FFXI Bump Mapping: Yea or Nay?

[Elesirdur]

What are people's thoughts on keeping bump mapping enabled for FFXI? Does it really add much in terms of graphical quality or is it just not worth the performance hit. Campaign is starting to stress my system (Athalon 3500+, 2GB RAM, ATi X1600 512 MB) so I'm looking at more ways to stretch my system to keep up 20 fps during campaign if at all possible.

[Zigma]

get a new cpu

[Elesirdur]

get a new cpu

Well as much as I would like a new CPU/mobo I do enjoy eating for a month too so it's a bit of a toss-up. Sarcasm aside, I know I need to replace it and it's definitely the next upgrade to come.

[GSDragoon]

Bumb Mapping should be done via the GPU, so it shouldn't be a performance hit at all..... but you never know with FFXI. They could be emulating pixel shaders.

[Seditedi]

Yeah, FFXI is pretty CPU intensive and doesn't really utilize the GPU much.
Poorly programmed game overall.

[levish]

Should be able to run ffxi fine with it on, that being said I have it on but am not sure if it makes any sort of graphical impact.

[Gere]

There's a comparison pic on the site that shall not be named.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Graphics#Bump_Mapping

[Elesirdur]

There's a comparison pic on the site that shall not be named.

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Graphics#Bump_Mapping

Thanks for the link. I ran around the WotG zones and found that the lighting was rather screwy with bump mapping turned off - really didn't look quite as good. FFXI + RotZ zones don't see much different but I think including and after CoP the zone environmental textures and lighting starts to use bump mapping to a more noticeable effect.

[Lordwafik]

I can't live without my backlighting in my dungeon! So long as backlighting doesn't work whislt bump mapped, i'll keep bump mapping off.

Btw that SS doesn't provide justice, the best comparison is when you look at snow with bump mapping on, or the sand in Kuftal tunnel.