Ok, here is goes.

I installed Kotor a fews days ago, then downloaded the 1.3 patch and then I got the new 5.1 drivers from Ati. Now my problem is that Dantooine slows down a TON, I mean I can't look around let alone move while I am on Dantooine ( mind you not the enclave ). I turned off all the special effects like shadows and what not, but I am still running at 12x10 because that is my LCDs native res, but that has had no effect on the slow downs. (everywhere else on the game was run perfect so far, even with most of the effects on) I am running with a Athlon 1800+, old I know, 512 dual channel 333 ddr, and a Radeon 9800 Pro. Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

well, i suffer from the same as you, my machine is slightly more faster then yours and it still shoots down like nuts on Dantooine.

since the 'Frame Buffer Effect' doesn't work no more on any drivers after 4.3 or 4.4 i stick to 4.3.

Risk of crashes, but no slowdowns and i get the nice auras from light sources. (Lightsabers, lights etc.)

I tried to mail ATI about it, but their 'email customer care' doesn't work. lol (database error.....yeh right)

ATI Better fix this for Kotor II OR the problem better not be there in Kotor II otherwise i will throw the ATI card in the bin and go back to Nvidia.

I hope one of the Devs come on here and tell us if ATI users are gonna have to stick to Catalyst 4.3 to have the nice 'Frame Buffer Effect' work.

Hmm, I guess I will just try to get through Dantooine with this lag, because everything else runs fine ( I hope ).
I can make it through so long as I look at the barriers of the level, but that means I won't be doing the matale quests.... Oh well

you should just install 4.3, but ATI should be doing their jobs in fixing bugs, but lately they haven't been.

I can't understand how they could let this problem go on for over 10 months.... Seriously, that is pathetic. I am begining to lose faith in them. Oh well, I got past Dantooine and I think things should be fine now.... Unless Kashyyyk does the same thing, but I really don't want to have to roll back my drivers, besides I am not really even sure where to get them. If you wouldn't mind telling me where I could get some 4.2's that would be great, but I just want the display driver. I do not want to have to change my control panel and control center.

here is the link to the driver of catalyst 4.3 (the one i am using)

IF you are in the US, can you let me know how Kotor II runs with Catalyst 5.1??? (the latest)

I don't wanna still wonder when it comes out in europe on the 11th and still wait until 14-16th to find out.

All i always get from ATI is a automatic reply saying it is my config. lol

how dumb is that, when it doesn't happen on 4.3, but on anything above 4.4.

It is a driver issue, it is simple as that.

oops, i forgot the link: http://www2.ati.com/drivers/wxp-w2k-7-991-040224m-013831c.exe)

Did you try to deactivate grass on Dantooпne ?

If you wanted to play a game like for example, Doom III and your machine is way fast enough for it on max settings, would you downgrade the settings to play a game it because of a bug??

I would just demand the 3D Card maker to fix the bug.....but since all problems with ATI will be fixed for Kotor II, i will be glad. :)

Yes, I did turn off the grass and every other extra graphical feature, but now that I have the 4.3's everything runs well, except for the few crashes every so often. Anyways, I would rather be able to actually play the game and have crashes than playing with horrific performance and stability.



By the way, about Kotor 2, I have that for X, but I am giving that to my friend and going to buy the PC version soon.

i personally haven't encountered any crashes with 4.3, but you will notice slowdowns in other games.

I am just gonna wait for Kotor II to come out and then stick to ATI drivers 5.1, since that is what is supposedly recommended

I will give ya a link to the post about ATI and Kotor II:

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=26850&st=0)

Everything should be in there...tons of questions.

Finally, I prefer to use nVidia graphic cards ...

The Way It's Meant To Be Played

On this point, nVidia is not wrong ...

don't let this turn into about stupid nvidia vs ati topic...they both have strengths.

Nvidia = Superior Shadow Processing

ATI = No glitches where Nvidia had them (X-Wing Alliance + Freespace 2 text bleeding)

end of Nvidia and ATI.

I posted instructions on fixing this bug here. (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144464)

It could be a problem with ATI... but it seems quite unlikely. It happens in both KotOR and KotOR2, and only on Dantooine, in the outdoor regions.

*shrug* it's possible that the flying stingrays are causing the problem, if they have specific pathing scripts. It's the only thing I can think of.

It doesn't matter if your graphics are on high, you have grass/shadows/v-sync/etc. on, or if you have it on low, and everything turned off.

Just have one or the other, and change em when you start getting stuck again. It's a minor inconvenience, and only on Dantooine... suck it up :p

In order to fix performance on Dantooine, you must open swkotor2.ini and add the line Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1 under the [Graphics Options] section.

This works on both ATI and Nvidia graphics cards.