The guides are very useful, thanks!

About the patch, Acleacius, define "soon" ... (can't wait!)

good work Acleacius in finding the guides. i'll post them at the top of both sticky's. :)

The path is coming...Obsidian has hinted that it's finished or nearly finished testing.

Obsidian sent it to LucasArts a week and a half after the game was released, on the 24th of February. Since that time, the patch has been in testing and has been updated several times.

good news with the Omega drivers. i think it'd be best if i just refer you to the update on his main page:

the link: www.omegadrivers.net)

so how does the 5.4 omega's hold up in TSL?

quite well, actually. i'm gettting an average of about 5-12 fps more than with the standard 5.4 Catalyst drivers on my overclocked R9700 Pro.

but don't think that will be universal. i've chosen the Omega drivers over the OEM drivers because it runs better on my machine. to see if the Omega's run better on your machine, i'd suggest doing some benchmarking to see how they hold up.

for Kotor & TSL benchmarking, i load up a save where my character is fighting a lot of enemies at one time for the high particle count test, a save on Dantooine for the, umm, Dantooine benchmark (that module has its own problems), and finally a module with relatively nothing in it (an empty module i saved in my modules folder). then i use FRAPS (http://www.fraps.com/download.php)to) log and calculate my framerate scores.

its not the most accurate way of benchmarking the Kotor games (since its not rendering the exact same thing each time), but it does give you a general idea if any modifications that you just did are having any effect on the framerate.

lol the highest fps i ever get is in menu screens... (non game) at 215 yay while actually playing ( I loaded several different saves in different areas and surroundings) and not once did I hit over 40, and in alot of areas I hit 8-15 rather consistently which of course sucks... 30-40 is ok... its not great but it beats the pants offa 10

but my comp sucks anyway

p4 2.4, R9200 128MB, 512 ram.. I'm using the 5.4 cata with the 4.11 OGL in the kotor2 directory as well as the vertex buffer=1 bit.
I haven't overclocked my card due only to the fact that if I damage it I won't be able to replace it for at least a month

I'm grabbing another 512 ram and a geforce 6600 GT in august.. :( damn my broke self

what, your not gonna go for and RX850?? wait, they don't offer that in an AGP 8x slot, do they? [/sarcasm] :rolleyes:

but ya, i'd have to say that money is always an obstacle. still, if you're worried about damaging your card while overclocking, try using the ATI Tool (http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/). it has a nice feature that will safely overclock your card (by finding the 'sweet spot' between performance and too much heat). it might hold you over a bit till you get that new card. ;)

ty for the tip, I'll check it out

**edit** I got ATItool and was playing around with it. seems ok to me, I've OC it a little bit. I'll see whatI can get out of it :P

**edit2** default clock 250/200, the max I got without any artifacts was 290/220, this resulted in an avg increase of approx 10 fps in all my games with the exception of kotor2 :(

is it really too much to ask for a consistent 30 fps?

Just a FYI-

I tried the Omega Drivers based off of the 5.4 Catalyst release and that seems to have resolved a lot of the graphical issues, especially the brightness. I would recommend anyone with ATI cards to try it and see the difference.

You can get them here (www.omegadrivers.net)

:x-wing:

Just for the fun of it I tried doing the same thing for Kotor1, for example. I have Catalyst 5.4 installed but I put int the 4.7atioglxx in the game folder. It has no effect on the game, meaning there ain't no glow...

I just downloaded the omega drivers and am going to check it out afterwards.

i am having a similar problem as the above mentioned gamma problem, but it is in game. when ever i start the game or go to a cutscreen the screen gets very dark, though the gamma slider dosnt move. i can fix it manually each time by moving the slider a bit, but this is a very annoying bug...

i have tried editing the swini to set it higher, which worked the first time, but it still went dark at cutscreens and the next time i started the game

my specs:
windows xp pro
intel pentium 4 2.8ghz
1gig ram
radeon 9600 256mb

thanks for any help you can give

Thanks for this guide! I had problems with my ATI Card and the Dantooine Planet and now they both work fine. Thanks once again

2.) Edit the "swkotor2.ini" file

"Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1" works for more than just Dantooine lag while using ATI cards. I was experiencing a slightly different kind of framerate drop in all areas of KotOR2:TSL. The Dantooine lag on KotOR1 was much more severe for me, and it only happened on Dantooine. The framerate drop I experienced in KotOR2:TSL was not as severe, but it happened in every single area of the game up to Telos, and I was able to fix it while in-game. This problem even happened during the minigame racing.

I'm using an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. I was running KotOR2:TSL on highest resolution, AA, and AF settings very smoothly. I'm using the latest Omega Driver.

Problem: I ran the game just fine, but every time I loaded a new area, my framerate dropped (No matter what settings I was using). This applied to any area change - in and out of a small room, or in and out of a large opening. The size of the area did not seem to affect the severity of the lag.

The way I dealt with this problem in-game was by:

1. Going to the in-game graphics options.
2. Making some type of graphics change. Any change - it didn't matter. For example, changing AF from 16x to 8x or vice versa.
3. Pressing OK, and resuming game.

That completely removed the frame lag. For some reason switching my graphics settings back and forth solved the problem, but I had to do ths every single time I loaded into a new area - very annoying. I don't really understand why that happened, though. This problem only happened this way in KotOR2:TSL. In KotOR1, when I attempted to change my graphics settings in game on Dantooine to remedy the lag, there were no good results.

You may want to include in the original post that changing the swkotor2.ini file completely fixes this specific problem I was having, not just on Dantooine. Also, if anyone knows the cause of the problem I was having, I'd like to learn what it is.

Edit: I re-read and realized my last paragraph wasn't very clear. This problem I was having was on Peragus and Telos, I didn't even make it to Dantooine before I fixed it. "The Dantooine Fix" title was misleading to me, and I'm sure to many other people who aren't very familiar with this game or forum if they are experiencing similar problems as I am. Basically, editing the kotor2.ini files fixes a lot of issues, as you just mentioned. That's not detailed in the original post though, which causes confusion to anyone who doesn't read past the first page.

actually, i've never heard of that problem. in my own personal testing on my machine, i've never encountered that problem. i do know that the Lag Fix gives me a 6-7 fps boost on both games which is why i use it.

as far as my own personal diagnosis, well, it sounds like the game wasn't re-applying the graphics settings everytime you loaded a new module. so whenever you went and changed something, you forced the game to re-apply all the graphics settings, and thus return your framerate to normal. either way, its a great all around fix for the graphics, and apparently fixed an odd problem on your system.

and in case your wondering, my specs are:

Athlon 3200XP
Radeon 9700 Pro (oc @ 365 core & 340 mem)
1 GB DDR333 RAM
Audigy2 sound card

Im stuck at dantoine i cant get out of the Ebon Hawk the screen just go black i have tryed Reinstalling putted the congfiguration on its lowest downloaded latest drivers Nothing works!
Guess my game is ****d up

5.9 cats, if you don't know they've been released and are claimed that they fix the dantooine lag Finally. hey guess what they're right it does. woot. but also.. I'm one of those people who've had major problems with terrible framerates everywhere, however in a lot of areas nbow (after 5.9) I'm getting much more tolerable fps. in some areas I was getting 15 or so fps and now I'm getting on average 25, some places still slow too a crawl but they are few and far between now... finally I can play kotor2 and actually enjoy it for a change ;)

yeah, the 5.9 cats are supposed to be a bit more 'streamlined' than the previous drivers. my understanding is that you should see a bit of a performance boost in almost every game you own just by upgrading the drivers. i have yet to test them as i've been busy with school, but i'll get around to the testing probably sometime this week. if you want updates, i'll let you know. ;)

hey stinger, you use the omega's right?... I know they released the 5.9 omega's so check em out when you get a chance and post up on em :)

hey stinger, you use the omega's right?... I know they released the 5.9 omega's so check em out when you get a chance and post up on em :)

I tried the Omega 5.9's today with KOTOR; KOTOR runs great in Dantooine now. I'll check TSL later if I get the chance.

:x-wing:

All the new ATI drivers have had the fix done which should mean the Omegas and Starstorm drivers should all work ;)

Ok, now I have a problem. Whenever I try to start TSL, right when the tutorial should play the screen goes black. I can't download the ATI driver, as it says I don't have the software installed! BUT I DO! IT'S REALLY PISSING ME OFF!!!!

when all else fails, install the Omega Drivers (www.omegadrivers.net). they'll give you better performance, better stability, and you don't have to worry about wierd software bugs like the one you have. ;)

This is going to sound stupid, but all I can do there is buy actual graphics cards. Where can I get the drivers I need from that site?

goto the quick menu on the left, and click on the 'ATI Radeon Omega Drivers' link. in the next page, choose your OS from the top list (either Win. XP/2000 or ME/98). from there, you'll get a page listing the mirrors that you can download the drivers from.

:confused:
When I extract everything, shouldn't it run the setup? I go to the path it extracts the files to (in this case, C: Documents and Settings/Owner/Local Settings/) only to find that there is no folder known as Local Settings. I try to create one, and it says there is a folder named Local Settings in existance, and that I need to name it something else. WTF?!?!?!?

EDIT: Never mind. I created a new path for the file to go to, and it worked fine. I am, however, worried that my Local Settings folder seems to be MIA. What could I do to resolve this issue?

I just downloaded the .exe, and just ran it. I have never faced the problems you describe though.
Maybe you could try and open it in another browser orso.

This is the D-load link i used for the newest Catalyst: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=640)

You need to download frameworks too btw.

I have frameworks. The Omega Driver is the only one that would install. The ATI wouldn't run. It said I didn't have the required software, even though I do.

EDIT: Thanks, Stingerhs. It works fine now!

I use OpenGL, but the download for the 4.11 doesn't work. What should I do?

I have the 6.2 catalyst driver with a radeon 9200 agp card, and the game woln't let me turn on frame buffer effects. Any ideas?

^^^^
Frame Buffer Effects are supported for the Radeon 9500 series and higher. ;)

I use OpenGL, but the download for the 4.11 doesn't work. What should I do?

...

^^^^
Frame Buffer Effects are supported for the Radeon 9500 series and higher. ;)
The 9200 supposedly supports frame buffer, too.
http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9200/radeon9200/features.html)

I don't know if anyone still checks this thread, but I'm having a rather frustrating issue with my drivers. Well my last video card burned out on me (Radeon 9700 Pro), so I had to put back in an older Radeon 9200. I know it's an older video card, but both KotOR and TSL seem to "recommend" a 9200 or higher.

Anyhow the game barely gets past 8 FPS on the main menu, and in-game the frame rate can be downright annoying. So when I looked around the net (Lucasarts, Obsidian, and of course here on Lucasforums), I noticed this problem was common. So I did what seemed to be the best solution, download a previous driver. However I must have gone through this process several times last night because KotOR simply refused to except the drivers for being new. (Check the link for a picture)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4261/driverissuesop8.jpg)

I've attempted installing the ATI 6.5 Catalyst, The Omega 6.5 Drivers and ATI 5.9 Catalyst drivers. Each one of the them was rejected for being 'outdated'. And KotOR's frame rate doesn't improve or decrease in game, it stays around the choppy eight frames.

If you notice in the picture I've downloaded the 'driver cleaner'. I've used it to clean out ATI before I installed each new driver. However not even that seems to help. Although of course I'm not exactly sure if I'm using it on the right location.

If anyone could help, it would be greatly appreciated.

okay, i've updated all the links in the first post mostly due to the ATI/AMD merger and ATI now having a new website.

something i noticed is that the 4.11 Catalyst Drivers are no longer listed in ATI's back-driver page. i tried looking for them at DriverHeaven.net, but the earliest version they have is only 4.12, so that's a no-go as well. anyways, if anybody finds a link to the 4.11 Catalyst Drivers, then let me know by responding here. until then, what was formerly step 3 has been removed. :)

also, i no longer have an ATI card in my system since i've upgraded from my ol' 9700 Pro to a GeForce 7800 GS. so, if someone could let me know if they'd be interested in testing out a couple of different things for performance reasons, you can also let me know by responding here as well.

Hey guys. I'm using a X1550 card, and everything is fine, except one thing, SMOKE! poision, steam etc, when I go near it my game slows wayyyy down. to the point of frustration, beacuse my system has good specs, (dual core, 2GB RAM) etc.

Anyone know how to fix this?

Thanks

THIS WORKED: http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool/)

I followed the instuctions EXACTLY as stated, and bingo: Problems gone.

My system:
Inspiron E1505
4MB Intel Core 2 Duo processor
256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400 w/HyperMemory
Windows Vista Home Basic

If you want details, read on.

I just bought KOTOR and yep, when things went haywire on Dantooine I started trying to get some real answers. The worst was discovering that the game doesn't even support my graphics card (finally read the fine print on the box): Mobile Radeon x1400.

I'm new to this whole which-card-supports-what nonsense and I'm sorry, but I don't have room for a desktop -- I have a brand new laptop. Paid good money for it, too (and for the game) so it better work. Period.

Omega drivers almost messed my laptop up; the "Disable Vertical Buffer Objects=1" tweak didn't work. But the mod to my ATI drivers did work. Outstanding.

A few comments:

1. I completely lost my saved games. Not a huge loss since I was stuck on Dantooine, but still a pain. The save game utility had acted weird before I modded the drivers, too -- games disappeared and reappeared, but that's another topic

2. I noticed *slight* jerkiness with the modded drivers, improved somewhat when I dialed down the graphics.

3. Game crashed during the dream that marks the transition between the Swoop Race/Bastila Rescue and infiltration of the Sith Base. Luckily, I saved my game (I'm constantly saving games.)

4. On a hunch, I reinserted the "Disable Vertical Buffer Objects=1" tweak and was able to get past the dream sequence and get on with the game.

5. Some problems crashing boarding the Ebon Hawk in Tarik's hangar. Also thought I lost my save game here, too, but when I just rebooted and then restarted the game, the save was there and I was able to get on the ship.

That's all I can think of. So far so good. Dantooine's been working like a dream, and even seems to run smoother than Taris. Go figure... I'm just thrilled to get back in the game!

S:.M:.

I see that this has been fixed for the ATI vid cards. Does anyone have a solution to the FPS problem on Dantooine for the Nvidia?

I'm having severe problems with both frame buffer effects and fps around smoke/steam, with an ATI x1600GT.
AMD 64 3200+ MMX 3DNow
1.5G DDR1 (PC3200)
Radeon x1600GT/512DDR2 VRAM/Pixel3.0
Realtek AC97 audio/7.1optical support

It's not a laptop card so I'm hunting for a similar fix to the mobility mod, but does anyone else have experience sorting cards made after the x800 limitation on tsl?
Oh cat/drivers are the latest 8.1/09-2008

Have tried ATI Tray Tools with little effect. Best I can get my fps on the load screen with the smoke is 18, whilst I did manage 240-odd on the next screen that has no smoke. That's a tremendous hit for smoke effects, this game really hates Radeons.

Any ideas?

Iґve an ATI card, too.
I had a hard drive crash! Now Iґve a new hard drive on warranty! And now on Dantooine (Khoonda) the graphical building is damn slow. I mean really slow! Like a C64. :D
Do I have to install the new catalyst driver?

I play it with Frame buffer, smooth shadows, grass, AA @ 8 and AF @ 16! 8) On KOTOR 1 and 2!
The best settings were never a problem. Except now.

Please can anyone help?

Please post your system specs using the game's configuration utility:
Post your system specs
Sometimes we're just not going to be able to help you if we don't know what kind of hardware you have on your machine. If you don't know what you have on your machine, then follow these steps below:
Bring up the launcher menu for Kotor 1 or 2.
Click on "Configure".
Click the "Scan Hardware" button on the lower center of the window.
Click "Yes" to continue.
Click "Details" to view your system specs.
Click "Save Report" and save the file to your desktop.
Whenever you post your problem, open the file you just saved and copy and paste the contents to your post.
Also, please specify which version of Windows you're using, because the game can't recognize anything newer than XP.

Thank you, nevertheless but (just) installing of a new graphics driver and the newest version of the catalyst worked! :)

I've recently made the discovery that, due to newer drivers, the Dantooine lag fix is now necessary for every installation of the KotOR games, regardless of OS or hardware configuration. This includes DX9 graphics cards.

Im a little green on computers, and im considering to update my catalyst driver, but i want to know what version im currently running before i do anything.

So i need to ask how i can find and identify the current catalyst driver version on my PC. My computer has a Radeon 9600 graphic card. I use
Windows XP Home Edition.

How do i install the new driver? Can i just run the installation without doing anything else, and it will overwrite the older version?