Interview with the Task Force - 30/11

[amlaruil]

Typical square enix interview. No concrete answers just "in the near future" or "we cannot disclose any information at this time."

So, they can't answer some things we'd like to know. But its obvious they're doing something.

Afterall, prices have crashed and ulli's aery has been clean the past few nights on several servers.

If they made Ulli a guaranteed 4-6 hour NM, I'd have no complaints. My LS can outpull RMT often enough on all the other NMs, but on Ulli it's just not worth the 12-20 hour camps.

[Flarega]

Ulli isn't bad just because of RMTs, there is also tons of other competition for it and the rediculously long pop.

[filipo]

i didnt think it would be that hard to find out whos selling gil.
SE should create some gil and sell it to ign find out who starts the trade BAM ban that account also buy some gil find out who trades bam ban that account. Do this enough times and eventually you will get them all -.- but thats just my logic maybe im missing something.

[Not Kuno]

Typical square enix interview. No concrete answers just "in the near future" or "we cannot disclose any information at this time."

So, they can't answer some things we'd like to know. But its obvious they're doing something.

Afterall, prices have crashed and ulli's aery has been clean the past few nights on several servers.

If they made Ulli a guaranteed 4-6 hour NM, I'd have no complaints. My LS can outpull RMT often enough on all the other NMs, but on Ulli it's just not worth the 12-20 hour camps.

Make it popped nm with a ??? in the middle.

[Khamsin]

Ulli isn't bad just because of RMTs, there is also tons of other competition for it and the rediculously long pop.

You have non-RMT competition at ulli?

You should try what Pandemonium has. Basically a sky pact between NA LSs during NA hours. e.g. one LS has a 6-8 hour time slot in sky where its just them farming, then they step out and another LS farms during their slot, then the next day another LS farms and then steps out, and so forth. Each LS takes turns and is the only one farming anything anywhere in sky during their time. Result is 6-8 hours camping ulli with absolutely no competition, and having ulli still not pop.

Sucked, too, because it was our time to leave and we knew it'd probably pop right away for the next LS. lol

[Lithiani]

They need to station a GM at Ulli. I'm fed up of watching them warpclaim, calling the GM, and by the time I get a response, the NM is dead and they are away scot free with a fucking stone.

And to repeat:

Did anything ever come of Sonomaa asking if these was a way to get S-Es people to come here and talk to us? We know the problems, and purposeless venting is getting nowhere, fast.

[bebeci]

i didnt think it would be that hard to find out whos selling gil.
SE should create some gil and sell it to ign find out who starts the trade BAM ban that account also buy some gil find out who trades bam ban that account. Do this enough times and eventually you will get them all -.- but thats just my logic maybe im missing something.

The easiest, but they are breaking their own ToS.

Frankly, they probably thought of it, but obviously looked for another way.

[Khamsin]

i didnt think it would be that hard to find out whos selling gil.
SE should create some gil and sell it to ign find out who starts the trade BAM ban that account also buy some gil find out who trades bam ban that account. Do this enough times and eventually you will get them all -.- but thats just my logic maybe im missing something.

The easiest, but they are breaking their own ToS.

Frankly, they probably thought of it, but obviously looked for another way.

Simple solution is for SE just to reword the ToS so it doesn't apply to themselves. That way, they can avoid being considered hypocrites, too. Perhaps as it is written now, it might not anyway. It refers to the user, not the company, as having to follow those terms.

[Nareice]

i didnt think it would be that hard to find out whos selling gil.
SE should create some gil and sell it to ign find out who starts the trade BAM ban that account also buy some gil find out who trades bam ban that account. Do this enough times and eventually you will get them all -.- but thats just my logic maybe im missing something.

ToS dosnt apply to SE in the first place. they are not paying costumers to themselfs. its a great idea, but id let the gil move around for awhile tagging as many accounts with red flags as possible. gil and item trade logs is probly how they got so many of the right account holding names in the last BanFest.

[Angelsin]

Q) Regarding the methods you use and the areas you cover, are there any fundamental differences when it come to the way you deal with RMT or third party tools users?

A) There are no fundamental differences when it comes to action regarding infraction of the terms of agreement. The Special Task Force cannot close any accounts due to activities outside of the game. However, we have at our disposal several new means to investigate and collect evidence to prove a user’s involvement with RMT. Please forgive me for not disclosing the concrete measures that the team takes, as this would have a negative impact on the work we perform.

I thought this part was irritating to see. Yes there is progress on RMT. Thank you Square. However there is more than just the RMT issue. All this interview is talking about is RMT RMT RMT.

To me this is a horrible business model. SE is basically saying they have to wait for something to happen before they will do anything regarding RMT. That's like having employees smoke in the break room where there is a gas leak. "We know there's a problem but we'll wait until the kitchen explodes before doing something."

Not only that they aren't tackling the real issue. What's the issue with RMT? People buying gil. How are they buying gil? Web sites. Where are the web sites getting the gil? Gil farmers (guessing 95% of issue) and ppl selling gil (5%). Does banning gil sellers fix the problem? For a while yes, but they come back in 2-4 weeks. Is it easy to spot a gil seller? For the most part yes. Are they being banned before they sell/farm gil. No. Found the problem! What's more discouraging for a company like IGE anyway? Spending money and making a profit before being shut down (Current Situation) or stopping companies like IGE from reaching that potential to make money (Banning new gil seller 'clones'). Just to share a quote that someone has on these forums a long time ago:

If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and camps the same 24hr gil HNM day after day, it's a fucking gil seller - and a duck.

What I'd like to know is if SE bans just accounts or credit cards associated with the accounts. Because I think they just ban accounts. If they banned credit cards (or credit card addresses) there might be better progress. But that's only part of the problem. The other part is 3rd PT programs and lack of response.

[Gere]

Even if SE DOES ban credit cards, there are visa giftcards that you can buy almost anywhere. It's basically a one-shot debit card and from what I've heard, they DO work with FFXI.

[Lordender]

i'll just make this real simple. SE only has my business for a short time if they don't make a dramatic number of farmers disappear on my server within the next month. They have had ample time to either ban them or adjust the system so it couldn't be monopolized months ago. SE needs to stop trying to "Treat" the cancer and just flat out "Cure" it.

[Faranim]

Q) With regards to RMT -your main responsibility- it has been said that you would investigate trade of this nature and penalise all parties involved with such activities. What sort of penalties would you consider?

A) Appropriate penalties would be enforced. This could range from a warning to the actual closing of an account. The team would react appropriately to the seriousness of an infringement. The team would also take into consideration a user’s previous record. As for the structure of the penalties, please refer to the GM policy which will soon be made publicly available.

Anyone else interested to see what their "GM Policy" actually is?

[Septimus]

Q) With regards to RMT -your main responsibility- it has been said that you would investigate trade of this nature and penalise all parties involved with such activities. What sort of penalties would you consider?

A) Appropriate penalties would be enforced. This could range from a warning to the actual closing of an account. The team would react appropriately to the seriousness of an infringement. The team would also take into consideration a user’s previous record. As for the structure of the penalties, please refer to the GM policy which will soon be made publicly available.

Anyone else interested to see what their "GM Policy" actually is?

Hmm...

Step one, make a macro with the following, "/t <r> We'll investigate the matter further."

Step two, go back to watching Mama's Family.

[Angelsin]

Q) With regards to RMT -your main responsibility- it has been said that you would investigate trade of this nature and penalise all parties involved with such activities. What sort of penalties would you consider?

A) Appropriate penalties would be enforced. This could range from a warning to the actual closing of an account. The team would react appropriately to the seriousness of an infringement. The team would also take into consideration a user’s previous record. As for the structure of the penalties, please refer to the GM policy which will soon be made publicly available.

Anyone else interested to see what their "GM Policy" actually is?

Their policy is that they are investigating the policy.