Fishing

[dasva]

Oh another I've seen them do is watch you for a little bit before they send you a tell. So they will GM warp to next person on the list, watch (if not fishing move on), send tell, if no response I assume jail

[Kohan]

I don't wanna put everyone all up in arms, but it seems like, at least on my server, the GM is targeting Brits...

Anything that they do is region-dependent, so if the EU GM department has decided to crack down on fish botters, that doesn't necessarily mean that the NA and JP GMs are doing the same thing. On the other hand, if they are, and you're EU, neither you nor your EU friends would know anyway, as those GMs would not talk to you.

[Crumpet]

I don't wanna put everyone all up in arms, but it seems like, at least on my server, the GM is targeting Brits...

Today GM Drakenyte came back, around the same time he was there yesterday, and this time he took out two chars that we know for sure of. Those chars were Hjui and Fuuki, both are brits, as is Jaypea from yesterday. Now I can only assume but I'm guessing Crumpet is likely also a Brit. Could be a big coincidence of course, and he could be going with "alphabetical" order method Dasva mentioned. It is strange though.

Jaypea messaged me today and said the person who is using his account (whilst he is on vacation) told him its a 72hr, he doesn't know for sure though. Fuuki's message was lm-11 as well so he is assuming its a temp.

I am also from England. But my char is now Audacity which begins with A. So they very well may of done it in alphabetical order.

I haven't heard anything from SE yet and I find out tonight at midnight which is when my suspension supposedly ends. I'll keep you posted.

[Tsuki]

Anything that they do is region-dependent, so if the EU GM department has decided to crack down on fish botters, that doesn't necessarily mean that the NA and JP GMs are doing the same thing. On the other hand, if they are, and you're EU, neither you nor your EU friends would know anyway, as those GMs would not talk to you.

I don't think the gm departments are as spread out as you think they are. Maybe at one time they were (even then, doubt), but its very unlikely now. I've had run-ins with many a GM in my day, and I've had dealings with this specific gm before so I know that they aren't really "regional" as I am not EU. I consider that there are both NA (based in California) and JP (Japan) GM teams, but not EU GM teams. I believe they have members on staff for both teams that are capable of handling multiple languages, also I have a feeling that there are some JP GMs versed in English to cover any overflow.

I can only base this on my hundreds of experiences with dozens of gms and viewing other posts in which the same gm I have previously encountered, picks up an EU call. Right now, this game is probably completely outsourced and the directors team probably consists only a handful of people. FFXIV has really taken SE's main focus and the large majority of ffxi team members have been shifted to that game, including gms. You can regularly see our old GM friends as moderators on both the official FFXI and FFXIV/Beta forums (the jp gms are currently really busy doing damage control on the JP forums because many JP players are crying foul at this latest VU). I'd be surprised if here is a total in-game GM population of over 10 people on the NA side, honestly and I'd be willing to bet there are 0 EU GMs actively working, if there ever was any to begin with (again, I highly doubt this).

[Prothescar]

can't remember the last time I got a GM who wasn't named Bacchanale

[Damane]

there is an EU SE GM department in england. Friend works there. The EU department covers GMs that can speak/write in german or French & English. They are also GMs for FF 14 and translate stuff in the off. Forums.

[Jem]

there is an EU SE GM department in england. Friend works there. The EU department covers GMs that can speak/write in german or French & English. They are also GMs for FF 14 and translate stuff in the off. Forums.

Yep, this. It was only maybe 1-2 years ago that they were advertising for positions as we joked about it as an LS. I believe it's based in London.

[Tsuki]

Nice to get some confirmation, I wonder if they're still all actively working 11 though? Maybe your friend would know!

[Neoex]

I don't wanna put everyone all up in arms, but it seems like, at least on my server, the GM is targeting Brits...

Today GM Drakenyte came back, around the same time he was there yesterday, and this time he took out two chars that we know for sure of. Those chars were Hjui and Fuuki, both are brits, as is Jaypea from yesterday. Now I can only assume but I'm guessing Crumpet is likely also a Brit. Could be a big coincidence of course, and he could be going with "alphabetical" order method Dasva mentioned. It is strange though.

Jaypea messaged me today and said the person who is using his account (whilst he is on vacation) told him its a 72hr, he doesn't know for sure though. Fuuki's message was lm-11 as well so he is assuming its a temp.

Agree with this, I had 3 fishers afk in glacierr fishing, they hit my british UK account, 72 hour temp, got the same email as previously posted. my 2 NA accounts were not approached by a GM

[Tsuki]

Neo is that the account attached to your ffxiv legacy btw? also, I'm sorry to hear... I have pm's from other brits that got nicked as well. This is very much looking like a UK movement...

There is one thing that is not adding up correctly though; Yesterday I found out the guy I know who plays Fuuki actually had that char on an NA account, but he's playing from UK. So after hearing from everyone up until now I was actually about to concede what Kohan said about the EU gm's taking a stance and not the other teams... but that doesn't make sense since Fuuki is an NA account.

They must be ip targeting, that or logging in from a certain region gives the gm of that area jurisdiction. There's even holes in that theory though because Drakenyte has had dealings with me before in the past and I've always been NA only.

Still haven't really figured out exactly what their playing at yet but I'm still keeping an eye out.

[Crumpet]

If it is only British people. I wonder why? Seems strange that they're only going for us.

[dasva]

Or everyone else was at their comps

[Jem]

Or everyone else was at their comps

Would make sense if not for the guy who got his EU account banned but his NA accounts unapproached

[Neoex]

I had 3 fishers all standing within 15 yalms of each other.


1 EU (UK account)
2 NA

I got an email like the one previously posted on the EU account when I was at work. I just assumed that if a GM got 1, he got the other 2 as well. I got home checked logs and sure enough the GM had contact the EU account told him to please stop fishing he was doing a courtest check, blah blah blah. The NA accounts were not touched. I am logged in from the same IP (NA) on all 3

[dasva]

Distance doesn't seem to matter. I've seen them do there little warp thing even when the next person was litterally 5 yalms away.

[sevvy]

there is an EU SE GM department in england. Friend works there. The EU department covers GMs that can speak/write in german or French & English. They are also GMs for FF 14 and translate stuff in the off. Forums.

Not true, all NA and EU Game Mastering occurs in Los Angeles where all other GMs are, I know this for a fact.

[sevvy]

So this is how it works first hand (just trust me I know):

• GMs have a list that they consult where they suspect people for cheating. This list is to be used when they aren't answering any particular calls, which in the past was rare, but since they send nothing but GM Help Desk responses nowadays, they have ample time. The list is a combination of automation as well as manually put in there. If there are a lot of "dings" on your character for people reporting you, you'll get put on the list. If the Special Task Force has a good reason to put you there, you get put on that list.

• GMs have two ways to detect if you're afk. The first is the most obvious one, send you a tell. If you are not there, then there's the case, but with more and more bots giving alerts/logouts they can use the second option. They have the ability to put up a multiple choice question on your screen with anything they want, kind of like when you are choosing a piece of NNI gear, or picking a selection for a quest. They can ask, for example, "What color is the sky?" and put up three responses, you pick the right one you are okay, you pick the wrong one, you're boned. (They use this command by using //gm randomqus "Question here" "Answer 1" "Answer 2" and "Answer 3"

• The only regional GMs out there are JP and NA/EU. All GMs in NA and EU are in LA in Cali, they have two per day with specializations in French and German, and if there are none around, they typically send a Help Desk response with a form answer or if they are getting someone, they notate the account and wait for a GM to come online.

This all leads me to believe that SE has made it an official statement to get down to the fishbotting, and quite frankly I am surprised it hasn't come sooner but these things usually happen near after and before an expansion and I anticipate the fires will go down here and there. I was talking to a good source yesterday and they pretty much told me the same thing, so just keep your heads low and bow out for a couple of weeks and you should be good, unless they have decided to completely tackle the "problem."

Edit: It can also be one douchebag GM who has nothing better to do than send form letters and look for people who are trying to get a leg up on his in-game character.

[Buffy]

Hmmmm...trust the person who has been on BG for 6 years and has 2300 posts or the person who has been on BG for 2 months and has 2 posts.

/conflicted.

[Buffy]

So this is how it works first hand (just trust me I know):

• GMs have a list that they consult where they suspect people for cheating. This list is to be used when they aren't answering any particular calls, which in the past was rare, but since they send nothing but GM Help Desk responses nowadays, they have ample time. The list is a combination of automation as well as manually put in there. If there are a lot of "dings" on your character for people reporting you, you'll get put on the list. If the Special Task Force has a good reason to put you there, you get put on that list.

• GMs have two ways to detect if you're afk. The first is the most obvious one, send you a tell. If you are not there, then there's the case, but with more and more bots giving alerts/logouts they can use the second option. They have the ability to put up a multiple choice question on your screen with anything they want, kind of like when you are choosing a piece of NNI gear, or picking a selection for a quest. They can ask, for example, "What color is the sky?" and put up three responses, you pick the right one you are okay, you pick the wrong one, you're boned. (They use this command by using //gm randomqus "Question here" "Answer 1" "Answer 2" and "Answer 3"

• The only regional GMs out there are JP and NA/EU. All GMs in NA and EU are in LA in Cali, they have two per day with specializations in French and German, and if there are none around, they typically send a Help Desk response with a form answer or if they are getting someone, they notate the account and wait for a GM to come online.

This all leads me to believe that SE has made it an official statement to get down to the fishbotting, and quite frankly I am surprised it hasn't come sooner but these things usually happen near after and before an expansion and I anticipate the fires will go down here and there. I was talking to a good source yesterday and they pretty much told me the same thing, so just keep your heads low and bow out for a couple of weeks and you should be good, unless they have decided to completely tackle the "problem."

The multiple choice box has been long rumored/discussed but no screenshot has ever appeared verifying it. So unless you have said screenshot, please stop spreading undocumented bullshit.

[sevvy]

Its really not bullshit but I also agree that I have no proof to show you, and also just because i've posted so little doesn't mean I have no indication on what is going on.