Movement is erratic

[MagnusMaxwell]

I've played KOTOR2 seemlessly on computers worse than this one. However, the movement of the character is so erratic for some reason, the game is hardly playable. The character will randomly stop and the movement keys will not do anything, especially when he's targeting something, for some reason he's drawn to targets and has trouble moving while targeting something. As well when he finally does move he runs so fast I don't even see the movement and suddenly I'm stuck at the other side of the room, and he's in this running position and again no longer responds to the movement keys, except for spinning around in a stuck circle. It also doesn't seem to respond when I press B so that he'll walk instead. He also doesn't seem to be able to turn at all, unless I'm in one of those stuck circles, he mostly goes in straight lines, the a and d keys as well as the mouse just turn the camera but the character doesn't actually turn, and even when I have the camera turned where I want to go, he doesn't move with the camera, I'll press W and he'll walk straight in the line he was facing.

 

Is there just something wrong with the default configuration? I never had this problem before.

[MagnusMaxwell]

Oh, and I'm using windows XP.

[MagnusMaxwell]

I also can't seem to find the edit button, but I meet all of the recommended settings except on graphics, but I have all of the lowest settings and I don't think that's the issue. The graphics all load instantly, but there's some lack of response and erratic quality to movement. I've found that it also works better if I turn backwards to the direction I want to go and press S. Where as the W key usually either does nothing, spins him in a circle, or randomly sends him forward the whole room in half an instant.

[Darth Mortis]

This sounds somewhat like the glitch that can occur on Dantooine if you are using an NVidea graphics card, just on a larger scale. Are you using an NVidea/GeForce graphics card? That could be the problem-Check the FAQ thread here; http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=41038 for one possible solution. The other thing I would surgest is to make sure your graphics drivers are up to date by downloading the most recent drivers for your card. The Drivers you might have on CD are unlikely to be the latest, and windows automatic update program doesn't always bother checking specific drivers for grapic cards. It could also be the case that the graphics drivers are a default windows driver, rather than one written specifically for your card. Best to check and download the latest drivers anyway-reinstalling graphics drivers shouldn't create any problems, in fact it can sometimes clear up minor problems even if you are installing the same driver.

 

Hope that helps.

[apploud]

the comp could just have some bugs and is freezing randomly

[MagnusMaxwell]

I have an ATI Radeon Xpress 200. It's an integrated card, however, it's a high performance integrated card. Odd combination. Anyway, this is just on the mining colony you start on, and even in the Ebon Hawk in the prologue. I play games with much better graphics on full settings with ease though, so here there has to be some kind of inefficiency in the way it's processing it, which did not occur on worse computers for the same game.

[metadigital]

I've never even heard of your graphics card, and it's an integrated one. It doesn't matter if "other games" run well, it's below the minimum spec for the KotOR engine, so (sur-PRISE!) it doesn't work.

[MagnusMaxwell]

I've never even heard of your graphics card, and it's an integrated one. It doesn't matter if "other games" run well, it's below the minimum spec for the KotOR engine, so (sur-PRISE!) it doesn't work.

 

It's below the recommended spec. However, I've run this game seemlessly on a computer that had a much worse graphics card, I really don't think the graphics are the issue.

[LadyCrimson]

I'll point you to this other long post that had a lot to say about "meeting minimum requirements" re: Kotor2's graphic engine and integrated video. You can decide for yourself whether it may apply to your particular situation or not.

[Darth Mortis]

I've never even heard of your graphics card, and it's an integrated one. It doesn't matter if "other games" run well, it's below the minimum spec for the KotOR engine, so (sur-PRISE!) it doesn't work.

 

It's below the recommended spec. However, I've run this game seemlessly on a computer that had a much worse graphics card, I really don't think the graphics are the issue.

 

Some Graphics cards run KOTOR better than others. I've got a 128mb GeForce card in my PC and K1 is unplayable due to graphics glitches very similar to those your reporting. This is ironic, since I used to play K1 on the same PC with a 64mb card without any problems at all, and apart from a minor graphics glitch on Dantooine K2 runs just fine.

 

Sorry to say this, but from what your discribing the problems are with the graphics card. Intergrated cards can have problems running some games, while being just fine with others. (And I've had strange problems with ATI graphics cards before now where games crash for no reason-Ironically I think they were all starwars games as well). The only real solution is to get and install a seperate graphics card in your computer, assuming your PC isn't under warranty or a laptop. Cards capable of running K2 are fairly cheap (Depending on what part of the world you are in) and installing cards is easy as long as you have a free slot for it. Even if you are not having problems with other games you should find that they run smoother and slightly faster with a separate Graphics card in your PC.

[MagnusMaxwell]

Well it's a 512 MB card and it was designed specifically for use with my 64 bit AMD processor. The errors don't appear to be graphical glitches at all, everything looks fine, the way he moves is just erratic, there appears to be something wrong with the way it responds to the movement keys. The character starts following paths that I never instructed it to go on, so how could that be related to graphics?

[MagnusMaxwell]

I'll point you to this other long post that had a lot to say about "meeting minimum requirements" re: Kotor2's graphic engine and integrated video. You can decide for yourself whether it may apply to your particular situation or not.

 

That one's the 200M, which is a downgraded version of what I have, but it seems to be the same problem. I'd look into buying a new card, but I don't have any money.

[Darth Mortis]

Well it's a 512 MB card and it was designed specifically for use with my 64 bit AMD processor. The errors don't appear to be graphical glitches at all, everything looks fine, the way he moves is just erratic, there appears to be something wrong with the way it responds to the movement keys. The character starts following paths that I never instructed it to go on, so how could that be related to graphics?

 

Movement is handled by the graphics card-it translates what keys you are pressing into movement so if there is a problem with the card/driver it will often appear as problems with movement. I think KOTOR uses OpenGL for movement, so it might be worth while makeing sure that your drivers are up to date.

 

Before you go off and get a new card there is one other thing that you can try. (Bare in mind I'm recalling things from two years ago here). Graphics cards can use different programs to render the graphics, in some cases games can run into problems if you are running the wrong program. There should be a control panel for your card where you can see and change which program your card is using-like I said I think its for rendering. If you take a look around the cards control panel and can find it try switching to a different rendering program (Just make a note of what it was before you changed it). That *might* help clear things up. I'm remembering this from a different game, which was totally unplayable until I changed the graphic cards settings.

[metadigital]

Well it's a 512 MB card and it was designed specifically for use with my 64 bit AMD processor. The errors don't appear to be graphical glitches at all, everything looks fine, the way he moves is just erratic, there appears to be something wrong with the way it responds to the movement keys. The character starts following paths that I never instructed it to go on, so how could that be related to graphics?

Not knowing anything about your particular card, I will tell you that it has nothing to do with the Video RAM (though this can be a useful way to compare cards, it is by no means perfect) and everything to do with vertex and pixel shaders and ROPs.

[MagnusMaxwell]

Well, I tried changing some settings around but it didn't help much. The 'catalyst control center' didn't have any options regarding programs used. Though, ATI has always sucked at making drivers. Perhaps if there are any third party drivers in existence, that might help? Do third party drivers exist for ATI cards?

 

Ah, I found two sources of third party drivers. One called Omega Drivers and another called DNA drivers, anyone heard of those?

Edited May 28, 2007 by MagnusMaxwell

[Rosbjerg]

Well, I tried changing some settings around but it didn't help much. The 'catalyst control center' didn't have any options regarding programs used. Though, ATI has always sucked at making drivers. Perhaps if there are any third party drivers in existence, that might help? Do third party drivers exist for ATI cards?

 

Ah, I found two sources of third party drivers. One called Omega Drivers and another called DNA drivers, anyone heard of those?

 

Omega drivers are quite good! I used them alot when I had an old Radeon 9200, they actually made the old card capable of running alot of modern games fairly acceptable - while the ATI Cataclyst drivers weren't able to push the card to it's limit.

 

But uninstalling the ATI Cataclyst drivers are a pesky buisness! and I recommend some kind of cleaner program to get them all deleted, otherwise you'll experience some truely annoying problems (same goes for uninstalling Omega).

[MagnusMaxwell]

I tried 3 different third party drivers, DNA, Omega and Warcat. None of them did any good, they were all based on ATI Catalyst, what's the point of making a third party driver with the same fundamental inefficiencies? Does anyone know of a third party driver for an ATI card that does not use any code from ATI?

[Darth Mortis]

I don't think there is such a thing *shrugs* at least I don't know of any, sorry.

[Rosbjerg]

I tried 3 different third party drivers, DNA, Omega and Warcat. None of them did any good, they were all based on ATI Catalyst, what's the point of making a third party driver with the same fundamental inefficiencies? Does anyone know of a third party driver for an ATI card that does not use any code from ATI?

 

did you make sure to clean the drivers first? because ATI Cataclyst have some small programs that aren't deleted if you just uninstall them - which could very well be the source of your problems!

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

This is why I'm happy to have the Xbox Version.

[CastleBravo]

I have the same issue on a new system with an 8800 GTS 640mb video card and Core 2 Duo E6600 processor. It also hard-locks my PC at random.

 

Meanwhile I can play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at maximum settings with no issues. Go figure.

[apploud]

This is why I'm happy to have the Xbox Version.

 

Exactly

[MagnusMaxwell]

I tried 3 different third party drivers, DNA, Omega and Warcat. None of them did any good, they were all based on ATI Catalyst, what's the point of making a third party driver with the same fundamental inefficiencies? Does anyone know of a third party driver for an ATI card that does not use any code from ATI?

 

did you make sure to clean the drivers first? because ATI Cataclyst have some small programs that aren't deleted if you just uninstall them - which could very well be the source of your problems!

 

Is there a program that can do that?

[Rosbjerg]

Plenty of programs, I've personally used DH Driver Cleaner - but any alternative would probably suffice.

[metadigital]

Omega drivers are good.