Xbox slim/ ffxi

[Ryolen13]

Hey guys! If u remember the original 360s ran the game great but often died do to red ringing.

The next gen 360s I think alleviated that issue a bit but now Ffxi has a ton of issues where u can't log on and need to reinstall the game to play, and quite often.

Any of u have an xbox slim and is playing this game on it just fine?

Need details on the matter cuz I'm planning on buying one. Sick of playing the game on ps2 lol have the issues of the old xboxs been fixed on the slim?

[Isiolia]

If FFXI is the main/only reason for the 360, why not look at a used or cheap PC instead? No matter how great MS makes the hardware, the 360 port is still going to be the shoddiest version of FFXI.

[Ryolen13]

I really didn't mind the original 360 ffxi, has a few things but it was better than the ps2 still. The gen of 360s after that tho seemed to have the problem where the game wouldn't work at all and u had to reinstall the game. If slim works like the first gen then ill b happy lol but thx tho I just dont like gaming on pc even tho I know the benefits lol.

[Isiolia]

I just dont like gaming on pc even tho I know the benefits lol.

Why not? Don't give the "couch and a big screen" argument because you can hook a PC up to most TVs, and use a controller if that's your thing. You might actually have to set a few settings, but that's not hard, and you just need to do it once.

The new 360s fixed most of the issues that the console had - the CPU and GPU are now once chip that has better cooling, and runs cooler to start with. The trick is more the software, since some of what you mentioned are issues that FFXI had with NXE, and had nothing to do with the actual hardware. Can't exactly guarantee that they won't break something again.

[Ryolen13]

I remember trying to run 11 on my pc. Its not the best pc in the block but its only 2 yrs old so it should run 11 smootjly right? What settings n stuff I gotta play with to make it look ok?

[Ksandra]

Why not? Don't give the "couch and a big screen" argument because you can hook a PC up to most TVs, and use a controller if that's your thing. You might actually have to set a few settings, but that's not hard, and you just need to do it once.

The new 360s fixed most of the issues that the console had - the CPU and GPU are now once chip that has better cooling, and runs cooler to start with. The trick is more the software, since some of what you mentioned are issues that FFXI had with NXE, and had nothing to do with the actual hardware. Can't exactly guarantee that they won't break something again.

not going to lie, even with what you said, I love playing on the console way more than the pc. Though it my apt, doing the hookup with a pc would make the living room look hella awkward.

[Isiolia]

not going to lie, even with what you said, I love playing on the console way more than the pc. Though it my apt, doing the hookup with a pc would make the living room look hella awkward.

They make PC cases that fit into entertainment racks/etc. The PC I have in my living room is in one of these which looks a lot more like it belongs under the TV than any of my consoles.

Once you get into the game, what's really that different?

I remember trying to run 11 on my pc. Its not the best pc in the block but its only 2 yrs old so it should run 11 smootjly right? What settings n stuff I gotta play with to make it look ok?

It should be able to run the game fine.

The main PC-gaming "catch" is your graphics card. A modern GPU is effectively a specialized CPU, and is often more important for gaming than the CPU itself. Of course, since it costs extra to put a good one in, most OEMs don't, instead using integrated graphics such as Intel GMA. Thankfully, since PCs have transitioned to PCIe over AGP, many actually have a slot you can use for a better card. Still, one of the big hits to PC gaming has been the simple fact that most big box retail PCs are simply not equipped to play current games well out of the box.

That said, as FFXI is an older game, it really doesn't take much to run it fairly well. If all you have is Intel GMA graphics, then you may want to look at a better card, but you wouldn't need anything particularly expensive, and might opt to do it simply to get extra output options.

Tweaking the PC version for good results isn't too hard.

The biggest thing to look at is your resolution settings. This is slightly less intuitive than with most games, and limited due to SE's lack of planning, but it's not too bad.
You've got two actual resolutions to deal with. Your "background" resolution - which is your actual 3D resolution, and the "foreground" resolution, which is your 2D elements like menus.

The resolution that your game actually shows up on the screen is tied to your foreground/2D resolution. The background/3D is scaled to fit behind it.

On one hand, this allows you to get more chat log onto the screen, and have nice crisp menus even if you can't run the game itself at a high resolution. On the downside, the interface doesn't scale - if you set the game to well and truly run at 1920x1080, the chat log/menus/etc get very small. Fine for a monitor on your desk, but most people find it hard to read if you're sitting back on a couch. The console versions simply run at low resolution.

The other thing you can do with this is some trickery to make the game look better. If you look here, there are some examples of the effects of oversampling. Due to how the game is rendered, most methods of anti-aliasing don't work with it. If you have the hardware, however, technically running the game at twice the resolution you see it at, and forcing the game to scale it down to fit behind the menus, smoothes the edges a bit. Doing this requires editing the registry versus using the FFXI Config utility, but the registry settings are all listed there on the wiki, so you can tweak things directly if you wish.
Alternatively, if you use the Windower, there's a a GUI launcher that will edit those things for you.

Past that you mostly have detail type settings. If you're having performance issues, often turning off weather effects will help.

Further making the game look good, if you have a discrete card with application controls, would be to disable/minimize MIP mapping, and force Anisotropic Filtering via your video card's control panel.

[Ksandra]

They make PC cases that fit into entertainment racks/etc. The PC I have in my living room is in one of these which looks a lot more like it belongs under the TV than any of my consoles.

Once you get into the game, what's really that different?

I'm a woman, I like my pink case tyvm. <3

I also like to design my living room the way I want to

[edit] and as you said it's no difference, so keeping my living room nice takes priority. XD

[Isiolia]

I'm a woman, I like my pink case tyvm. <3

I also like to design my living room the way I want to

Sure, but you can paint things. Or you can put a PC in a cabinet, a closet, or whatever. If you have a good AV system, the hardware has to go somewhere, and a case like that will fit where standard-size AV hardware fits.
There's really nothing preventing you from building a PC into a neon pink monument to Hello Kitty, if you were inclined to. Granted, it's easier to do with mini ITX boards, which don't exactly have great gaming hardware...but still probably run FFXI better than either console.

[Ksandra]

Sure, but you can paint things. Or you can put a PC in a cabinet, a closet, or whatever. If you have a good AV system, the hardware has to go somewhere, and a case like that will fit where standard-size AV hardware fits.
There's really nothing preventing you from building a PC into a neon pink monument to Hello Kitty, if you were inclined to. Granted, it's easier to do with mini ITX boards, which don't exactly have great gaming hardware...but still probably run FFXI better than either console.

Isio...I like the way my room looks lol

No one should be forced into rearranging things just because they can.

[Isiolia]

Just sayin', PC in the living room doesn't mean a beige tower awkwardly placed by the TV. You can put a PC there that's less visible than any game console, if not completely hidden. The argument for decor just doesn't make sense to me =P

[Ksandra]

Just sayin', PC in the living room doesn't mean a beige tower awkwardly placed by the TV. You can put a PC there that's less visible than any game console, if not completely hidden. The argument for decor just doesn't make sense to me =P

But I like showing my case...I'm not trying to hide it....I just like it where it's at, the same as where my tv is at.

[Ryolen13]

i have a gforce 6150SE nforce 430 for a graphics card =/ will that run xi ok? how bad will the graphics be with it?

[Pikarya]

Coming from someone that recently bought the Slim and has used it daily. Avoid it like the fucking plague. You no longer have to deal with RROD, but now annoying shit like the DVD drive rattling and making noises 24/7. High fan speed which is audible during gaming sessions/etc. Its garbage, if you're gonna waste your money at least build a media PC for XI. You can run it off a $200 dollar system if you wanted.

[Isiolia]

i have a gforce 6150SE nforce 430 for a graphics card =/ will that run xi ok? how bad will the graphics be with it?

It's an integrated card. I haven't tried that one. The Radeon HD3200 in my HTPC plays XI fine, and the more current versions of the AMD integrated platform would be even better. If you have an available PCIe slot, even the lowest end Radeon would be a decent pick (nVidia drivers have been spotty).

I'd try it at least. The game is usually what, about $10? Something like this will run the game fine (though if you're spending the money, you might consider getting a notch up or two).

Regardless, if you can put a card in your system, you can get the game running for a lot less than the cost of a new 360. Now, if you want a 360 so you can play a bunch of other games, then that might be another story, since a $50 graphics card in your system isn't going to get you Fable III or Black Ops or whatever running well.

[Ryolen13]

hey isiolia can u give me the name of a graphics card that i should buy in the range of like $100?

im assuming i can buy at best buy?

how do i install it?

u have convinced me to play on pc lol ill give it a whirl. also, where can i find a ps2/3 type control for the pc? ;o thx again

so just downloaded the game for pc, but its not letting me open playonline to install it.... it says

THIS INSTALLATION COULD NOT BE OPENED. CONTACT THE APPLICATION VENDOR TO VERIFY THAT THIS IS AVALID WINDOWS INSTALLER PACKAGE"

WTF??

[SnickySnacks]

The next gen 360s I think alleviated that issue a bit but now Ffxi has a ton of issues where u can't log on and need to reinstall the game to play, and quite often.

Are you talking about the disc unreadable error or is there some new ffxi issue with the slims?

[Ryolen13]

Just bought a nvidia geforce gt 220 lets hope its ok lol any tips on how to install? Im sure its alot easier than it looks. Anyways yea omw home now if u have any dos and donts for installing plz lemme know! Tyty

[Isiolia]

Does the copy of the game you're using include the Vista/7 version of POL? If not, you may need to download that.

Card shouldn't be hard to install, assuming you have an open PCIe slot. Remove the slot cover, put card in, start up and install the driver.

Controller...Logitech makes some that are copies of the basic PS2 design. Alternatively, you could find a PS2->USB adapter and just use your PS2 controller.

[Ryolen13]

so just downloaded the game for pc, but its not letting me open playonline to install it.... it says

THIS INSTALLATION COULD NOT BE OPENED. CONTACT THE APPLICATION VENDOR TO VERIFY THAT THIS IS AVALID WINDOWS INSTALLER PACKAGE"

WTF??