[shader_hacker]

The reason why you can't tell the difference is because you are looking at the same resolution. Mainly 1600x1200. You probably aren't looking at 2048x1538 res.

[shader_hacker]

You might have to play with some values, but remember that they are in hex. So, the value 500 = 1280.

So to get 1600, you need 640.

And to get 1200, you need 4B0.

Hope this helps

-Shaderhacker

[Vestas]

I need to stress again that the "Background resolution" is a BACKGROUND process. It has nothing to do with your monitor resolution. It is the resolution at which the video card renders the polygons in memory, this is not limited by monitor resolutions, it is limited by physical RAM in the video card and amount of polygons being rendered at once.

This resolution should probably be kept in equaled pairs, though may not need to be it is best to follow defaults. So stick to 1024x1024, 1600x1600, or 2048x2048.

The video card will scale it down to the monitors display resolution when it goes to display the image.

[Throgar]

if i put the bg res to 2048x2048 the game gets very slow if sandstorm appears. the only think helping then is disable weather or set bg res back. i guess my graphics card has not enough memory (128mb) for that high resolution.

[Silvia]

I have a GeforceFX 5200 Ultra 128mb. Is that enough to do 2048x2048 okay?

[shader_hacker]

After thinking some more on this issue, I've concluded that you are correct.

What was confusing was the screen resolution and the background resolution and what they really meant.

The background resolution is the actual rendering target resolution. I don't know why they put this in the game as an option for users since almost every developer doesn't allow this and sets up their own rendering frame buffer based on the card's video memory or some other factor. Leaving it by a square power would be the proper thing to do since all computers love powers of 2.

The screen resolution is the rendering window resolution which will always conform to an aspect ration of 4:3. This is controlled by the monitor since if you switch to a mode that your monitor doesn't support - bam - you get a blank screen.

So, going to 2048x2048 will not only tax framebuffer memory (which is shared by the number of textures in the game), but also memory bandwidth. It will help with anti-aliasing though since it's almost simulating super-sampling.

I'd leave the rendering at 1024x1024. The cost in frames dropped isn't worth it.


-Shaderhacker

[nvsniper]

What if I am using a GeForce FX 5900 Ultra 256MB card running at 1280 x 1024? I should have no problems running the 2048 x 2048 background resolution then, correct?

[shader_hacker]

Just because you have enough memory doesn't mean your card won't be bandwidth limited.

Going go 2048x2048 seems to slow down all the best video cards.

[divad]

Is it possible to also set the resolution below the default minimum (for those of us with slow computers)? I wasn't sure if I should get this game because the low resolution benchmark ran so poorly on my computer, but if you can set it to even lower, that would be great.

[Xenobyte99]

Originally posted by Hattori Hanzo
So 1600 X 1200 would be 640 and "XXX"? What would X be?

Sigh.. tick DECIMAL instead of HEXIDECIMAL when you edit the key. Then you can edit it as an ACTUAL RESOLUTION.


EDIT: FYI i have a radeon 9800 w/256mb onboard, a p4 3.2 800mhxfsb with 1024mb ddr400 sdram. 2048x2048 stalls even my hefty system at points in the game. I leave it at 1600x1600

[wrecklass]

Well, this brings up so many questions, but I'll stick to the obvious ones:

If the game only stores textures up to 1024x1024, then what difference would it make to set it to use 2048x2048? It can't use textures it doesn't have.

Do you have actual screen shots from FFXI? Those shots are from another game, and therefore don't help determine what the difference would be in this game.

[Jenr1]

I switched mine to 1280x1280, which works much better as my display res is 1280x1024 because of my 17" tft. With the background textures at 1024x1024 i was getting alot of textures 'flickering' in the background (hills etc), and on things such as trees. It's not noticable on screenshots but the difference is noticable straight away in-game.

[Evilhuman]

i got a ati radeon 9800 XT card and have NO problems at all at 2048x2048, thx for the tip mate

[Hachima]

Thanks for the tip. This is a very interesting concept. My monitor supports 2048x1536@85Hz and I have a 9700 Pro card. However no matter how high I set the resolution in fields 3 and 4 my monitor reports it is running at 1280x1024 which is what my text overlay is set at.

Even though my monitor doesn't switch to the high setting the quality improvement of the image is immediately noticeble. The edges of my character don't have any jagged edges like they did before changing this setting.

[Louie]

so far all talk.... someone post a pic to show this please

and on a side note... I love how EVERYONE seems to have a P4 3.2ghz and radeon 9800xt... give me a break people