I got this in reply to a Support query I'd made regarding what the ACQ.dat file (character configuration file) does or if we should back it up, etc. Apparently, I'm not supposed to know...?? >_> So I figured I'd re-post it here, just for FYI and reference reasons:
(turns out there is a URL for it too: http://support.na.square-enix.com/faqarticle.php?kid=68216&id=5382&la=1 )
Prohibited Activities
Disruptive behavior that negatively affects the experience of others or the service itself is strictly forbidden within FINAL FANTASY XIV. Such activities violate the FINAL FANTASY XIV User Agreement as well as the SQUARE ENIX Account Terms of Use. Players found to be committing prohibited activities within FINAL FANTASY XIV will be penalized by SQUARE ENIX in its sole discretion. The different types of account penalties that can be issued against a service account are further explained in the “Account Penalties” section.
The list of policies below is meant to give the player an understanding of the types of activities that are prohibited within FINAL FANTASY XIV. This list has been provided to our players as a general guideline for the various prohibited activities and is not intended to be an all-inclusive outline of every prohibited activity within FINAL FANTASY XIV. When in doubt, we urge that our players err on the side of caution before engaging.
HarassmentOur Definition of HarassmentThe use of inappropriate and offensive language in general, or against another player is considered harassment in FINAL FANTASY XIV and is strictly prohibited. Using offensive language for character and retainer name, or spreading the inappropriate words in the character’s first and last names is also considered harassment. All claims of harassment are evaluated on a case by case basis and the action taken can be varied based upon the situation at that time. If harassment is found, the account penalty will be issued to all players who involve in the harassment.
•The use of language that is generally considered unacceptable in a public venue
•Any language that is purposely meant to harm or harass a third party
•Any language that promotes the discrimination of any race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or genderThere may be inappropriate conduct that does not fit into any of the above categories that may be considered harassment and as such would constitute an actionable offense.
In accordance with our privacy and confidentiality policies, the GM will not inform the victim of any disciplinary action that was issued.
Inappropriate BehaviorOur Definition of Inappropriate BehaviorDisturbances that do not fall under the harassment category but are intended to prevent or hinder game play for others are considered inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate behavior are spam, gridlocking, and scam. FINAL FANTASY XIV respect individual player’s unique play style. However, GM may take action to players whose play style prevents other player’s game play.
SpamSpamming (or spimming) is the act of using open chat channels to excessively repeat the same phrase or action. Spamming prevents other players from chatting or otherwise reading their chat logs effectively.
GridlockingGridlocking refers to a player or group of players that gather in a passage in an attempt to prevent others from entering.
ScamIn-game scams are defined as any inappropriate actions meant to defraud a fellow player with the intent to take in-game items or other possessions from them.
Activities that destroy game balanceActivities that destroy game balanceUsing third party programs or tools in FINAL FANTASY XIV is strictly prohibited since they allow users to gain an unfair advantage over other players. The use of programs or tools within FINAL FANTASY XIV that allow certain continuous actions to be performed automatically are often referred to as absentee play, which is also prohibited in FINAL FANTASY XIV. Additionally, during the course of an absentee play investigation, players may be requested to respond to or comply with a GMs instruction. Failure to do so is consider a violation and may result in disciplinary action being taken against the account.
The following activities are also prohibited in FINAL FANTASY XIV.•Modifying, analyzing, integrating and reverse engineering game data
•Utility creation and distribution
•Exploiting SQUARE ENIX programming that does not run as intended to gain profit or damage other players
Real Money Trade (RMT)Our Definition of RMT
RMT is defined as the selling and buying of virtual assets for real-world money. Virtual assets can include, but is not limited to:•Accounts
•Characters
•In-game Currency (Gil)
•In-game Service
•In-game item
Items and GIL obtained illegally through 3rd party tools or RMT activities can affect the game’s economic stability, and can disrupt the game play balance. Some 3rd party programs contain viruses and spyware, which can be harmful to other players unbeknownst to the 3rd party program user. This can lead to a leak of a user’s personal data, character deletion, or other unfortunate circumstances. We have a zero tolerance policy for RMT.
Sharing Account InformationOur Definition of Sharing Account InformationThe sharing or lending of account or login information (such as your Square Enix ID and password) to another player is strictly prohibited by the FINAL FANTASY XIV User Agreement. Sharing or lending your account may cause you to unexpectedly lose access to your account to a third party.
ImpersonationOur Definition of Impersonation
Impersonation is defined as, creating and using a character with a name similar or identical to SQUARE ENIX employees, or fraudulently claiming to be a SQUARE ENIX employee.
Accounts that are found to be compromised may have their access restricted until such a time as the registered owner can be identified.