In order to improve the frame rate, try changing the following options in the FINAL FANTASY XI Configuration Tool.
"Screen Size" Tab
- Overlay Graphics Resolution (Default setting: 640 x 480)
- Background Resolution (Default setting: 512 x 512)
The frame rate will increase by decreasing the size of both resolutions or restoring those values to their default states.
"Textures" Tab
- Texture Compression (Default setting: Low)
- On-screen Maps (Default setting: Uncompressed)
The frame rate may increase by adjusting these settings.
(Results may vary by hardware.)
"Effects" Tab
- Enable bump mapping (Default setting: Unchecked)
- Environmental Animation (Default setting: Normal)
The frame rate may increase when you disable bump maps and environmental animations.
In addition to the above suggestions, you may also improve the frame rate by disabling the shadows and weather effects. These can be set through the main menu of FINAL FANTASY XI by selecting "Config" and changing the "Misc." options.
To access the configuration utility, open the Windows Start Menu, click "Computer", go to "Program Files(x86)," "PlayOnline," "SquareEnix," then "FINAL FANTASY XI," then "Tools." By altering the background graphics and overlay resolutions, you can run FINAL FANTASY XI at higher resolutions. At least 64MB of texture memory is recommended for these settings.