Accounts Banned

Around 10,940 accounts in violation of the FINAL FANTASY XI user agreement were suspended or banned today.

We would like to report the termination today of multiple accounts held by players involved in the usage of third-party tools or cheats, or engaged in RMT (Real Money Trading) activities.

Based on the results of our investigation, around 10,660 PlayOnline accounts were terminated while around 280 accounts were temporarily suspended.
Additionally, we have increased the number of mass bannings against certain PlayOnline violations in order to prevent illegal acts.

Details of the violations are as follows:

- Usage of tools that allow enhanced character movement.
Week of October 19, Approx. 280 cases
Week of October 26, Approx. 530 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 340 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 380 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 330 cases

- Usage of tools that circumvent game mechanics with respect to the timing of ability use, etc. in certain areas or at points where Notorious Monsters appear.
November 19, Approx. 30 cases

- Using cheats to automatically repeat a particular action.
Week of October 19, Approx. 580 cases
Week of October 26, Approx. 1,480 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 1,540 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 1,560 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 680 cases

- Gil and item exchange for real world money.
Week of October 26, Approx. 60 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 180 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 380 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 540 cases

- Instances of areas or monster monopolization.
October 23, Approx. 100 cases
October 30, Approx. 110 cases
November 14, Approx. 120 cases
November 18, Approx. 30 cases
November 19, Approx. 20 cases

- Involved in compromised accounts
Week of October 19, Approx. 160 cases
Week of October 26, Approx. 180 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 520 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 660 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 100 cases

- Accounts from people that were previously confirmed to have RMT connections, or that had violated the user agreements but re-subscribed to PlayOnline.
November 20, Approx. 50 cases

The termination of these accounts has led to the removal of approximately 1.3 billion gil from circulation.

We would like to remind players that as well as adversely affecting game balance, the use of third-party tools or cheats can also have consequences that are not immediately obvious, such as introducing damaging viruses, and comprising the security of private account details. Usage of third-party tools will not be tolerated within FINAL FANTASY XI, and we will continue to severely penalize any players found to be in violation of the PlayOnline Member Agreement.

As we continue to ensure a fun and balanced environment for FINAL FANTASY XI, we hope that our players enjoy the game as it was intended and take care to avoid involvement in activities that violate the PlayOnline Member Agreement.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and understanding.

Comments

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# Nov 23 2008 at 1:07 PM Rating: Decent
There's 2 big things they need to do. (and the WoW trial accounts do this) (I despise WoW btw so it's sad for me to say they do anything better than Square) No trading on trial accounts, no AH on trial accounts yeah it sucks for the trial users but it sucures the rest of us. That would force all Gilsellers to use a real Credit card to produce any fraud. Don't just ban the account bad the Credit Card. Then and only then can this number go down. Other thing is yes no PoL messeging for trial accounts. I know they're trying to make the game friendly for new users by introducing a 14 day free trial version but they also need to protect the rest of us.

/2cents
All at once?
# Nov 22 2008 at 2:14 PM Rating: Decent
In the past, my account was compromised and hacked 3 times before they did a "accounts were banned/suspended today" event.

Why don't they take action WHEN they find out that a certain player is stealing people's accounts and receiving Gil?

Why wait until they find 10K people to ban and then ban them at once while people are getting hacked waiting for them to do that?

Why don't they tell you WHO is stealing your ******* account items with the key logger? I got my password hacked from going to a FFXI website that the playonline website SAID was SAFE a long time ago. They hacked onto my account and sent my items and gil THROUGH THE DELIVERY BOX at the AH, which is where I logged on at. I check the box and and see my **** and I freak out. I run my mouse over the items without clicking to send them away, and it fades out immediately NOT telling me who they were sent to. Apparently a GM told me it was a violation of player privacy to tell me who MY CHARACTER is sending ******* Gil to and refuses to help me in that way.. Is that not complete ******** or what? If a GM could tell me who I sent my items to, I'd be very happy because I'd make their life a miserable hell AND report them as stealing accounts/items. BUT.... Then comes another question refering to this...

***It was probably the SAME person stealing my personal items multiple times. There wasn't a "Accounts banned today!!!" between the times my account was hacked. How do I know they weren't ignored until the next massively placed action against the "RMT" and banned along with others? How about a message saying We found the suspect! We're going to place him in jail with a dragon and de-level his family." ANYTHING!


Quote:

- Accounts from people that were previously confirmed to have RMT connections, or that had violated the user agreements but re-subscribed to PlayOnline.
November 20, Approx. 50 cases
50? How about they just use a different credit card?

Quote:
Around 10,940 accounts in violation of the FINAL FANTASY XI user agreement were suspended or banned today.

We would like to report the termination today of multiple accounts held by players involved in the usage of third-party tools or cheats, or engaged in RMT (Real Money Trading) activities.

Based on the results of our investigation, around 10,660 PlayOnline accounts were terminated while around 280 accounts were temporarily suspended.
Additionally, we have increased the number of mass bannings against certain PlayOnline violations in order to prevent illegal acts.

Details of the violations are as follows:

- Usage of tools that allow enhanced character movement.
Week of October 19, Approx. 280 cases
Week of October 26, Approx. 530 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 340 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 380 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 330 cases

- Usage of tools that circumvent game mechanics with respect to the timing of ability use, etc. in certain areas or at points where Notorious Monsters appear.
November 19, Approx. 30 cases

- Using cheats to automatically repeat a particular action.
Week of October 19, Approx. 580 cases
Week of October 26, Approx. 1,480 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 1,540 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 1,560 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 680 cases

- Gil and item exchange for real world money.
Week of October 26, Approx. 60 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 180 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 380 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 540 cases

- Instances of areas or monster monopolization.
October 23, Approx. 100 cases
October 30, Approx. 110 cases
November 14, Approx. 120 cases
November 18, Approx. 30 cases
November 19, Approx. 20 cases

- Involved in compromised accounts
Week of October 19, Approx. 160 cases
Week of October 26, Approx. 180 cases
Week of November 2, Approx. 520 cases
Week of November 9, Approx. 660 cases
Week of November 16, Approx. 100 cases

Thank you for helping the players of FFXI improve playing experience. I appreciate it to no end, really! I guess I get a little upset when I read these things. You are/have been doing a wonderful job. Please don't let my ranting discourage you, perhaps try to take it as constructive criticism.
mmm
# Nov 22 2008 at 2:54 AM Rating: Decent
10000 accounts lol, come on guys this number is too high XD I think all these numbers about bans have to be divided for 100 (at last) to be worth of trust
Further action needed.
# Nov 20 2008 at 3:56 PM Rating: Decent
*
61 posts
Quote:
Accounts from people that were previously confirmed to have RMT connections, or that had violated the user agreements but re-subscribed to PlayOnline.
November 20, Approx. 50 cases


I hope to god SE sues the ever loving **** out of a "certain RMT company" (not giving them the benefit of free advertising) who is spamming people via POL messaging using 14 day trial accounts.

The more logical plan of action in my opinion is not to keep banning the same damn people over and over, rather, limit the capability of messaging on 14 day trial account. Establish privacy policies which require being friended to someone before sending a message.

It would really make a world of difference in my opinion to remove the mechanism which leads to the violation, rather than slap the wrists of the individuals who really couldn't care less, and come back again.

</two cents>
Your tax dollars at work.
# Nov 20 2008 at 12:58 PM Rating: Good
Get the feeling they're just banning the same 10,000 guys?
Your tax dollars at work.
# Nov 20 2008 at 3:01 PM Rating: Decent
Sage
***
1,104 posts
probably...
Ummm fishy cracker I don't like subjects
# Nov 20 2008 at 10:02 AM Rating: Good
Monopolization for the STF's purpose is anyone who habitually farms a single monster or family of monsters with intent to profit off it's drops to the point that other players cannot compete. Farming is not against the rules but doing so more than is considered healthy is.

Examples of farming for profit
Mysit in sanctuary of zitah, 24 hr farmer hunting Lesser gayla, and stealing from goblins, gayla's are also farming targets for several other players. Mysit also monitors and farms Megalobugard and every window jumps back to Lufaise via windurst. He was recently banned.
His replacement Dreamsing 75 Galka drg/thf is already in place.

a normal player can spot these from a mile away, Anon, Mentor status, no link pearl, doesn't speak english or japanese. My ban stick would be swift and powerful, SE prefers the limpwristed approach where they watch him for 3 weeks before killing the hunter, by then the hunter has accumulated millions in gil which will be removed when that player is banned, this kills the game economy Not because gil is removed but because though players are happy bannings are occuring, they think 1.9billion gil, now there is a shortage /panic.

Umm this post is in response to another post that is now gone, where it go?

Edited, Nov 20th 2008 6:06pm by Soulrunner
Monopolization
# Nov 20 2008 at 8:47 AM Rating: Good
**
447 posts
What exactly constitutes area/monster monopolization? Trains of lizards/orcs/X? Something more serious? I've always wondered how far you'd have to go to get banned or suspended for something like that.
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