Server Guidelines

Nocturnal Souls is a safe, fun community that has zero tolerance for harassment anywhere within the community–in game, on discord, or otherwise.

A general rule of thumb: if you have to ask yourself “is this okay?”, then assume it’s not. 😉

Be Awesome

Nocturnal Souls is a service provided to the public at no charge because we’re passionate about having fun in Final Fantasy XI and creating a fun, exciting environment for others

  • Be thoughtful of other players and their gaming experience. Keep it friendly.
  • No harassment or judgment in how people play their game (assuming they’re not violating other rules).
  • Help the Nocturnal Souls community team by being polite and following requests from staff members, such as evacuating an area for maintenance or during a sponsored event.
  • Understand that the development, GM, and community management teams are providing and managing this environment in their spare time and on their own dime.

Multi-boxing / “alt” accounts

At this time, we allow up to two additional “alt” accounts that players can automate using tools like CurePlease. For example, a WHM/SCH alt and a BRD alt.

These alts are meant to support the main character as they are playing the game in the event that community members are not around. Since CurePlease can’t engage, fight, or attack, it’s quite easy to spot who’s violating this rule and using an unapproved scripting system.

Keep in mind that Final Fantasy XI is a bit flaky with multi-boxing and multiple accounts logging in via the same IP address. This can lead to cutscene breaking, missions not updating correctly, rewards not updating correctly, or characters timing out during zoning. In addition, multi-boxing is not allowed in instance zones, such as Dynamis and Limbus as it will crash the zone server.

Also keep in mind that players who multibox are reducing the individual gains of each individual character and could extend the amount of time it takes to grow characters as the alts require gear, currency, and progression as well.

Players should multi-box at their own risk. The Nocturnal Souls team is not responsible for broken quest updates, corrupted characters, or locked accounts causes by multi-boxing.

Concurrent Character Restrictions

In preparation for the character limit restrictions coming with Trusts and to better monitor and maintain an environment free of bots and automated play, changes have been made to the login process.

NOTE: For this, character and account are interchangeable as you cannot log in multiple characters on the same account, so multiboxing always requires multiple accounts.

  • Players can still log in a maximum of 3 characters (1 main, 2 alts) per the server guidelines.
  • Players will receive no error when attempting to log on additional characters beyond the limit, the bootloader will simply return to the login message.
    • Character limits are based on the player’s client IP address.
  • Players who exceed the 3 character limit can still log those characters in as long as the 3 maximum connections are not exceeded.
  • Players who are at the 3 character limit may need to use the “Unstuck Character” feature in the event of a disconnect/unexpected logout to clear the connection list and re-allow connection.
  • Players can request an increased character limit in the following conditions:
    • Multiple real-person players in the same household (families, room mates, etc.)

An example of the bootloader returning the login prompt when a player has exceeded their connection limit: Exceed Limit

To request an increased character limit, reach out to a GM/CM in Discord and have the names of the characters and login names for verification. Players found falcifying information for an increased character limit will be banned.

The Nocturnal Souls community team will frequently hold sponsored events open to all players. Many of these events do have requirements, such as level and gear, but others are open to all players.

During these sponsored events, it is expected that players will follow the same guidelines as always; however, there are additional rules that apply:

  • Players should follow staff’s directions at all times to ensure the event is fun and productive for all participants.
  • Players who are multi-boxing cannot loot on items across all of their characters. For example, if an item drops, one character can loot on it and the others should pass.
  • Players who are multi-boxing may be asked at any time to choose a “main” character and remove the boxed characters–real players take precedence over boxed characters at all times.

During player events (those organized by non-staff members), rules around loot, participants, and targets are set forth by the sponsor of the event. Nocturnal Souls staff can provide mediation in the event of a dispute; however, keep in mind that being a jerk and not playing well with others will likely mean you’re simply not invited to participate in future events hosted by that sponsor (and the same, of course, works in reverse for sponsors and players).

Harassment

The Nocturnal Souls community is made up of a diverse group of individuals from all backgrounds, nationalities, and walks of life. Harassment has a zero tolerance policy within the Nocturnal Souls community that will result in either jail time or a permanent ban from the Nocturnal Souls community.

Some examples of harassment behavior include, but are not limited to:

  • Any language that targets and/or condems any race, color, religion, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
  • Any language, character name, or Linkshell name that is purposely meant to harm or harass other players or groups.
  • Any character name or Linkshell that is considered generally offensive or vulgar to the player community.
  • Any language that infringes on the privacy and/or welfare of other players or groups.

If you feel you are being targeted by harassment, please contact a GM or Staff Member on Discord immediately with log screenshots and any details you can provide. Keep in mind that we do not log chat, so screenshots of conversations and comments are required.

Unacceptable Behavior

While it’s assumed that all players are mature members of a helpful community, there are several activities considered unacceptable as a whole and will result in either jail time or, potentially, a permanent ban from the server.

  • Intentional use of a monster or game mechanic to kill another player (aka an MPK).
  • Intentionally camping/overcamping on other players.
  • Intentionally attempting to engage/claim monsters or encounters started by another player or group.
  • Breaking or circumventing normal game mechanics/physics.
  • Breaking or circumventing Level Sync functionality.
  • Intentionally attempting to login or “brute force” an account’s credentials to gain access to the account.
    • We have zero tolerance for this and will land you a Perma-Ban and a public shaming in the private server community.
  • Intentionally crashing, or attempting to crash the server.
    • We have zero tolerance for this and will land you a Perma-Ban and a public shaming in the private server community.
  • Multi-boxing or playing multiple characters from the same IP address in Limbus or other instances where this is deemed unstable.
  • Using bots, scripts, or any sort of automation to monitor HNM TOD’s while AFK or in another zone.
  • Using bots or scripts to play characters while the being AFK for means of farming, experience point gain, or else. If you’re not at the computer and actively controlling your characters, you are in violation.
  • Using Ashitacast, or similar addon/plugin, to automate claiming mobs.
    • Ashitacast and Gearswap ARE allowed plugins, however, just not this particular use case.
  • Using plugins, packet injection, or other means to bypass normal game mechanics.
  • Exploits of any kind, including gil and market manipulation (buying an item from one NPC or vendor and easily selling to another for profit).
    • Exploits should be reported to a GM immediately.
    • Abusing any exploit is subject to a perma-ban from the community.
  • Spamming or misuse of global chat, either in game or on Discord.
  • Attempting to advertise or recruit for other services, be it Final Fantasy XI-related or not,
  • Attempting to or bypassing the security setup in place on community resources, such as the Members Portal, in any way, shape, or form.

Plugins, Addons, and Third-Party Applications

At this time, plugins, addons, and automation tools (“bots”) that alter the intended play of the game are not allowed on Nocturnal Souls.

These include, but are not limited to: automation tools, including third-party external tools, automatic repeated click/macro tools, automatic/passive actions, position, movement, and teleport hacks, item duping, item stat-changing, door opening and manipulation, most treasure pool management plugins, and other bypass of normal game function.

These do not include things that are client-side only, such as .DAT and sound modifications.

The following are known plugins, addons, and third-party tools that are explicitly banned from use. This is not an exhaustive list; however, a good rule of thumb is that if the tool gives you an unfair advantage over other players or bypasses general game mechanics, then it’s not allowed.

  • autoexec
  • no-ckback
  • repeater
  • repeat
  • onevent
  • fantasy warp
  • gateway
  • cupper
  • wallhack
  • maphack
  • skeletonkey
  • openseseme
  • speedhack
  • tako
  • fastfollow

Use of these plugins will result in characters being jailed for up to 24 hours; repeat offenders will be jailed for incrementally longer periods. Overall, we rely on the players and community to make the right decisions when choosing which plugins they’ll use when playing on the server as, in many cases, the community will police itself as many of these hacks have very apparent visual indicators.

Why not?!?111

“It doesn’t hurt anyone!”

“That’s not fair!”

“I can use that over on {x} server!”

Many, if not all, of these tools and plugins are unnecessary due to the environment of Nocturnal Souls. Skill ups, exp farming, movement, and progression all simplified and/or entirely removed. What these cause is a requirement on the development and community staff to sort out when/if these are causing issues, not just for the player using the addons, but for the server itself.

Examples:

  • A runaway repeater script spamming a map server can crash it.
  • A glitched door with gateway prevent players from progressing a quest or breaking a quest update.
  • A player ‘warping’ into a zone that either doesn’t exist or doesn’t have an entry point (causing them to be locked in forever ‘Downloading Data…’).

Each of these require the community team to intervene and ‘fix’ that individual.

Exceptions

CurePlease

We’ve reviewed CurePlease and the CurePlease addon and approve of players using this bot as a cure/buff bot up until the point that Trusts become available to players.

CurePlease is a third-party, external application that allows players to have a secondary character follow them around casting heals and buffs. This tool doesn’t support casting offensive abilities or engaging with targets.

However, this bot (just as with any multi-boxing), cannot be used in Limbus or other zones that do not support multi-boxing.

We’ve tested and support CurePlease, available at https://github.com/DanielHazzard/Cure-Please/releases.

Please be sure to configure CurePlease to use the addon for communication for the best game play experience.

NOTE: At this time, CurePlease is the only third-party automation tool that is allowed. Other tools that provide similar functionality are not allowed or supported at this time and use could result in jail time or an account ban.

crafty

We’ve review crafty and, at this time, approve the use of this plugin.

Crafty provides a set recipe list and automated crafting for players. Since crafting rank to rank is fairly quick, there’s very little ‘unattended’ time players would have when using Crafty (as they’d hit the rank barrier and stop gaining skill ups).

ja0wait

We’ve reviewed ja0wait and, at this time, approve the use of this plugin.

ja0wait is a plugin for both Windower and Ashita that disables the ‘animation lock’ of job abilities and weaponskills.

While it does allow players to move while using abilities, that behavior is more “modern” and nearer to FFXIV behavior, which matches the combat flow of the Nocturnal Souls server.

That said, allowance of this will likely mean that some PBAoEs and gaze effects could have shorter casting times since players can react immediately.

gearswap/ashitacast

We’ve reviewed both gearswap and Ashitacast and approve of these plugins and the scripting language they use.

Using Ashitacast to automate claiming mobs is considered botting and will be treated as such.

Both of these gear set automation tools provide players with a near endless scriptability to their gear based on all sorts of conditions. While they do potentially allow self-cast weaponskills without a target, this only affects Myrkr (since you can’t Fast Blade yourself), so there’s no problem seen with this at this time.

Auction House Listings

The Auction house normally only allows seven listings per character. A DSP “bug” currently breaks this limit in a way that other servers did (and some still do) deliberately. When you have several hundred items get returned by auction expiry at once, this is more than your delivery box can hold. Any items lost in this manner will NOT be restored.

Additionally, mass listings of any single item can break that item at the AH, displaying a massive stock yet nobody can buy them at any price due to the database error this causes. This requires an individual player to list the exact same item in an insane amount many times larger than the server’s entire player base. Should this occur, the overstock will be deleted without compensation in order to rescue the database from abuse.

We don’t care if you list more than seven, but you do so at your own risk. You probably won’t have a problem unless you seriously try to break something or don’t understand the meaning of the phrase “in moderation”. Fifteen isn’t going to be a problem, 1500 almost certainly is.

For more information on the Auction House, read our quick guide.