[TSL] Flickering screen

[Jedi Homer]

Hi,

 

My problem has to do with the frame buffer effects and soft shadows.

 

If I enable either one then my display starts to flicker like every second frame is blank. Also I don't seem to get the frame buffer effects (not really sure what they are) everything looks the same, though I do get the soft shadows. However I experience no slow down to gameplay and everything works correctly.

 

I believe that 1600x1200 is supported by TSL, but that resolution doesn't appear in the config utility or the ingame config screen.

 

If I dont enable either frame buffer effects or soft shadows the game is fine (ie no flickering) so its not a game breaking bug, but I have an Nvidia card and I know most problems are associated with ATI cards.

 

I am running drivers from 2008 but they work fine with every other game and I assume that they are fine for TSL.

 

My video card does come up with the yellow warning after I do a hardware scan.

 

Heres the report from the scan.

 

[sWKotOR]

ReportDateTime=5/08/2011 11:32:16 PM

SysInfoVersion=v1.00.60

GameExists=1

GameVersion=v2.10.427

GameInstallLocation=E:\Program Files\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\

 

[OS]

Name=WinXP

Version=Windows XP v5.1 build 2600 Service Pack 2

Service Pack=Service Pack 2

Status=Pass

 

[swapFiles]

C:\pagefile.sys=2046

 

[CPU]

CPUCount=2

CPUSpeed=3016

CPUFamily=15

CPUModel=3

CPUStepping=3

CPUVendor=AMD

CPUName=AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+

Status=Pass

 

[Memory]

RAM=2048

Status=Pass

 

[Disk Free Space]

C: (NTFS), UNICODE=10.36GB

D: (NTFS), UNICODE=46.51GB

E: (NTFS), UNICODE=51.56GB

F: (NTFS), UNICODE=93.64GB

G: (NTFS), UNICODE=97.59GB

H: (NTFS), UNICODE=102.71GB

Status=Pass

 

[CD-ROMs]

DriveLetters=Z:\

Drives=PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-215,PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-215

 

[Video]

Video Card Name=NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512

Video Memory=512

Desktop Resolution=1680x1050x32 @ 60Hz

DirectX=DirectX 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)

OpenGL Version=2.1.2

OpenGL Vendor=NVIDIA Corporation

OpenGL Renderer=GeForce 8800 GTS 512/PCI/SSE2/3DNOW!

NVidia Driver=6.14.11.6906

Vid Card Status=Warning

Vid Card Driver Status=Pass

GL Status=Pass

DX Status=Pass

 

[Audio]

Sound Card Name=Realtek HD Audio output

Status=Pass

 

 

;Game Options from swkotor2.ini

 

[Display Options]

FullScreen=1

Disable Movies=0

Disable Intro Movies=0

Sort Modules=1

Width=640

Height=480

BitsPerPixels=32

RefreshRate=60

 

[sound Options]

Music Volume=76

Voiceover Volume=81

Sound Effects Volume=75

Movie Volume=79

Number 3D Voices=30

Number 2D Voices=64

2D3D Bias=1.50

EAX=2

Sound Init=0

Disable Sound=0

Force Software=0

 

[Graphics Options]

Anisotropy=2

Frame Buffer=0

Grass=1

Soft Shadows=0

Shadows=1

Brightness=57

EnableHardwareMouse=1

FullScreen=1

RefreshRate=60

Width=1280

Height=1024

V-Sync=0

Texture Quality=2

Anti Aliasing=2

Emitters=1

 

[Game Options]

UnlockedPlanetSongs=2047

Enable Tooltips=1

Keyboard Camera Deceleration=2000.000000

Keyboard Camera Acceleration=500.000000

Keyboard Camera DPS=200.000000

TextureVariation=6

BodyVariation=9

AppearanceType=101

PCGender=1

GameCompleted=0

CurSithLord=2

Hide InGame GUI=0

Use Small Fonts=0

Hide Unequippable=0

Tutorial Popups=1

Subtitles=1

Mini Map=1

Floating Numbers=1

Status Summary=1

Enable Mouse Teleporting To Buttons=1

Mouse Sensitivity=44

Difficulty Level=1

Auto Level Up NPCs=0

Mouse Look=0

AutoSave=1

EnableScreenShot=0

Reverse Mouse Buttons=0

Reverse Ingame YAxis=0

Reverse Minigame YAxis=0

Combat Movement=1

TooltipDelay Sec=1

Disable Movies=0

 

I'm annoyed that my system cant display these effects.

 

Any advice appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[Snard]

Hello Homer.

 

Well, for one thing, the warning you got after the hardware scan-that was a warning that your graphics card doesn't meet the requirements of the game. The thing is, the game can run with that graphics card, it just comes up with that warning because it is newer than the versions of the graphics cards that were released as of K2's release, so no worries there.

 

As for the flickering screen, I have no idea. It has never happened to me before. Try tuning down the Resolution and maybe turn V-Sync on.

 

Hope this helped

[Q]

Homer, you need to do the Dantooine lag fix:

• First, figure out where the .ini is installed. Default is "C:\Program Files\Lucasarts\swkotor(2)\swkotor(2).ini". If its not in that location, then your going to have to do some searching around on the hard drive a bit.
  
• When you find it, just double-click on the file to open it in Notepad.
  
• Scroll down the file until you find the Graphics Options
  
• Under the last line ("last line" as in the last line of the list of entries under "Graphics Options", NOT the last line of "swkotor(2).ini"), add "Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1", without the quotes.
  
• Goto File, then Save.

[Jedi Homer]

Thanks Snard and Q.

 

Playing around with this I noticed that the flickering is also present with the loading screens too.

 

I added 'Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1' to the end of the graphic options but no joy.

 

I tried the three other resolutions available to me 1280x960, 1024x768, 800x600, with Vsync on and off and with Q's solution. Still same problem.

 

However this is weird with both 'soft shadows' and 'frame buffer effects' enabled the flickering got better. Its still there and annoying but not as bad.

 

I am wondering why 1600x1200 isn't available do you think this might have anything to do with it?

 

Also my card is by Asus, dont know if thats relevant,

 

I suppose that I should gather from this that 99.9% of Nvidia cards run this with no problems.

 

By the way could someone tell me an obvious frame buffer effect so I can check to see if they are on when I enable them.

 

Once again thanks for the prompt responses and the suggestions. Much appreciated.

[Q]

Read through this thread and patch the game to your native resolution and see if that helps.

[Jedi Homer]

EUREKA! I've got it!

 

After my last post the penny dropped that I hadn't explored the Asus angle. I had been to Nvidia, Lucasarts etc.

 

Asus installed a couple of little programs with my card: Splendid Video and Gamer OSD (captures screen shots and videos of gameplay). Never knew OSD was there, and Splendid I thought was a watermark that I couldnt get rid of, anyway they operate in the background. OSD is the culprit though.

 

So I disabled them and now I can enable both soft shadows and frame buffer effects without flickering .

 

I also removed the 'disable vertex buffer objects=1' from the .ini and it works fine still.

 

Remembered that a frame buffer effect is the speed blur. Just tested it using Master Speed; got the blur.

 

Lesson: use just the drivers from Nvidia, DON'T let programs from the card retailer install.

 

Anyway if anyone else has this problem the way to solve it is:

 

Right click on desktop->properties->settings->advanced-> Asus tab and disable Gamer OSD.

 

Phew .

 

Thanks for the quick response Q. I still dont have the 1600x1200 option available and I guess your patching solution is the only way I will get my proper resolution 1680x1050.

[Q]

I also removed the 'disable vertex buffer objects=1' from the .ini and it works fine still.

Maybe for now, but I'd keep it in there just the same.

 

I do.

Thanks for the quick response Q. I still dont have the 1600x1200 option available and I guess your patching solution is the only way I will get my proper resolution 1680x1050.

It is the only way, unless you're handy with a hex editor.

 

Make sure that you change the width and height values in the .ini like I mentioned in that thread. Incidentally, that's also how to get 1600x1200.

[Jedi Homer]

Maybe for now, but I'd keep it in there just the same.

 

I do.

 

Good advice. Done.

 

 

Make sure that you change the width and height values in the .ini like I mentioned in that thread. Incidentally, that's also how to get 1600x1200.

 

Will do, now that makes sense.

 

Thanks for all you're advice and support Q, its much appreciated.

 

Cheers.