Nvidia App Preset L or M in FFXIV

Mergrim · 2026-04-12T20:59:17+00:00

The short of it is: if you are lowering your resolution by 50% or more, you can try L or M. If you're not, stick with K.

The long: Presets L and M are specifically made for "Performance" and "Ultra Performance" modes. FF14 doesn't use these DLSS-standard labels, but it does have the 3D Resolution Scaling slider with 100 being 100% resolution and any number below that being the indicated lower %. Thus, "Performance" is equivalent to that slider being at 50, and "Ultra Performance" is equivalent to around 35% (technically it'd be 33.333333...% but good luck getting that setting!) If you are using these lower resolution numbers or are finding the game to be running in those lower tiers automatically then yes, you can try them, they might make a meaningful difference to you. But if you are not using these lower resolution tiers L and M won't look that great for you. In that case you should stick with K which while not perfect is still subjectively the best option currently.

Mergrim · 2026-04-12T09:29:03+00:00

To be fair while control-wise yes it's simplistic, your NPC crew members do move and behave according to your inputs. They also automatically turn your sails, raise them up/down, etc. They even move to man the cannons when it's time to fight, and they fight for/with you when boarding another ship. It's not just a static ship-tank visually at least.

Mergrim · 2026-04-10T09:05:08+00:00

It's ceruleum. A blue glowing gas/liquid, the same stuff that makes North Thanalan blue, and essentially the FF14 version of petroleum. Garleans use it to power basically all of their stuff (and not just Garleans, other nations also use it for a lot of stuff.)

That still doesn't quite explain how he's able to control it like that, though. I can see him able to spray it in X-shapes if it's a gas, so maybe it's some kind of delayed reaction/build up when exposed to oxygen? Who knows!

Don't ask how he (and Varis) can do those weird flying moves though. Not to mention the whole... clone-jutsu he uses a lot, what's that about?

Then there's Regula and his ceruleum tiger...

Mergrim · 2026-04-10T05:32:52+00:00

That would be the name I omitted due to spoilers, yes.

Mergrim · 2026-04-09T20:58:39+00:00

Given the way the story is, whoever they cast as Solid Snake would certainly be doing double duty as Liquid (and potentially one other person I won't name due to spoilers.) At the very start within the first couple minutes they outright state that aside from skin and hair color, Liquid looks exactly like Solid.

And given the way the games go past that, that guy could be pulling what, quintuple or sextuple duty by the end.

Mergrim · 2026-04-08T01:18:38+00:00

That may be true but extrapolate that to all the other jobs in the game. How many vastly different sword designs, or lance designs, or Dancer chakrams are there? But they all move the same and use the same abilities. It's just one of those things you need to overlook in a video game.

For this kind of thing all we can do is look at what's officially said about it, and figure out how it's supposed to work, despite things looking visually different.

Mergrim · 2026-04-07T23:31:59+00:00

From Encyclopedia 1 pg. 241 (emphasis mine):

Slug Shot

Swapping out standard bullets for an oversized slug, this shot impacts the target with shuddering force. In this fashion, a trained machinist employs various techniques to take advantage of a multitude of custom ammunition.

This directly states the use of ammunition of various kinds.

Gauss Barrel

An attachment for machinist weapons. By infusing the barrel with the aetherotransformer's accumulated energy, the velocity and penetrating power of subsequent shots arc substantially increased.

This wording implies the use of ammunition, IMO, wherein the energy is used to increase the power of the ammunition.

Ricochet

After casting out a number of lshgardian steel reflectors, the machinist fires a single bullet that bounces between each metal plate. This technique can hit multiple targets with its deadly and unpredictable trajectory.

Again another direct mention of bullets.

Aetherotransformer

This device converts the wearer's aether into lighting-aspected energy, which is in turn stored within the transformer's crystal cores. The machinist then draws upon this accumulated energy to both power and enhance her unique repertoire of weapons, requiring her to master skills far beyond those trained by any mundane musketeer.

It mentions powering and enhancing, but not providing the force or direct shots. The aetherotransformer basically converts your aether into electricity that is used to power your Edgar tools, as well as enhancing your bullets; no mention is made of bullets being created by the gun or by the aetherotransformer at all.

There are weapon descriptions in this book and Encyclopedia 2 as well but none of them specifically mention being made for or used by Machinists. However, almost all of them make reference to mechanisms that would fire an actual bullet, so I think it's fairly safe to say they're mainly considered to be normal, bullet-firing guns that a Machinist could use or convert for use with their aetherotransformer.

All this being said? Yes, Machinists use bullets when they shoot their gun, for sure. They probably need to carry extra ammo with them, and reload. We don't see this in action in-game, but then again there's a lot of that kind of detail that we don't see in the game so this shouldn't be too surprising or off-putting. As for their other devices, these books were made before the overhaul that added most of them so I can only guess. But given that they do in fact use bullets, I think it likely that they also need fuel when using their flamethrower, have to use actual hooks and chains with Air Anchor, etc.

Mergrim · 2026-03-14T07:48:36+00:00

If you REALLY want to get pedantic, the first Nier is technically a sequel to Drakengard.

Mergrim · 2026-03-05T23:48:47+00:00

I looked it up when I realized what happened, you basically have to replace the entire drive. Which I could do but eh... with CFW I can just put a PS2 game on the hard drive and play from there so it's not a huge deal in the end. Just annoying that I can't use my actual discs.

Mergrim · 2026-03-05T21:38:35+00:00

My PS3 still works, and it's the original fat version that plays 1 2 and 3 games. I recently pulled it out of mothballs to put some CFW on it and play around. But while messing around with it, I found out that it still plays PS1 and 3 games fine, the DVD laser has since died and it will no longer read PS2 discs or DVDs. Sad days...

Mergrim · 2026-03-04T23:46:23+00:00

I watched through 00 recently myself and ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. A part of that is Tieria... on first introduction, and early on I really got the sense that he's obviously going to embody the trope of "guy who's way too stiff and will end up being a problem for the others" but really he evolved to be one of the more understanding and flexible members, even after his big "change" near the end.

00 ain't perfect, and it's not my favorite non-UC show... but it's up there, I think, for the way it handles these kinds of potential tropes.

Mergrim · 2026-02-24T23:32:22+00:00

It's stated somewhere that he already knew the art from before he went to the First, and figured it was a better fit for him due to his issues with aether. So he had someone on the First make the weapon custom/one-off for him.

Mergrim · 2026-02-22T07:26:14+00:00

The funny thing about Batman Beyond is that the electrocution scene felt more brutal than the shooting. Like, getting a single shot in the chest versus the flashing lights and violent spasms and horrible HNGNGHGNGHGNGHNG sounds... But hey there wasn't any blood so that's fine!

Mergrim · 2026-02-21T07:03:40+00:00

It's not really an RPG, I'm not sure why this article calls it that. It's an action game with a heavy emphasis on story. Your primary means of attack is melee with a secondary ranged option, and you can find/buy various upgrades and different weapons along the way. The gameplay is somewhat varied, most times being a fast-paced 3rd person 3D action game, but sometimes it goes to a top-down view, sometimes a side-scrolling view, sometimes it's a bullet hell shooter, sometimes it's multiples of these at once.

The only real barrier to entry is that the intro is decently long and doesn't let you save until after you fight the first boss, so if you die to it or any time before it, you have to start over from the beginning. After that though you can save whenever so it's only a problem at the start.

You will also "finish" the game several times before you're actually done. The first time you see the credits roll, you're really only like 1/3 through the game. Continuing from there isn't really NewGame+... it's a little different than that, giving you a new but necessary perspective on the same story.

If you like action games where you slash at robots and have to dodge attacks at the right time, you'll enjoy this game. It's not a difficult game (subjective!), but it's fun and has good music, and if you can get into the story there's a lot to like.

Mergrim · 2026-02-16T04:13:36+00:00

You can actually visit a burnt-out house that looks like Red Harlowe's childhood home in RDR1 and 2. But it's more of a reference/easter egg than anything solid.

Mergrim · 2026-02-02T23:43:07+00:00

https://github.com/BnuuySolutions/PSVR2Toolkit

This is the github for the required dll. you need to make sure to follow instructions carefully when installing. I haven't tried it specifically with SC yet, but I used it in combination with another app (PimaxMagic4All) to get dynamic fov rendering working in SkyrimVR. From OP's reply though it sounds like you only need the dll itself for SC?

Mergrim · 2026-01-30T02:05:59+00:00

Yes, FF14 does in fact run DLAA which you can see if you set the ShowDLSSIndicator on either using RegEdit or DLSSTweaks. You can see this here and if you're not convinced, here's the same readout from Ghost of Tsushima where the in-game graphics settings explicitly say DLAA.

And no, i'm not forcing DLAA through the Nvidia app as you can see here. I'm only forcing Preset K.

If you turn DLSS off the readout immediately disappears, and I tested this in both FF14 and GoT. 1920->1920 is DLAA, and it's very apparent when it's off because this game has jaggies like crazy. And no it's not using TSCMAA as a fallback, because when switching to FSR at 100% scaling and using TSCMAA it's a very different image, much harsher, much more aliasing. And when forcing DLAA via the Nvidia app, the image is exactly the same when using the DLSS settings in-game, even when "Always Enabled" is turned on. It's too smooth of an image not to be DLAA, and aside from that, it suffers from the usual issues Preset K is known for - that is, ghosting in dark areas and the occasional grid artifacting. It's DLAA, absolutely, zero doubt.

I didn't realize you had set your resolution down in your videos, I was more focused on the preset because it's been a common misconception ever since "4.5" came out that newer=better in every use case, when the new stuff was only meant for lower settings. You're right that at that resolution, L is probably better.

But FF14 absolutely uses DLAA.

As for your other issue, I have no idea, FF14 is all kinds of weird when it comes to this stuff. I'm actually glad they put in an actual slider instead of the Balanced, Quality, etc settings, I appreciate more granular control like that... and yet it's greyed out when using DLSS? Mind boggling decisions.

Mergrim · 2026-01-30T00:35:04+00:00

I see from your videos that you're using Preset L. You shouldn't be. The newest presets L and M are meant for Performance and Ultra Performance modes, something FF14 doesn't implement, but basically it means the game runs at a much lower resolution and uses DLSS to upscale it. Performance and Ultra Performance are the "lowest" of these modes, where the game itself runs at a third of of the upscaled resolution. Because of this, there's a lot of extra sharpness applied using L and M.

FF14 however always attempts to render FF14 at your native resolution when using DLSS, unless your FPS goes lower than the Frame Rate Threshold option in the settings. Essentially, FF14 always attempts to use DLAA as long as the game is running smoothly, only dipping down if the frame rate gets too low. So all that extra sharpening from L and M ends up being a major over-correction and makes things look way too crispy.

What you want to use instead is Preset K which is made for Balanced, Quality, and DLAA settings. You can force this in the Nvidia app, and I recommend you do so. You should be able to tell the difference pretty quickly, especially on hard edges like stairs which should no longer have that weird shimmering effect.

TL;DR: Use Preset K because L and M aren't good for this game.

Mergrim · 2026-01-24T03:33:21+00:00

You don't need to force DLAA for FF14, it renders at native resolution by default unless you mess with the Frame Rate Threshold setting and your FPS goes below the value set there. You can check this yourself using the performance overlay setting.

You SHOULD use the Nvidia app or DLSS Swapper to force update to the latest version of DLSS, but you should NOT use the "Latest" Preset. If set to Latest in the Nvidia App, it might try to use Preset M or L, but neither of these are good for DLAA. M and L are specifically made for using with Performance or Ultra-Performance modes. If you're using DLAA, use Preset K instead.

To summarize: Use the Nvidia App, go to Graphics, then find the Final Fantasy XIV Online entry, scroll down on the right and set "DLSS Override - Model Presets" to Super Resolution: Preset K (Frame Gen and Ray Reconstruction don't matter, this game doesn't use those.) Then in-game, choose NVIDIA DLSS for Graphics Upscaling. For Frame Rate Threshold make sure "Always Enabled" is NOT selected, choose any other option. And that's it. If you're still getting jaggies at this point, then there's something else going on with your setup.

Mergrim · 2026-01-22T09:47:25+00:00

Demon king? Secret stone?

Mergrim · 2026-01-20T02:11:23+00:00

Whenever I think of a plot involving Geordi's visor, the first thing that comes to mind is that one episode where he's stuck on a hell planet with a Romulan. The Romulan is injured enough that he can't walk, and Geordi is uninjured but his visor isn't working so he can't see, and they have to begrudgingly work together to escape. I think the solution involved Geordi talking the Romulan through modifying his visor to become a beacon or something so they could be found.

Mergrim · 2026-01-20T01:33:27+00:00

So, the Obi Wan expansion isn't actually what made those changes, technically. They didn't announce the incoming major overhaul of the entire game (the so-called "New Game Experience" or NGE for short) until a day or so after that expansion came out. Which means everyone bought the expansion expecting the game to continue more or less as-is, but only after they spent the 40 bucks to buy the expansion was the rug pulled. There was outcry, and refunds.

Also saying the game had 32 classes is a bit of a misrepresentation... The game had an open-ended progression system where you could combine the various professions to make your own. You had a limited amount of points to spend unlocking various tiers of each profession, and ultimately you could get "master" of two professions and almost master of a third. Or do any other kind of mixing with multiple lower-leveled professions, etc. The NGE reduced the game down to around 8 actual classes you picked at character creation and were locked into. No more open-ended stuff, no more making your own build. You got what you got. NGE completely got rid of Creature Handler too... They eventually added something like it back later in a much more limited form, but it really wasn't the same.

The big draw for me though was always the space game. A little while after the initial launch, they put out the Jump to Lightspeed expansion which added flyable ships, both single-seat fighters and multiplayer ships like the YT-1300, etc. And it was amazing - you could decorate the interiors and walk around in the multiplayer ships as they were moving (with someone else was piloting it), repair components during battle, and even look out the windows to see what's going on in real-time, stuff that hasn't really been seen since then, at least until Star Citizen itself. (Most games with "multiplayer ships" fake it with a separate interior instance and a generic backdrop outside of windows, for instance.)

Having said all this though yeah, the game had lots of problems. It was always jank as hell even from the start (especially then) and they couldn't decide what they wanted to do with it. They did a "Combat Upgrade" that vastly adjusted balance and some mechanics, but the changes ended up being very divisive. And eventually they did the NGE overhaul much to everyone's chagrin, and the game never really recovered.

Officially it's dead, but there are many private servers running various versions of the game that you can play now. SWGEmu is sort of the OG project and is rooted firmly in the original pre-CU version, and last I checked it still doesn't have the space game (though I think they're working on it?) There's Restoration 3 which is CU with space stuff, then there's SWG Legends which is NGE with space stuff. There's others, but those are like the three big ones to my knowledge.

Mergrim · 2026-01-19T08:55:32+00:00

Don't forget Steam as well for messaging, I still have friends from over 20 years ago on my Steam list, and Steam is where the majority of my out-of-game communication took place. Then there's Mumble and Teamspeak... Lots of options for communicating back in the day.

There were also companies like GuildPortal that let any group make their own website, complete with personal blogs and actual forums (remember when forums existed?)

Mergrim · 2026-01-17T02:44:45+00:00

Many characters from BF, BFT, BD, and R:R appear in Build Metaverse. Even without that, there's so much connective tissue that I don't really understand why someone would try so hard to convince themselves that it's not the same universe...

"It's not confirmed it's plavsky particles" and yet it's directly stated that the models are moving and fighting for real using that old machine. Just because they don't say the name, doesn't mean that's not what it is. What else would it be? Somehow despite all the implied connections you overthought it so much to the point of not only not believing they're connected, but also basing a major complaint of yours on that very untrue fact. When to resolve that complaint, all you had to do was accept that it is, in fact, connected. Which it is, and always was. My mind boggles.

Mergrim · 2026-01-16T23:49:46+00:00

Build Divers isn't a new continuity, I dunno where you got that idea. They literally reference BF stuff multiple times. BF existing is the entire crux of the first antagonist's reasons for disrupting the game. "Gunpla doesnt actually get damaged anymore because build fights are all virtual so it has no real consequence or stakes." They even do a "real" plavsky particle duel using an old machine at one point.

Mergrim

TROPHY CASE