FFXI PS2 - returning player numerous blackouts and freezing.

[LordBlueRouge]

Hi, guys.

I'm sort of new to the forums. So I apologize if this isn't the right place to post bugs.

Once I heard service was ending on the PS2 this March 2016, I thought I'd jump back onto the PS2 and try to finish what I could, before the PS2 servers shut down.

Anyways, I came across numerous bugs/freezing/crashing, upon signing in:

- Tremendous frame rate drop/freezing when traveling inside Lower Jeuno
- Crashed when a Rhapsody of Vana'diel cutscene was initiated @ Port Windust
- Crashes while trying to initiate Chocobo Racing: Free Run cutscene (Black screen)
- Tremendous frame rate drop/freezing when traveling inside Windurst Woods
- Crashes /frame rate drop/freezing randomly while traveling inside Bastok Mines (Black Screen)
- Crashes /frame rate drop/freezing randomly while traveling inside Port Bastok (Black screen)
- Crashes /frame rate drop/freezing randomly while traveling inside Southern San d'Oria (...Can't reach Northen San d'Oria!)
- Black screen when transitioning from Title Screen to Character Selection screen - (instead of fading out/fading in)

Now I've checked my Playonline files, my Final Fantasy xi files and everything appears to be fine. So then I deleted/reinstalled Playonline and FFXI to see if that would somehow negate these issues, but I'm still having these problems...

The only thing I haven't tried is, defragging/reformatting the PS2 harddrive and doing a fresh install of FFXI/Playonline.

Would that somehow negate these issues? Are other players running into these problems on the PS2 as well?

Is there a thread/list of known bug/issues, with the PS2 version that someone could direct me to?

Please let me know. I understand most players are transitioning from console to PC. But I would really like to know what remains salvageable/playable on the PS2, before deciding what to do...

Thank you.

[bungiefanNA]

Such issues have been a problem on PS2 since Adoulin released. The system is just running low on resources for what they are trying to do with the game. Frame rate has been that slow since Adoulin came out. Cutscene crashes have been a problem since a bit before Abyssea, when WotG was updating. You can't play without Adoulin installed either, since the patching process will automatically install it for you. What you are seeing is the normal state of the game on that platform.

There is no defrag on the PS2. Each game creates its own partition on installation. Files inside have no utility to defrag them. The patching process automatically causes fragmentation.

[LordBlueRouge]

Such issues have been a problem on PS2 since Adoulin released. The system is just running low on resources for what they are trying to do with the game. Frame rate has been that slow since Adoulin came out. Cutscene crashes have been a problem since a bit before Abyssea, when WotG was updating. You can't play without Adoulin installed either, since the patching process will automatically install it for you. What you are seeing is the normal state of the game on that platform.

There is no defrag on the PS2. Each game creates its own partition on installation. Files inside have no utility to defrag them. The patching process automatically causes fragmentation.

Understood, Thank You!

[bungiefanNA]

If the system had more RAM and video RAM, the game would probably run better, but the resources of a console are locked in at the first model to retain compatibility. The Xbox 360 version still runs well.

[LordBlueRouge]

If the system had more RAM and video RAM, the game would probably run better, but the resources of a console are locked in at the first model to retain compatibility. The Xbox 360 version still runs well.

...I had FFXI installed on a 60gb PS3 at one point back in 2009, which seemed to work fine, back then. (I haven't tried it since then...)

I've also just recently installed Seekers of Adoulin through the PC client, which appears highlighted on the title screen for both the PC and PS2.

Would moving/installing FFXI back onto a 60gb PS3, negate this issue? Would I also be able to play Seekers of Adoulin Content or would I still experience crashes/blackouts on the PS2/PS3?

Please let me know, you've been a tremendous help!

[bungiefanNA]

Playing on a PS3 wouldn't matter, as it ran the game in PS2 mode, which limited it to the same resources the PS2 had. PS2 mode only knows how to address the amount of memory a PS2 has. The specs of a console are determined by the first model when ti comes to things like that. CPU and GPU and RAM are not upgradable on consoles.

FFXI ran fine on PS2/PS3 in 2009, except for some cutscene crashes. Abyssea is where it started to show it was straining the system, with trouble loading NPCs and occurrence of low frame rate frequently.

[LordBlueRouge]

Playing on a PS3 wouldn't matter, as it ran the game in PS2 mode, which limited it to the same resources the PS2 had. PS2 mode only knows how to address the amount of memory a PS2 has. The specs of a console are determined by the first model when ti comes to things like that. CPU and GPU and RAM are not upgradable on consoles.

FFXI ran fine on PS2/PS3 in 2009, except for some cutscene crashes. Abyssea is where it started to show it was straining the system, with trouble loading NPCs and occurrence of low frame rate frequently.

Understood, Thank You!

[YosemiteYogorockBlondelle]

...I had FFXI installed on a 60gb PS3 at one point back in 2009, which seemed to work fine, back then. (I haven't tried it since then...)

I've also just recently installed Seekers of Adoulin through the PC client, which appears highlighted on the title screen for both the PC and PS2.

Would moving/installing FFXI back onto a 60gb PS3, negate this issue? Would I also be able to play Seekers of Adoulin Content or would I still experience crashes/blackouts on the PS2/PS3?

Please let me know, you've been a tremendous help!

Naw it will be the exact same problems since it's still basically the ps2 game just on a ps3 instead and i'm probably sorry for you to say it but your best bet is going to be to go out buying a PC to play on a pc playstyle as everyone's been doing last couple of year's seem's like but slowly transitioning that way. I've always had those issues back on my old ps2 since its first install and release on the ps2 here in the US but now i'm on a good laptop plus lots of posts have been done on it too where they've mentioned if you still want the ps2 out to the tv experience you could always hook-up your laptop or desktop with the right outs and ins to your tv/laptop/desktops or even a smart tv with a way to also hook up a ps2 controller to the desktop/laptop or at least a controller as well but you can read up on the forums over the x-input/x-config problem's with the triggers on the controllers as well.. I play on a Keyboard myself it just takes a lot of patience til you start to get used to the keyboard playstyle plus you can do a config to re-assign the KB keys to your liking to playstyle as well.

{Edit}: You know what maybe cool or even a bit iconic is if SE invented a way to install the game directly into or onto smart TV's with the Operating System's they have for usage, some of those smart tv's/giant smart TV's are using the mobile phones OS's such as android as well. Curious indeed!!!