Technical Problem

[Rain_Blade]

Re: Technical Problem

just so ppl won't get the wrong understanding...

ffxi requires GPU's hardware TnL. what 3D Anlyzer does is to emulate the hardware TnL so that the applications like ffxi "think" that it's there, but it does NOT "create" software TnL. the fact is when hardware TnL isn't present, all the TnL is done through the CPU, regardless of 3D Analyzer. in other words, u have software TnL no matter what.

one of the reasons why some apps require hardware TnL, while CPU can handle the TnL anyway, is a speed. hardware TnL can handle the instrunctions so much faster than when it's done by CPU, no matter how fast the CPU is. also, hardware and software TnL use different sets of instructions, and one for the software TnL needs more complicated, or longer one. as u can see now, ffxi can only "issue" the instructions for hardware TnL, so GPU without hardware TnL can't even understand the instructions. what 3D Anlyzer is actually doing is to "translate" those instructions and send them to the CPU. and obviously, doing so takes extra time.


i strongly recommend to get a new PC, as the laptop w/ RAGE Mobility must be several generations old, and as u mentioned the graphic is horrible that u can't stand playing. not to mention ur CPU must be slowing things down as well. and unfortnately, u don't have an option of upgrading the GPU because it's a laptop.

This computer isn't old. It's a Windows XP. I have 2 labtops. FF works on his computer, but the graphic card is bad. The other laptop (Windows ME) has a good graphic card, but the installation "freeze" at the 3rd Disc.

When I meant "freezing" I meant loading for along period of time. My 3rd Disc always stops at 59% and my cursor turns to a hourglass like forever. I waited for 30 minutes the percent to change, but it didn't. So, I cancelled it and I completely uninstalled every FF file. Then, I reinstalled PLAYONLINE and installed the discs. The 3rd disc did the same thing, but with a different percent number.

[neighbortaru]

Re: Technical Problem

if you can completely install with the 3rd disk on another computer, then it sounds like a bad drive.

[bside]

Re: Technical Problem

This computer isn't old. It's a Windows XP.

unfortunately, RAGE Mobility is considered old in today's fast-pacing computing world. also, WinXP initially came out back in Oct 2001, so ur laptop could be more than 4 yrs old now, which i obviously don't know. but if that's the case, it's natural for us to assume that its spec is way less than what ffxi requires in order for it to run even at the "minimal" performance level. not to mention RAGE Mobility is a Pentium III generation GPU (for laptops that is), while Pentium 4 for laptops started to hit the market 5 months after WinXP was released. (P4's back in those days r too slow to run ffxi smoothly tho.)

if you can completely install with the 3rd disk on another computer, then it sounds like a bad drive.

or it could be a dirty pickup. for this, get a cd/dvd cleaning kit at a local retailer, and try cleaning the drive's pickup lens. if it works, great. if not, then it could be the bad drive.

in this case, if swapping the drive w/ new one isn't an option, or if u don't use the cd/dvd drive often anyways, try networking w/ other PC which is known to have a working drive, and get the files on the cd transferred to the laptop u r trying to install ffxi onto, and then run the install again. or, set the working drive to "shared" status and install ffxi right off of it. (this may not work due to the software limitations; anyone ever tried this?)

[Aeni]

Re: Technical Problem

(this may not work due to the software limitations; anyone ever tried this?)

There's a copy protection, I believe. I think you can use that Daemon proggy (Simulates a CD drive) and ISO images of FFXI on the hard drive, but again, I'm pretty sure there is a copy protection on the CD itself. I remember reading a post by someone who was bitching about this minor detail saying that you can't really play the game without a valid registration code and payment anyway. w

[bside]

Re: Technical Problem

There's a copy protection, I believe. I think you can use that Daemon proggy (Simulates a CD drive) and ISO images of FFXI on the hard drive, but again, I'm pretty sure there is a copy protection on the CD itself. I remember reading a post by someone who was bitching about this minor detail saying that you can't really play the game without a valid registration code and payment anyway. w

actually, that was me.

ffxi cd's (for PC, that is) themselves do NOT have any copy protection features. (whether u believe it or not, or like it or not, that's the fact.) copy protection is something that prevents copying of the disks, or ones that stop running when the genuine disks can't be detected. famous copy protections include SafeDisc by Macrovision, and Alpha-ROM by the Korean company Settec. (in order to better undestand what copy protection is, try reading this.)

ffxi cd's, just like other famous activation-based softwares like Windows XP and MS Office, don't have any of such protection features, and can be freely copied as far as the technology is concerned. while the question of legality remains, there's not a single problem w/ the installation itself even if u use copied disks, and the installation completes with no problem whatsoever. and the copy protection, or measures to avoid illegal copies, is enforced thru the activation process, or in the case of ffxi, registration. just because there's no protection embedded onto the disks themselves it doesn't necessarily mean no measure is taken to prevent illegal copies. it's just a use of different approach.


now, while it's not an issue of copy protection, some programs can't be run thru the networked drives mainly because of the way programs r written. in this case one of the methods that i recommended above, to run it off of the networked shared drive, can't be done.

but yes, if u create the ISO images of the disks and transfer them to the pc to install them onto, and mount them using one of the deamon tools, u can install the game without a problem. and like i said above, ffxi cd's don't have any copy protections, so unless the disks r damaged, creating ISO images won't be a problem.


last of all, if u can't believe this, please try doing it urself before u counter my post, especially if u r just "guessing" the existance of it. and u'll see what i'm saying about this is right.

[Aeni]

Re: Technical Problem

Oh, not going to refute you, but I was going by an assumption based on what a few players posted before, about copying FFXI CDs and those copies not working at all (Yet using the originals presented no problems) In other words, either there's something funny with these discs themselves or something is wrong with CD burners in general.

[Smasholays]

Re: Technical Problem

Not to mention Windows ME is probably the buggiest OS ever released to the public. Wouldn't surprise me if that is what makes it freeze.

[Mog]

Re: Technical Problem

Not to mention Windows ME is probably the buggiest OS ever released to the public. Wouldn't surprise me if that is what makes it freeze.

Ugh. I used to run ME. It was the buggiest piece of shit I have even encountered. Why must you have reminded me of it? Never speak those 2 letters again.