OC Critical Engagements are unplayable...

[Jeeqbit]

No, I am not experiencing this at all. It's either your computer, or your connection. I know this because I have fought hunts with this many players since Stormblood and I know all the different hardware issues that have ever caused it.

Things that could help:
- Make sure you have an SSD. This allows you to load/unload players constantly (and their associated glamours). This does happen during battle due to the render limit, so an SSD is important to prevent disk read bottlenecks.
- Make sure you have enough RAM. This helps store all the information in active memory without relying on a page file, which is where it stores active memory on the hard drive. The hard drive, even an SSD, is slower than RAM, otherwise we wouldn't need RAM.
- Make sure you don't have too many programs running in the background that hog resources, such as browsers, other games or downloads. This can hog resources and push active game memory into a page file.
- Look into upgrading your connection. If you use copper wire broadband, you could look into getting a fiber cable if it's available in your area. The difference is that one is limited by the speed of sound and the other by the speed of light.
- Although less likely to be factors, they can be: does the processor and GPU meet or exceed the Recommended Specs of the game, which were increased for Dawntrail?

Intel® Core™i7-9700 or higher, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or higher

[Mawlzy]

No, I am not experiencing this at all. It's either your computer, or your connection. I know this because I have fought hunts with this many players since Stormblood and I know all the different hardware issues that have ever caused it.

Things that could help:
- Make sure you have an SSD. This allows you to load/unload players constantly (and their associated glamours). This does happen during battle due to the render limit, so an SSD is important to prevent disk read bottlenecks.
- Make sure you have enough RAM. This helps store all the information in active memory without relying on a page file, which is where it stores active memory on the hard drive. The hard drive, even an SSD, is slower than RAM, otherwise we wouldn't need RAM.
- Make sure you don't have too many programs running in the background that hog resources, such as browsers, other games or downloads. This can hog resources and push active game memory into a page file.
- Look into upgrading your connection. If you use copper wire broadband, you could look into getting a fiber cable if it's available in your area. The difference is that one is limited by the speed of sound and the other by the speed of light.
- Although less likely to be factors, they can be: does the processor and GPU meet or exceed the Recommended Specs of the game, which were increased for Dawntrail?

Intel® Core™i7-9700 or higher, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or higher

I know throughout gaming an SSD is always recommended, but 14 is one game that really prefers to be on my HDD.

[Jeeqbit]

I know throughout gaming an SSD is always recommended, but 14 is one game that really prefers to be on my HDD.

That's odd, because I can guarantee that in the hunt community we strongly recommend everyone has an SSD. This is because if you go to hunts without one, players load/unload constantly due to the render limit. As the game is constantly reading glamour data from the files to achieve this, it results in being unable to see anyone or the hunt itself, forcing you to AoE to hit it. This is resolved by having an SSD and there isn't really an alternative.

It stands to reason that similar issues could happen in an active Field Operation with 72 players or more.

[Mawlzy]

That's odd, because I can guarantee that in the hunt community we strongly recommend everyone has an SSD. This is because if you go to hunts without one, players load/unload constantly due to the render limit. As the game is constantly reading glamour data from the files to achieve this, it results in being unable to see anyone or the hunt itself, forcing you to AoE to hit it. This is resolved by having an SSD and there isn't really an alternative.

It stands to reason that similar issues could happen in an active Field Operation with 72 players or more.

Yeah I don't understand it and spent a day trouble-shooting it. Fortunately it runs just fine on the HDD.

[Absurdity]

I know throughout gaming an SSD is always recommended, but 14 is one game that really prefers to be on my HDD.

Not quite related to the lag issues but O5S made me realize back then that I needed to run the game on an SSD.
The warrior ghost cheese back then quite literally required an SSD to load into the train fast enough.
Running it on an HDD was basically a coin flip whether or not the party outside died, lol.

[Raikai]

No, I am not experiencing this at all. It's either your computer, or your connection. I know this because I have fought hunts with this many players since Stormblood and I know all the different hardware issues that have ever caused it.

Things that could help:
- Make sure you have an SSD. This allows you to load/unload players constantly (and their associated glamours). This does happen during battle due to the render limit, so an SSD is important to prevent disk read bottlenecks.
- Make sure you have enough RAM. This helps store all the information in active memory without relying on a page file, which is where it stores active memory on the hard drive. The hard drive, even an SSD, is slower than RAM, otherwise we wouldn't need RAM.
- Make sure you don't have too many programs running in the background that hog resources, such as browsers, other games or downloads. This can hog resources and push active game memory into a page file.
- Look into upgrading your connection. If you use copper wire broadband, you could look into getting a fiber cable if it's available in your area. The difference is that one is limited by the speed of sound and the other by the speed of light.
- Although less likely to be factors, they can be: does the processor and GPU meet or exceed the Recommended Specs of the game, which were increased for Dawntrail?

Intel® Core™i7-9700 or higher, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or higher

Yeah, defnitely my end, then.

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7300HQ CPU @ 2.50GHz 2.50 GHz
Installed RAM 8.00 GB (7.89 GB usable)
Storage 233 GB SSD CT250MX500SSD1
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB), Intel(R) HD Graphics 630 (128 MB)

I wonder if I get a better processor and ram, I can reuse the graphics card and SSD? I'd be able to put in my budget if I do so. (plus not the hassle to re-install everything if I use the SSD)

I thought I could hold my system as it was at least for Dawntrail, because I did run stuff just fine, even the 1st Arcadion savage tier back when I played. But then none of the stuff I did before had 72 players crammed in a small space.

[Valence]

Yeah, defnitely my end, then.

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7300HQ CPU @ 2.50GHz 2.50 GHz
Installed RAM 8.00 GB (7.89 GB usable)
Storage 233 GB SSD CT250MX500SSD1
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB), Intel(R) HD Graphics 630 (128 MB)

I wonder if I get a better processor and ram, I can reuse the graphics card and SSD? I'd be able to put in my budget if I do so. (plus not the hassle to re-install everything if I use the SSD)

I thought I could hold my system as it was at least for Dawntrail, because I did run stuff just fine, even the 1st Arcadion savage tier back when I played. But then none of the stuff I did before had 72 players crammed in a small space.

For gameplay mechanical delays I don't know, maybe some, but the main thing that everybody experiences is significant performance drops with 70 players in the same spot, the same way they do in Limsa or in Hunt Trains.

[Jeeqbit]

I wonder if I get a better processor and ram, I can reuse the graphics card and SSD? I'd be able to put in my budget if I do so. (plus not the hassle to re-install everything if I use the SSD)

You could. Technically your card is alright if you set everything to "Minimum", but I'd personally recommend a 2060 at minimum regardless. The reason is because 2060 has fast become an industry standard target spec, due to being the first RTX card.

3060, 4060 or 5060 is a similar option that's gonna be an upgrade from that and create breathing room for the card to be quieter, but due to those existing you can probably get 2060 a lot cheaper now. Personally, I have a 3060.

I thought I could hold my system as it was at least for Dawntrail, because I did run stuff just fine, even the 1st Arcadion savage tier back when I played. But then none of the stuff I did before had 72 players crammed in a small space.

You are honestly probably fine for 8-person raids. Why? Because it's a small room with only 8 people.

These specs are designed for a worst case scenario - an environment like hunts, PvP or field operations with over 70 players loading/unloading and spamming attacks. They actually, literally, spawn in lots of fake players to test how well machines can handle them and really test that worst case scenario and reduce the effects in the content if it's too much for the target specs to handle with that amount of players.

[Raikai]

You could. Technically your card is alright if you set everything to "Minimum", but I'd personally recommend a 2060 at minimum regardless. The reason is because 2060 has fast become an industry standard target spec, due to being the first RTX card.

3060, 4060 or 5060 is a similar option that's gonna be an upgrade from that and create breathing room for the card to be quieter, but due to those existing you can probably get 2060 a lot cheaper now. Personally, I have a 3060.
You are honestly probably fine for 8-person raids. Why? Because it's a small room with only 8 people.

These specs are designed for a worst case scenario - an environment like hunts, PvP or field operations with over 70 players loading/unloading and spamming attacks. They actually, literally, spawn in lots of fake players to test how well machines can handle them and really test that worst case scenario and reduce the effects in the content if it's too much for the target specs to handle with that amount of players.

Right now the only 2 games I play are WoW and XIV (well, at least for this game time I've been gifted) - I'm the type of person who only plays MMORPGS - so I think I can just hold on the graphics card I have and upgrade it later on when I won't be able to wait anymore.

Thanks regardless!

[itachi-otsutsuki]

Even if you meet the required specs , it still lags (not reaching atleast 60 stable fps). It also lags on ps5 with all settings off (ps5 meets the recommended specs) , let alone ps4. You need to be well above the recommended specs for it to not lag. So the reply to your comment was kind of disingenuous.
Not everyone has a 2k dollar gaming system for playing a 12 year old game.

They need to reduce the CE player limit, period. Or massively up their 'recommended specs' on the page and stop pretending it's a console game.

That being said, obviously upgrading your system will help.