Framerate/Animation skipping issue

[Burnsy]

Hey tech savvy personae,

FIrst thanks for taking time to pour over this problem, cause I'm f'n stumped, everything about ffxi runs fine on my pc, except this issue.

While playing every 2-5 seconds, no matter where I am in game or what I'm doing, the animation in game "skips", followed immediately by a 3-4 frame drop via FPS tracker in windower. I've cleaned out all unessesary processes, applications etc. All settings in ffxi config will follow via screenshot, and almost everything in the in game menus is disabled/lowest setting (char models displayed: min, shadows/weather: off, animation frame rate: min, clipping plane: min (Drawdistance enhanced), Priority loaded at start up, etc.

Here's pc config:

OS: WinXP Home Serv Pack 3 (32 bit)
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.53 GHz
RAM: 1.0 G
V Card: Nvidia Geforce 7600 GS
DirectX: 9.0c
Driver: 178.24 (most recent from Nvidia site installed 11/10/0
Core Clock: 401 MHz
Shader: 401 MHz
Mem Clock: 351 MHz (702 MHz data rate)
Mem Interface: 128 bit
Memory: 256 MB
Video Bios Version: 5.73.22.57.02
IRQ: 16
Bus: AGP 4x
FFXIConfig Screens:

[Kohan]

You've adjusted some of the in-game settings, but it looks like you haven't changed some of the more obvious external ones, such as the resolution and textures. Try lowering your resolution to the barest minimum, and compressing the textures. It'll certainly make FFXI look like trash, but it'll be nice to find out if you're having hiccups due to that.

If you still have this problem, my next question is: do you mod at all?

You may also want to get a nVidia driver set that people have specifically found suitable for FFXI, as some work better than others, but we'll worry about that later.

[Burnsy]

Tested lowering resolution, and forgot to mention it when making this super post of doom. In fact that was the first thing I tried. Lowered overlay and backround resolutions, and noticed no difference to speak of.

Mod as in that thing that no one knows about or uses? That thing SE came out with a version of that blows fat horse wang? Yes, but very minimal plugins, and I don't even use scripted macros, plugins running as follows:

Recast
Tparty
Distance
Priority
Silence
Timestamp

Now I did have modified .dats, but I completely removed them with a file check via pol, and the problem persists. I've since put them back in, and noticed no difference.

[SephYuyX]

Try using no windower yet? Also lower all your actual GPU settings as well as FFXI's.

[Kohan]

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Mod as in that thing that no one knows about or uses?

Yes.

Now I did have modified .dats, but I completely removed them with a file check via pol, and the problem persists. I've since put them back in, and noticed no difference.

All right. The reason I asked this is because certain HQ mods can cause problems during loading on even the most powerful of systems. It's undoubtedly due to some crappy hex work, if not problems with the textures themselves. I have one which causes the same problem, but I've never reverted back to the original DAT because I'm lazy, and I still like it. Fortunately, the problem isn't permanent, it only happens when the model shows up on screen.

Since you've cleaned out all unnecessary processes, I'm going to guess you don't have anything playing audio at the same time, but to also eliminate the likelihood of it being a sound card problem, try turning off sound in the external config.

[Burnsy]

Trixi, as in GPU on Video Card?

Kohan no audio, will attempt nixing sound, as that card is old as hell ans will let you know results. Thank you for all your ideas/assistance ^^.

[Shuemue]

Try with realtime virus scanning disenabled

[SephYuyX]

Yeah Burns, your Vid card settings; put all that on low, as with the FFXI config settings. Then try with and without windower.

[Burnsy]

Tried at 640x480 256x256 with/without windower with/without sound. All settings for Nvidia card are on "Performance" and then advanced settings manually turned down (texture compressions etc) if yall would like me to screenshot the advance settings for your review, let me know.

Antivirus present is AVG and it's only set to self update/scan the machine once a week early Monday morning.

Thank you all again, and any more suggestions are always appreciated.

[Shuemue]

Personally, I'd reinstall windows. It might seem a little extreme, but it's the easiest way of ruling out software errors.

[Kohan]

As he mentioned, reinstalling Windows is an option.

You didn't note how long this has been going on for, but I imagine it started up somewhat recently since you're worried about it now. Do you remember installing anything new? Software, hardware, drivers, anything?

Do you use any software that emulates a peripheral (e.g., a virtual drive application like DaemonTools)?

Even though AVG is not set to be scanning at all times, have you tried running FFXI with it (and all its related instances in Task Manager) off?

Have you tried disconnecting any unnecessary devices (e.g., the old sound card you mentioned), including peripherals, like game controllers?

[Rhealana]

I just about tore my hair out because a recent Microsoft update to my Vista laptop caused this issue to crop up.

After a bunch of experimenting... I turned of QoS and Deterministic Network Enhancer for all the network interfaces and literally saw my FPS jump from 16fps to 29.

Might be worth a shot. I even disabled IPv6.

[Wintermute]

Might sound stupid, but are you using a wireless card/router at all?
And do you have any other online games you were playing before you installed FF?

I have the exact same problem and I found that either my system, or my router, was giving the first game I used online some weird ass priority.

I used to have TF2 installed and then installed FF. TF2 would run no problems, but FF would get the lag at fairly regular intervals.

When I re-formatted and installed FF and then WoW FF ran perfect but WoW would get the lag.

[Burnsy]

Not running vista, so idk if XP has the same network enhancers...

Completely uninstalled AVG for the moment, no help, shit still derps out.

Have played other games before on this machine, but all have been uninstalled/ccleanered out

I am on wireless, but on a different wireless router than when the issue first appeared, and nothing seems weird in the wireless config or the router.


I hate to say it, but a clean install may be in my near future, that is if my DVD burner ever works again... but thats an issue not for these boards.


Thanks all you rock!