Today's report will outline our actions conducted from October 25, 2007 to December 13, 2007 in dealing with players violating the user agreement, as well as details on the activities, results, and goals of the Special Task Force.

Click here for details on the Special Task Force's activities in dealing with players violating the FINAL FANTASY XI user agreement.

Unauthorized Access

In the past, we have warned users of the dangers of spyware being used to achieve unauthorized account access. User claims persist, however, detailing instances of character and account victimization, traces of access by unknown parties, etc.
In order to further the safety of the PlayOnline experience, we urge users to implement the following precautionary measures whenever possible:

- Do not access websites with unknown or suspicious content.
- Do not download software from unknown or suspicious websites.
- Periodically perform Windows Updates and keep Windows updated to the latest version.
*Refer to Microsoft's official website for more detailed information.
- Periodically update your web browser to the latest version.
- Do not use external tools not approved by Square Enix under any circumstances.
- Always use the latest antivirus software and Internet security software.

Most importantly, we ask that users maintain the utmost security with regards to their PlayOnline IDs and passwords. We would also like to assure our users that under no circumstances has SQUARE ENIX divulged any of their personal information to third parties at any time.
Users should also confirm that their Windows and internet environments are running under adequate safety settings.

Special Task Force activities and future plans

First, we will address the issues of hunters(*1) and illegal fishing. As the below graph illustrates, the number of hunters saw a sharp increase as actions were taken against illegal fishing prior to the month of August. Now, however, no such notable changes are being witnessed from either group, and the total number of related accounts is on the decline.

Furthermore, the use of third-party programs to illegally enhance performance for activities such as mining has been confirmed for a number of accounts. The response time for disciplinary action to be taken with regards to such accounts will now be shorter than in the past.

Supplementing their activities, the task force has also begun strengthening overall surveillance as well as conducting investigations focusing on the new areas introduced with the Wings of the Goddess expansion.

In the future, the Special Task Force will make efforts not only to further reduce response time to User Agreement infractions, but will also develop preventive measures against illegal activity on the system side. The ever-present aim of the task form is to reduce the overall number of characters whose primary function is the acquisition of gil through illegal means.

Information provided by our users is an invaluable resource in the Special Task Force's efforts. Should you ever happen to witness what you believe to be a violation of the User Agreement, please notify the proper authorities via the contact information provided at the bottom of this page.

Next, we would like to present the status of various areas of concern handled by the task force for the period of 10/25/2007 – 12/13/2007.

- Illegal Fishing
A total of 3,600 accounts were suspended or deleted in correlation with illegal fishing.
Notifications submitted by players comprise approximately half of the cases in question. Though yielding positive results, this has led us to acknowledge the need to enhance our surveillance and handling procedures.
Due to the fact that illegal fishing is a potential means to generate gil on a relatively low-level character, the trend is for perpetrators to simply replace deleted accounts by creating new ones. In addition, this also means that hunters whose accounts have been suspended for other violations can easily make new characters and take up fishing. For these reasons, we recognize that it may be difficult to sense that the number of offenders is lessening. However, the number of accounts being dealt with is always increasing, and though the effects may be gradual, we assure our users that the overall numbers of such characters will dwindle over time.

- Hunters
Notifications from players concerning the monopolization of Notorious Monsters by so-called "hunters" have almost completely ceased. On the other hand, hunters now seem to be diversifying their activities, and we are now seeing a rise in the repetitious sale of items dropped by common monsters to NPCs to generate gil ultimately used for RMT(*2).
Countermeasures against this new breed of hunter have already been put into place as of November, and we will be posting detailed results sometime next year.


- RMT Synthesis and the Auction House(*3)
The response time for appropriate action to be taken against characters engaging in illegal item synthesis and Auction House manipulation has also been reduced. As a result, approximately 6,470 accounts have been suspended or deleted over a six-week period.
In this area, the Special Task Force seeks not only to do away with the characters directly engaged in the synthesis and Auction House activities, but also any characters which may be used in the procurement of synthesis materials as well.
Given the strides made, we will continue in this vein with an eye on the root of the problem rather than the superficialities.

*1. Hunters
Characters who kill Notorious Monsters, clear quests, and obtain items over and over again with the sole purpose of gathering gil, which is then handed off to RMT groups.

*2. RMT
"Real Money Trading." Selling game data for real money.

*3. Use of synthesis and auction houses for RMT
Actions involving selling large quantities of in-game items for gil, which is then traded for real money.

Matters of concern within the community

In the following section, we will be explaining the Special Task Force's direction and plans in dealing with matters of concern within the community.

- Are people involved in purchasing RMT gil and items able to avoid punishment by using multiple accounts and feigning ignorance of the source of the gil/items?
All in-game activity is recorded in temporary logs (*4). The Special Task Force uses these logs to track the movement of illegal gil and items, which allows us to discern not only the accounts involved in the initial transaction, but also the accounts that are the ultimate recipients of RMT services.
As well as the use of multiple accounts, we have seen various other methods with which people attempt to evade culpability; however, there is no escape from the data trail left in our logs.

- What is the Special Task Force doing about characters that use enhanced movement to mine in Mount Zhayolm?
Thanks to reports from the community, the Special Task Force is well aware of the situation in which hunters are once again attempting to obtain gil with a method that violates the User Agreement.
In addition to the cases discovered in Mount Zhayolm, a total of 5,420 accounts using this type of third-party software throughout the game were banned over a period of a month and a half.
Due to the relatively low level at which characters can perform mining and fishing, there have been cases where the owners of banned accounts would simply create new accounts and characters and continue with their illegal activities. In order to combat this cycle, we intend to impose penalties within a much shorter time frame, and deal with cases as they arise.

- When will the pathing for Goblin Bounty Hunters be corrected in existing areas, and when will the Goblins be added to the new areas?
The blind spots of the Goblin Bounty Hunters (the measure introduced to combat illegal fishing activities) were scheduled to be corrected in the November version update. However, the implementation of these corrections has been delayed by the discovery of additional blind spots. We are currently aiming to have the improved pathing implemented in the upcoming version update.
With regards to the addition of new Goblin Bounty Hunters, we are in the process of testing the effect the appearance of these monsters may have on characters adventuring within the area.

*4: Character activity data saved on the server.

Reporting to the Special Task Force

The Special Task Force relies on everyone's information regarding violations of the user agreement to help keep FINAL FANTASY XI an enjoyable environment, and we appreciate your continuing support and cooperation.

Report to Special Task Force