The whole game is a bug

[Sav]

Are you saying that's why I keep getting server error messages?

It's a possibility. I'm not too tech savvy when it comes to these things, but I'm sure it could be a factor. The current server hardware is pretty wonky, so who knows. I get errors occasionally, maybe every week or so. It seems mostly random.

[ganfalfxviv]

My understanding is that systems that are playing with Windows XP do not experience the ALT TAB issue. Windows Vista and Seven games that go full screen seem to have had issues with DirectX 9.0. I can't recall if these issues apply to 9.0c so that games and in hindsight, haven't tried playing games like Witcher or Neverwinter Nights 2 on a Windows Vista/Seven system.

Now I'm wondering if I try running the game with Windows Basic visual settings instead of Aero will I trigger the same issue?

I'm not running DirectX9, I'm running 11. And I'm running Windows 7, but every other game I've played has been fine. I can alt-tab in and out of Sims 3, Spore, SC2, etc. They don't crash. So, it's not the system. It's FF14.

[Amyas]

Okay, i will try to keep it short since its too much work .
System is ok but its not rly enough

RFLMAO My rig has 2 gigs of ram, Geforce 8600M (Have SLI but one of the cards crapped out) 2.20 Intel dualcore and my rig plays *ok* I too have bad npc loading times, but not like the OP (in battle). Saying his rig isn't enough... is crazy. My pos must be magical then!

[ganfalfxviv]

RFLMAO My rig has 2 gigs of ram, Geforce 8600M (Have SLI but one of the cards crapped out) 2.20 Intel dualcore and my rig plays *ok* I too have bad npc loading times, but not like the OP (in battle). Saying his rig isn't enough... is crazy. My pos must be magical then!

LOL.

I don't think it's NPCs loading, though. Because sometimes they'll load, and I'll see them, then they'll disappear. And no matter how long I wait, they don't come back. So I really do think it's a graphics thing, not a network/connection thing.

[Skies]

I'm not running DirectX9, I'm running 11. And I'm running Windows 7, but every other game I've played has been fine. I can alt-tab in and out of Sims 3, Spore, SC2, etc. They don't crash. So, it's not the system. It's FF14.

Two things, first the quoted one: You might have DX11 installed in your computer. However, FFXIV runs with DX9.0c, which means that you are in fact not running DX11 at all, you're running DX9.0c (newer DirectX builds come with the older ones built-in so that older applications can still run, the older versions are literally what runs).

Also, alt-tabbing is not exactly as easy to implement, specially when going from full-screen, as you think it is. It requires your graphics driver doing a lot of 'jumping', changing it's focus from one graphics-heavy application that works one way to another that works a different way. That's why certain older games would crash when alt-tabbing.

The upcoming complete change in graphical system utilized in 2.0 is meant to address those issues.

(and for Fiosha, I run NWN2 on a W7 machine at home and- It does not plays well with alt-tabbing at all)

[ganfalfxviv]

Hi Allastair.

Like many of the folks here, we've become accustomed to the layout and the processes. Many have left, some have stayed. Each with their own motives for playing.

We will see what 2.0 and the following patches bring.

I may just have to wait until 2.0 to play. I want to play the game, but I'm stuck on the one mission (I think it's called something like Souls something-or-other) where you have to escort the two kids in the forest. I can't pass it because there's this one spot where Powle's being attacked by a monster (I'm assuming it's the same as the first three or four giant mosquito things that I killed) and I can't see or kill the monster. I can watch (him?/her? I'm not sure which) get attacked and take damage, but I can't kill the enemy and therefore I can't complete the quest. Since this is like the only quest I have (I did a few levequests on the side, some of those were actually fun), I assume I need to complete it to go on with the game. At any rate, I don't have much choice but to stop playing, unless I just want to keep repeating the first half of that instance over and over.

I've updated my graphics card driver to the latest version available. According to other people with Radeon cards, that isn't sufficient. It certainly hasn't been sufficient for me. I don't know what else I can do other than wait for SE or a driver update to fix the problem. I mean, I could rather quickly get a degree in programming and fix the problem myself, but I'm definitely not that motivated. :P

[Skies]

I may just have to wait until 2.0 to play. I want to play the game, but I'm stuck on the one mission (I think it's called something like Souls something-or-other) where you have to escort the two kids in the forest. I can't pass it because there's this one spot where Powle's being attacked by a monster (I'm assuming it's the same as the first three or four giant mosquito things that I killed) and I can't see or kill the monster. I can watch (him?/her? I'm not sure which) get attacked and take damage, but I can't kill the enemy and therefore I can't complete the quest. Since this is like the only quest I have (I did a few levequests on the side, some of those were actually fun), I assume I need to complete it to go on with the game. At any rate, I don't have much choice but to stop playing, unless I just want to keep repeating the first half of that instance over and over.

Also to add SOME assistance here: What is your primary battle class? If you have something with a self-centered non-targetted AoE you can bypass the graphic issue by simply running to where you think the monster is and triggering it, it should damage it regardless and that should change it's hate to you-
Of course, that works only if you're willing to actually go through that trouble to continue with the game.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

I'm not running DirectX9, I'm running 11. And I'm running Windows 7, but every other game I've played has been fine. I can alt-tab in and out of Sims 3, Spore, SC2, etc. They don't crash. So, it's not the system. It's FF14.

I can't find the places that spoke of it before, but my understanding of it was FF14 (or any of the games that have this issue) are using DirectX 9 code? And though we have DX11 installed, we can run code optimized for DX9 and DX10. And something in one of the methods in DX9 doesn't play well with Vista/Seven (CTRL + ALT + DEL, WIN + L, and the UAC will also crash your game).

[ganfalfxviv]

Also to add SOME assistance here: What is your primary battle class? If you have something with a self-centered non-targetted AoE you can bypass the graphic issue by simply running to where you think the monster is and triggering it, it should damage it regardless and that should change it's hate to you-
Of course, that works only if you're willing to actually go through that trouble to continue with the game.

I'm a conjurer. As far as I know, the only offensive spells I have are stone and aero and I think they only target one person. I try using tab to select the monster, but that doesn't work. It just toggles between me and Powle. I'd do that AoE trick if I had such a skill, but then I'm worried that something similar (and more lethal) will happen further down the line.

[Orophin]

@OP

As others have mentioned, the game is going to go through a major overhaul by the end of the year, so I'd expect a lot of your issues to be resolved by then. If you're finding some aspects of the game enjoyable, by all means continue playing. You can at least progress your character a little further. (there won't be any character data wipes transitioning to version 2.0)

I don't mind the gathering system much, and as you do it more, you start to memorize where things are based on certain factors. There are also good sources online that tell exactly where you can gather each item with all their parameters. As mentioned earlier, this system was put in place primarily to combat RMT. (not that I think it's affecting bots too much...)

The crafting system has been talked about recently, and it seems it's going to see some big changes for the new version. We will get a recipe book which shows exactly which ingredients are needed for a synth and Yoshida has also mentioned we might be getting one-click synthesis for low difficulty recipes. The current system is set up, once again, to combat bots, but to also make you work to craft that HQ piece of equipment. It wouldn't be very special if everyone could just have a chance to click a button and it may or may not HQ. Why a recipe book wasn't included in the original version is beyond me, but a lot of their design choices with the original game baffle me.

For now, if you see the potential this game has, stick with it and enjoy the current story in place that will go away when the new version comes. I'd expect most of your issues to be resolved by the end of the year. If you can't bear with how the game currently runs, you can always shelve it and come back later when the new version is active.