate third party tools are broken, maybe you should think twice about them next time.

[Mcg55ss]

This comes down to two questions:

1. Would I be okay with them violating the law in japan?
2. If they can't scan in japan, would I be okay with JP players having the unfair advantage of cheats when the rest of the world can't?

It's also illegal to mod in Japan, according to Japan association of copyright for computer software illegally modding a game or console is possible by up 5 years in jail and up to $5 million yen if caught. They fall under the unfair competition prevention law

[Ransu]

Says the garbage DRG. Anyone notice that only bad players are anti mod?

I have nothing against things like ACT, but saying you're a better player for utilizing a tool over those who don't is pretty questionable.

I'm defending non cheating. Unnamed didn't cheat. Try again

lmao what?

[sharknado]

It was at one time, wow does use an anticheat now because add-ons got to where they would show you the layout of abilities before the ability came up so you knew the safe spot every time in fights.

If an addon was able to solve a mechanic it was usually quickly broken by Blizzard. Not to mention they do look closely at teams participating in the "world first" race and can even react when something unexpected happens.

Aside from that FF14 going more and more challenging in terms of mechanics will only force the development of third-party tools to aid players with them. The same thing happened in WoW where addons didn't have to be hidden from public view. There will be more and more clips leaking out showing such tools and plugins and I would imagine at some point SE will get triggered to a point where they will actually take pro-active action and add a detection system to check if assets or executable was modified or they will allow for addons and start the same somewhat dumb dependency of designing EX/Savage with addons in mind (and then even "standard" content) and players having to use them and put more and more time in their development. Static won't be able to start progging without having someone that can code required triggers and addons.

[Bobby66]

Says the garbage DRG. Anyone notice that only bad players are anti mod?

Firemage I know this is bait, but you must understand that we as players do not get to the final say as to what is or is not cheating. The SE team views it as an unfair advantage ans ruins the integrity of the content. In their eyes this is fact and they govern the rules of the game.

Mods are cheating in FFXIV end of story.

I do fall in the camp they should allow for the use of mods and add-ons but let's not kid ourselves we know it is not looked kindly on in FFXIV and to act otherwise is disingenuous.

Edit: Mods are prohibited in FFXIV. Some tools allow cheats others convenience either way in the eyes of SE that is against the TOS thus a violation. We can say till we are blue in the face it should be okay but it is not. Let's not defend people that willingly broke the ToS and got caught. They knew what they were doing and choose to take the risk. Respect their choice, and respect the punishment if it happens. Don't try to defend the willful actions of people that knew they were doing wrong.

[Iyrnthota]

Firemage I know this is bait, but you must understand that we as players do not get to the final say as to what is or is not cheating. The SE team views it as an unfair advantage ans ruins the integrity of the content. In their eyes this is fact and they govern the rules of the game.

Mods are cheating in FFXIV end of story.

There is a little more nuance than you're giving it though.

Zoom hacks? Yeah I'd say that's cheating.
Letting Viera wear hats? While against ToS, I wouldn't call that "cheating".

[Bobby66]

There is a little more nuance than you're giving it though.

Zoom hacks? Yeah I'd say that's cheating.
Letting Viera wear hats? While against ToS, I wouldn't call that "cheating".

Fine don't call it cheating nevertheless it is a prohibited action within FFXIV end of the day it is something they devs have repeatedly asked the community to not use or do in of form of don't use or be open about the use of third party add-ons or tools.

[Ivtrix]

What I can say is that everyone above 90% parse is cheating, and probably even everyone above 80%.

Good luck competing with people who cheat when you don't. Parses are based on the community's performance, it's not some hypothetical. It is based on the state of reality. The reality is that cheating is widespread in this game, so much that people feel entitled to defend breaking ToS on the official forums openly.

You have 0 idea what you are talking about.

[Renalt]

Fine don't call it cheating nevertheless it is a prohibited action within FFXIV end of the day it is something they devs have repeatedly asked the community to not use or do in of form of don't use or be open about the use of third party add-ons or tools.

It was "Don't ask; Don't tell" for a while. Yoshi-p knows there is tons of mods out there they give no tactical advantage whatsoever and are simply engravings on a revolver and nothing more...

However when you broadcast to the world you are using them...you are inviting trouble.

They broadcasted to the world...and trouble showed up.

Color me shocked.

[BaconBits]

It was "Don't ask; Don't tell" for a while. Yoshi-p knows there is tons of mods out there they give no tactical advantage whatsoever and are simply engravings on a revolver and nothing more...

However when you broadcast to the world you are using them...you are inviting trouble.

They broadcasted to the world...and trouble showed up.

Color me shocked.

Yoshi-P hit squad when they sense your power level.