PSA: ToS 3.3 is srs bsns, profanity = account suicideFollow

I will just preface this by stating the fact that I have had my Square Enix account since FFXI released in NA, so half of my life. It was originally a Play Online account. 10 years ago I was banned twice for serious harassment. I was young and stupid, that was a long time ago. I reformed my ways when they told me I had no more chances left. I haven't had any infractions since then. (yes it carries over)

I've been back for just one week after a year's hiatus in FFXIV. 7 days into my return to XIV, I have been banned from the game. My ban started around 1 AM PST Saturday morning when they issued the notice, and it lasts for 24 hours after the midnight of the day it was issued. So it's basically a 2 day ban.

The reason I was given for the ban was for breaking 3.3 in the ToS. ((Profanity and Offensive Language. You may not use profanity or any language that a reasonable person would find offensive. The Game is for a user aged 13 and older. You agree to behave accordingly.))

That's interesting. I NEVER use prejudice slurs. I NEVER talk about sexual acts. I NEVER threaten anyone. I rarely even swear. When I do swear, it is restricted to 'f--k' 's--t' and 'b---h', and it is used very sparingly. I have been using this vocabulary since I was a "reasonable" 13 year-old, and I didn't find it "offensive" then, and I don't find it offensive now.

Square also mentioned that FFXIV players are of all ages, and hail from all walks of life. Basically they are trying to foster an environment where people can relax. I am sympathetic to that, I really am, it's part of the charm of the game. With that said, the NPCs break the TOS all the time. I never used any language that you can't find synonyms of in this very game. Am I supposed to sanitize my language and walk around on eggshells because some barely literate 13 year old who skipped through the lewd chat bubbles is offended that a grown-up used grown-up words?

When people grief me in duty finder. Belittle me, swear at me, afk, kick me illegitimately, I just shrug it off. In the end it's just a game and these miserable and volatile people will probably never come across my path again. This is also what goes through my head when I want to be toxic, I realize there's no point, it's a waste of energy, and I usually just take a deep breath focus on finishing what I'm doing asap. Two of the benefits of age is humility and patience.Things that "reasonable 13 year olds" rarely exhibit. This is why in all honesty I was surprised to be banned, I just thank my stars it wasn't permanent.

In my week back, the only instance where there was a problem, was my first time (which I announced to the party) doing PoTD 91-100. I used the angel pomander to save the party, and the team freaked out. Even the "mentor" on my team was giving me a hard time. They kept calling me names, trying to get under my skin, attacking me, even after that I apologized and suggested maybe we will find more. Then, when they wouldn't stop, I said something along the lines of "stop taking yourself so f--king seriously, kys". They subsequently afk'd then booted me, but I guess they were coordinating reporting me in their FC chat before booting me. In retrospect I did not handle myself perfectly in that situation, but I did nothing "unreasonable" that would warrant suspending my account, in my opinion, given the situation.

So in conclusion.
-Square Enix seems to think that some people playing FFXIV will stop playing entirely, or in the worst case kill themselves if they are triggered by too many episodes of verbal hedonism and/or violence.
-Square Enix HAS AND WILL ban you for literally anything anyone finds offensive. "You're a d**k" "Stop being an as*" "You're not a good tank, you need practice" "Get the f**k over yourself"... even "I f*cking hate this boss". There are countless testimonies.
-People will bait you with passive aggressive man-child comments and actions, some are experts at getting a rise out of people, and enjoy nothing more than having a reason to get someone banned. Let's be real, this is probably where the majority of the reports come from. I find it hard to believe that there is that many "reasonable" 13 year olds playing this game.
-It is a complete waste of time and energy to try to reason with Square, they will give you nothing but canned answers and insult your intelligence.

A word of wisdom: Avoid talking to people outside your free company at all costs. Keep all communications at a minimum. Don't use non-office language outside of your free company, literally anything can be offensive to someone who is mad at you.

Edited, Apr 15th 2017 9:09pm by TofuReaper

Edited, Apr 15th 2017 11:33pm by TofuReaper

in my defense, if you know what kys means, you probably won't take it literally
also whatever, if you enjoy nobody ever talking outside of FC then you win
I am just being honest. Have gotten away with way worse in other games, even in this game and ffxi. There has been a sudden shift in the way they handle potty mouths and eventually when you least expect it, you will be banned for a random weekend, and I will laugh, and continue to not talk outside of FC

Edited, Apr 15th 2017 9:38pm by TofuReaper

Edited, Apr 15th 2017 9:40pm by TofuReaper

Don't care. Thought policing is thought policing. This is just a psa not a debate.

The three of them were being belligerent jerks the entire time, and I'm 99% sure they were a premade. Apparently this has absolutely no impact on square's judgement (or maybe it did, we will never know because they 'already sent me an email saying why I was banned' lols). The last time I was banned many years ago, the simpleton that reported me got banned too for the exact same thing he got me banned for, because I reported him when the GM told me who reported me and why. No such communication this time. Things have gone way down hill in customer support over the years.

Telling someone to go kys is distasteful, but it's obviously not an attempt to hopefully find that one suicidal person and pray you can push them over the edge. If you're claiming that it is then quite frankly I will call you out for reaching really hard. What happened to the online FF community that was fun and cheeky, now the only cheeks are the ones that everyone are clenching to keep the giant metal rods up their butts as they walk.

=

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 12:39am by TofuReaper

I will. Also, lol, 'you might push someone over the edge'. Even if I did push someone over the edge, I would feel no remorse lol. If you're that unstable and are on the brink of suicide, you probably shouldn't be playing ffxiv. You belong in psych.

Actually you know what, I think I will go back to my troll days. I'll make it my personal mission to passive-aggressively troll people within the ToS, and I'll report them when they freak out, and then all will be right with the world. Grandpa SE has no idea what the meaning of context is. Sow why not :) It's a good hobby. Just think of all the sand I can cram into the community's giney. Maybe after enough people get banned for meaningless words, they will see the light ^^

~ Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood. xd

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 9:46am by TofuReaper

Either way you guys seem to be missing the point. I am not debating whether or not I deserve the ban. I am genuinely shocked that a) i even got banned in the first place, b) it escalated to 47 hours without even a warning, c) the GM couldn't be bothered to talk to me for 5 minutes before banning me for 2 days.

I know social justice warriors and literally-shaking-suicidal-'liberals' have won the thought policing and culture war in the gaming community. Just considering how adult-themed the final fantasy series is, and how lewd some of the dialogue is, you'd figure there would be more leeway.

I'd also like to point out that you have been insulting me in almost every post and I haven't insulted you a single one.

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 10:02am by TofuReaper

The moral of the story is act your age, not your shoe size.

Yeah, you're totally someone I'd want in the community.

"Polite" and "Potty Mouth" don't go together, at all. You're either one or the other.

Nobody that's spouting off profanity is ever seen as being "polite", because you just don't use the F-word and "Please" or "Thank you" in the same sentence and expect people to think that you're a nice person to be around.

And given your behavior here in this thread... eh. Well, let's just say they (your actions/words) don't make good first impressions.

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 5:32pm by Lyrailis

ok
when you say wtf, you should be banned, because it the f word is offensive and acronyms are literally the same thing

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 10:02pm by TofuReaper

*yawn*

Did someone say something?

Nah.

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 10:58pm by TofuReaper [/quote]

You're just mad that I didn't take the bait and get angry at you and get all mad and started swearing when you started going passive-aggressive on me.

Didn't work, so now you're pitching a pout and storming out the door, and for some weird reason you're trying the guilt-trip or pity-party for good measure, lol. Seriously... this is like an open book.

Just... don't yank the door open too hard or it'll hit you on your way out.

Edited, Apr 16th 2017 11:34pm by Lyrailis [/quote]

Let me save you the trouble. "Wow, way to come back, you're full of sh--"
Now that that's out of the way lol.

Passive aggressive? Speaking bluntly and honestly is passive aggressive? Do you even know what that term means? If anything I was simply aggressive. You seem to be taking this very personally. You seem to be going out of your way to make this personal actually now that I think about it. You have a serious chip on your shoulder.

Also what? You are accusing me of being delusional, while accusing me of trying to bait you?
So let me get this straight, a conversation where someone expresses opposing opinions to your own, is baiting you into getting angry? It's not my fault that you have the IQ of a potato and are unable to read between the lines, or clearly articulate counter arguments without ad hominems.