Re: Regarding the Use of Third-Party Programs and Player Safety

[Daralii]

Maybe its just me but I think playercount is sort of maybe kind of an important thing to want to retain in your massively multiplayer online game.

They just need to add duty support or solo variant tuning to every raid and trial.

[Chaincat]

Just add an anticheat in 8.0 we need it at this rate.

Anticheat wouldn't work for this. You can access this information without tampering with the game's files via Wireshark. You don't even have to directly interface with ff14 to get someone's account ID. Hell, you don't even need to have ff14 installed on the same machine that ff14 is running on. Until that information is not shared with the client, no anticheat or attempts at stifling plugins or mods will ever work.

[VerdeLuck]

Anticheat wouldn't work for this. You can access this information without tampering with the game's files via Wireshark. You don't even have to directly interface with ff14 to get someone's account ID. Hell, you don't even need to have ff14 installed on the same machine that ff14 is running on. Until that information is not shared with the client, no anticheat or attempts at stifling plugins or mods will ever work.

Most of the people using this tool would be stopped at the requirement of installing and running wireshark, much less having to read the output. It also wouldn't conveniently compile everyone's data into a centralized database for use by even the most tech illiterate.
People seem to be so afraid of not having the perfect solution with 0 workaround that they reject the easy solution in front of their face.

The fact this game has such rampant cheating and people actually threaten to leave the game for good if they can no longer cheat or use 3rd party tools to harass others is definitely eye opening though.

[ovIm]

Most of the people using this tool would be stopped at the requirement of installing and running wireshark, much less having to read the output. It also woudln't conveniently compile everyone's data into a centralized database for use by even the most tech illiterate.
Peopel seem to be so afraid of not having the perfect solution with 0 workaround that they reject the easy solution in front of their face.

The fact this game has such rampant cheating and people actually threaten to leave the game for good if they can no longer cheat or use 3rd party tools to harass others is definitely eye opening though.

If someone can code something that clings onto the game to extract data, that individual can also code an addon to Wireshark that filters FFXIV network data and saves it in a nice, readable format. Wireshark openly supports plugins, after all.

Add to the fact that an AntiCheat is a very invasive bit of software with a plethora of problems. What you are not seeing is that implementing an AntiCheat will most likely cause many issues with regular playing folk as well. Imagine the AntiCheat gives a false positive and bans your account. Do you trust Square Enix Support to resolve that, with how they are handling this dilemma right now? What if they buy in an AntiCheat like Denuvo that is proven to be an actual issue with customer PCs, in terms of performance. Too many AC solutions also hook very deep into your computer, running constantly. Just look at all the problems Valorants AntiCheat caused.
Asking for an AntiCheat implementation is literally inviting the devil into your home. What about Steam Deck players, they would be excluded from playing as well.

AntiCheat is literally the worst kind of solution to this problem. I'd rather they implement something properly server side.

[VerdeLuck]

If someone can code something that clings onto the game to extract data, that individual can also code an addon to Wireshark that filters FFXIV network data and saves it in a nice, readable format. Wireshark openly supports plugins, after all.

Add to the fact that an AntiCheat is a very invasive bit of software with a plethora of problems. What you are not seeing is that implementing an AntiCheat will most likely cause many issues with regular playing folk as well. Imagine the AntiCheat gives a false positive and bans your account. Do you trust Square Enix Support to resolve that, with how they are handling this dilemma right now? What if they buy in an AntiCheat like Denuvo that is proven to be an actual issue with customer PCs, in terms of performance. Too many AC solutions also hook very deep into your computer, running constantly. Just look at all the problems Valorants AntiCheat caused.
Asking for an AntiCheat implementation is literally inviting the devil into your home. What about Steam Deck players, they would be excluded from playing as well.

AntiCheat is literally the worst kind of solution to this problem. I'd rather they implement something properly server side.

So now you're requiring people to know how to get, install wireshark, and now modify wireshark with plugins and export and extract that data.
You act like requiring a massive amount more tech literacy is the same as a github repo where you plug it into the dalamud launcher and it installs and works instantly.

You guys are so concerned with a perfect solution with no security holes you're ignoring any mitigation or path forward that reduces the spread and efficacy of the plugin.

[Loggos]

If someone can code something that clings onto the game to extract data, that individual can also code an addon to Wireshark that filters FFXIV network data and saves it in a nice, readable format. Wireshark openly supports plugins, after all.

Add to the fact that an AntiCheat is a very invasive bit of software with a plethora of problems. What you are not seeing is that implementing an AntiCheat will most likely cause many issues with regular playing folk as well. Imagine the AntiCheat gives a false positive and bans your account. Do you trust Square Enix Support to resolve that, with how they are handling this dilemma right now? What if they buy in an AntiCheat like Denuvo that is proven to be an actual issue with customer PCs, in terms of performance. Too many AC solutions also hook very deep into your computer, running constantly. Just look at all the problems Valorants AntiCheat caused.
Asking for an AntiCheat implementation is literally inviting the devil into your home. What about Steam Deck players, they would be excluded from playing as well.

AntiCheat is literally the worst kind of solution to this problem. I'd rather they implement something properly server side.

I am so glad that FF14 is one of the few(er?) online/live-service games that doesn't use anti-cheat. If they ever implement any kernel-level anti-cheat that will be my cue to leave the PC version.
(And I neither want to nor can buy a PS5 in the foreseeable future so once PS4 support is phased out that would be it for me.)

I've decided against playing many fun games because of kernel-level anti-cheat and as much as I still love FF14 this is just something I am not willing to do for SE, especially given their horrendous player and data security policy.

Sorry, but I do not trust this company to implement any kind of "trustworthy" and "secure" anti-cheat if they can't even or don't even want to protect player IDs.

[AnnRam]

Just add an anticheat in 8.0 we need it at this rate.

They wont.

SE its aware that its swimming in money thanks to mare plugin and moonhoopers so you are going to deal with it.

Touching that community (over 100k) means it will hurt their income.

[syldon]

Just add an anticheat in 8.0 we need it at this rate.

Make sure we can get a refund on time not used if this is applied. I never want a game to be loaded whenever I switch on my PC. These cheat systems load at a kernel level to track everything that is done on your system.
No thank you.

[Qyoon]

Just add an anticheat in 8.0 we need it at this rate.

Can't wait for that anticheat to ruin normal user experience more than the plugin users, since they ll have one to bypass it.
Not even mentioning the fact, concidering SE poor technical skill when it comes to FF XIV.
It may false flag people using "gaming" peripherals and such or even create performance issues.