New Technology to Lock Down RMT in Final Fantasy XI

Unauthorized RMT is a serious problem for virtually every MMORPG that uses a subscription-based model. Even trying to shut down groups responsible can turn into a serious waste of time, personnel, and resources for publishers. Square-Enix is attempting to make the fight against currency sellers more efficient in its Final Fantasy XI MMO by using new tools to automate the process.

The new program is RMT PWNER 1.337, a tool designed to help Square-Enix's administrators rapidly gather data about unauthorized RMT involving the game's in-game currency, gil. The process begins with players give administrators information about characters RMT groups are using to peddle currency to other players. Once Square-Enix has a name to enter in RMT PWNER, the tool then automatically catalogues all of the character's interactions with other players, including chat text and gil transfers. Next, the tool gathers information about characters engaged in various stages of RMT transactions with the original culprit. Once the process is complete, which should take far less time than having administrators comb the logs manually, Square-Enix can begin banning the offending accounts.

The RMT PWNER will act in tandem with two other new programs to help automate the process of removing unauthorized RMT from FFXI. The second tool is called The Gilded Tomb, and can act to automatically freeze the accounts of characters being investigated by the RMT PWNER once they begin carrying an unusually high amount of gil. The third is the Auto-Jailer, a program that deposits a character in advanced stages of investigation by the RMT PWNER into the FFXI's in-game "jail area". This allows Square-Enix to better prevent RMT transactions from happening during the period when a character is under investigation, hopefully to discourage RMT groups from trying to open new accounts more quickly than administrators can close them.

Square-Enix has tested the tools, but isn't due to implement them on live servers until some time in the future. If RMT PWNER and its associated programs are successful, there's little doubt the technology will propagate to other subscription MMOs. Eliminating unauthorized RMT from subscription games quickly and efficiently saves publishers revenue and helps keep the playerbase happy. It may also eventually pave the way for more authorized in-game item stores to help satisfy players who want the quick convenience of virtual goods as a part of their game. 

[via Massively] 

Comments

[jessica]

The RMT PWNER will act in tandem with two other new programs to help automate the process of removing unauthorized RMT from FFXI. The second tool is called The Gilded Tomb, and can act to automatically freeze the accounts of characters being investigated by the RMT PWNER once they begin carrying an unusually high amount of gil.
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Jessica
ffxi gil

[jessica]

The RMT PWNER will act in tandem with two other new programs to help automate the process of removing unauthorized RMT from FFXI. The second tool is called The Gilded Tomb, and can act to automatically freeze the accounts of characters being investigated by the RMT PWNER once they begin carrying an unusually high amount of gil.
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Jessica
ffxi gil

[celebrity]

Sounds like an effective tool to combat this problem