Since it stirred up a few posts worth of talk in the What Are You Playing topic, I thought I would make the Kotor games a thread of their own.

I'll start with some handy tips for playing them on a modern computer. First off getting them to install on a 64 bit OS is probably not likely. But Gog.com has them for $10 each, and their installs will work on Windows 7 (I haven't tried them on my Win 8 tablet, and I don't have Win 10, but I am sure they work on those OSes as well). There are probably some modder-built installers floating around the internets if you still have the old cds as well.

In any case, neither game can do 1920 x 1080 resolution out of the box. But you can get it on each.


The only way I know for Kotor 1 is to use Flawless Widescreen. You have to start it first, select the Kotor profile, and leave it running. Then start Kotor 1 itself and go to the graphics options to set the resolution there to anything different from what you find it. 1920 x 1080 won't be there the first time you try. But change the resolution to something anyway. Flawless Widescreen is a memory hack, that detects the change in resolutions and then tries to add in the higher resolutions. Exit the game, restart it, and 1920 x 1080 might be there the second time. If not, go for a third time, etc... Sometimes it comes up the second time. Sometimes even after six or seven times it does not. If I go that long I turn off Flawless Widescreen and open it again. Usually then the next time you start Kotor you have the higher resolutions. Sadly, you have to do this every time you play the game.

Okay, I found an update to running Kotor 1 at high resolution. Make a backup copy of your Swkotor.exe file. Download the KotOR High Resolution Menus 1.4. Then copy the 3 hires_patcher files to your main Kotor folder. Run the bat file. It will ask you four questions, such as the width, height, etc... that you want. Then go back to the file you downloaded, and navigate to the folder of the screen size you want. They will first be in ratios like 16-9, and so on. Drill down until you find the one you want. Then copy the files over to your Kotor\Override folder. Done! The menus in the game will look really big. But the hud will be visible in gameplay.

Now a year later, I am having problems with even this method. It just is not working anymore, and I do not know why. But what I did find that works is to download the latest version of Flawless Widescreen here. I used the x86 version. Run that and select the Kotor 1 profile. Then start Kotor 1, go to the graphics options, and 1920 x 1080 will be there for you to change to.

You only have to change the graphics options once. But you do have to start Flawless Widescreen every time, before you start Kotor. It is a bit more convenient than the old way of using Flawless Widescreen however.





Kotor 2 has a slightly more complicated fix, but at least you only have to do it once, and then you will always have the high resolution.

Start the game and set it to the highest resolution available, then exit it.

Run the Universal Widescreen Patcher. Select the Kotor2 profile, tell it where the game is on the computer, and put in the resolution you want (1920 x 1080).

Go to your Kotor 2 folder and open swkotor2.ini file.

Set the following:
Under
[Display Options]
Width=1920
Height=1080

Under
[Graphics Options]
Width=1920
Height=1080

Copy the Widescreen UI Fix to the Kotor2\Override folder.

Done!


Steam has the revamped version of Kotor 2 done by Aspyr. It has the advantage of high resolutions built in without need of all the work above. But other than that it does not really add anything I personally care about. It is all Steam achievements, Steam cloud saves, controller support, and so on. The native 5k support would be handy for folks like ghastley that use multiple monitors though. But I think that can be done as with a hack (not positive though). I am glad I did not buy it this way, as I got everything I wanted from the Gog version, without the added joy of DRM.



On to mods.
Kotor 1 & 2
Kotor Tool - A modding tool that allows you to extract and mod the game's files.

Kotor Savegame Editor - A savegame editor that allows you to modify all of your stats, and those of your companions. It works on both games. One really cool thing about it is that it allows you to edit your inventory, and modded items will show up in the editor. So you don't need to use the command console to add them within the game.


Kotor 1
Lightsaber Choices - When you construct your lightsaber on Dantoine, this mod gives you more options in the choice of your color crystal, what type of saber (standard, short, or double), and lets you create a second one too if you want to dual wield.

90SK's K1 Robes - changes the look of the jedi robes, based on the Bastila robes. A big improvement over the vanilla look.

Deadly Stream has a huge amount of Kotor mods. Of course there is a Kotor 1 Nexus site, and Gamewatcher has a few Kotor 1 mods


Kotor 2
First and foremost is the Sith Lords Restored Content Mod, which puts a ton of stuff back into that game that never got used in the release version. I am using it now for the first time, but since I have not gotten far, I cannot say just how much it really changes. It sounds like it adds an awful lot though.

Again Deadly Stream has a bunch of Kotor 2 mods. The Nexus has a Kotor 2 site and Gamewatcher has a Kotor 2 mod site as well.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Dec 15 2020, 04:10 AM

The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be... fun!

I think she always ended up playing a Dark Sider.

I usually played Sentinels, because they had a good balance of feats and force powers, and decent access to skills. A few years ago I learned how to mod the game, and made all the skills Class Skills. After that I tried playing a Guardian, and I had a blast! I love their class leap ability. I don't think there is any distance restriction. You don't need a ranged attack. It is just bam! and you are right in the bad guy's faces from across the map.

When I get to playing it with January, that will probably be her class. With lightning. At least I think you can still use force lightning with a Light Side character. I think it just costs more to use?

Yeah! With Scoundrel, the jump attack counts as sneak attack!!! That’s one reason why I’m curious to play as a Scoundrel/Guardian.

So I got KotOR II yesterday from GOG during the May the 4th sale. I cannot get the Universal Widescreen patcher to work! I followed basically the same procedure I did for KotOR I but I don’t get an option to change the resolution to 1920x1080 in the game options. Also, the .ini edit won’t stay at 1920x1080, it keeps changing it back to whatever the stock highest setting is.

Did you also copy the Widescreen UI Fix to your override folder? It probably won't work without that.

Yep. That’s also part of the process for KotOR I.

I’ll keep researching and playing with it to see if I can get it fixed.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: May 5 2020, 07:04 PM

Found this video so I’ll see if it helps my situation after I get home from work.

*Edit: Update*
And of course it did not help at all.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: May 6 2020, 07:12 AM

UPDATE:

Damnit!! Curse my ADD!!! I was putting in 1290 instead of 1920!!! It works fine now!

So, an ID10T error then...

Lol exactly

So how has the Kotoring been going? I'd like to hear more about your experiments with various classes and how they worked out. Especially the Scoundrel/Guardian.

Wall o’text incoming!!

Lol, well, in KotOR, I’m currently playing a mod that lets you start off as one of the Jedi classes right when you wake up on the Endar Spire. I don’t know if you are familiar with it, but the way it works is kinda wonky. When you start the game you pick Soldier, Scout, or Scoundrel as usual. Then when you wake up, you immediately pick a Jedi class. You are technically an “apprentice” at that point and when you get to Dantooine you undergo your Padawan training like you normally would. Here though, you could change your Jedi class if you wanted to, which could make for some interesting multiclasses. I decided to play through as a Scoundrel1/Sentinel. Taris was ridiculously easy (I didn’t use lightsabers until after Bastilla joined our squad to role play trying to keep as low a profile as possible), as was Dantooine. We breezed through the first part of Tatooine and are currently in the Eastern Dune Sea about to do the stuff there. It’s kinda good that I’m breezing through the game because I’m wanting to play a Twi’lek Exile in KotOR 2 (a Twi’lek in KotOR 1 doesn’t make sense because I would imagine it would be difficult to cram those head tails into a Mandalorian helmet ), and also my attention has been pulled away to BATTLETECH as I’m trying out a mod that advances the timeline to 3062 and let’s you play with Clan mechs and technology!!

I will say I settled on Scoundrel 5/Sentinel 15 before deciding to try this mod. The Sentinel gives you the most skill points of any Jedi class which I want in order to increase both persuasion and Repair for the HK stuff. It also has a good balance between hp and feats, and force points and powers, which I know you are already well aware of. I’m trying to maintain a neutral or “Grey” alignment. I strongly considered Scoundrel 7/ Guardian 13, but decided against it since I wasn’t going for a Darkside alignment (you get a melee damage bonus for being all the way Darkside). 7 in scoundrel allows for strong Scoundrel’s Luck and Sneak Attack. Guardian is light on force points and powers but gives you more health, feats, and gives you the jump attack that takes advantage of your sneak attack bonus. It’s fun jumping around the battlefield like some kind of brutal grasshopper!

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Jun 2 2020, 06:19 AM

I have seen that Jedi from the start mod. But I never tried it. It sounds too overpowered. I mean, Carth by himself could probably clear out all of Taris. With a Jedi along for the ride...

Whenever I play it again, I might try the Scoundrel/Guardian. I read about it some more today.

So what are you doing for your weapons and attack powers? Are you still doing dual blades and Power Attack or Flurry?

Yeah I’m currently doing dual sabers, one regular and one short (orange and silver, respectively . I’ll probably go all silver as soon as (if) I get another silver crystal.), with all 3 two handed feats. Primarily using flurry for the extra attack, and for force powers I’m focusing on buffs, while the other Jedi set up stuns which I can capitalize on with sneak attack.

Two sabers + Flurry + Force Speed = Yikes!

Indeed!

Okay, I found an update to running Kotor 1 at high resolution. Make a backup copy of your Swkotor.exe file. Download the KotOR High Resolution Menus 1.4. Then copy the 3 hires_patcher files to your main Kotor folder. Run the bat file. It will ask you four questions, such as the width, height, etc... that you want. Then go back to the file you downloaded, and navigate to the folder of the screen size you want. They will first be in ratios like 16-9, and so on. Drill down until you find the one you want. Then copy the files over to your Kotor\Override folder. Done! The menus in the game will look really big. But the hud will be visible in gameplay.

An article discussing a hypothetical third entry in the KotOR series. Personally, I think that ship has jumped to hyperspace, but who knows? I honestly didn’t think we’d get a sequel to VtM:B.

The world has been ready for Kotor 3 for 15 years. So I don't think there will ever be a sequel either. Especially not with EA making all the Star Wars games.

I’m not sure that’s as important as the House of Mouse being overly protective of the franchise. EA could easily put BioWare to work on a new KotOR, but Disney would need to sign off on it, which they’ve shown no interest in doing.