Today I was playing a perplexing game of Triple Triad with the lovely Marielle in The Sea of Clouds (okay it wasn't THAT perplexing) when all of a sudden my screen went blank and I was whisked away to a dungeon that I did not queue for! A shadowy figure appeared then and proceeded to perplex me in a way that would make King Elmer III proud by accusing me of breaking ToS and then hastily informing me that I would be banned for four days and if I didn't have any questions he'd be returning me to my home point and logging me out. Wait what?!
Well, I can tell you that I was definitely shocked, awed, and totally confused and of course I had questions. Goodness gracious! Breaking ToS? How? I felt that I had very little time to have a conversation with this GM given the quick succession of copy pasta he was hit-sending and that he/she was very eager to dismiss me. My thoughts began to race faster than a P9 R285 4 Star Racing Chocobo with a "head start" hereditary and Choco Dash II as a learned ability!! What could I have possibly said that would warrant a four day ban???? Think, McFly. Think! I hadn't been online much lately and when I am online I'm usually playing cards or trying to win MGP at The Golden Saucer. If I'm not there, then I'm in Eureka chasing that 405 weapon and, you know, kinda wishing I was dead but that's a story for another day. At any rate, I usually keep to myself and rarely ever type in public chat and when I do it's cordial and informative. I am extremely careful with my language and how I may be perceived especially after the new ToS came out because after reading that thoroughly I got the impression that it could now be very easy to get banned from this game for the slightest infraction. I mean, I just managed to save up enough gil to by a medium sized lot and I gathered almost all of the materials to make all of my own furniture! I'm definitely not tryna get banned after putting that much effort into this game.
Recently I wrote a Reddit post about the changes to Square Enix ToS after reviewing them with a couple of friends in order to get up-to-speed on what breaking ToS actually means this time around. In my post, I wrote about the broad definition of "offensive language" which concerned me a great deal because what I might find offensive others may not and vise versa and since ToS is incredibly vague in terms of what exactly could be construed as offensive language, this means that they are leaving that definition up to the discretion of the GMs. In the new ToS, Square Enix makes it abundantly clear that GMs will now be taking a more, and I quote, "proactive approach" to ToS breaches as well as player squabbles/disagreements whereas in the past they have left most of this up to the adults to work out themselves. After all, that is why there is a language filter that is set to 'on' by default AND a feature that easily allows you to block people you feel offended or annoyed by. However, as stated in the new ToS, in accordance with "changing times", this has been deemed as not sufficient enough in controlling and censoring the player base so FFXIV is now dedicated to a more hands-on approach to how the player base interacts with each other and is dedicated to doling out harsher punishments in the event of a breach .... whatever that is. This seemed like a step in the wrong direction in my opinion, because it opens the community up to a great deal of misuse and abuse, but it's their rules so I was equally dedicated in educating myself in terms of what could be construed as offensive so as to avoid any potential bans and therein lies the rub. If the rules are vague and the GM isn't allowed to actually inform you of exactly what your infraction is, how can you be sure that you won't make the same mistake twice?
After writing that Reddit post and making it my mission not to piss anyone off, I have to say that this experience is pretty ironic especially since I can't even recall having had a conversation or any interactions of any significance with anyone since the new ToS came out. In fact, I have been especially vigilant about censoring my speech just in case. Just to avoid this very thing. Apparently that wasn't enough. So this happened ....
And then I was unceremoniously dismissed and discarded ...
I then checked my email and received the requisite you've been banned notice.
Dear Customer,
We are writing to inform you that the FINAL FANTASY XIV service account registered to this e-mail address has been suspended on 21/05/2019 due to a confirmed breach of the following rules and agreements:
3.3 Profanity and Offensive Language. You may not use profanity or any language that a reasonable person would find offensive. The Game is for players aged 16 and older except players who are resident in Germany, Australia or New Zealand where the Game is for players aged 12 and older. You agree to behave accordingly.
We found evidence of this violation from the following behaviour, which led to this suspension:
- Use of inappropriate language
There is no way that I used language that "a reasonable person" would find offensive. No possible way!! I have been vigorously self-censoring just to avoid that very thing! The new ToS and all the hype around it actually scared the shit out of me and apparently I was right to be afraid because I was clearly not self-censoring sufficiently enough to avoid a language ban.
I'm not really sure what to do about this now. Look, I get that we are living in very strange times and a wonky political climate, but that's why it is so important to actually inform people of exactly what it is that they said so that they can amend their future interactions with other players and their use of language. I mean, a significant number of people who play FFXIV are the type who get offended every time someone sneezes, so how am I supposed to know which sneeze is offensive and which isn't? I feel particularly disillusioned by this because I have made a sincere and conscious effort to be very careful with my interactions with people especially in open chat after reading the new ToS, keeping those interactions to a minimum as well, and the very thing I wrote about in my original post is actually happening.
This is quite the conundrum I'm in, I must say. I have poured so much time, effort, and money into this game. I mean, you actually have to pay for bank space beyond the two given to you with the game. Need more than two retainers? That'll cost ya! I have six! People will tell you that you don't need more than two retainers. Yeah, but you do. If you're a well-rounded gamer and want to enjoy all aspects of the game, you'll need plenty of space to store things you might need later especially if you're really into crafting which is a big deal! Crafting is as important as any other role in this game! And don't get me started on Mogstation purchases! I'd be embarrassed to admit how much real life gil I've dropped there. As mentioned earlier, I recently saved enough gil to finally buy a Medium sized lot decorating it in a spooky house style most of the furnishings of which I made myself gathering all the materials myself as well! Right now, I'm really into Eureka and winning MGP at The Golden Saucer. I've started getting into Triple Triad too and I'm discovering all the different NPCs who play so I can win cards to make new decks and finally beat King Elmer! So, the last thing I want to do is get perma-banned but now it feels like I'm going to have to live in fear that this could very possibly happen no matter how minor or unintended the next infraction could be. I guess all I can do is, like the GM advised, be "even more" careful. Lots of people have turned off all chats but "trusted FCs" and that seems like a pretty good idea at this point. If I don't say anything at all in open chat, I know to 100% that I will definitely NOT piss anyone off. This is disheartening because I feel that even by posting this blog, I'll be subject to a ban for breaking some vague rule. You know, like the telling the truth.
At this point, I feel very devalued and I have to wonder if being treated like a valueless customer is worth the cost of a subscription when there are so many other MMOs I could be funneling money into? I do really like this game and I have put so much work into it, but this experience has been very disappointing. It has left me feeling very insecure and frustrated and I don't want to pay for a service that literally requires me to walk on eggshells every time I login. I play games to relax and release anxiety not to increase it and that is exactly what this game has come down to for me at this point and I know that I'm not the only one who has experienced this recently. A simple google search on the matter has generated some pretty shocking and alarming results though it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who has experienced this kind of thing. Frankly, I'm perturbed and not a little bit. I should be having fun and feeling entertained. That is why we pay subscription fees, but right now I just feel anxious and sad because I don't know if the next thing I type could be a "permaban". According to my research, there is no account penalty decay. It's like an X amount of strikes and you're out no matter how long ago the last penalty happened or how minor the infraction was or is.
The thing that bothers me most is that I am genuinely befuddled by what I could have possibly said to warrant this action and they absolutely refuse to tell me. The most they would tell me is that I said something offensive in April and even after racking my brains, I am still genuinely and totally perplexed by this. I don't mind strict rules and penalties to enforce those rules, but I do mind specifics being withheld and being left in virtual darkness and uncertainty. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason why a GM can't inform you that you said x on x date therefore ban. That would be fair, informative, and make the person feel secure that they won't repeat the mistake because they will know exactly what they did wrong. The argument for this is SE's privacy policy, but what is the concern? If a person retaliates against being reported then the next step can be a perma-ban for legitimate harassment. I honestly don't think it has anything to do with that. I feel like this is set into place so that people can't prove that they were wrongfully banned. I think it's a method by which the corporation is using to cover its own ass.
It would also be nice if Square Enix could define what they mean by "profanity or any language that a reasonable person would find offensive". What is their definition of a reasonable person? I believe that I am a reasonable and rational adult and I would like to think that I could be mature enough to accept a penalty that happened as a result of a legitimate breach of ToS. However, I truly believe in my heart of hearts that I have not been offensive to any "reasonable" people. I have been trying all day to think of what I could have said that warranted this ban. To my recollection, the most I could have said in April is an "ah fuck" after missing an S rank during hunts or getting blown off the stage for the millionth time at The Saucer. If saying "shit" or "fuck" in open chat is now strictly prohibited that is fine, but could a GM please inform me that this is the case at least?! I am pretty sure that reasonable people don't get offend by the word "fuck" and I would absolutely love to see evidence of me using language any stronger than that because I know it doesn't exist. Not in April or any other month. If GMs were more specific about infractions, I think that would help out a great deal in preventing any future missteps. It would prevent biased unfair bans as well. Unfortunately, I feel pretty certain that I will be left forever confused over this.
I've been reading through a lot of posts that outline ban experiences similar to my own and I have noticed that a lot of people respond with "if you got banned it must've been for a good reason", "you must've done something worse than that", "there must be something more to the story", sort of "begging the question" if you will and making the assumption that the person is automatically guilty because they were banned whether it was for a good reason or not. Some people will think being banned for saying "fuck" is a good reason. Others won't. Who is right? This is an argument that is very similar to the "appeal to authority" fallacy in that if a GM enforced a ban then it must be fair and right and the person MUST have done something to deserve it. The problem with this is that the GMs are not producing any kind of evidence so there is no way to prove whether they are being fair or not and THAT is what I take issue with. It also states in the updated ToS that you can be banned even for unintentionally offending someone which really kind of says it all. You can actually say something with the best of intentions and still be subject to a penalty if the other party feels "victimized" by it. The more I think about that the more convinced I am that turning off world chat is the only way to truly stay safe from the possibility of unintentionally offending someone and thus subjecting myself to a reprisal in the form of a report and a subsequent ban.
Here are a couple of screenshots of various threads around the internet written by people who have experienced "profanity" bans. So yes, this is happening, and people are talking about it. Using these screenshots is not against the law since these comments are gathered from public forums, but if you see your comment here and want me to take it down, just email me, and I'll remove it post haste.
That was some sage advice, Crux, although there are things I would say to my Mom as a reasonable adult that she wouldn't feel offended by (because she is also a reasonable adult) that would actually get me banned in this game. I would advise people not to say anything in open chat that the most overly sensitive precious and special little snowflake could feel even remotely offended or "victimized" by .... so that's basically nothing unless it's a compliment. Kind of sad when we've reached a stage in civilization where we pander to adult babies, but ... hey, when in Rome, right? Oh that's right .. Rome fell thanks to cultural relativism and so have a few MMOs thanks to extreme moderation if I'm not mistaken *cough* EverQuest *cough*.
More sage advice! I plan to do the same! Keep your lip zipped = no ban!
The Law of The Land!!!
when people ask you why you're talking in public chat!
Gotta love the honesty in that second paragraph up there!
I noticed a few NPCesque responses to these comments telling the OP that an in-game language filter doesn't make it okay to use profanity. Then why is it there? Why implement a system that is made redundant by a second layer? It's like, we have this system in place to protect people's delicate sensibilities but still don't use adult language anyway or get hit in the face with the ban hammer, but I guess if you're going to any social media platform looking for logic and reason you've gone to the wrong place. I like how people also refer to the 13-year-olds who may be playing. Look, I don't know what century you think this is, but let's be real, 13-year-olds are the foulest mouthed little creatures on the planet. They say and do things that make ME as a fully grown adult raise an eyebrow. In fact, if I got caught saying half the shit these kids say today at their age, I'd have had my head slapped off, so give me a break with that evangelical little pictures have big ears crapola, please. But think of the children!!!!! Hur-dur! The "12-year-old troll" meme is a classic for a reason.
Speaking of layers, I read comments all the time about how lovely the FFXIV community is and how it's no where near as toxic as the WoW community and I have to wonder just how much Kool-Aid these people have guzzled. I mean, are we playing the same game? A cursory look at the forums contradicts that notion tremendously if not hilariously because some of those stories are comedy gold. Also, if the community is so great, why are all these layers of rules and regulations necessary? It seems like the community isn't as great as it is scared into silence and faux congeniality. Just google ffxiv horror stories and behold. These are real people talking about their experiences and the reports aren't glowing. I also find it ironic when people talk about how kind and generous FFXIV players are but then admit that they only socialize within their FC. Doesn't lend itself to a varied experience, now does it? Do Alliance Raids and Roulettes on your own. The story changes drastically.
Anyway, I've just submitted an appeal to this decision which I predict will go nowhere if they respond at all within the next three to four days. From what I understand these decisions never get reversed and Square Enix does very little to help people out who have been deemed "unsavory" or "problematic". I'll update this blog as they respond to me, IF they do, so that you can get a clear view of what it is like to be in a situation like this. I honestly don't know what else to say other than to "be even more careful" because in this game you really can be banned for almost anything. Also, you should document and screenshot ANY interactions you have with GMs so you always have a record of how you are being treated as a subscriber. I definitely don't feel like a valued customer at all and the only way to avoid any further infractions is to err on the side of caution and just be silent now which I suppose is what I will do if I decide to keep playing, but I am now seriously considering cancelling my sub and getting a refund on the new xpac. I'll keep you updated on that as well because I predict some shady business there too like not getting a full refund because I've been using the xp earrings since they were released. So sad. I've been a gamer since the 90s and I can honestly say that I have never EVER experienced anything like this and frankly it's just not worth 60 dollars every six months plus retainer (bank space) fees. I am sure there are MMOs out there that are just as fun if not more so and that are NOT being made redundant by their vague ToS, militant GMs, and bureaucratic customer service.
Any suggestions on an MMO that isn't WoW???? I'd be delighted to read them! I hear Elder Scrolls Online is still a pretty happening game! Or maybe I will just go back to WoW, after all? The new expansion may be less than desirable but I always felt like a valued customer there. My hubby is playing GTA online a lot lately. Maybe I'll join him there! Maybe this is a blessing in disguise! Maybe I'll discover something new and amazing to get hooked on!! Gotta look for the positives, right?
I guess I WON'T be seeing you in Eorzea .... for a while.
Update: 24/5-19 My exchange with Game Master Services is updated in the post below. I'm going on record right now to say that I'm taking a vow of silence and will only speak with people I actually know and trust in-game. I will no longer risk typing in any public chats.
Something funny to lighten the mood! During my searches, I came across this little Reddit post and I have to say it's pretty hilarious. It's amazing to me what people get away with in this game. All sorts of creepy stalking stories where people harass other players for months and I get banned for saying "fuck". *sigh* Yeah, but FFXIV's player base isn't toxic AT ALL.
Bonus Links if you still need proof
Someone actually responded to one of my own forum posts that he had NEVER heard of anyone getting banned just for saying a bad word. Suuuure, Jan.
