Combating RMT on the Materia servers

[Meillear]

o/

Recently I was looking around for a possible plot for a free company house and noticed two things that were disappointing:

1) There just aren't any
2) Most of the plots in Free Company wards are occupied by Free Companies with only one or two members, no decorations or effort made that might suggest the houses aren't derelict, and with naming conventions that look an awful lot like those used by bot farmers...

Which they probably are to be fair, as airship, submersible, and cross-grown garden items are locked to those plots, and those farming organizations have the gil to buy out whole swathes of plots.

So why keep them locked? Surely fair competition would hurt gil farmers more than the minor setback caused by banning?
My suggestion is this: attach a limited version of these resource voyages (say one of each) to the grand companies, and send our maxed out adventurer squadrons on them for the same rewards, extending the lifespan of that content as well.

[Meillear]

Don't believe me?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SaqvuB...BndWlkZQ%3D%3D

[Autumn_Dawnfire]

Things to know, yes Sub Lords are a thing.

It is not likely you'll see actual Bot's doing it though imo, and there is a reason for that.

You've watched a sensationalized YouTube video, it's #1 - designed to get views, and #2 not entirely honest.

What the video fails to really point out: The amount of time and effort it takes to actually get to that shinny prize, which is subject to RNG weekly; the results can very *a lot*.

Sub's are about time conversion in the end - is doing the either gil layout or effort method (whichever method you choose) worth the downstream benefits? Getting to the point you're referring to from that video takes at least 4 months of time. I would think actual Bots have very little interest in putting months of effort into anything that can be taken away before it yields any profits.

Especially when they can just spend real $$ to buy a content skip, a level skip, and have immediately have a seal bot farming more gil each week than a FC's subs can earn, or an underground Lala army running ARR MSQ for fast gil with the same $$.

What you are seeing is *most likely* real players - not bots. Is there an artificial scarcity on housing? yes. But that's on the game - not your fellow players. Do I understand your frustration? Oh - very much so. Getting our first FC house (a small) was a a stroke of luck, getting a medium a year later vs. more bids then I care to think about... yeah.. I get it.

[Meillear]

Fair point, but take the botters out of the equation then. Why do some players get away with what is effectively griefing, just because they pay their subs? Even if they aren't botting, there is clear evidence that a small number of people has exploited the subscription and housing systems for personal gain. It's not against terms and services, but it is against the spirit of the game .. this isn't Eve Online. But that said, if the developer isn't willing to take real action then opening the content up will kill the exploit. A few dozen scummers spending months to corner a market can't compete with a few thousand casuals just doing their weeklies.

[Autumn_Dawnfire]

The dev's either lack the desire or ability to take action against Bot's period. After months of reports, solid evidence, the same bots continue to run seals nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These are actual violations of the EULA, likely tied directly into RMT. They similarly are not able or willing to deal with the number of people using mod's in violation of the EULA. I suspect dealing with players using the FC system in ways that don't violate the EULA is pretty low on the priority list.

The amount that you can make from sub's really is just icing on the cake, because the production ability you have to possess to make them can generate more gil each week than sub's can produce.

Too break it down though - if this isn't really about sub's, and about available for property for a new FC's house and the frustration about trying to get one: I feel you - I don't have any real game change solution for that though that doesn't break the economy.

But maybe it's about gil? The suggested opening of sub's / airships to everybody results in a flooding of gil - prices go through the roof on >everything<. Now let's say your a new player - and you want something off the market board - those prices are already *not* good for new players. 54k for an item when you have a total of 100k .. yipe! But..you can do that, it's ouch! but doable.

Enter everybody that's a vet is pulling in what you suggested - that 54k item is now... 1m? Well there's something that likely to drive said new player in the waiting of arms of some RMT site .. that's been ad barked every 5 minutes while they stood at that marketboard. That's inflation for ya. There is no easy - effortless method of making gil. There are easier.. and harder, & less vs. more effort, but they all require it.

I'd also say that the Spirit of the Game - is not universally agreed on. If it was - all worlds would be Balmung like, or Seraph like, etc. etc.

For some folks it's all about Raiding! for others it's all about Marketboard warfare. There are as many reasons to play as there are people who play (okay maybe not THAT many.. but a lot). I wish you well in accomplishing your goals, whatever they may be *easternbow*

[Curisu]

The easiest solution would be to remove the Gil Items out of the Submarine loot table.
Then place a monthly plot owning tax and everyone will slowly abbondon their 1-2 Player FC houses because it is not worth the effort anymore.
But the medium and large houses and great spots for small houses will still be kept and sold for double or tripple the normal price.

[Autumn_Dawnfire]

Mostly - yes. But there is the much smaller issue of the buff system.

The FC buff system is also part of this tbh, if you've ever seen a FC advertising they have tier 3 buffs 24-7 - they are running alt FC's for something other than gil - they are running for buffs, and the materials to make them.

One tier 3 buff takes 3 days to charge, one FC generates roughly 10 tier 3 buffs a month, but can use 60 in that same time. Ergo - it would take a total of 6 FC's to fund 1 FC's tier 3 buff habit. Now it is possible that low member FC's can do a business generating buffs for larger wealthier FC's, but let's face it - that's unlikely in this game, which is unfortunate for those of us that love wheeling and dealing. Heh.. Aetherwheeling..

The tax idea is decent one, but imo I'd like to see a "maintenance" Fee on *all* properties, not just FC ones, with the amount of time till demo tied to the amount of funds in your properties maintenance in lue of "walk inside" or in conjunction with. Smack a seperate one on the Workshop? Sure why not.

[Shnrnr]

Some raw numbers on the alt FCs on Materia: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...61#post6699061