64$ USD reward: issue w FFXIV and 295x2

TroyX said:
you should find one of AMD's driver coder to fix this issue for $100k, I am sure he will help you fix it.
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They'd be lucky I don't chain em up and make him/her do it for free. :)

"It puts the code on its skin or else it gets the hose again."

DASHlT said:
IMO no one on hard should accept a $64 bounty to help someone. I mean this is what the forums are for if you ask me. Helping people out with honest questions. Hell even if I helped you out to figuring the issue out (WHICH i think might be windows 8.1 scaling) I wouldn't accept it :)
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I feel the same way about the bounty because I go looking for puzzles like this to solve in my spare time--when I started testing Klepp's issue (identical to mine with multiple TITANs in SLI) I didn't even have an AMD card and the game worked fine for me on my Sli 780s, but I could recreate his issue by using the benchmark. The $64 is a legitimate bet that no one can figure out what it is I'm supposedly doing wrong, since it has been suggested elsewhere that the problem is me by the person with 2 295x2s in quad fire. It is also meant to be click-bait. But I am absolutely willing to put $64 on the table that this is a code issue with the game and it is unsolvable from where I sit. I can't fix it no matter what people suggest to me, and even if it weren't a question of winning the 64 dollars, that's just irritating. A problem you can't solve...

DASHIT said:
Anyway good luck man on this issue. Let me know if changing the windows scaling back to normal fixes it.
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I really appreciate the help, man. I really don't want to waste peoples' time with this. Time is money.

The scaling thing is just another symptom of the underlying problem I think, using 0 scaling makes no difference and of course I tried that a long time ago :). The issue probably goes down to the way the game loads and the filesystem works with it. And I want to be clear that the game works perfectly in crossfire with the card on windows 7. There is no trick to it, it just works.

I like the 295x2 despite this nightmare, but it is only because I feel that Square Enix is at fault because the issue persists with both green and red setups. Driver support is clearly involved. SLi Titans on Klepps rig do it, too. Just the workaround I came up with sticks...
 
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DASHlT said:
HMMMMMMMMMMMMM You know windows 8/8.1 has scaling issues (I know this since I just went with 8.1).

Try putting your desktop scaling back to normal (not 125/150%) and see if that fixes it.

I had to do this to get all the proper readings from GPU-Z. Took me a day or 2 to find out it was windows scaling that was causing GPU-Z to not show me my VRM temps.
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I do find this interesting. I'm rereading the thread for clues. A lot of the advice given in this thread is really good.

I have my eye on the dynamic link suggestion as I haven't been able to test it yet since I don't yet understand how to make it happen. Doesn't sound too complex I'm just kinda ADHD at the moment and I haven't sat down to learn what that's all about.

It is the most promising suggestion I've heard, because it sounds like it might ignore whatever changes running the game the first time forces on the game executable. It changes the exe's attributes and I don't understand why or how or how to make it stop. I can force it to use the scaling setting I'm using in windows (I use 150%) but it doesn't help.

Also. Just to be complete--it appears that turning on legacy DX support in windows features (which was really definitely a good find, I didn't know about that at all) renders the folder rename trick unusable. After I turn on that legacy support checkbox, the game won't work even once in crossfire no matter what I change the folder name to. The fact that it has any affect at all on Crossfire working the first runthrough shows that the problem is most likely related to DirectX compatibility.
 
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You're probably running in adaptive mode. The application doesn't stress your GPU enough so it isnt being bumped up to a higher p state. Try enabling maximum performance in your GPU ui.
 
Bluesun311 said:
Well I found this handy program to do the symbolic link: http://sourceforge.net/projects/symlink-creator/

but no joy... it does work once, but same issue persists after one runthrough. :(
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Well then I have a workaround for you. A batch file that will rename and launch the game every time. Though I will have to work on it tomorrow.

Rename game
Update link
Launch
Remove link
Rename back when you exit out.

Should work
 
Digital Viper-X- said:
Well then I have a workaround for you. A batch file that will rename and launch the game every time. Though I will have to work on it tomorrow.

Rename game
Update link
Launch
Remove link
Rename back when you exit out.

Should work
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I'm just wondering if it will work without some sort of random number generator making a new folder name every time. It's genius, though, even if it doesn't work it's genius.
 
The thing to do is to find where it saves the hardware config info. I am guessing it makes a new config file or registry entry every time a different folder name is used.

I can almost guarantee it since renaming the folder fixes it for one run.

Then all to have to do is delete the config file or registry key that is made when you run the game.

Process Monitor should be able to tell you this.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645

Edit: I am guessing it is the common.dat file that is located in your save game folder
See here for game configuration file location:
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/1m8kd5/guide_on_sharing_configuration_gearsets_hotbars/
 
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Bluesun311 said:
I'm just wondering if it will work without some sort of random number generator making a new folder name every time. It's genius, though, even if it doesn't work it's genius.
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Its easy to do random for the name. =] though it would be easier if cyclone is right.use a task to erase the file every time you launch the game
 
The thing is it doesn't work to erase those files. You can erase the entire "My Games" directory it creates under the Documents Library (where the COMMON.DAT file resides), but it just rebuilds it when you start the game again, and it still doesn't use Crossfire properly until I rename the game directory itself. I can't figure out where the information is being stored, but I do think you've pretty much narrowed down what to look for and told me how to do it so I'm headed to go test with process monitor.
 
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AHA!
Now we're making progress. Definitely.
Procmon was the utility I needed to be looking for...
Capture_zpsd310ce64.png~original
 
@Bluesun311
Man feel bad for ya ,you can not play a game you want to play.
I hate being that guy,but I have not had any problems with the FFX1V benchmark ,I do not own the game.
Wanted to play the free weekend thing but they want 50 bucks +sub,never going to happen for me.
Running crossfire R9 290 ,installed benchmark on a different harddrive all works good.Checked my saved files from 6/10/14 and up to date and there no difference in the benchmark.
So I have no clue what the problem is on your systems.
I can tell you the benchmark seems to say that r9 290+ can run the game ok.
All runs are about 1000 pts apart,last run a couple days ago.
ffiv.jpg
 
Looks like you guys are getting close to solving this weird issue...lots of hard work, its a shame the game devs are of know help helping you people...best of luck getting it sorted soon....I'm personally betting you guys beat this;)
 
gerardfraser said:
@Bluesun311
Man feel bad for ya ,you can not play a game you want to play.
I hate being that guy,but I have not had any problems with the FFX1V benchmark ,I do not own the game.
Wanted to play the free weekend thing but they want 50 bucks +sub,never going to happen for me.
Running crossfire R9 290 ,installed benchmark on a different harddrive all works good.Checked my saved files from 6/10/14 and up to date and there no difference in the benchmark.
So I have no clue what the problem is on your systems.
I can tell you the benchmark seems to say that r9 290+ can run the game ok.
All runs are about 1000 pts apart,last run a couple days ago.
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Hey I really appreciate the detailed response! I guess the benchmark likes the r9 290s and 290xs in crossfire better than 780s or the issue has been resolved since I last visited the benchmark with the 780s I had... I personally have never had 2x290s... but that's definitely looking like the way to go if you want to play this game on windows 8.1 :) I did have a lot of feedback that said crossfire 290x's were working with the game in win8.1 just fine. So I just assumed a 295x2 would also... bad idea... bad idea.

People telling me what I'm wrong about is what I need, so I appreciate you taking the time to test this. Very much.
 
did removing the registry entries fix the problem? if so it should be easy to write a script to take care of that and launch the game.
 
There are hundreds of them. o_O
I am lost in a sea of registry entries.
The launcher ties into internet explorer pretty deeply somehow. It's a really weird game.
 
Bluesun311 said:
There are hundreds of them. o_O
I am lost in a sea of registry entries.
The launcher ties into internet explorer pretty deeply somehow. It's a really weird game.
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well you can see most of them are look-ups and some are setting info, we need to nail down the one setting info, and remove those entries, can you post the entire log?
 
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Digital Viper-X- said:
well you can see most of them are look-ups and some are setting info, we need to nail down the one setting info, and remove those entries, can you post the entire log?
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Sure. I even got an account someone lent me to test with :) I have a bunch of things going on today but I will revisit this tonight or tomorrow morning.
 
Thread fell off the sub forum page quick! Not bumping the thread for further assistance but just to update the 2 fellows whose help I'm currently testing with that I need to reup my sub to the game to continue and I'm just taking a short break from it. At this point if I solved it from here the 64$ would be split between cyclone3d and viper but I really appreciate every single post anyone made here. I think it's just a matter of time to working it out now.
 
I figured the game would be awful. But I continue to be impressed by the graphic detail. The only real issue I have with it is with this card. Aside from this bloody card I've been able to get it to work with SLi and CF no problems on either w7 or w8.1.

I am unable to continue testing right now because the 295x2 is being fitted into its new home. I will call it a win for Digital-ViperX and cyclone3d without any further input IF my hunch that simply adding a 290x for trifire will "solve" this problem. So maybe a week or so I'll know more and send out these guys' money. If it continues to want to only use 1 gpu in win 8.1 then I'll start going through each registry entry and try to find which are being altered after the first run. I really think it's a stupid issue and square should get their shit together. Part of my interest was simply spreading the word about how messed up this beautiful game is for some people--regardless of GPU mfr. Red and green both have problems with this game and klepp96's TITAN rig has the EXACT same issue as my 295x2 does. That puts the blame on Square Enix.
 
Well I can tell you part of the issue is final fantasy is being forced to emulate a 32 bit app and I'm guessing that you have more memory on the card alone that the drivers are confusing windows on windows which emulates 32 bit apps in a 64 bit environment. This is going to sound crazy but replace IE as the default browser and use the 64 bit version if you can for final fantasy. If that does not work try making firefox or chrome the default browser as part of the conflict is final fantasy is using IE aka iexplore instead of the file manager that win 7 does. Good luck. I have both Win 7 pro and Win 8.1 pro and still use win 7.
 
drakken said:
Well I can tell you part of the issue is final fantasy is being forced to emulate a 32 bit app and I'm guessing that you have more memory on the card alone that the drivers are confusing windows on windows which emulates 32 bit apps in a 64 bit environment. This is going to sound crazy but replace IE as the default browser and use the 64 bit version if you can for final fantasy. If that does not work try making firefox or chrome the default browser as part of the conflict is final fantasy is using IE aka iexplore instead of the file manager that win 7 does. Good luck. I have both Win 7 pro and Win 8.1 pro and still use win 7.
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Holy crap. I think you might be right...
 
drakken said:
This is going to sound crazy but replace IE as the default browser and use the 64 bit version if you can for final fantasy.
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My 295x2 is in the shop being fitted for a loop so I can't test this right now but I may call off the plan if it hasn't gone anywhere yet.

Here's my theory: making chrome the default browser isn't necessarily the issue. I'm pretty sure I tried using ie as default browser. Not sure how to make it use 64bit for FF. But my thinking is that Crossfire is incompatible with an extension I've been using in chrome. It's been causing frame rate problems in basic applications and I just now realized it was the source. Uninstalling the chromium wheel smoother extension and making Firefox my default browser solved this problem. I think it may solve the issue with ffxiv too. Maybe.
 
forgive me since I don't have the time to read all the posts aside from one that caught my eye regard creating a bat file for future gaming. I've done that in the past. Works when nothing else will. It will probably verify the parameters of your problem if that works.

Regarding the cards throttling at half. Could you force the cards to work at full speed or any other speed? Just wondering mate. I've been away from stuff like this for a couple of years.
 
djc5166 said:
What does the browser have to do with FFXIV?
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No idea, really but it makes hundreds and hundreds of registry entries that involve Internet explorer.

I guess windows on windows is involved somehow. I'm getting my card back today but the loop hasn't even been started. The card has a block on it now, though, so I won't be able to test it until I finish the build. Might take me a few weeks still.

Card doesn't throttle in this scenario. Crossfire isn't working past 1 execution of the game. New folder name, 1 more run with crossfire. etc.
 
Bluesun311 said:
No idea, really but it makes hundreds and hundreds of registry entries that involve Internet explorer.

I guess windows on windows is involved somehow. I'm getting my card back today but the loop hasn't even been started. The card has a block on it now, though, so I won't be able to test it until I finish the build. Might take me a few weeks still.

Card doesn't throttle in this scenario. Crossfire isn't working past 1 execution of the game. New folder name, 1 more run with crossfire. etc.
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Funny I forgot all about this thread. Built a pc for a close buddy of mine last weekend. He also plays FFXIV on a 1600p monitor.

So since he had no limit on his pc. we build him a new PC with a Z97 and Haswell CPU with a 295x2.

He has no issues at all running FFXIV in windows 8.1 with all updates in full screen mode. I made sure with GPU-Z logs that both GPU's were working.

So Not a fix, but I am starting to wonder if you possibly had a conflict with drivers with something like the motherboard, or Intel RST or sound...

He was using all onboard sound/ethernet as well.

Good luck man, hope it works out for ya.

P.S. Google Chrome was also the default Browser.
 
DASHlT said:
Funny I forgot all about this thread. Built a pc for a close buddy of mine last weekend. He also plays FFXIV on a 1600p monitor.

So since he had no limit on his pc. we build him a new PC with a Z97 and Haswell CPU with a 295x2.

He has no issues at all running FFXIV in windows 8.1 with all updates in full screen mode. I made sure with GPU-Z logs that both GPU's were working.

So Not a fix, but I am starting to wonder if you possibly had a conflict with drivers with something like the motherboard, or Intel RST or sound...

He was using all onboard sound/ethernet as well.

Good luck man, hope it works out for ya.

P.S. Google Chrome was also the default Browser.
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You went through all that and forgot about this thread after trying pretty hard to work on this starting on page 1? I call BS.

perhaps you could tell me what motherboard he is using?

and if I had a driver conflict... why would it work once and then not the second time, and then work again just by changing the folder name.
Why would there be an Nvidia guy with the EXACT same issue, that can confirm my fix works for him?

all the other games I try work fine.

I'm not even playing the game. Probably not gonna be a pay out on this one. Especially not for what seems to me intentional blowback. First post I smell a rat on in this thread tbh.
 
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Bluesun311 said:
You went through all that and forgot about this thread? thanks...

perhaps you could tell me what motherboard he is using?

and if I had a driver conflict... why would it work once and then not the second time... makes no sense.

all the other games I try work fine.

I'm not even playing the game lol. Probably not gonna be a pay out on this one. Especially not for what seems to me blowback.
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I mean I honestly forgot about it because it was over 2 weeks ago I posted in this thread. It's not like in my life im doing things to honestly say (man I remember that thread were I tried to help this guy work out his issue).

When we used the GPU-Z logs it was testing numerous games, one was FFXIV. No he didnt use the benchmark. Just loaded up his guy to make sure it worked.

Now It's been since last Saturday he had it up and running, and he hasn't told me of any issues with his PC. I did not tell him to look for FFXIV issues, just told him to let me know if he had any issues period.

I know you think im calling BS, but if you didnt bump the thread, I would of never posted anything about his PC working just perfectly fine.

For the record his Motherboard is this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132136

Not sure if it matters but he using the M.2 slot for his games.

Also just as a note his 295x2 was an XFX. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...150710&cm_re=XFX_295x2-_-14-150-710-_-Product

Possibly a different bios on the Video card?
 
I didn't bump the thread, DASHIT--I answered a question. Thanks for your feedback, I'm throwing it out because it smells super fishy.
 
Like a giant radioactive catfish.

Nah, idk, your friend might have a 295x2 but it's a pretty stinky report.

I got interested in this issue when I didn't even HAVE a 295x2, bro--my 2x 780s ran the game fine but did it with the benchmark in 8.1. This dude Klepp0906 had the same thing with his SLI titans--his [H] thread is titled: Help me fix this before I give up (SLI+Surround+Windows 8.1+FFXIV)
Guess who fixed it for him?
Like I said in the original post, I wasn't born yesterday.
 
Bluesun311 said:
Like a giant radioactive catfish.

Nah, idk, your friend might have a 295x2 but it's a pretty stinky report.

I got interested in this issue when I didn't even HAVE a 295x2, bro--my 2x 780s ran the game fine but did it with the benchmark in 8.1. This dude Klepp0906 had the same thing with his SLI titans--his [H] thread is titled: Help me fix this before I give up (SLI+Surround+Windows 8.1+FFXIV)
Guess who fixed it for him?
Like I said in the original post, I wasn't born yesterday.
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Naw you know your stuff. It's just.....computer hardware can be 1 picky SOB. It honestly can.

It can easily be a fix by AMD, Or even MSFT themselves who the fuck knows.

I mean if you moved on from FFXIV then good riddance I guess? Hopefully the issue doesn't crop up for you again.

On a Side note, I have been having nothing but issues with my Xfire setup and ULPS. I am starting to think its Chrome 64bit that is fuckin up my GPU speeds, Specially in BF4 its very noticable (thats with 1 and 2 7990's).

Also Just installed WOW again since the big november event is happening, and I noticed my GPU usages are all fucked up. Of course it is wow so who knows.
 
Im running a 295x2 and having trouble with FFXIV also, the problems are different from yours as i just have bad stuttering every minute or so in both 4k and 1440p.
Funny thing is if im running it in 1440p then try to switch up to 4k it crashes out and gives me a directx error.
 
This is still going on BTW.

Took me a long time to get my 295x2 system back up and running.

Here it is:
DSC_0028_zpsfdb3f359.jpg


Nothing has changed (probably because I'm using the same platform, basically z87/z97).
Scenario remains the same:

In Windows 8.1
Crossfire works with this game ONCE per folder name.

In Windows 7 it just works

I have tracked down the person with 2x 295x2s (actually they tracked ME down lol) and they are legit.
They are using a Rampage IV Black motherboard and Windows 8.1 with no problems in FFXIV. All 4 of their GPUs run.
My next move is to copy their system (except for the second 295x2). :D
Yes, it is insane. I want this dumb game to work right and as I stated in my original OP, the solution cannot be to write a script to change the folder name for me every time I play the game. Something is being changed in the registry.

Also this gives me an excuse to do another build. But now I'm thinking it is something with the chipset drivers implementation of Directx9 in windows 8.1. Possibly the ME part of the BIOS.

Wishing I had not sold my Corsair 450D... especially since USPS destroyed it, apparently, and now I'm trying to get them to pay out on the 100$ insurance and the poor person that bought it is stuck, for the moment, with a mangled computer case.
 
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Now post a picture of that rig with today's New York Times front page...or else! ;)

Proof of life, mate.
 
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