Widescreen Conundrum: How do I change the FOV?

[Cord]

I enjoyed this game the first time through a fair bit, although it was marred by all the bugs. (e.g. Not *one* of the swoop races worked for me. My swoop was always stuck 20 feet in the air) Obsidian has had some time to fix some of the bugs, and the new patch looks rather promising, so I figured I'd give the game another run-through if I can get it working satisfactorily. Unfortunately, since I last played the game, I've switched to a display with a 16:9 native resolution.

 

Now, there are .exe patches out there which will take care of this for older versions of the game. e.g. Google uniws and you'll find one. It doesn't handle the latest version unfortunately, and FOV appears to be the one crucial setting locked away in the .exe. I can change the resolution itself by editting the swkotor2.ini file, but not the field of view. (FOV)

 

End result: Everyone looks like midgits. Midgits with light-sabers. Don't even ask what the Yoda-clone looks like.

 

So does anyone know a way to modify the FOV somehow? Heck, if you can even point me at an information site that might give me some clue about how to find and modify the FOV in the executable itself that'd be just grand...

 

I really hope PC game companies clue into the HTPC market soon... KOTOR2 is a wonderfully cinematic game, and I'd love to be able to play it in widescreen, projected 8-feet wide with my surround system. The HTPC market is currently just exploding, and any game without proper widescreen support is going to limit its market share in the future. The fact that a third-party was able to add decent widescreen support to the previous version shows just how easy it is. Why hasn't obsidian added it themselves? Heaven only knows. I would assume they don't read these boards, but oh well.

Edited March 4, 2006 by Cord

[Bokishi]

Have you tried using the latest version of Uniws (1.03)? Have you also edited the .ini file under both [graphics options] and [display options] to your desired res? I admit, it was really tricky to get K2 in widescreen, down the fact that you can't use a patched version of the game, plus the mini map is forever screwed up, but the end result was still pretty good.

 

[shadowriath]

Um though it fills the screen, that is all it does. The graphics are not designed to be displayed at that res. If you can't see they are streched and distorded.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

so can you set it up for wide screen?

[Bokishi]

Um though it fills the screen, that is all it does.  The graphics are not designed to be displayed at that res.  If you can't see they are streched and distorded.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You get used to it

 

I bet if I saw the regular hud graphics, they'll look too skiny.

 

 

so can you set it up for wide screen?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yep.

[shadowriath]

Look at the map..it has you placed wrong. Could that also be a sign it's not designed for this?

[Bokishi]

Of course it's not designed for this, it's a hack. Kotor 1 was more friendlier to this hack however.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Of course it's not designed for this, it's a hack. Kotor 1 was more friendlier to this hack however.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

so is the hack worth doing?

[Bokishi]

Depends on what is more important to you, not having to play with black bars on the sides of your WS monitor, or having a patched game with a working mini map.

 

I wouldn't buy a WS monitor just for this game + hack, however there is something somewhat majestic about a game being in widescreen.

 

If your interested in becoming a widescreen gamer, I say go for it. Nearly all the new games have good WS support. And WS monitors are getting cheap.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

my Alienware PC came with one, so that's why I was asking...

[Bokishi]

LOL then forget what I said.

[shadowriath]

I personaly would take the boxs on the side then have stretched and disterded images.

[Bokishi]

I cannot stand vertical bars, they just look stupid.

 

 

EDIT: Here's the titlescreen. Not that bad.

 

 

 

Letterbox scenes are nice and big too.

 

Edited March 16, 2006 by Bokishi

[Judge Hades]

The next monitor I buy will be a widescreen HDTV monitor that I can watch videos and play my games on all fromt he comort of my PC.

[Cord]

Have you tried using the latest version of Uniws (1.03)? Have you also edited the .ini file under both [graphics options] and [display options] to your desired res? I admit, it was really tricky to get K2 in widescreen, down the fact that you can't use a patched version of the game, plus the mini map is forever screwed up, but the end result was still pretty good.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yup. Tried the latest version of UniWS. For some reason, it refuses to patch. I select KOTOR2 from the list of games, then the installation directory, and after that it won't let me enter a resolution or patch, so so much for that program. The older version worked, but only on the older version of the game. So much for that.... (I'm trying to get the patched version to work in WS properly, so I don't really care if the old version can be made to work with the old version of UniWS.)

 

I've been messing about with Kotortool. It seems to me that a setting for FOV ought to be hidden somewhere in the 2DA.bif file, but so far I haven't found it. I've skimmed a lot of 2DA's, mucked about with them by creating override 2DA's, but so far nothing has changed the FOV. There is a field search function, but unfortunately, if there is a FOV setting somewhere in the BIF's they didn't call it something sensible like FOV or "Field of View". If I could find the right value to edit I could just send other people the 2da to place in their override folder.

 

It sure would be nice if somebody from Obsidian were to offer a hint on this...

 

Anyways, if I ever do figure it out I'll be sure to post.

Edited April 25, 2006 by Cord