Our Game Masters (GMs) are responsible for monitoring and regulating the in-game environment to provide a fair, safe and enjoyable game play experience for our customers. Game Masters play a major role in rescuing player characters that have become stuck, they take action against 3rd party tool users, and respond to user requests for issues such as lost items etc.
The GM policy is a set of rules by which all GMs operate to ensure that the game proceeds smoothly for all FINAL FANTASY XI users.
All GM policies are now available to the public for reference. These policies will be updated when new issues arise that need to be addressed.
If you have any comments or opinions regarding our GM policies or procedures, we would like to hear your feedback. Player feedback is one of our most important sources of information. It allows us to continually improve our support as well as improve and revise future GM policies.
I accidentally called a GM. What should I do?
When the GM answers your call, please tell them it was a mistake.
Can I request a specific GM when I call?
Since calling a specific GM can delay everyone's service, you will be served by the first available GM.
Furthermore, all information on all calls is shared among the GM staff, so no matter which GM you contact, they will be able to address your continuing needs.
I am being harassed on an out-of-game website (BBS, board, etc.) Can the GM take action on this?
GMs are unable to involve themselves in issues outside the game, but they will be more than happy to give advice on what the player might do on their own.
Item Recovery
You can send requests to restore in-game items that have been lost. However, requests for item restoration will only be honored a limited number of times.
- A request must be received within one week (7 days) after the item's loss.
- The GM staff will only compensate for items that are confirmed via investigation.
- There is no guarantee that items lost in this manner will be recovered, nor can we provide an estimated time of completion.
To submit an item recovery request, do so via "Help DesK" > "I can't move my character or log out of the game" > "Other," with detailed information on the date and area where you noticed the loss.
Reasons
Losing items or gil can be a trying experience. We will try our best to recover these types of items, but there will be times when this is not possible. We appreciate your understanding if this should occur.
Players can only utilize this service a limited number of times. Please consider carefully whether this service is necessary due to its restrictions.
Harassment
Response Policy
Under the GM policy, harassment is defined as "Certain types of expression toward other players using character input functions including Chat, Search Comments and Bazaar Comments. These include ethnic discrimination, racial discrimination, religious discrimination, sexual discrimination and obscene expressions. Action and expressions outside of character input functions also fall under this category."
We will not tolerate any behavior or comments that infringe upon the enjoyment of the gaming experience by others. In cases where harassment is confirmed, we will suspend the offenders' PlayOnline account or take more severe action.
For harassment cases, PlayOnline accounts are reviewed by the Account Admin for possible permanent account termination. When the harassment consists of a group of players, all players involved will receive appropriate punishment. Due to privacy restrictions, details of the punishment will not be disclosed to other individuals.
Once GMs receive reports on harassment, they will start an investigation. The GM will determine through the use of logs whether a violation has occurred. If it is found that the player has committed harassment, the GM will take the appropriate action. Our GM staff will determine each case independently as each case is unique.
If you would like to report harassment, please submit a GM call via "Help Desk" > "I want to report a violation of the PlayOnline Member Agreement".
Reasons
Much like the real world, in FINAL FANTASY XI, there are many different types of personalities and opinions. Every player has the right to freely express his or her feelings, but should do so in an appropriate manner. Due to the diversity of opinions, feelings, beliefs and cultures, conflicts may arise. Please note that where two parties may not agree with each other, it does not necessarily imply harassment.
In real life, there are various definitions of harassment. We define harassment as expressions and comments that infringe upon the ability of other players to enjoy the game. Severe punishment, including the suspension of the PlayOnline account will be issued to players who are found to have harassed others. Additionally, expressions intended to discriminate against fellow players will be classified as harassment even if the intended player is not present.
Inappropriate Naming
Response Policy
Inappropriate character or Linkshell names are strictly prohibited. When found, players will be requested to change their name, with possible action taken on their account. In the case of inappropriate Linkshell names, the leader will be instructed to delete the Linkshell, in addition to possible action being taken against the owner of the Linkshell.
Any names which resemble the spelling or pronunciation of inappropriate expression are also prohibited.
When a name is reported, the GM at the time will make the final decision on whether the name is inappropriate. If a player encounters an inappropriate name, report the name to the GM staff by making a report from "Help Desk" -> "I want to report a violation of the PlayOnline Member Agreement" -> "Others."
The following examples fall under "Improper naming".
Discrimination or Slander of Ethnicity, Race, Religion, or Sex.
A character named with the purpose to discriminate or otherwise harass another player will not be tolerated and may result in action being taken against the offending account. This also includes groups that are affected by the discrimination/slander.
Profanity
Characters with antisocial or profane names are also prohibited. These are names that will make other players feel uncomfortable and lead to various problems that would cause a disruption of a player's gaming experience.
Names with Commercial, Religious, or Political Goals
Vana'diel has nothing to do with any form of advertisement or political activities in the real world. These actions are not considered appropriate and may cause a disruption to others who wish to enjoy the game.
Impersonation of Square Enix Staff
Character names of Square Enix employees are not permitted, as they are misleading and a source of confusion that leads to disruption of game play. Actions or comments that impersonate an employee of Square Enix will be severely punished.
Inappropriate behavior
Response Policy
Behavior that disturbs other players' game experience but would not be defined as harassment is considered inappropriate behavior. GMs will take action against such actions. Although GMs do not handle these issues, if such behavior has exceeded a certain degree, a penalty may be given to the offender.
Online conduct has been established to help out the in-game community. Healthy growth of in game community might be disrupted if a GM plays the main role in such issues. Therefore, instead of actually getting involved in such issues, the GMs may think of the best way to have these issues resolved between players.
If you encounter any inappropriate behavior, please make a report from "Help Desk" -> "I want to report a violation of the PlayOnline Member Agreement" -> "Others."
Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:
-MPK attempts
This refers to actions in which the offender intentionally brings monsters to other players and makes them attack the victims. The GM may confiscate the offender's loot, or delete the monsters if confirmed. A penalty will also be issued to the offender and any players who aid the attempt.
-Monster holding
Holding a monster, especially Notorious Monsters, over an extended period or intentionally delaying the battle in order to adjust the next spawn window may result in GM involvement.
-Continuous (chat log) spamming
Spamming /tell, /random or skill increment logs to prevent other players' from chatting, regardless to intention, may result in GMs taking action against players if the action has disturbed others.
-Repeatedly delivering items to a certain player
Players who repeatedly send (unwanted) items to hinder the receiver from using the delivery system will be given either a warning or penalty.
-Gridlocking.
This referes to actions such as blocking passages to mog houses in groups, or gathering near mog house entrances because the home point has been set there. These actions are not considered violations, but GMs may approach you and request you move away from the spot. If the player is not present, GMs will leave a message and move you to a nearby spot.
In-Game Scams
Response Policy
We define scamming as using inappropriate actions to defraud a fellow player from in-game items or possessions. Such inappropriate actions can be defined as, but not limited to, misinformation, switching items out for others during a trade and not abiding by the trade parameters set.
Trade scamming will be investigated by the GM staff and account action may be taken on all individuals that are found to be involved in a trade scam. Any items or gil that are part of a trade scam will also be confiscated, including items and gil traded to a third party. If the items and gil cannot be recovered (they were discarded, etc.), we will confiscate other items equivalent to the value of the scammed items and impose a stricter penalty if necessary.
We will try to return all confiscated items and gil to the victim, but this is not guaranteed, and there is a limited number of times for such compensation.
As a rule, GMs will not get involved in player disputes. But, if an item was lent to another player and the borrower refuses to return the item, this will be treated as a trade scam and will be dealt with accordingly. If you find yourself a victim of a trade scam, please report this to the GM staff via "Support Desk" > "I am being harassed" within a week with detailed information.
* Please understand that if the GM staff is unable to find evidence of trade or delivery data during the course of the investigation, items will not be compensated.
* Please understand that due to technical constraints, the GM staff is only able to assist with trade scam investigations that are reported within one week of their occurrence. GMs cannot pursue reports received any later
Reasons
Trade scams affect not only the perpetrator and the victim, but also Square Enix and the community as whole. To promote the growth of a healthy community, we must do our best to prevent them.
First, we will confiscate all items and gil that the scammer gained. Additionally, if the scammed items and gil have been traded to a third party, they may be confiscated from that party. If the items or gil no longer exist, items equivalent to the value of the scammed items will be confiscated.
To protect yourself from scams, always double-check items in the trade window before hitting the "accept" button. Also when loaning items to others, set clear terms for the date and time of return.
Compromised Accounts
Response Policy
A compromised account is defined as someone who is not the account holder gaining access to an account through unauthorized means in order to use the account. These actions are not only against the PlayOnline Member Agreement, but may be prosecuted by law in real life.
The theft of an account is a crime punishable by a court of law. The victim must report the
incident to the nearest authorities. SQUARE ENIX will cooperate with the authorities in any way possible. Please change your PlayOnline password immediately to prevent further damage.
How to Prevent Your Account Being Compromised
Please take the following precautions to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
- NEVER give your PlayOnline ID or Password to anyone.
- Be sure to always use the "Guest Login" feature if using your PlayOnline account in a net cafe or any other venue where a third party may have access to the machine you use. Do NOT save your ID and Password when using such a machine.
- If using a PC, be sure to periodically update it with Windows Update and check your computer for viruses and keep all security patches current.
- Refrain from using ANY third-party program that directly affects PlayOnline or FINAL FANTASY XI.
- Change your password on a regular basis.
Actions that could result in an unfair advantage
The following is prohibited:
- Use of any program or tool within any PlayOnline service that allows certain continuous actions to be performed automatically.
- Use of any item within any PlayOnline service that allows a certain continuous action to be performed automatically.
- Changing, combining, reverse engineering, analyzing game data, and creating or distributing related utility programs.
- Use of any unofficial program to the benefit of the user.
- Selling of in-game characters or items for currency, also known as "real money trading" (RMT).
The above actions disrupt the game balance and will be penalized.
Third-party program usage
Use of any third-party program that affects game play is prohibited, whether or not it benefits the user.
If investigation, including log checks and other standard investigation procedures reveals that the player has gained an unfair advantage, the account holder will be punished. If you have witnessed players moving at unusual speeds, please contact a GM so that we can look into the matter. GMs may also approach players during the investigation, and your cooperation will be appreciated.
Game Exploits
Players who take advantage of in-game mechanics not intended as normal means of game play may have their account suspended and all items or experience obtained through those actions confiscated.
Real Money Trades (RMT)
Real Money Trading is the sale of in-game items, currency, characters or other data in order to obtain real money. RMT actions are strictly prohibited and any players caught participating in RMT-related activities will be punished. If you hear of any transactions of in-game data for money or any other RMT activity, please report the details to a GM.
How to Make GM Calls
If you witness any of the actions mentioned above please make a GM call to the Game Master staff. Select the "Help Desk" -> "I want to report a violation of the PlayOnline Member Agreement" and place a call.
Reasons
Items and gil obtained illegally through third-party tools or RMT activities can affect the game's economic stability, and can disrupt game play balance. Some third party programs contain viruses and spyware which can be harmful to other players unbeknownst to the third party program user. This can lead to a leak of users' personal data, character deletion, or other unfortunate circumstances.
The Special Task Force
The Special Task Force is dedicated to stopping the use of third-party programs and RMT-related activities. All data gathered by our GMs is investigated by our Special Task Force. The Special Task Force allows us to take action against third-party tool users and RMT-related activities in a manner that we normally would not be able to do using only GMs.
Character Stuck Issues
Response Policy
If you are unable to move after becoming embedded in the geometry of the game world, i.e, "stuck," or you are unable to move your character through normal means, GMs will do their best to help resolve the issue. If GMs are unable to reach you, they may simply move your character and send a message notifying you.
GMs will transport your character to the nearest possible point from where you were stuck. We cannot simply transport you to a spot of your choosing. However, if you are in an area that would leave you vulnerable if you were left alone, GMs will transport you to be among your party members. We try to be as careful as we can when transporting your character, however if you encounter any technical difficulties as a result of the transport, we will do our best to resolve the issue.
How to Make a GM Call
Please report stuck issues by selecting the following options from the main menu: "Support Desk" -> "Unable to progress in the game" -> "Unable to move." Your character will automatically start healing when you make a GM call. If GMs are unable to immediately take your call, please leave your character in the healing position. After 30 minutes your character will be transported automatically to a safe place within the same area.
Technical Difficulties
If you experience any instances where your screen freezes during an event, your character
is not visible or you are unable to log in, there is a possibility that you are having technical
difficulties with your machine. In this case, please report the issue to the Information Center.
If the Information Center is not open at the time that you are having problems, please place
a GM call and we will help you as best we can.
What is a GM (Game Master) in Vana'Diel?
Vana'diel, the stage where FINAL FANTASY XI is set, is a virtual world created by Square Enix and the players together. Just like the real world, a wide variety of things can happenincluding problems players can't (or shouldn't have to) resolve through the game itself. This is where a special member of the Square Enix team comes in: the Game Master (GM). The GM's role is to facilitate players' enjoyment of the game.
Using the name of a Square Enix employee or its likeness
Character names of Square Enix employees are not permitted, as they are misleading and a source of confusion that leads to disruption of game play. Actions or comments that impersonate an employee of Square Enix will be severely punished.
How do you judge if an action is harassment?
GM defines insults, racism, obscenities, etc. as harassment. Other types of behavior that result in the distress of other players are also categorized as harassment.
Please understand that the things that you say or do might not be considered harmful from your perspective, but they may indeed affect other players' game play.
Isn't the decision of who was harrassed up to the testimony of the player that was harrassed?
Unfortunately, we can not simply rely on the word of the reporter. The reason for this is that there are some that may abuse the system and falsely report
a harrassment in order to harrass a particular individual. There are times that players within FINAL FANATSY XI where players may have disagreements
and problems with each other. In these cases, a fair judgement of the case can not be reached by simply relying on a reporter's testemonee.
Instead, our GMs examine and confirm the facts objectively in order to decide whether or not the actions in contention were harrassment or not.
If a GM does not rule that the action(s) in question constituted harrassment, this means that the actions did not meet the GMs definition of harrassment.
This does not mean that we are denying that the player in question was harrassed. If you feel you are being harrassed, please make sure you consult with a
GM.
What is the difference between harassment and inappropriate behavior?
Harassment is behavior or action that could deal mental damage to the sufferer. With inappropriate behavior, the main goal is to annoy other players or disturb their game play.
At what point do you consider someone to be monster holding?
For example, some Notorious Monsters need a few hours and a large number of players to be taken down. Starting the battle at once is best, but sometimes due to several reasons, such as login timing etc, it might take time before all members arrive and actually start fighting the monster. In such case, we do not consider this monster holding.
If the holders mean to hold monsters to deliberately adjust the next spawn window or intentionally delay killing them, GMs will take action against them.
What do you consider spam?
Spam is subjective. What one player may consider spam another may not. GMs will make the final decision on whether a player is spamming or not. To avoid being addressed by a GM regarding this matter, it is best to be considerate of other players when sending an in-game /tell, /shout, etc to ensure that it is not spam.
Someone has opened a bazaar in the middle of a passage. Is this Grid locking?
There are no rules stating that you must open your bazaar at a certain location. If someone is blocking your way, you should be able to go pass him by holding the up button for a few seconds. Therefore, this is not Grid locking. However, those players may want to think of other better location so as to ensure that they are not blocking others. Game Masters may get involved if the player is blocking others and ignoring the requests of other players to move.
Is power leveling (PL) against the rules?
We do not prohibit 3rd party players assisting other players. However, if such assists result in interfering with other players' capability of playing the game, GMs may take action
Managing Linkshell Items
GMs can not force players to abide by rules created by amongst players. In other words, GMs can not enforce unofficial rules decided upon
amongst players. However, if an item that was borrowed by a player is not returned under the terms that were agreed upon by both parties,
a GM may determine that it is a case of fraud and take the appropriate action. We are not able to always able to complete our investigation
on Linkshell inventory items due to outdated logs. We ask that Linkshell members keep careful track of all Linkshell inventory and not lend
any items to third parties that are not part of the Linkshell.
What kind of promise should I make when lending or borrowing an item?
The best way to prevent fraud is to not lend out items at all. However, we realize that there are cases where players may still wish to lend an item.
In this case we suggest that you take the following steps to protect yourself.
1. Be sure to make clear that you are only lending the item, and that it needs to be returned.
2. Be sure to make clear what the other party needs to do in case he/she loses the item in question. In other words, what kind of compensation will be made
and how it will be made.
3. Both parties need to agree to the terms upon which the item is going to be lent.
How long does it take for GMs to recover the items?
Investigations vary, and the length depends on a variety of factors. As such, GMs cannot comment on how long an investigation will take.
Does virus-scanning software or security software count as running a third-party program in the background?
No. Running security software or anti-virus software is not a violation. However, automatic update features offered by some anti-virus and security software can interrupt game play, and/or cause the game to suddenly crash.
What constitutes taking advantage of in-game mechanics not intended as normal means of game play?
Some examples would be: using the games' geometry to safely attack a monster without fear of being attacked, or using items repeatedly without affecting the number of items in inventory in order to increase your synthesis skill. If you are unsure whether something is a feature or not, please consult with a GM immediately.
What if my account is hacked outside of Information Center business hours?
If you can still access your account, please take the following steps and change your PlayOnline password immediately:
"PlayOnline Viewer" -> "Service&Support"->"Membership"->"PlayOnline ID"->"Change Password"
If you have a separate account, please log into that account and make a GM call.
What if a player that reported me for harrassment also harrassed me? Isn't he/she also subject to punishement?
A GM will decide who violated the rules when there is an issue between players.
If the player who reported you also violated the rules, action will be taken
against him/her as needed. A GM is sworn to always provide fair treatment to all
parties involved, which means that both the person reporting as well as the person
being reported are subject to such treatement.
There may be times where a GM may not intervene in a given situation, however
this is also based on careful observation of the rules and regulations.
I would like an item lost in-game returned.
GMs can return items only if they are reported within a week of their loss, and only then if the GM can confirm the item was lost in the course of an investigation. When you place a GM call on having an item reimbursed, the GM will ask you questions on the nature of the item and where you lost it. The GM will then contact you later via email or an in-game message.
What kinds of items can I have reimbursed?
Items reported lost within one week and which meet one or more of the following conditions can be reimbursed.
*) Items mistakenly destroyed
*) Items mistakenly thrown
*) Items mistakenly eaten
The content contained within the GM Policy currently posted may be subject to change.
Podejrzewam, ze sporo roboty beda mieli teraz.
