Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Stupid is Burning all over Vana'diel, Part I: Advertising Illegal Conduct will get you reported...

Oh, I've gone down this road before, and it is clear to me that people still don't listen.

In fact, in the last few days, the wiki has put up probably one of its most controversial guides:

A guide to the illegal Practice of Astral Burning.

Yes, that fraud and canard again.

And it has been met with being reported to the FFXIclopedia people...

... and, by me, to the Special Task Force:

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Request for investigation, based on this page on FFXIclopedia:

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Astral_Flow_Party

This person, ([name deleted]) of the Hades server (I do not believe that is his/her actual character name ([though I gave the STF my closest guess])-- though numerous character names (include [four people] (in a screenshot of "SMNs getting ready to burn"), and many others credited with "improv[ing] SMN Burns" ([12 other names submitted]) as well as involvement by [two other names I saw on the page]) posted a page on the wiki endorsing and guiding people in the process of Astral Burn Parties...

... a practice which, if there is such a thing as zone monopolization as an illegal concept, is also illegal (as a matter of the definition of what they are doing).

The page claims 60K XP for a 45 minute run -- I am sure you don't have to be an extreme expert to realize that cannot be legally done in Final Fantasy XI without zone monopolization. The sheer number of mobs involved (one listed case in the page claims over 250 mobs killed) would make this impossible except for the concept of zone monopolization.

I want an investigation of these players under the foul of zone monopolization during numerous runs on Hades server, as advertised in the above-listed wiki page.

I want a final and binding ruling on the practice of Astral Burning, and suggest that it be declared abusive and illegal on the basis of zone monopolization.

Thank you for your time.

Starcade of the Leviathan server

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In all cases, names were removed, but at least 19 names of players involved (directly or otherwise) with Astral Burn parties on Hades have been reported to the Special Task Force for investigation due to massive zone monopolization, because it should be obvious to anyone with 1/3 of a clue that the number of mobs killed in such a short period of time essentially requires complete control and monopolization of the zones involved, which is illegal (and which makes the practice of Astral Burning illegal).

I don't want a GM on this. I want the Special Task Force to either remove these players or publicly declare the practice of Astral Burning legal -- with the knowledge that the latter act will render the illegality of "zone monopolization" defunct.

3 comments:

Yondaime said...

As to the point you make about Astral Burning being "zone monopolization"... Yeah, it is, but I think what has stopped the GM team (and maybe STF, who knows?) from doing much about it is that in most cases, no one is really hurt. This may show how little I keep up with this (my SMN is a whopping level 15 and I have no desire to sit as a leech in one of those parties) but aren't there a limited number of areas where this is possible? Qufim Island and Korroloka Tunnel are the two that I've heard of, mostly in Korroloka.

My point is, Korroloka Tunnel, at least on Asura (yeah, your old server :P) is hardly used for anything but getting to Altepa anymore. A few odd farmers or Morion Worm campers here and there, but hardly enough to be constantly affected. The GMs and probably STF wouldn't do much about a zone monopolization case in a zone that barely anyone goes to.

Otherwise, if the zone is being used by *anyone* else for reasons like farming or something that needs a certain mob or even the zone (like other, normal EXP parties) then yes, it's proper monopolization and *should* be punished appropriately.

Not trying to diminish your point, as it's extremely valid and a large concern, just playing the devil's advocate (kinda). Not defending the lazy-asses who rely on these sorts of parties to merit or EXP, either. They need to die in a fire, and not just because "Oh, I can't do it waaaaaaaaah." :)

Starcade said...

What has stopped the GM team from doing anything about it, Yondaime?

I think that's a simple matter that the GM team, as I have said before in this blog, doesn't want to get their hands too messy. Unless something absolutely needs attention, or you get a GM that really gives a damn about enforcement of the rules, it's probably going to be declared legal even when it clearly controverts written policies of the game.

(Another example: Which see the first Pandemonium Warden "victories" and "logging hate".)

I do think people are being hurt by it, even if they don't say so. First, you have the players not willing to "snitch", mostly because the massive number of players and characters on this game do cheat, and just moving to another zone because there's nothing to kill.

Second, you have the players who believe it is no longer worth it to play legitimately -- which see my previous reference to Magic: The Gathering, and the concept that you pretty much have to cheat your ass off to win.

It wouldn't functionally matter if there were only one place for it to be able to be done: Zone monopolization is illegal. End of story. And for anyone to basically start advertising this bullshit is detrimental to the future of FFXIV.

I noticed that Korroloka was not that used either while I was on Asura. Rather refreshing, when you think about it.

The problem is that the practice is effectively monopolization _whether or not anyone else is in the zone_. Yeah, I can understand why that would sound a vacuous argument, but the fact is that Astral Burn is, as a matter of definition, taking every feasible mob in the zone and Astral Flowing it to death.

That, by definition, is zone monopolization. They either need to finally order this crap cut out, or legalize zone monopolization.

Hungry for Spam said...

Or they could just make it illegal for game balance reasons. I mean, come on, what happened to nerfing RNG for game balance reasons, and yet they now let this bullshit go on? They can't really retroactively ban on this, since the GMs have been telling people it's okay for too long, but END IT.

It directly hurts everybody that wants to exp/merit. Every person involved is someone that could have been in a normal party (Especially since the pullers are frequently RDMs.) It directly hurts anybody wants to use the zone. Obvious, unless you enjoy huge lag spikes should anybody drag that crap nearby you. It directly hurts anybody that should want to farm anything that anything burned drops, since that's a supply of those drops that wouldn't exist otherwise, leading to lower prices on those items. The "Oh, it doesn't hurt anybody" argument holds no water.