Official Statement: Regarding Mod Usage and Culture

[Themarvin]

I'm not gonna summarize, he wants us to read it so let's read it properly

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...5eb456d2183251


I normally come here and annoy the people on the forums with circular logic and placing various degrees of intricate bait, but I'll say something fr this time: This is a completely logical, sensible statement that makes a lot of sense, and I completely understand where Yoshi P is coming from. There are other issues that people can discuss like customization options being lacking and other stuff, but the fact of the matter is that Yoshi P had his back to the wall. The last thing I want is Visa or Mastercard sticking their dirty hands in this game and forcing us all to install some stupid kernel-level anticheat.

ik how this thread ends but let's see how civil we can keep it for now

That is his way of looking it and remember he say from a personal opinion, and not from the game or SE's guidelines, and also strongly pointing out, if you get caught, it is not his or SE's responsibility either, if losing account and in some cases legal actions as well.

Am just pointing it out, that does not inflict with my personal opinions either, I think mods is a great thing as long as you do not step on anyone's toes in a figure of speech.

I am also for, that mods should be for all platforms including xbox and playstation, and that the mods should be approved of by SE, to make it work those ways, you can see games like Baldurs Gate 3, where you literally inside the game can add and install various mods before loading a saved game or starting up a new campaign.

Some kind alike in those directions would be an epic move of SE to go down the road like that, and increase the equality for all platforms playing on the same servers, being in the same FCs's, same Linkshells... usual suspects at whatever place in the game.

[Astronis]

That's about as reasonable, clear, and permissive a stance as he could take, honestly. 'Keep it to yourself and shut up about it...and if you don't, we have lawyers.' Completely fair.

[Alice_Rivers]

Perhaps the best way to handle the modding situation is to embrace it rather than simply turn a blind eye. They could set up an official mod repo where people could submit their mods for review and hosting, this would also allow SE to extend an option to non-modders to view people's modded glams if they wish, the logical extension of such a policy is that any mod that isn't signed off by SE and therefore available in the repo is "illegal" and can be policed aggressively. Having an official mod repo would also facilitate SE implementing QoL mods directly into the vanilla game if they reach a given usage threshold.

[brinn12]

I don't understand how seeing other people wearing Ultimate or Mogstation glamour in-game through mods would reflect the sentiment Yoshi-P is describing. For that to happen, the observer would have to have those mods themselves. It makes more sense from the perspective of someone who doesn't use any mods: seeing people with modded gear outside the game might make them feel like they're missing out on something. That sentiment, however, shouldn't exist inside FFXIV itself. So just don't share modded screenshots.

I do appreciate the vision that if players keep it to themselves and don't disturb normal gameplay, mods are fine. It's a much better stance than "everything is illegal", and then we proceed to see people streaming with ACT and SE doing nothing about it. It never made sense.

[Veritas-Ancora]

Bravo, Yoshi P.

Well said.
Well worded.
Everything was crystal clear.

[Kaurhz]

It's sensible, as a gamer.

But IMO, it's not really something that's tenable unless you're happy repeating the same same cycle over, and over.

Another issue I took with it, is that for the rationales that they highlighted, I don't actually think their actions were enough. e.g., if they are actually concerned with law and regulation, then they need to go after other mods as well, seeing as nothing outside of the sync plugin has actually been actioned. e.g., there's nothing that stops someone advertising an 18+ venue, and then someone not of age going to it, and getting exposed to stuff that is just as bad, if not worse than the things you may spot on the sync plugin, same with being exposed to potentially inappropriate material via Twitter.

I understand their point on it, I just simply don't think they are doing enough for it. They'll be fighting the exact same fight in a couple months time, back to square one.

Putting aside word salad, if we take this stance at face value (I don't think it is), it just felt like they targeted a low hanging fruit, and not really completely adhering to their own rationalization, as there is absolutely no action done that would actually stop or prevent someone being able to do half of what they've seemingly tried to prevent/stop.

I guess you could say that to a point they are simply hoping people will be responsible about it, but I think they and everyone knows that this demonstrably won't happen, and until they actually properly or consistently enforce their own ToS, then it's going to be a perpetual battle..

[DivineP]

I made a post in someones topic a few days ago how Yoshi is not adressing the issue formally and splitting the mod and none mod communities. Its somewhere around here. Guess I was right.

On topic: It's about time Yoshi made an official statement that is written about mods. Everyone with a brain could see where it was heading with all the screenshots of Gposes flying around the Internet of suggestible content making FF14 look suspect.

It's nice to see the community has read and understood Yoshis message even though I saw this coming a mile off.

Looks like he caught it just in time.

First rule of fight club is?

[DivineP]

Bravo, Yoshi P.

Well said.
Well worded.
Everything was crystal clear.

It's about time. I have been watching the communities that are pro mod and those that are pro ToS go at eachother like crazy over the years.

Hopefully this shuts everyone up!

It is certainly a clear statement! And far outweighs the millions of live letter links that were tongue in cheek about stuff.

No wonder it got out of hand with that one specific mod.

Good for Yoshi daring to put himself out there (and could be used as a sheild against any legal action "Well here's my post I told them not to, go after the mod developers")

But still good for him doing that on the actual FF14 news posts which can't be twisted by media outlets because ppl can't be bothered looking for a specific phrase in a live letter years ago at god knows what time stamp.

This is clear, precise and to the point.

He needs to do more of this.

[hydralus]

So modders did it to themselves, which nearly everyone already knew. Apparently it's extremely difficult to not use the ffxiv tag when uploading your in-game porn to twitter.

[Swordsman]

Overall, I consider Yoshi's statement to be a win. Sure I find it lame that one of SE's reasons for banning the mod was because it reduced the profitability of the cash shop. But the fact is that the mod enabled users to show adult content to anybody else using the mod including minors. Unregulated pornographic content distributed nearly without limitation is bound to encounter certain legal obstacles depending on location, so good on you SE for stepping up and taking the laws of customer countries into consideration.