I used to play SwKotor I on the minimum of Video memory. That's right: 64 MB of Video RAM. I upgraded to a much better 256 MB video card, doubling the recommended, I believe. I meet or beat the recommended every other way. Now, I was on Tattooine when I upgraded, finished the game at 1024 X 768 res and some cool details I didn't know about before, since I had all settings off or at minimum. Feeling good, I restart the game from the Endar Spire. I get to Dantooine, and something isn't right. When I leave the Enclave to start on the training, my framerate is terrible! I switch my POV to look at less detail. So, I get to the spot next to the Matale Grounds, and my framerate goes sky-high, like it did in the rest of the game. I enter the Matale Gounds, and the game is unplayable. framerate is at about 0.6 FPS. I set my graphics all to minimum, and the problem is the same. Normally, with my 64 MB card, my framerate was around 20 FPS. Not great, but it was stable. Now, I get 50 FPS in the entire game EXCEPT DANTOOIINE COURTYARD. Because of this, I have had SwKotor uninstalled for about a year. What can I do?

StaffSaberist,

This would have served you better if you had posted this in the Workbench Forum (http://64.20.36.211/forumdisplay.php?f=554).

This thread (http://64.20.36.211/showthread.php?t=144109) in that forum might be of intrest to you. ;) (Even though it is for TSL, I believe some of the info is pertinent to KOTOR.)

I hope this helps! :D

Oops. Stupid, stupid! I should pay more attention! Could this thread be moved there, mods? Can you hear me out there? This should be in that forum!

And, BTW, that's not the problem and I have an nVidia card.

EDIT - Now, could I have help, please? And not merely mental help!

actually, you may not want to brush aside the help so quickly. go ahead and at least try the fix mentioned in that thread before you say it won't work. ;)

OK. Reinstalling KoTor I as I type. I have missed this game so much, heck, I'll listen to Vrook's hostility if it's fixed! (Er, not sure if that's him - I mean the baldish guy on the Counsel.) ;)

UPDATE: I added the line "Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1" to swkotor.ini, but that actually did more damage than anything else. When I loaded it up, framerate was terrible. So, I quicksaved, exited, deleted the line, and VIOLA! I get good framerate with these settings:

Res: 1024 X 768
Tex pack: High
Shadows: Off
Grass: Off
Other: Frame buffer effects on
No anti-aliasing
No anisitropy

I haven't yet made it to Dantooine, but when I do, it'll probably be the same problem. I have few doubts. But, it seems that nVidia isn't such as good a video card as expected, since those patches are for ATI cards only. I heard ATI cards have more problems, but that seems to be fixed with the ATI patches. Wierd. Anyhow, I'll get to Dantooine again and report back. Just know I removed that line. It was causing problems.

VERSION NUMBER: V.1.03 WITH NO MODS (YET)

EDIT: Now I am pissed. Extremely. The quicksave was corrupted, so I had to start back at half through the Endar Spire. Now, the game tells me I DON'T have the prototype vibroblade when I DO and whenever I try to leave the apartment, I get THIS:

http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=iamextremelypissed1bo.jpg)

Sorry if it's too dark. I don't think it is...

Could you perhaps post your system specs, your VRAM amount isn't enough to diagnose the problem.

OK. This is directly off of the SwKotor Diagnose Tool:

OS: Windows XP v5.1 build 2600 Service Pack 2
CPU: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPR 2.60GHz
RAM: 512 MB
HD: C: (NTFS), UNICODE 33.84 GB free
Video: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500 256MB
Audio: Realtek AC'97 Audio
OpenGL: NVIDIA Corporation 2.0.0
DirectX: DirectX (9.0+) (4.09.00.0904)

If you need anything else, please let me know.

This happened to someone else.

Try reinstalling the game. That's all for now.

Considering I just reinstalled and patched the game, that hurts. *sigh* OK, let's break out the install again... :(

You can try starting a new game and going through the Endar Spire again. It might be only a case of save game corruption.

Remember to try to save often in different slots and don't turn off auto-save. It can be a real life saver.

Too late! Reinstall half-way done! May as well finish it now...

And I did save it at the end of the Endar Spire level, but it was corrupt.

UPDATE: OK, I made it back to Dantooine. Have a heckuva good game, thousands of credits, good level ups... anyway, I stepped out into Dantooine Courtyard. As soon as I did, WHAM! My 50 fps dropped to 2 fps. I am not exaggerating in the least! This irritates me, now. I could just cry. The perfect game, and I can't finish it! And I dare not use cheats. If I did, I'd miss out on a good deal of the game! Can't have that now, can we? Can I please have some help?

Hiya buddy
your system is very very close to mine, we use the same vid card I just have a buttload more ram is all, and are you sure you put
Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1
in your swkotor.ini file in the section [Graphics Options] ?

If I dont have that line in there on that planet the game is unplayable, completely. I believe as you mentioned in that zone area as you can move out of the Jedi Enclave but once you zone out of that If i dont have that line there then I just kind of spin around at about .5 frame a second.

I saw in your post you saying that did more damage then before? Im not sure what you meant by this.

I just now noticed your post If i'm not explaining myself well enough Ill check back and this is for Kotor 1, in the TSL I dont put that in and just deal with a 5 second lag, enough time to light a smoke and then the game (prolly cause my ram thou im not sure) works it out and I can play.

I saw in your post you saying that did more damage then before? Im not sure what you meant by this.


What I meant is that, well, I put that line in, and the Endar Spire, which I always get decent framerate on, was terrible I mean, that line caused framerate problems galore. But, I will try it on Dantooine real quick. Be right back. ;)

Ab-ab-ab-ab-ab-ab... OMFG! It works! Ha-ha! After a year without this game! It's back! *sobs of joy* Thank you! So much!

After loading in the line, I noticed two things:

1) Load times were halved
2) The game acted as if I had my old 64 MB video card back, which, believe it or not, actually performed well for this game. I will get rid of that line upon leaving Dantooine, though. It causes problems elsewhere. But YES! Decent framerate AND better graphics! You can have it all! Whoopee!

Sorry bout all that, but you try going a year without SwKotor. My withdrawl symptoms just ended a week ago...

Ya sorry i didnt see your post sooner.
The folks above were right track, stinger and redhawk point you to the thread i think mentioning the editing of the ini file, It could be the ram i have that or something else but kotor works great for me with that line in there. But sure take it out for all the other planets and out it in for dant ) and im glad yur back to playing buddy )
kdsphantom