FFXI cheaters hit with ban stick
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Jul 24th 2006 at 5:55PM }
Cheaters beware! If you think taking advantage of others is the way to go, take this latest bit of news as a mild warning. More than 2,000 players within the Final Fantasy XI MMORPG universe have had their accounts either suspended or terminated recently because of the use of some "third-party software tools."
The FFXI group released this notice to potential bad boys and girls:
- We would like to take this time to remind our players that the use of any third-party tools will not only destroy the in-game balance, but will also encourage RMT (Real Money Trade) activities. We will continue to take strict actions against those individuals that we have confirmed to have used such tools.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Revolution @ Jul 24th 2006 6:09PM
Yeah, it's bad enough having to upgrade your PC to play a lot of these games...just to have some 12 year old douche totally pwn you because he's a cheater
Dillon dePencier @ Jul 24th 2006 6:11PM
Lol, look at the google ads. They're advertising FFXI Gil now.
:) @ Jul 24th 2006 6:17PM
Haha wait 2000 people , Isn't that all of their population :P
mietha CAG @ Jul 24th 2006 6:21PM
As long as anyone is willing to pay real world money for in game money, these practices will never stop. Banning, while it may sound good, doesn't help at all. For the most part, they are expendable accounts which can be replaced instantly or near-enough. Until they can truely devise a way to stop the people behind the accounts, or morons stop spending real money for in-game currency/items, it will never improve. One of the LARGE reasons I no longer play MMOs, after doing so for 8 years or so.
Wilson @ Jul 24th 2006 6:28PM
I wonder if any of those banned were using windower, which I don't think of as a hacking tool, but just something to make the game better, since I don't like to have the game running in fullscreen all the time.
banhammer @ Jul 24th 2006 6:42PM
They earned a ticket straight to banville!
Staticneuron @ Jul 24th 2006 6:59PM
@ wilson
I wonder about that as well. I heard there was also a mod that allowed you to increase the draw distance in the game. I wonder if they got people on that as well.
Probot @ Jul 24th 2006 7:08PM
@Wilson,
While I agree that the Windower is harmless by itself, it does allow plugins that can affect the game. For example, there is a plugin that tell you how far you are from a mob. Since that distance determines how effective a Ranger is, the person with that plugin will have an advantage over other players.
The whole point of disallowing mods and 3rd party software is to make sure all players remain on equal footing.
Johan @ Jul 24th 2006 7:15PM
It sucks that Windower is considered a hacking tool. I does include some plugins that unfairly give advantages to players, but the core software functionality itself (allowing FFXI to play in windowed mode) is something SquareEnix should have built-in to FFXI from the start.
Pirate @ Jul 24th 2006 7:30PM
I was just checking out the cheating website for MMORGPs, www.taultunleashed.com, and well a bunch of the people that used "Flee Hacks" basically moving 300% normal speed or Warping hacks that warp you to any place in the map, got banned. Someone on there at 400 Millon Gil worth of Gear and cash, and his account got closed. I used to play FFXI and started using Warp hack because I was tired of haveing to walk from Point A to point B, saving me hours of Chocobo, airship or walking. I feel for the people that just speed hack, but screw all the NM hackers and NM spawn warp, and dupers. And of course Gil or Gold sellers.
Probot @ Jul 24th 2006 7:34PM
@Johan,
I doubt anyone would disagree with that. Well, except for SquareEnix. I've been waiting for an approved method for Windowed mode for more than 2 years now. Till then, I'm gonna keep using the Windower (without plugins).
Osiris @ Jul 24th 2006 8:10PM
I used to use the windower when i played, and it provided some very useful features that should have been implemented from day one.
To ban players for merely trying to get more functionality and not for trying to aid their gameplay is just cruel.
Using speed hacks however.. that's a cheating as you can get and is probably one of the reasons you quit, Pirate. Part of the fun of an MMO is that you still have the tedious parts to do, but it is all worth it when you get that reward from doing so.
Then again, the speed of FFXI is disgusting. I think it is probably the main reason so many cannot get into it, they don't have the patience.
For it to take 30 minutes just to walk to your next training area (i.e. Windurst to dune) is just excruciating.
Get it right next time Squenix, and maybe players won't feel the need to cheat.
BillBix @ Jul 24th 2006 8:31PM
For some reason I just can't get into FFXI, just because I can't see Final Fantasy being an MMORPG. But I have played many games before that have cheaters so I bet it's a real big sigh of relief!
mark @ Jul 24th 2006 8:33PM
All the trainers and bots is what turned me off pc games and action replay turned me off ps2 games. Thats the reason why i love xbox live. Secure system. Cheating doesnt last long (some exploits do but no outright blatant cheating).
T-Bag @ Jul 24th 2006 8:52PM
Too bad Square won't send me a list of all the hackers email addresses. I would send them all such nice letters too..
I personally knew a hacker through my clan, never really talked to him much but I did report him quite a few times. Lets just hope he's among the list.
Alisha Karabinus @ Jul 24th 2006 9:19PM
Re: Windower -- the consensus seems to be that only people using certain specific hacks (like the flee tool) were banned, though a few are crying foul and saying they ONLY used Windower. The population remains skeptical, however.
I hope they get them all, RMT and "regular" players, anyone who cheats. It's ridiculous.
idioteraser @ Jul 24th 2006 10:04PM
RMT should be arrested since they are after all trading in virtual items that don't belong to them. A mmo account is a rental if you bother to read the thing. Charge them with selling stolen goods as well as stealing the goods.
Scott @ Jul 24th 2006 10:28PM
Xbox Live is far from secure or hack-free. Xbox Live is slightly more secure as it's on a closed platform and not nearly as easy as the PC. Just wait until a very popular game is released, ala Halo 2. The Hacks will come out just like they did in the first 6 Months of H2.
loverofrice @ Jul 25th 2006 1:18AM
dont worry. ive been playing ffxi a little over 2 years and started to use the windower not to long ago. it's not detectable because you arent modifying data in-game (which the flee tools and provoke bots do). ffxi social structure is the best ive seen. i like it better than wow. also to get to camps is really tedious but it's well worth it end-game....now for that 3 headed hydra their adding......just sounds delicious!
AntiTimeSink @ Jul 25th 2006 9:25AM
For normal hacking sure ban them (but in a PvE game one wonders whats the point?!?!). However for botting, if the game wasn't such a tedious, boring grind there would be little need. Humans like to work smarter NOT harder. Bots are the smartest most effiecent way for us to work in these grindy environments. Spending hours on end doing the same exact thing over and over agian IS the work of a computer! Perhaps MMORPG designers should make thier designs fun and complicated enough to warrent the interaction of a human.
AntiTimeSink
Loque @ Jul 25th 2006 9:33AM
what you guys seem to forget is that FFXI was the first big 2nd gen mmorpg, and was really more of a 1.5
Griffins to wherever you needed to go was unheard of, Chocobos were a HUGE innovation, as were airships, and soloing to a certain point then hitting a dead end was common practise. Go try EQ, now THAT'S a grind no matter what you do.
Blotman @ Jul 26th 2006 10:19AM
I am a software developer, so I totally feel for Square-Enix whenever a user starts to bitch and moan about stupid petty crap. But to take such an action and blame it on the fact that it promotes RMT is utter and complete BS. Someone please explain to me how a warp hacker and speed exploits directly encourages RMT. It's like having a cop pull you over for speeding and then taking away your license because speeding encourages drug use. Give me a freakin break!
Don't get me wrong. I don't encourage cheating what so ever, but I do not like having to question my actions when using in-game mechanics to my advantage in fear that I will get banned. "ZOMG! He claimed a mob that turned white! Ban him!"
Perhaps Square-Enix needs to take a clue from their cheaters and improve their goddamn system. These people obviously find the game intriguing, otherwise they wouldn't still be playing. On the other hand, the game is obviously annoying as hell. As someone already mentioned, to get to your leveling area it could take a half hour! Here's the kicker: If your character gets killed on the way, it gets slapped with a hefty penalty in experience points and the fastest way to continue where you're going is to start all over.
The user interface is the worst thing ever. I gave up on using the mouse the first day of playing because half the times it does not select what you click. The built-in macro system is very limited and does not register many times to the point where I find myself hitting the keys rapidly to ensure they work. The menu navigations are just long and tedious. To do anything to alleviate any of this considered a hack or an exploit against the terms of service. I've sent complaints and suggestions through the official site, but do not see any action in the near future.
I love the game, and with any game I would expect it to have its fair share of cheaters. This "quick fix" is just a means to temporarily appease the company itself and the fans, and I hope to see a REAL solution someday.
Squarehero @ Jul 27th 2006 12:05AM
I play FFXI. They are slowly fixing all these problems. Personal chocobo mounts which are going to be introduced will definitely solve your problems of having to run 30 minutes to get to a levelling spot.
The keyboard interface is pretty intuitive. If you're still using a mouse, then you should really try to use the keyboard. A full sized one.
And if you want to level fast, then this game doesn't suit you since it was released when everyone was still playing slow and grinding MMORPGs. The xp penalty is there for a reason. It is cruel but necessary to prevent people from taking death too lightly.
Yninja @ Jul 27th 2006 9:46AM
It doesn't speak volumes for the game that people hack it just to get SOME form of functionality out of it. I was a beta tester for the PS2 version, and while I liked it, a lot of crap grates on your nerves. As was mentioned, I don't wanna spend 13 bucks a month to look at my character walk for an hour at a time. Frig that.