I'll try to keep this one flame-free, because there are some other things about this to discuss...

... as long as that freaking motorcycle alarm out there in front of our apartment doesn't go off with every damn raindrop. Good God, people, some moderation!!!

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I hope that is the extent of the flamage in this particular post, because there have been some fairly legitimate points made during the entire Salvage-dupe hullaballoo that I seriously do think need to be addressed.

1) DJ Plaeskool -- one of the prominent musical minds in all of FFXI -- (you can hear some of his work on Radio XI) basically inferred that the mass bannings were retaliation by Square-Enix and a reassertion of their authority over the player base and over FFXI.

Not to say that he was inferring that it was a problem, but, for those who think it is:

The problem with that is... what?

I say "get off 'my game'" to the cheaters and those who support them -- but it's Square-Enix' baby and it's basically their call on what they will allow and what they won't.

I am disgusted as to the level of pro-cheater, pro-duper, anti-Square Enix stuff I see on this subject (and that doesn't even get to the stuff against me...). I mean, who really runs this game, you the player-base or Square-Enix?

Given the level of flagrance of the events of the last 18 months, I said before that I think a vote of no-confidence has been cast against Square-Enix by its players (or by enough of them that there has to be some level of very serious concern for the future of FFXI).

So an action to basically let the player-base know who is boss, especially one well within the realms of the power Square-Enix has, is quite in line. I'll expound on more of the specifics in another article, but let me put it this way: Who in the Hell does the player-base think it is?

Seriously. Who runs this show, you or them? I'm almost afraid to leave it there, but I will, because I have two other points I want to address...

2) Future bannings for misconduct. There have been several different takes on where this might lead, but I think all have one thing in common:

This is only the first batch. And, from there, there are the several different takes:

a) There's my take: That this is not the end of the Salvage dupe-bannings.

Keep in mind this was 18 months worth of flagrant abuse by most of the prominent end-game players who played Salvage. If you honestly believe only 950 or so players committed bannable or suspendable offenses in those 18 months, I already have some swampland in Antarctica for sale.

I think, if anything, the number, the prestige, and the levels of these players has opened some very serious eyes at Square-Enix and the Special Task Force. I would suspect that they've probably opened up a lot more Salvage logs than just the ones involving the players they've suspected. I'd be shocked if every Salvage log for the last 18 months is not eventually examined (and, no, I don't think they could do that in just 60 days -- not with all their other work too).

So I don't think this is but round one of the Salvage bannings.

b) There's the thought of "Is this going to mean that the people who Kraken-Dark-Zerged AV or the one linkshell who defeated PW are going to be next?"

The former? No. At least I don't think so. (Although there is word that the first linkshell to defeat AV (I'm not sure if the post I read (I think it was on BluGartr) said that it was the first overall or the first on a given server.) was basically wiped out due to the bannings -- about 2/3rds were, so it said.)

I think that was a matter of that Square-Enix was trying to adjust AV to a 2-hour fight. When they noticed something unusual had happened, but not outside the rules of the game, it was rectified, quickly.

The latter?? Oh yeah, I didn't discuss this one...

A linkshell has defeated Pandemonium Warden. Apathy (not sure what server) killed Pandemonium Warden approximately two weeks ago. With the 2-hour restriction.

It apparently now has only 10 forms you have to go through, and then the final form -- which took them about an hour to kill.

Here's the rub: They did it with something called "logging hate". When it spawns its 8 lamps (and all 9 avatars), apparently, it also hits Astral Flow -- I don't think I need to tell you what would happen if it got off the attack against a full alliance (it begins with "w" and rhymes with "cripe"...).

So, what happens, to my understanding: One person gets to the top of the hate list (Diagas the mess, not unlike what I do in a Besieged to help out from time to time), runs like crazy, and everyone else (deliberately) logs out!!

The one player remaining with hate dies. The other players are instructed not to return for 2 minutes -- since, according to the Wiki:

"If all individuals who have developed enmity die, Pandemonium Warden will return to his spawn point, with his train of lamps, and will not be aggressive to any non-combat action."

They raise the remaining player and wait til everyone gets full (because they have to do this three times (75%, 50%, 25%)), and then go in again.

It's clearly NOT a legitimate strategy (which see Kraken-Dark-Zerg with the "new" AV before the change).

Some have wondered rather plaintively whether the "logging hate" strategy might constitute a bannable offense... (over and above the possibility that some of the members of Apathy got banned (unknown at this time to me) for Salvage-dupes)

I was certain that it would not, at first. Now, I'm not so sure.

It's clear that they are trying to exploit the fact that PW basically sits and waits for someone to agg it. The question is: Does that count as an "exploit" of a "bug"? Or does that simply exploit something Square-Enix didn't intend (like the Kraken-Dark-Zergs)...

Is it simply not a legitimate strategy (if it can be fixed, it will be), or does it go illegal?

That call may end up to Square-Enix...

c) ... as will a lot of others. Don't think this hasn't opened the door to a re-examination of a number of other "cheats", "exploits", God-knows-what-else... Chances are, if you've found a "dirty little secret" that gives you an unfair advantage, you may be wishing to look over your shoulder.

3) Today (Monday morning PST) was the end of the 72-hour bannings. There is rumor that some of the 72h suspended got to keep their items.

Trust me... All I will say on this one is: If that's true, expect real trouble, Square-Enix.