Dat Swaps - Against ToS Or Not?

All SE can tell is that the file scanned do not match the "original" file. Doesn't mean you swapped it. Could be corruption, could be hdd failure, mistake from user (random drag&drop by mistake), file downloaded partially during an uncompleted upgrade process, old file (fresh install), etc...

Prolly a CRC check I think since MD5/SHA-1 would take lot of time.

STFU with your fancy words Pikachu!

It changes -some- of the swapped files sometimes. I swap dat outfits on my taru frequently because well SE's skills just do not compare to those at ffxidats. Sometimes I have to fix a dat but after most updates I don't. I've had Dungeon Hero X as my moogle for months now.



Except for the PS2 and 360 players. :P

I use my dats to make the game look more interesting for me. IE I've changed the look of my Taru's face/hair/outfits. And the mog houses have a new wallpaper. Things SE shouldn't care about. Using dats for claims and such is in a sense cheating because it's eliminating the fair claim. To replace the LL PH dat I think you would have to be using windower (cheaters :P) because just changing the Lizard Dat would make ALL Lizards look that way. LL does not have her own dat, the game grabs the dat file for lizard for her.

These dat swaps are client side only. SE cannot see or tell if your character now looks like Cloud Strife or whatever. However, some people do use this to create an unfair advantage over others. ie: making coffers/chests appear as behemoths so they can see it's big fat *** sticking out through walls knowing exactly where it is before others do.

LOL would be funny to show all the rabbits like the energizer bunny, who wouldnt wanna go killing the rabbits now! lol

SE has never altered my files during version updates unless the said file is one of the files they are updaing. 99% of my dat modded maps, character files, animation files and just normal gear mods have not every been touched by version updates.

Exactly. If I have to solo on crawlers for 7 hours just to get a level, I'm sure SE won't mind if I switch it up a bit to keep me from going insane. And the MH changes really are a godsend. Bastok really failed in the charm department when it came to the Mog House.

You know, I had a thought.

Aren't most NM the same .dat file as their normal counterparts? Like Jagedy-Eared-Jack for instance. Normal rabbit.

I don't see a file in ModelViewer thats specifically JEJ - just rabbits.

So...modifying the rabbit file would just change all them stinky wabbits, not just JEJ.

The name-changing crap is Hex editing or some crap like that, not .dat changing...exactly.

Yea, lets say you want to make VE look like a giant dong. Since it looks just like any other fly, all your flies are going to look like giant dongs, hence the pointlessness. But if you selected an NM thats species is one-of-a-kind in a zone- such as changing all Wyvern Mobs into a giant dongs, then if you're ever running through Gustav and Bune happens to be up, you sure wouldn't miss him. Not that you would miss him in the first place, but you get my point.

theres also a .dat you can get that changes the PH of a NM to the name "Place Holder" so with that yes i think it is

Hunny that's not a .dat. Someone re-wrote part of the program or some crap to change Yagudo NM's PH name to "PLACEHOLDER". I think in that thread it says its hex editing, or something like that.

A: .DAT swapping should be just as much of a bannable offense as duping yet they got chewed hard by alot of people.

B: You can .DAT swap to give unfair advantages camping HNM, not as much of an advantage as botting obviously but you can remove darters, manticores, raptors and cleanly target an HNM long before a legit player in alot of cases. Yes, .DAT swapping can be just as unfair.

C: I had darters removed for a long time and i dont think a version update ever fixed it, actually it was a massive pain in the *** to put them back in because i accidentally removed the original file so i had to get someone to give me the darters .dat file over MSN, i tried to put them back in via SE's wonderful file check system but it never seemed to catch it.

It all depends on how it's used. Dat swaps -should- be merely a cosmetic enhancement to visuals and audio (as it is for me). Unfortunately there are loopholes in which it can be used to create an unfair advantage over others, ie: the treasure chest/coffer trick, replacing names for placeholders, removing crowded mobs in a NM spawn point etc.

Edit: The downside is, it's client side only and exists only on your hard drive. Even a process checker wouldn't tell SE anything on whether or not you replaced bits of data.

Always wanted to swap the music in game (sorry, it's nice for like the first week or so then it gets REAL old lol) but now that I'm on vent 99% of the time, gotta turn the music off anyways, too distracting...

I say yes an no depending on what you do with the .dat. When you swap a dat you're only changing what you see. Not how the FFXI server is affected. What is not allowed is reprograming the way the dat works. For example changing the code for Ash Pole to act as if it were a Kracken Club. Not changing the Ash Pole to -look- like a KC.

Well yeah, .dat swapping your moogle or something isn't going to cause any problems, it's the *** that .dat swap treasure coffers and such that cause the issues and force the harsh response from SE as far as .dat modding goes. (provided you get caught)

Always the cheaters that ruin it for everybody....