Emergency update

[realraiko]

From:FINAL FANTASY XI
Jan. 13, 2006 03:00 [PST]

FINAL FANTASY XI Update (Jan. 13)

At the following time, emergency maintenance was performed on FINAL FANTASY XI.

It came to our attention that some players were using third-party software to repeatedly and automatically steal items from monsters in certain areas. Emergency maintenance was performed to address this issue.

To counter this exploit, it is no longer possible to obtain items via the job ability "Steal" from certain monsters in specific areas. This measure is only temporary, and the issue will be fully addressed in upcoming days.

We would like to take this time to remind our players that the use of any third-party equipment or software to change or modify the game in any way is strictly prohibited. If you come across such software, we ask that you please refrain from using it, no matter how minor it may appear to be.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

[Affected Period]
Jan. 13, 2006 3:00 (PST)

[Affected Services]
FINAL FANTASY XI

[Important Update Details]
-Items that can be obtained via the job ability "Steal" have been removed from some monsters in the following areas.
Oldton Movalpolos
Newton Movalpolos

Didn't they fuck up or somethin on the MPK fix?

[Heian]

It had somethingto do with THFs using Steal then Hide, or zoning, and the mob repoping with the same items being stolen over and over again, I think. Think high level goblins, Gold Beastcoins.

[Elcura]

It had somethingto do with THFs using Steal then Hide, or zoning, and the mob repoping with the same items being stolen over and over again, I think. Think high level goblins, Gold Beastcoins.

you don't need a 3rd party program to do that.

It came to our attention that some players were using third-party software to repeatedly and automatically steal items from monsters in certain areas. Emergency maintenance was performed to address this issue.

sounds to me like they're stealing without the 5min timer

[Heian]

It had somethingto do with THFs using Steal then Hide, or zoning, and the mob repoping with the same items being stolen over and over again, I think. Think high level goblins, Gold Beastcoins.

you don't need a 3rd party program to do that.

It came to our attention that some players were using third-party software to repeatedly and automatically steal items from monsters in certain areas. Emergency maintenance was performed to address this issue.

sounds to me like they're stealing without the 5min timer

Yeah forgot about that, it seemed odd that they fixed it so fast. What I mean is the zones on Valefor were only down for about 3~5 minutes if that. That makes you wonder is JA's are controlled client side like movement speed. It seems that way.

[Janice]

Hey, instead of preventing stealing, how about you let people do it. And have GM's monitor that area a bit more and if a thf steals more often than is possible, BAN THEM.

[epigram]

I'm pretty sure it's mainly plat coins with the timer/zone reset hack. I guess plat rings will go back up in price again.

[NynJa]

Hey, instead of preventing stealing, how about you let people do it. And have GM's monitor that area a bit more and if a thf steals more often than is possible, BAN THEM.

that would involve effort on SE's part.

[vudoodoodoo]

I've noticed an unsually high amount of spider webs on AH.

[nivlakian]

It had somethingto do with THFs using Steal then Hide, or zoning, and the mob repoping with the same items being stolen over and over again, I think. Think high level goblins, Gold Beastcoins.

you don't need a 3rd party program to do that.

It came to our attention that some players were using third-party software to repeatedly and automatically steal items from monsters in certain areas. Emergency maintenance was performed to address this issue.

sounds to me like they're stealing without the 5min timer

Yeah forgot about that, it seemed odd that they fixed it so fast. What I mean is the zones on Valefor were only down for about 3~5 minutes if that. That makes you wonder is JA's are controlled client side like movement speed. It seems that way.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'd doubt the timers are controlled client side. I would think if that were the case then it should be possible to log off of one client (PC/PS2) and login to another and have all your timers back since only the first client remembers them.

Also, there is often a discrepency between the menu (or /recast) and the purple chat log timer that appears when you use a JA too early. Often the menu falls behind but the purple timer is accurate and you are able to use that JA when that timer is up even if the menu says you can't. If it's client side then that timer should also appear even during an R0 as it would require no response from the server to show it to you... does it appear in that case? I know you can still see /recast while R0'ing though.

[Lasitha]

And the same buyer guilty!

[Khamsin]

Well, they could always start doing it to Bugbears now since whatever they were doing before won't work anymore.

Afterall, some bugbears near zones just stand in one spot always looking away from you. You could write a script or something to steal/hide every 5 min, and you'd never get aggro after hide wore off because the bugbear is always looking the other way. So you could afk and steal coins all night that way now, I guess.

[Wilimac]

Gees.....I hope they didnt get rid of the plat coins permently. That was on sorce of income I had. I spent 3 hours there one night for 4 coins.

[Russta]

Hey, instead of preventing stealing, how about you let people do it. And have GM's monitor that area a bit more and if a thf steals more often than is possible, BAN THEM.

that would involve effort on SE's part.

It would also cost them money (and lord knows we couldn't have that).

[dietvanillapepsi]

repeatedly and automatically steal items

If I'm reading this right, this 3rd pty program not only resets the timer but makes the success rate "automatic."

[NynJa]

what a dumbass....why use that shit in movalpolos ??

Use that shit in dynamis !

[Wilimac]

repeatedly and automatically steal items

If I'm reading this right, this 3rd pty program not only resets the timer but makes the success rate "automatic."

Wouldnt that require hacking into the SE servers? That would be easy to find how who that would be by IP tracing.

[Keyten]

My guess is there is a bot that targets a mob and steals, zones, then zones back in and repeats every 5 minutes. May seem stupid but if people can run this while sleeping, hey its free gil.

I think Khamsin pretty much got it but you would have to zone or do a bit of running because mobs dont depop if they dont leave their radius.

[Khamsin]

If you *did* steal/hide from an unmoving mob that always turned back away from you after hiding (i.e. bugbears), would they still have an item to steal after some time has passed?

Or do you have to get them to depop to be able to steal from them again, no matter how much time you let pass between steals?

If so, maybe they stood at max throwing range in the long empty hallway by the zone, and every 5 min threw a boomerang at the back of a bugbear then steal/hide. I imagine you wouldn't have to drag a bugbear far to get it out of its usual spawn area, since those particular ones only spawn in one fixed spot.

/targetnpc
/ra <t>
/wait 3
/steal <t>
/wait 1
/ja Hide <me>

and repeat every 5 min.

[mademine]

repeatedly and automatically steal items

If I'm reading this right, this 3rd pty program not only resets the timer but makes the success rate "automatic."

Wouldnt that require hacking into the SE servers? That would be easy to find how who that would be by IP tracing.

Why do people think they need to hack into the server? Seems to me that justing having a bot continuesly stealing beastcoins while afk is enough of a reason to fix this. 12 coins/hr isn't alot but the fact that you can do it while asleep/work/school/watching porn is a huge exploit.

[FFXIFlux]

Why do people think they need to hack into the server? Seems to me that justing having a bot continuesly stealing beastcoins while afk is enough of a reason to fix this. 12 coins/hr isn't alot but the fact that you can do it while asleep/work/school/watching porn is a huge exploit.

Yeah, it's almost as bad as fish-botting.