Info on Changes

[Yygdrasil]

I'm looking to you guys to fill this thread with links that I can follow to catch up on the changes that have been made since last year. I haven't been keeping up as much as I should have been. Until the 2.0 announcement, I had all but written the game off as hopeless.

I'm seeing a lot of changes already jsut from logging in. It was a tad bit overwhelming considering how simplified it used to look. I've only been on for an hour though and it already makes more sense to me.

I need to know where to go for these dark matter repair stones. I need to know how combat has changed. I need to know how spells have changed. I need to know how leves work now... because I know they changed... and I need to know how the job system has been augmented thus far.

Also: I see they implemented an "allowance". Hilarious. Is 2million gil a lot these days? Because I have 2million gil...

---------- Post added at 12:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:59 AM ----------

Also: Curious if anyone can help me out with my settings on the laptop. I'm experiencing an odd reaction based on what I set what at. When I max my settings out for AA, Anthroscopic etc etc... I'm getting better performance than if I drop everything to the floor. I'm experiencing lag out the yinying when I floor the graphics, but SLOW/SMOOTH graphics when I max them.

Anyone able to suggest a happy medium?

(I have a top notch rig at home that plays it at max everything like a dream... but it's my laptop that's being finicky)

Specs:

Operating System
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64b)

Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 2675QM
CPU Clock Speed (Max.): 2.20GHz
CPU Cache: 6 MB

Model
NP700Z5B-W01UB

Display
15.6" Screen Size
1600 x 900 Resolution
Brightness: 300 nits

Graphics
AMD Radeon 6490M
512MB (DDR5) Graphics Memory

Memory
6GB Standard System Memory
Memory Type: DDR3
8GB Max. System Memory

Storage
750GB Hard Drive Capacity

ODD
DVD Slot loading (SMDL)

Multimedia
4 W Stereo Speaker (2 W x 2) Speakers
1.3 MP HD Webcam

Connectivity
802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN
Gigabit Wired Ethernet LAN

I/O Ports
HDMI
2 USB 3.0 Ports + 1 USB 2.0 Port
Headphone/Mic Combo
RJ45 (LAN)
4 in 1 Multi Card Slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC) Multi Card Slot

Input Devices
102 Key Keyboard
Touch Pad (Scroll Scope, Flat Type, Gesture UI)

Power
90W AC Adapter
8 Cell / Li-Po Battery
5420mAh


----------

I currently have The Catalyst CC up and I have adjusted my settings like this:

AA X2
Adaptive Multi-Sample AA
Anthroscopic X4

Game settings look like this from the Config Menu:

Displayed in Windowed Mode
1280x720
No AA
Drawing Quality: 7
Background Drawing Quality: 3 (Standard)
Shadows: Lowest

I have nothing checked off in Graphics besides Hardware Mouse... and Texture Quality and Filtering are set to Standard.


Like I said... I floor the specs and it looks like I'm teleporting short distances when I walk... and the same with everyone else. When I max out the graphics, it looks beautiful but it's slow to respond and I feel like I'm moving in slow motion... plus lag out the ass.

Where's my happy medium?

[Jarre]

Re: Info on Changes

Have you got latest graphics card update and dx?

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Info on Changes

The laptop is only about a month old. I'd have to double-check but I'm fairly sure it would be sufficiently updated.

How would one go about checking? Just open the Control panel, access the card and search for an updated driver? If so... I did that earlier and I'm fully up to date.

[Jarre]

Re: Info on Changes

It seems odd, have you checked SE's info to see whether the graphics card is supported?

[Raydeus]

Re: Info on Changes

It's a driver thing coupled with an awful client. SE's trademark really.

For instance, I actually got better marks on the 1080p test than on the 720p one. True story. <_<;




PS > Can't wait for the 2.0 engine.

---------- Post added at 12:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:18 PM ----------

PPS > If you are using Catalyst 12.1 I'd recommend going back to 11.12

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Info on Changes

I'll double-check. How exactly do I backdate my Catalyst? And why would I want to go to that version of it?

[Raydeus]

Re: Info on Changes

You first need to uninstall your current drivers from the Add/Remove program in the control panel, then restart, then restart again, then run the installer you download from amd.com to install the new (older) drivers.

And about the reason to go back to 11.12, it's due to it simply being way more stable. In Catalyst history the first few versions of new drivers are almost guaranteed to be messed up in one way or the other. So waiting at least until x.3 or x.4 is a very good policy.

Unless there's a specific issue you are experiencing that is fixed by the new driver that is.

---------- Post added at 12:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 PM ----------

PS > Alternatively you can try the drivers put out there by the manufacturer of the card/laptop. but they are usually worse than those downloaded directly from AMD.

[Malacite]

Re: Info on Changes

There have been so many changes to the game you'd be better off just pouring over past topics on lodestone for updates. This is one of the few times where I really miss having the POL viewer as it actually had an update history on the FFXI page. But I'll run off some of the bigger ones real fast;

- Stamina Gauge was abolished & auto-attack added
- You can now retry leves and they stockpile up to 99 now. You also gain 4 new ones every 12 hours I believe rather than the old 8 every 48.
- Anima recovers a bit faster (1 every 4 hours I think) Cities are reduced to 3 and you can select up to 3 favorite areas to have the warp cost reduced by half.
- Shield Skill abolished and now all shield abilities are GLA onry and are learned automatically as you level up GLA.
- Major overhaul of synthesis recipes and several older recipes & ingredients phased out (dated). Materia added by leveling up gear and converting it (lv 18+ quest).
- Grand Companies available beginning at level 25 + Chocobos
- EXP Bonuses for partying, regional leve EXP for monsters utterly destroyed & exp per normal enemy much higher than before overall to stop people from overhunting. Can't PL anymore either.

Those are just a few of what's been done but they've had significant impact on the game. Plus there's all the recent stuff coming up next week I believe as well.


EDIT: It's actually right there on the Lodestone, "Patch Archives"

Patch Notes

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Info on Changes

You first need to uninstall your current drivers from the Add/Remove program in the control panel, then restart, then restart again, then run the installer you download from amd.com to install the new (older) drivers.

And about the reason to go back to 11.12, it's due to it simply being way more stable. In Catalyst history the first few versions of new drivers are almost guaranteed to be messed up in one way or the other. So waiting at least until x.3 or x.4 is a very good policy.

Unless there's a specific issue you are experiencing that is fixed by the new driver that is.

---------- Post added at 12:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 PM ----------

PS > Alternatively you can try the drivers put out there by the manufacturer of the card/laptop. but they are usually worse than those downloaded directly from AMD.

Not that I don't believe you... but can anyone else second this suggestion? I don't want to go ahead and download/install an older driver for this if all it's going to mean is more work for me to get the newer one back again.

[Raydeus]

Re: Info on Changes

Check which version of the drivers you have installed first. <_<;

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Info on Changes

*checking*

---------- Post added at 03:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:27 PM ----------

Version 2011.0902.1044.17395

[Raydeus]

Re: Info on Changes

That's the version of the Catalyst Control Center, there should be another number that has a xx.xx format.


It usually says "Catalyst Version xx.xx"

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Info on Changes

*checking again*

---------- Post added at 03:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:37 PM ----------

Fucking Windows.... where the hell do I find that?

[Raydeus]

Re: Info on Changes

Lulz, just right click on the desktop and the Catalyst option should appear there, it can also be on the Taskbar along with the other icons by the clock or if it doesn't appear in any of those places then right click on the desktop then Properties > Config > Advanced > Catalyst Control center tab.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Info on Changes

Oh no... I'm in the CCC, where the hell is the version? It's not displayed anywhere.