Multiple (separate) errors requiring machine or app reboot . . . (MAC)

[spiritchrysalis]

Hi,

Some specs to start this post off:

Machine: iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
OS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
CPU: 3.8 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i7
Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT 16 GB

I recently purchased this computer to update my hardware, and specifically with the hope of playing the Mac client (really a WINE-wrapper version of the PC client) of FFXIV. (My previous Mojave-running 2014 iMac could load the game, but it really barely had the specs to play it. )

I've had the machine for a week, and since then I've had THREE massive errors that in one case impacted the whole machine and required reboot of the app, and in two cases required a soft reset of the machine itself.

I'm not sure if I should be making one or multiple tickets, but so far FFXIV Customer Support over email hasn't been able to help me. (Their advice is word-for-word identical - copypasted - for any issue I have mentioned, and some of their 'Troubleshooting Tips' are suggestions that as far as I know Mac users simply cannot do [e.g.: manually clean install or update graphics card drivers - Mac users get their drivers through System Update and cannot do it on their own - or asking if I use a have a freesync or G-sync monitor, which MacOS has never supported] despite them making it clear they know I'm on a Mac.)

I should also note that I have run two benchmarking programs, to make sure that there wasn't a GPU hardware error on my end (with cooling/throttling or with an uncommonly accessed bad sector), and they came up fine. It's clearly FFXIV causing the problem.

Here's what's going on:

Error 1: Loud *POP* Noise And All System Sound Off Until I Quit
This happened at the beginning of the Tam-Tara Deepcroft dungeon cinematic, meaning that I had to go through the dungeon with no audio (which so far has been the smallest of my problems.)

Once the dungeon was over, I was able to test if the sound absence was system-wide. It was. I tested if I could still hear sound if I plugged in my headset. I could! Could I unplug the headset again and hear on internal speakers, effectively 'resetting' them? No. But when I quit the app, there was another loud *POP* . . . and the sound came back for the whole system.

This is the latest of multiple Mac FFXIV bugs that take down something system-wide when they happen.

I also opened up Console a bit later . . . and saw three new crash logs, right when that happened. They were for the MTLCompilerService, a GPU compiler that "compiles a machine-agnostic version of Metal (Apple’s shader language for 3D rendering on their GPUs) into GPU code that runs on the specific GPU in your device, with the current graphics settings" -- https://www.quora.com/What-does-Appl...ilerService-do . Whatever took out the audio system-wide due to FFXIV seems to be related to these three simultaneous thread crashes. I could share more details about the crashes if useful.

~~~

Error 2: Cinematic Fills Screen With Flashing Color Blocking
That's about the sum of it. In the middle of the series of cinematic cutscenes that happen when you travel by airship the first time for the main questline, the screen did this: https://youtu.be/KhbO4QyYw_w Yes, that is video of my screen.

As you can see, the color-blocking fills the whole screen. I play windowed, and it wasn't just in-app. The only other thing that's visible is the '...' cursor. I was able to get the system menubar to render, and even get over to the Apple menu, but the screen would redraw the color blocks so quickly that I couldn't actually see the Force Quit window to Force Quit FFXIV. I had to soft reset by holding down the power button.

This bug was what first had me worried that there was something wrong with my graphics card. But i ran the Heaven benchmark overnight at pretty high specs, and it was fine.

~~~

Error 3: System Lock Before Cutscene
As the game tried to start the cinematic cutscene before an Arcanist receives Topaz Carbuncle, the game froze. A little frustrating, but no big deal . . .

. . . I went to try to type CTRL-ALT-DEL to bring up the Force Quit menu, but the keyboard wasn't working. I went to move the mouse to use the GUI to Force Quit, and the mouse wasn't working either. Again, I had to soft reset.


I have spoken with Apple reps twice now. We've done all the usual diagnostics and Disk Utility functions one might do to make sure there isn't a major underlying system problem, and there isn't. By all reports, the machine is fine.

But I haven't found a way to play FFXIV that's not only stable, but doesn't cause system-wide errors, most of which are fatal errors.

What's going on here, FFXIV team?

[spiritchrysalis]

I have now spoken with two FFXIV Customer Support Reps.

The boilerplate, not-entirely-Mac-grounded suggestions of the first I mention above.

The second response also seems to be somewhat generic/standardized, and mostly addresses connection problems, not anything like the above.

Here are the suggestions that were made initially. Note that they are claiming the system or another application is interfering with the game data, when logs very clearly indicate failures in FFXIV impacting the system, not the other way around. Also, they imply that FFXIV players should have NO other apps open when running the game regardless of specs, not even a single Chrome window (for example).

~~~

The issue you are describing is most associated with interference with the game data. Most of the time, it results from certain security/privacy changes on Safari. Other times it occurs when an application that is running in the background is causing interference, such as Anti-virus software, firewalls, media players, web browsers, etc.

Please make sure all background applications (including anti-virus programs such as Norton, Kaspersky, etc.) have been disabled and/or closed to minimize game interference.

Ensure that the latest version of Safari is installed on your Mac (even if you don't use Safari). Once Safari is up-to-date, please open the Safari browser and make sure that all Browser History and Cookies/Web Data have been deleted. Please also make sure that "Cookies" are accepted and not being filtered.

Once these options have been adjusted, please run the Apple Update program to check that all firmware is up-to-date on your Mac OS. Once this process is complete, please re-launch the FINAL FANTASY XIV application.

If the suggestions provided above do not resolve the issue, then there is a communication error.
Check the following Port Ranges on your router/modem to ensure that the following Port Ranges have been opened/forwarded/triggered:
▼TCP
54992 through 54994,
55006 through 55007,
55021 through 55040

*You may learn how to do this by visiting http://www.portforward.com/
Find your specific router's brand and model number from the 'List of Routers' and you will be provided a step-by-step guide on how to access these port settings.
Otherwise, your ISP may forward these ports for you.*

If you have properly configured your router, and you are still experiencing these issues, our next suggestion is to bypass the router, and connect your computer directly to your modem. Please ensure that you power down both the modem and the computer for at least five minutes before attempting to connect to FINAL FANTASY XIV.

If you continue to receive these same errors when you are connected directly to the modem, then the problem lies with your ISP. We would recommend contacting your provider and advising them that one or more of the ports previously provided to you are being blocked or filtered, and that you do need access on these ports.

[spiritchrysalis]

Holy moly. They've now emailed me to ask me the specs of my machine again.

This is what I just received. FFXIV Customer Support is such a trashfire.

~~~~~

Greetings,

We apologize for any inconvenience this issue issue may have caused. While reviewing the information provided, we may suggest to allow FINAL FANTASY XIV to have the proper exceptions for the application to resolve this issue.

Please be sure the FINAL FANTASY XIV launcher has the proper exceptions for firewalls/anti-virus programs:

1. Click the Apple Icon at the top left of the screen > System Preferences
2. Click 'Security & Privacy' > Firewall > Firewall options
3. Click '+' to add a new application to this list and select the appropriate application

Please provide additional information: (Select Apple Icon in top left corner > About This Mac)

Macbook Pro Model/Year/Serial Number:
Graphics:
Displays information:
Storage limit:
Storage Usage:
RAM/Memory:
OS version:

Once we have this information, we will be happy to assist you further.

[Rhaervis]

Thank you for posting in the Final Fantasy XIV Technical Support Forums.

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