Video Card settings???

[walterd140]

Hi All,
Got a new card installed & love it! 256 MB over my old 64 MB really smokes. Problem now is the game play is choppy when moving. Went through the smoke / heat on Telos & died for the 1st time because it was so choppy. Anyway, I have no clue as to most of the video language / settings & was hoping for a quick lesson.

V-sync?? What's this? When recommend is clicked, this gets unchecked

I have shadows on, grass off. Am I missing anything except mowing?

Text is High

Anti-Alaising is at 2x (can I go 4x?) It says it takes the edge off sharp corners, so that's pretty well explained

Anti-Sotropy is also 2x. Not a very good explaniation here though. Just says items will look sharper (thanks for nothing)

Frame Buffer, Soft Shadows & V-Sync are on, but again not good explainations.

Here's the rundown of the system check if it helps. Thanks in advance
Walter

[SWKotOR]
ReportDateTime=3/21/06 7:08:50 AM
SysInfoVersion=v1.00.60
GameExists=1
GameVersion=v2.10.427
GameInstallLocation=D:\Program Files\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\

[OS]
Name=WinNT2000
Version=Windows 2000 v5.0 build 2195 Service Pack 4
Service Pack=Service Pack 4
Status=Pass

[SwapFiles]
D:\pagefile.sys=768
D:\pagefile.sys=768

[CPU]
CPUCount=1
CPUSpeed=1467
CPUFamily=6
CPUModel=6
CPUStepping=2
CPUVendor=AMD
CPUName=AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1700+
Status=Warning

[Memory]
RAM=896
Status=Pass

[Disk Free Space]
C: (NTFS), UNICODE=24.33GB
D: (NTFS), UNICODE=32.68GB
Status=Pass

[CD-ROMs]
DriveLetters=E:\,F:\,G:\
Drives=

[Video]
Video Card Name=NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500
Video Memory=256
Desktop Resolution=800x600x32 @ 60Hz
DirectX=DirectX 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)
OpenGL Version=2.0.1
OpenGL Vendor=NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL Renderer=GeForce FX 5500/PCI/SSE/3DNOW!
NVidia Driver=6.14.10.8198
Vid Card Status=Pass
Vid Card Driver Status=Pass
GL Status=Pass
DX Status=Pass

[Audio]
Sound Card Name=ESS Solo1 PCI AudioDrive (WDM)
Status=Pass


;Game Options from swkotor2.ini

[config]
firstrun=0

[Sound Options]
Number 3D Voices=32
Number 2D Voices=32
2D3D Bias=1.00
Force Software=0
EAX=0
Sound Init=0
Music Volume=85
Voiceover Volume=99
Sound Effects Volume=100
Movie Volume=85
Disable Sound=0

[Graphics Options]
V-Sync=1
Anisotropy=2
Frame Buffer=1
Anti Aliasing=2
Texture Quality=2
Grass=0
Soft Shadows=1
Shadows=1
Brightness=83
EnableHardwareMouse=1
FullScreen=1
RefreshRate=60
Width=800
Height=600
Emitters=1

[Game Options]
Enable Tooltips=1
Keyboard Camera Deceleration=2000.000000
Keyboard Camera Acceleration=500.000000
Keyboard Camera DPS=200.000000
TextureVariation=1
BodyVariation=0
AppearanceType=544
PCGender=0
GameCompleted=0
CurSithLord=0
Hide InGame GUI=0
Use Small Fonts=0
Hide Unequippable=1
Tutorial Popups=1
Subtitles=1
Mini Map=1
Floating Numbers=1
Status Summary=1
Enable Mouse Teleporting To Buttons=1
Mouse Sensitivity=44
Difficulty Level=1
Auto Level Up NPCs=0
Mouse Look=0
AutoSave=1
EnableScreenShot=0
Reverse Mouse Buttons=0
Reverse Ingame YAxis=0
Reverse Minigame YAxis=0
Combat Movement=1
UnlockedPlanetSongs=2047
TooltipDelay Sec=1
Disable Movies=0

[Keymapping]
Action286B=8
Action286A=7
Action285B=10
Action285A=9
Action284B=54
Action284A=51
Action283B=54
Action283A=51
Action282B=69
Action282A=73
Action281B=53
Action281A=76
Action280B=69
Action280A=73
Action268=52
Action265=58
Action264=57
Action263=43
Action262=85
Action261=84
Action260=83
Action259=82
Action258=81
Action257=80
Action256=79
Action255=78
Action254=77
Action253=31
Action245=75
Action244=55
Action243=67
Action242=74
Action241=87
Action240=56
Action239=68
Action238=82
Action236=83
Action234=81
Action232=80
Action230=79
Action228=78
Action226=77
Action225=70
Action224=90
Action223=31
Action222=25
Action221=24
Action220=29
Action219=28
Action218=42
Action217=87
Action216=65
Action215=63
Action214=60
Action213=62
Action212=61
Action211=66
Action210=59
Action209=71
Action208=89
Action207=72
Action206=30
Action205=55
Action204=67

[Autopause Options]
End Of Combat Round=0
Mine Sighted=0
Enemy Sighted=1
Party Killed=1
Action Menu=0
New Target Selected=1

[Movies Shown]
Movie10=0
Movie 9=0
Movie 8=0
Movie 7=31
Movie 6=255
Movie 5=222
Movie 4=250
Movie 3=255
Movie 2=255
Movie 1=254
Movie 0=252

[mr_sir]

my game gets choppy in steam/smoke too. the secret is just to run straight through it without changing direction if possible and then worry about fighting at the other side (always works for me).

if the game is choppy in other places, turn off shadows. i play without grass - you don't miss anything really without it.

not sure what vsync does so can't help you with that.

if the game is still really choppy, except in steam, then try turning down the settings abit (like texture to medium - it should be ok on high though). i think the steam thing is something to do with the video card itself. my videocard struggles with steam no matter what game i play it seems.

[Alcina]

Let me guess: your new card is an Nvidia GForce?

Several people's posts have led me to believe these just don't agree with KOTOR2. There is a way round it; I managed to beat the game 10 times in spite of it...

[walterd140]

Yep, it's a GeForce FX 5500 from evga.

So far I have been able to tweak it & still have a playable game. I guess I won't know for sure until I get force sight (didn't work on the old 64 mb MX card).
Got grass, but none avaliable on Telos (I re-started the game new), set the alaising at 8x, the other at 4x. Kicker seems to be the v-sync. Turned off the game runs good enough to play

Smoke is still an issue & sometimes the keyboard directions lock up (I usually run through the game pressing 'w' key for forward & use the mouse to go left or right).

Walter

[DesR85]

No matter what settings you set for the game, this Odyssey engine powering the Knights of the Old Republic series tend to be pretty unstable in frame rates.

I remember when playing the Dantooine level in KOTOR 1, the frame rate tends to drop to single digits n ur character have the tendency to warp around the map. In order to solve this problem, I had to switch between characters or go to the menu screen and back to the game. Always work for me. This KOTOR was patched till 1.03 and still have this issue.

As for KOTOR 2, the Dantooine levels are improved but still have the character warp issue, though not much. Hope this helps.

[walterd140]

Thanks for the input Des. I have found I have the warp issue on Dantoone & thought it was too much juma juice. Then I played again & it still has a slow frame rate. Good to know others found it too (Thought I had something wrong)

Walter

[DesR85]

You're welcome. Glad I could be of assistance. I learned of this problem the hard way. The solutions I issued are due to trial and error until I managed to find a workaround, that is my solution I posted previously.

Visiting other forums like Gamespot or the forums at the official sites of both KOTOR and KOTOR 2 revealed the same problem and the same kind of solution, though they did mention trying to lower your graphics card settings, which to me didn't work although you can try it out for yourself and see if its successful or not.

One word of caution though, that this solution of mine is temporary and you have to keep repeating this going to and from the menu plus switching from different characters whenever you're stumped with this warp and lag problem.

[walterd140]

Yeah, when I find the controls slow (low frame rate) I mearly stop trying to move & wait for it to fix itself. This is the best I found so far, but will try switching characters the next time it happens.

Walter

[joe05]

Walter - I'm a tech noob, but others have mentioned.......>
1) turn off other programs .. I only have AVAST(... anti-virus) + sound on bootup
2) lower your desktop resolution ... I normally go 10X7, but I'm keeping my desktop at 8X6 for the game in order to play the game at 10X7

You probably already knew this :-)

[DesR85]

Erm.... Joe, about the first part, I understand but about the desktop resolution, I don't get it. Are you sure that by lowering your desktop resolution to be lower than the game's resolution will help make the game perform better? Can you explain how is that possible?

Thanks

[walterd140]

You lost me on the desktop settings as well Joe, but no matter. I always have it at 800x600. Not sure where to change the game setting though.

[mr_sir]

To change the resolution of the game, click on configure on the opening game menu. I think you can change settings in game too by going to the main menu.