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

[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.