KOTOR 2 Movies cause crashes

[Shabutie]

So, I've installed my game as per the installation guide, and the game itself seems to work alright (no more crashing after the character creation, at least). However, now it seems that the movies make the game crash.

 

At first, it was trying to skip the movies that caused crashing (clicking while they played or removing the files from the movie folder) but watching them play out would work fine. Now, it's a crapshoot; sometimes watching them play works, other times the game crashes right after it finishes playing the logos, and sometimes it works as intended. At any rate, clicking "disable movies" works every time and I can play the game.

 

I'm willing to play minus FMVs if that's necessary, but it sure would be a bummer is there any way I can play with the movies without having to run the game a dozen times in a row?

 

Also, presuming I can play with movies, is there any way they can be viewed in widescreen and not tiny little video mode?

 

 

 

[OS]

Name=WinXP

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

Service Pack=Service Pack 2

Status=Pass

 

[swapFiles]

?:\pagefile.sys=0

 

[CPU]

CPUCount=4

CPUSpeed=2394

CPUFamily=6

CPUModel=10

CPUStepping=7

CPUVendor=Intel

CPUName= Intel® Core i5-2430M CPU @ 2.40GHz

Status=Pass

 

[Memory]

RAM=1024

Status=Pass

 

[Disk Free Space]

C: (NTFS), UNICODE=192.35GB

D: (NTFS), UNICODE=3.14GB

P: (NTFS), UNICODE=192.35GB

Status=Pass

 

[CD-ROMs]

DriveLetters=E:\,F:\,G:\,J:\

Drives=MAT****A DVD-RAM UJ8B0,MAT****A DVD-RAM UJ8B0 ATA Device

 

[Video]

Video Card Name=RDPDD Chained DD

Video Memory=2048

Desktop Resolution=1366x768x32 @ 60Hz

DirectX=DirectX 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)

OpenGL Version=3.1.0 - Build 8.15.10.2761

OpenGL Vendor=Intel

OpenGL Renderer=Intel® HD Graphics 3000

Vid Card Status=Warning

Vid Card Driver Status=Pass

GL Status=Pass

DX Status=Pass

 

[Audio]

Sound Card Name=Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)

Status=Pass

 

 

;Game Options from swkotor2.ini

 

[Display Options]

FullScreen=1

Disable Movies=0

Disable Intro Movies=0

Sort Modules=1

Width=1024

Height=768

BitsPerPixels=32

RefreshRate=60

 

[sound Options]

Music Volume=85

Voiceover Volume=85

Sound Effects Volume=85

Movie Volume=85

Number 3D Voices=32

Number 2D Voices=32

2D3D Bias=1.00

Force Software=0

EAX=0

Sound Init=0

Disable Sound=0

 

[Graphics Options]

Grass=1

Shadows=1

EnableHardwareMouse=1

FullScreen=0

RefreshRate=60

Width=1024

Height=768

Emitters=1

Anisotropy=1

Frame Buffer=0

Soft Shadows=0

Brightness=57

V-Sync=0

Texture Quality=2

Anti Aliasing=0

Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1

 

[Game Options]

UnlockedPlanetSongs=1

Enable Tooltips=0

Keyboard Camera Deceleration=2000.000000

Keyboard Camera Acceleration=500.000000

Keyboard Camera DPS=200.000000

TextureVariation=0

BodyVariation=0

AppearanceType=0

PCGender=0

GameCompleted=0

CurSithLord=0

Hide InGame GUI=0

Use Small Fonts=0

Hide Unequippable=0

Tutorial Popups=0

Subtitles=1

Mini Map=1

Floating Numbers=1

Status Summary=1

Enable Mouse Teleporting To Buttons=1

Mouse Sensitivity=44

Difficulty Level=0

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

[Q]

1) Did you patch the game?

 

2) Did you install the "high-quality" movies patch?

 

3) Is 640x480 among the supported resolutions in your graphics driver control panel?

 

4) KotOR 2 supports 1280x768 natively. All you have to do is change the width and height values under both [Display Options] and [Graphics Options] in the swkotor2.ini file.

[Shabutie]

1) Did you patch the game?

 

2) Did you install the "high-quality" movies patch?

 

3) Is 640x480 among the supported resolutions in your graphics driver control panel?

 

4) KotOR 2 supports 1280x768 natively. All you have to do is change the width and height values under both [Display Options] and [Graphics Options] in the swkotor2.ini file.

 

Yes, the game is patched. I have the UK version, and used the 2-part patch for that version.

 

I do not have that patch, unless that is supposed to be a part of the aforementioned patch.

 

I cannot find anything to confirm or deny that in my control panel. I have the Intel HD Graphics 3000 Chipset with the latest drivers and I had thought that, like the flipping policy, it was simply not something the latest drivers had as viewable. I'm not especially savvy, though, so I suppose it's possible I just don't know where to look.

 

I'll have to try that, then. I wonder if it's not an issue with changing resolutions between gameplay and the FMVs; I can tell the game is not going to crash after the opening FMVs when I get the little message bubble alerting me that the game uses a resolution less than my screen's full resolution. I'll have to do a little experimenting.

 

EDIT: For clarity's sake, I feel that I should mention that so long as "disable movies" is checked in the configuration menu, the game runs fine. I just played it for a few hours today. It's just that it tends to crash more often than not if the FMVs play, and it always crashes if I try to manually skip it.

[Shabutie]

After some experimenting, it seems that the game doesn't want to respond to the changes I've made to the .ini file. If I change the display and the graphics options, the game reverts to 800x600 and it only wants to accept changes made by the configuration tool (which only lets me choose 800x600 and 1024x768). If I change the .ini file to not display movies or vice versa it ignores it unless I change the same option in the configuration tool.

 

EDIT: Scratch that; apparently I've got to move the .ini to my desktop and back for the game to accept my changes. I've never had to do that before, and I've been around the block. The Sith Lords is weird.

 

EDIT EDIT: More experimentation shows that the game will play in 1280x768 if I change the options in the .ini, but the videos remain in 800x600. The videos still cause crashes, though, and I can't disable them but from the configuration tool. Altering the .ini to do that does nothing.

[Q]

Sounds like it could be a scaling issue, or maybe the Vista fix might not have been installed correctly.

 

Try downloading and installing the improved movies. It's a huge download, in 6 parts, so make sure you back it up somewhere. There's also an improved music patch that isn't nearly as big.

 

Put the files you downloaded into the game folder and run the executables. I always set any .exe having to do with these games to run in XP SP2 compatibility mode as an administrator just to be safe. After they're done installing, you can delete them.

[Shabutie]

Sounds like it could be a scaling issue, or maybe the Vista fix might not have been installed correctly.

 

Try downloading and installing the improved movies. It's a huge download, in 6 parts, so make sure you back it up somewhere. There's also an improved music patch that isn't nearly as big.

 

Put the files you downloaded into the game folder and run the executables. I always set any .exe having to do with these games to run in XP SP2 compatibility mode as an administrator just to be safe. After they're done installing, you can delete them.

 

Still no luck. Oh, well, it's no big loss. I can still play anyways, which is further than some people ever get. Thanks for the help, though.

[Q]

I still think that your HD 3000 GPU is either not rendering or not scaling the movies correctly. Try messing around with the scaling options in your Intel graphics driver control panel.

[Shabutie]

Still nothing doing. I've adjusted my screen resolution, and flipped through every scaling option the control panel provided me, but the videos still display in 800x600 and cause crashes.

[thejman217]

Try downloading "The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod" v1.8 found here:

 

http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-sith-lords-restored-content-mod-tslrcm/downloads/tslrcm-18

 

It's a self extracting .exe so it should automatically install once downloaded (unless you dont want it to).

 

It fixes MANY, MANY bugs to KotOR 2 and restores all cut content from the game.

 

While this is maybe not the most likely solution to your situation, I would still try it. It fixed all my bugs, and maybe it can for you too. Hope this helped.

[Shabutie]

Oh, that was the very first thing I downloaded. In fact, I ordered my PC copy last week when I saw that the 1.8 version was out. I'm a veteran of KOTOR II on the Xbox, and I just had to see the game in a complete state.

 

In fact, related anecdote: The first time I ever played KOTOR II was when I rented it from a local store. The disc was scratched, naturally, but the game played without a hitch except for the fact that it wouldn't show the FMVs. Since it was the first time I'd ever played it I couldn't tell the difference except for the fact that I was pretty confused in some scenes. However, the game would freeze when you try to go to the merchant quarter on Onderon, making it unplayable. I rushed out the next day and bought a copy.

[thejman217]

So youre saying you already have TSLRCM 1.8 downloaded and installed on your PC version of KotOR 2?

[Shabutie]

Yes, I installed the game, made sure that it ran by playing through the prologue once (after spending an hour or so fooling around with the FMVs to see if they were in fact causing the crash) and then I downloaded TSLRCM 1.8 and have been playing ever since. The FMVs still cause crashes, though.

[thejman217]

Hmmm. Have you ever played the game before on the computer you are using now without any problems?

[Shabutie]

This is the first time I've ever played it on the computer period.

[thejman217]

Hmmm ok. Try this:

 

http://lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=210539

 

It's a link to a post on the forums made by "Andytizer". It was posted today in fact.

 

On that post is a link that should help you solve your problems.

[Shabutie]

Nope, nothing doing. Most of that didn't apply to me, anyways. Thought the widescreen patch might help, but that, too, did nothing.

[thejman217]

Are you running a single core or multi core computer?

[Shabutie]

Intel Core i5, quad-core processor.

 

It's on a Windows 7 machine, though, and the consensus seems to be that Windows 7 automatically sets core affinity.

[Q]

It does for KotOR 2, yes; not for KotOR 1.

[thejman217]

Intel Core i5, quad-core processor.

 

Do you know how to set affinity?

 

If you do, you need to set affinity, because KotOR games normally don't like multi-core computers. Set your affinity to only one core. You need to do that everytime you start the game.

[Shabutie]

It does for KotOR 2, yes; not for KotOR 1.

 

Do you know how to set affinity?

 

If you do, you need to set affinity, because KotOR games normally don't like multi-core computers. Set your affinity to only one core. You need to do that everytime you start the game.

 

I am playing Kotor 2, so apparently Windows 7 already does that. I just finished the game yesterday, and there were very few crashes to speak of across the course of twenty odd hours.

[thejman217]

I am playing Kotor 2, so apparently Windows 7 already does that. I just finished the game yesterday, and there were very few crashes to speak of across the course of twenty odd hours.

 

You played the game for 20 hours straight????!!!!!

 

EDIT

Wait, when you are playing KotOR II, does your computer seem to overheat a lot or no?

[Shabutie]

I played 20 hours cumulatively, for a single playthrough. Across that, I could probably count on one hand the number of times the game crashed randomly, for a reason that I couldn't readily determine. It played fairly well.

 

And, no, my computer doesn't overheat. I can feel it venting more heat than otherwise, as is typical with games, but at no point did my computer experience any performance issues due to overheating.

[thejman217]

Haha oh ok. Well it's good to hear that it didn't randomly crash. How old is your graphics card?

[Shabutie]

It's not very old at all. It's an Intel HD Graphics 3000 GPU that came with my laptop I bought just last November. Updated the drivers and everything before installing the game.

 

KOTOR 1 plays absolutely fine, FMVs and all, but KOTOR 2 wants to be stubborn.