Very happy with the version update chart, but we need 1 more blackout countermeasure

We need to be able to turn off the infernal "glow"/"aura" graphics effect of magian moogles, avatars, floating Cavernous Maws, telepoints, and Veridical Confluxes. Pay special attention to Carbuncle, because even when his model isn't displayed because of my "Characters Displayed" setting being at minimum, I see his blue glow.

I don't know if those things can cause blackouts, but if displaying other players' equipment can, then maybe. But they sure as hell devastate framerates for many users. The dread of avatar glows ruining my framerate has made me avoid SMN in group content now.

I'm buying a Windows 8 PC from a friend in a couple days with high hopes that a Windows 8 PC can do what my Windows XP PC cannot: display 2 magian moogles...simultaneously!

As long as it isn't a cut-rate model, you should be fine. If it has a dedicated graphics chip, that should help some.

Blackout countermeasures refers to PS2 users, where the game just literally turns to a black screen, signifying it crashed, requiring a hard reboot.

Aside from shuffling how they manage memory on PS2, blackout countermeasures usually involves limiting the player model cap on a per-zone basis from what I've seen.