ati cards

[darkness8]

Having used laptops for years, you are dead wrong. Yeah you can't run the best graphics requirements on the machine, but I don't need all the bells and whistles. Seems to me if the game can't be enjoyed without top of the line graphics then it needs a new plot, characters, world, etc. All games should be able to be played on lesser graphics levels. Seems it would be easier to program for laptop users than for you high end desktop guys. Besides, I can play my games anywhere, on vacation, on my deck, ha, your butt is stuck to whatever chair you sit in.

[Longjocks]

Let me apologise for not wanting to argue about laptops and get back to the point of the thread...

 

I have but one problem so far. When item labels appear on screen (action menu, enemy info, etc) the game exhibits a stutter or micro-freeze. I've experimented a bit and I'm pretty sure that the labels are the only consistent factor. Take for example the tank where your character begins. If I use the mouse or cursor to spin the screen I get the freeze just as my character's tank (the only one with an label/action menu) comes into view from off the side of the screen. Once the text has appeared after the freeze my motion continues flawlessly, even with the item on the screen, until a full revolution and the text's appearance once again causes this stutter.

 

I've gone into the hallway where there are no such labels in range and spin without any hint of stuttering. This hall contains transitions from short to medium ranges which I originally thought was the problem when I was back on the Ebon Hawk before making the label connection, but here it is smooth as silk until I'm in range of an action menu.

 

So, I'll first ask if anyone can experiment and back this up? If it's common then it might provide the devs or the forum tech-heads with a little insight.

 

My card is a Gigabyte X800XT with 4.11 Cats. I'm also running a 3GHz P4 with 1GB DDR.

 

So far I have tried lowering my graphics details and adding the Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1 line to the .ini file. I have switched the master FSAA and AF controls to application control and turned them off in the game. I do not overclock my card.

 

I am going to be downloading the latest Cats and see if this fixes it, afterall it's often the drivers, right? Regardless of the results I shall be sure to post them here. It may take a while as I'm on 56k and have to queue it up to download when I go to bed. Then I've got work tomorrow... gah! Maybe I should throw a sickie and just play KotOR2.

[Cybersquirt]

After the initial blank screen after char creation syndrome I installed the latest drivers (6.14.10.6512) and was running an ATI 9600-256 fine.....

 

.....until Dantooine. (grrrr)

 

Now I'm having the strangest problem that's limited to Dantooine's main map? ..similar to MadMerac's problem, but it seems to be limited to viewing a certain effect/looking that direction on the map; then I'll "spasm" ..or ..force-jump ..or something to the most remote corner of the map or my character just locks up and spins. Strange to see a Jedi doing a pirouette. <_< Obviously a graphics problem, but whatever. The only thing left to try is the DisableVertexThing.

 

SO I would download the patch but.. uh.. there's no NA version?! This is ridiculous. Didn't they make enough money off the first one to do the second one right?

 

 

edit: Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1 did the trick. After reading a sticky post, I guess this (Dantooine) is a "known" problem. :cool:

[MadMurac]

Well, In response to my own prob and to anyone else who may encounter it. The FPS spikes I was getting on the station above Telos were after a area load. It was random. I would go through 3 areas and then the 4th would have the prob. Reload area and it was gone. Very random appearance but only reload would get rid of it.

 

With the Dant. prob, that is just a carry over from the first game. What an irony.

 

I didn't have to disable the vertex buffer objects yet but I am not at Dantooine yet. Hopefully I won't but I did have to do it in KoTOR I so I suppose I will have to.

 

On another note, the copying of the 4.11 ATI GL driver to the KoTOR II directory does the perfect fix for issues with KoTOR II. Although when I tried this trick with KoTOR I, it would give me serious graphics corruption.

[airic]

--system specs out of the way--

Got my computer last month, 3+ghz cpu(cant remember exact speed) 1gig ram, serial 80gig hd, DVD, DVD burner, ATIx300 vid card, SB sound card(current low end), WinXP home.

 

I was noticing the frequent crashes to the desktop where all I would get is a "do you want to report this" dialog box. This happened every 45 mins to 1 hour. I checked my vid drivers today, ati drivers that came on my machine where dated from last october, checked lucas arts web site and the version Number that i had in dxdiag was one or two versions before the version listed on the LA web site.

 

I downloaded the latest ATI drivers this morning before going to bed and when I got up this afternoon, played for 3 hours straight with no crashes. So this seems to have fixed my immediate problem for the moment. I have a roommate who also plays when I'm asleep or not home and I asked him to let me know if it has indeed stopped crashing, or if I just got lucky earlier.

 

Also, can anyone tell me how to check my framerate? I want to see how big the difference is if it starts lagging when I finally get to Dantooine.

[Kiwegapa]

You can check your FPS by downloading Fraps from http://www.fraps.com and running it before the game. The registered version will record movies longer than 30 seconds and take screenshots in JPG format, but the regular version works unhindered and will tell you what you need without loading a bunch of junk.

[airic]

I was actually hopeing for something along the lines of a command switch, to show the fps in a corner in the game itself, I know some other games have this.

The game already acts funny sometimes: ie resets the mouse to a corner causing the camera to spin wildly, texture loss for all the walls forcing me to quit the game to the desktop and reload. I just don't want another program running in the background. Have my firewall and thats it, though I may start disconnecting my dsl so I can safely turn that off as well.

 

 

By the way the Catalyst driver I downloaded was released by ATI on Feb 9, 2005. has anyone else tried this version?

[Kiwegapa]

Yes, and the 5.2 Catalyst is very good, although some have reported problems. I myself find it the best ATI driver I've used yet. Be aware that Catalyst 4.12, 5.1, and 5.2 do not currently support glows around lights and lightsabers, but I've contacted the head of ATI's driver team and he's looking into it.

[airic]

Haven't got that far into the game yet for the lightsaber, but I'll keep that in mind when I do. I just looked at www.fraps.com and i think I'll download the program tomorrow and give it a try since i wont have it running every time I play.

[9mak9]

any one of the omega or cat drivers worked for anybody?

 

ive put the Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1 line in and

disabled movies but still no luck

i cant find a driver to work but it prob still is my graphics card not enough

 

[Video]

Video Card Name=MOBILITY RADEON 7500C

Video Memory=64

Desktop Resolution=1024x768x32 @ 60Hz

DirectX=DirectX 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)

OpenGL Version=1.3.3842 WinXP Release

OpenGL Vendor=ATI Technologies Inc.

OpenGL Renderer=MOBILITY RADEON 7500 DDR x86/SSE2

Vid Card Status=Fail

Vid Card Driver Status=Pass

GL Status=Fail

DX Status=Pass

 

anybody know how to upgrade the openGL version?

would the cats help?

[airic]

I would definitly try updating your video drivers, that should get openGL up to spec. I'm using 5.2 catalyst i believe, but I just restarted my game and haven't got very far. As near as i can tell it updating to 5.2 cleared up my ctd's, the only annoying problem I have had. I played for 3 hours straight, am about to enter the harbinger and haven't had one yet. I'll post more after i play more tomorrow.

[Longjocks]

I have but one problem so far. When item labels appear on screen (action menu, enemy info, etc) the game exhibits a stutter or micro-freeze. I've experimented a bit and I'm pretty sure that the labels are the only consistent factor. Take for example the tank where your character begins. If I use the mouse or cursor to spin the screen I get the freeze just as my character's tank (the only one with an label/action menu) comes into view from off the side of the screen. Once the text has appeared after the freeze my motion continues flawlessly, even with the item on the screen, until a full revolution and the text's appearance once again causes this stutter.

 

...

 

I am going to be downloading the latest Cats and see if this fixes it, afterall it's often the drivers, right?

For closure on my problem - I installed the 5.2 Cats and the problem is gone. I have a little slowdown in some larger areas but performance is okay overall. Hopefully a future patch will tweak performance, but until then the game is quite playable so far.

[9mak9]

i guess ill try the 5.2 cats again, i wish we could find one driver that would work

[airic]

Well, the 5.2 cat have really helped me. Played through the first part of Telos with only one crash. Last time I got to this point I had crashed about 10 times. Also when I updated to the 5.2 my OpenGL version went to 1.5, hopefully it will update yours 9mak9.

 

Kiwegapa, what FPS are getting in game? I downloaded fraps and in game I seem to only be getting around 20. I played around with my graphics settings but this was the best I could get. Changing resolution didn't seem to change it, currently set to 800x600. I should probably just start killing my dsl before I play so I can safely turn off my virus scanner and firewall. I'll give that a try tomorrow.

[ptpatil]

hmmm i think i know the problem for the crash to the desktop or black screen after the intro movie. i think you have to get new OpenGL drivers for your ATI card. Something the tightwads at ATi failed to update in thier catalyst drivers. im not sure Omega updates ur opengl drivers either. But i think thats the problem and because your using a Radeon 7500. Im using that and same problem and only red thing on my scan hardware list is the OpenGL.

[Kiwegapa]

Omega doesn't change the OpenGL driver itself. He takes the original Catalyst and fixes bugs and tries to increase performance. Usually Omega drivers will be good to get you a few performance points in a benchmark or one or two extra frames per second in a game. They're good drivers, but they don't work miracles.

 

9mak9, unfortunately your card does not support OpenGL 1.4 in hardware, which is a requirement for KOTOR 2 on ATI chipsets. It's not the driver but your actual hardware.

 

KOTOR 2 requires OpenGL 1.4 on ATI chipsets and OpenGL 1.3 or 1.4 on nVidia chipsets.

 

Current ATI drivers support up to OpenGL 1.5 and so do current nVidia drivers. But in order for the driver to work, the hardware functions must be there.

 

airic, I have a fairly high-end system and when playing in 1600x1200 I get about 60 FPS in most places, though it goes as high as 80 and as low as 20. Dantooine got me 2 FPS before the DVBO fix and about 50 after.

[9mak9]

so is there anything that i can do to update it or i am screwed

 

thanks

[airic]

airic, I have a fairly high-end system and when playing in 1600x1200 I get about 60 FPS in most places, though it goes as high as 80 and as low as 20. Dantooine got me 2 FPS before the DVBO fix and about 50 after.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

May have to try the omega drivers then to see if I can milk somemore performance out of my x300. I just bought the computer so I'm not likely to upgrade the card anytime soon.

[Horus]

9mak9, unfortunately your card does not support OpenGL 1.4 in hardware, which is a requirement for KOTOR 2 on ATI chipsets. It's not the driver but your actual hardware.

 

I'm using Radeon IGP 320M and it's older than 9mac9's 7500c

And It's in laptop... I can't even touch my card, solitary...

 

 

So...Do I have any hope?

[Kiwegapa]

9mak9, Horus:

 

You can try, but I don't have much hope, no. The game needs OpenGL hardware 1.4 on ATI cards. I've got a Radeon IGP 320M in my own laptop, so I'm out of luck too.

 

If you DO manage to get it working or find out a way to do so, even if it's not the best, I'd really appreciate it if you'd PM me or leave a message on the forum.

[ptpatil]

ok i might have a solution for you poor blokes with the 7500 or some card tahts below OpenGL 1.4 requirements. Ive heard about this software that emulates different cards on your machine so you can GET the OpenGL drivers. Again this is emulation, which equals instability so, try at your own risk. Ive heard of this and therefore dont know much about it so if it turns out to be false or something please dont flame me. You can see another forum here where they talk about something called a "Glide Wrapper" or 3DFX emulation and other emulations for video cards. Heres the link:

 

http://forums.devhardware.com/archive/t-29079/3dfx-emulation

 

Again i also used this software before but dont remeber what it is called and am currently trying to google a name through. I remember when i was trying to play Prince of Persia The Sands of Time and i didnt have a pixel shader card so i used this emulator that tricked the game into thinking i do have pixel shaders.

[ptpatil]

ok i might have a solution for you poor blokes with the 7500 or some card tahts below OpenGL 1.4 requirements. Ive heard about this software that emulates different cards on your machine so you can GET the OpenGL drivers. Again this is emulation, which equals instability so, try at your own risk. Ive heard of this and therefore dont know much about it so if it turns out to be false or something please dont flame me. You can see another forum here where they talk about something called a "Glide Wrapper" or 3DFX emulation and other emulations for video cards. Heres the link:

 

http://forums.devhardware.com/archive/t-29079/3dfx-emulation

 

Again i also used this software before but dont remeber what it is called and am currently trying to google a name through. I remember when i was trying to play Prince of Persia The Sands of Time and i didnt have a pixel shader card so i used this emulator that tricked the game into thinking i do have pixel shaders.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

yeah also thought of somethign else i didnt add in the last post. I think you can create a Virtual Machine on Windows XP and other versions im not sure. But when you make a virtual machine you can emulate a vid card and also install the drivers im guessing through the virtual machine. So if you want tot try that out i guess you could. So what im saying is

 

1.Create Virtual Machine

2.Emulate OpenGL 1.4 card

3.Install KOTOR 2 on virtual machine

4.install OpenGL 1.4 drivers

5.hopefully be able to get past intro

 

This is I think what i did when i wanted to play PoP The sands of time. I odnt have the time to try it out again since i have school and stuff, so if anyone can try it out and tell me if it works please do so.