Addon May Worsen Final Fantasy XIV’s Updated Blacklist System

The modifications to the blacklist system in Final Fantasy XIV appear beneficial on the surface. When you blacklist a player, they practically vanish from your gaming experience. You can’t spot their character or name in the MMORPG universe, nor can they observe or contact you. This mechanism also prevents them from entering your house – in case you own one.

However, the updates projected to reduce stalking have inadvertently simplified the matter. As per PC Gamer’s report, the feature alteration replaces the character-specific ID with an account-wide ID. This “account ID” coupled with a plugin named PlayerScope can display all characters linked to that ID.

This would bring about problems for players who have developed alts to hide from other players, as it effectively guides players using the mod to their whereabouts. The disturbing part is that the player doesn’t need to feed their ID into the mod; the information is easily procured. According to the creator, it’s an “opt-out” model as an “opt-in” model would limit the data pool, rendering the mod inefficient. The opt-out process requires you to share your details with an unfamiliar person on Discord, which isn’t a perfect solution either.

Until recently, the mod wasn’t readily accessible, but the developer is planning to alter that soon. However, it’s unlikely that it will be presented as a direct mod on Dalamud since they have declared that they fundamentally disapprove of this plugin and don’t believe it was needless to create it in the first place. The statement also mentions that they have no authority over custom repositories and points out that the whole issue stems from the game’s blacklist changes.

Given the circumstances, it’s probable that Square Enix is already aware of the issue, but how they will address it remains to be resolved. Instigating bans on mods might inadvertently harm their player base across various aspects. Mods in the game are employed for a range of tasks, from tracking raid stats to roleplaying to building accessibility options that aren’t yet available – or in some instances are poorly implemented in the game. Though mods are technically prohibited, Square Enix’s previous leniency would suggest a different approach, but only time will tell.

The one thing we do know is that Square Enix is taking definitive actions on the harassment front in the form of protecting their own staff. We’ve all probably heard stories about the severe harassment Wuk Lamat’s voice actor has faced, including threats and abusive messages. Despite Yoshi-P’s formal request to cease such behavior, it continued, prompting Square Enix to implement a fresh strategy to tackle the issue – their “Group Customer Harassment Policy”. This document catalogs several forms of perceived harassment, from violence to prejudice-based speech, and also items deemed as “undue demand”.

Punishments for this behavior include the company’s right to withhold support services or to decline providing their group’s products and services. More extreme cases may invite legal actions, as stated in the policy: “Where such action is egregious or with malicious intent, Square Enix reserves its right to protect its employees and partners and to take legal action or criminal proceedings upon consulting the police and/or lawyers”. Essentially, if your actions fall within their listed infractions, they’ll likely initiate legal proceedings.