Kotor, The Knights of the Old Repulic 1 & 2 topic Options

[SubRosa]

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

[Destri Melarg]

Sorry if this debate has run its course, but...

This has turned into a fascinating debate. SubRosa articulated my feelings on the subject perfectly, so I won't just parrot what she has already said. The logic behind the teachings of the order don't concern me as much as their tendency to run from their stated purpose of protecting the Republic. For the most part the Jedi who left to join the Mandalorian Wars weren't succumbing to their baser emotions, they were simply trying to fulfill their purpose as Jedi. And, instead of embracing these young Jedi the Order chose to shun them. The Exile didn't fall to the dark side, yet she (because she is always female in my mind) was shunned by the Order as well. That wasn't the Order protecting itself, that was the Order acting out in a fit of pique... and it smacks as so hypocritical that it makes me hate the Jedi by the end of the game, even when I play a light character.

Wasn't it mentioned somewhere in the KotOR games that the Jedi Council thought there was something else behind the war with the Mandalorians? It's been a while since I played them, so I'm not quite sure. It probably would have been KotOR2.

As for the Exile, she(it's actually canon that the exile was female) had a very particular affliction. She was a wound in the force, the same kind of phenomenon that we see in Darth's Nihlus and Sion. What's said about her by the Jedi Masters in KotOR2 makes it very clear that there was something very wrong with her, something that couldn't be cured, which was as much the reason for her being exiled as her actions. By the time she reached the Council she couldn't even feel the Force anymore, because of it.

As I recall they did feel that there was something behind the Mandalorian threat and they used that feeling as the reason they wouldn't commit to war. I'm curious, do you honestly believe that instinct (or force vision, intuition, etc) minus proof somehow absolves them for the billions that died under their so-called protection?

Thank you both for the clarification. I honestly didn’t know that the Exile was considered female.

On point, I was under the impression that her connection to the force was severed on Malachor V, and that the wound you speak of was created there both by her actions, and by the things that she witnessed. Like you I am going strictly from memory, so let me know if I’m wrong. The Jedi Masters discomfort with her started early in her training, as I remember it. It had something to do with her ability to form connections through the force (which sounds a lot like petty jealousy when you really stop to think about it… especially from 'Master' Vrook ).

All that aside, as of the time of KOTOR 2 there are only two known beings in the galaxy designated as so-called ‘wounds in the force’, The Exile and Darth Nihlus. Knowing what we do of the nature of balance within the force, isn’t it an obvious supposition that the Exile represents light to Nihlus’ darkness? Yet, without even considering that possibility the Jedi Masters take it upon themselves to attempt to permanently sever her connection to the force (which, we are told, is a fate worse than death to a force sensitive) because she possesses a power they cannot quantify or control. Earlier some of these same ‘Masters’ chose to destroy Revan’s mind and replace it with another because he has gone beyond their ability to manipulate and control.

Of course the above is an interpretation on my part, but it is an interpretation that is informed by the events of the game.

Luke reacted the same way to the test and to the vision. He freaked out, and let his fear push him into reckless action. He only survived the fight with Vader because Vader wanted to turn him to the dark side rather than kill him. Luke simply wasn't ready for the fight, which is why Yoda wanted him to finish his training. If Vader had wanted Luke dead, Luke wouldn't have stood a chance at that point.

I think you're misunderstanding me. I’m not arguing that Luke was in any way ready to face Vader, He clearly wasn’t. I’m saying that choosing to act and choosing to face Vader (rather than the alternative) did more for his training as a Jedi that ten years of lifting X-Wings on Dagobah would have. You said yourself (and the events of the film tells us) that he was ready to be a full Jedi by the time he returned to Dagobah... without any further training from Yoda.

But it should be noted that Revan, in some small way, did manage to fight the compulsion placed on him, unlike Malak. Hints are dropped, in KotOR2 I believe(I think the Handmaiden mentions it, maybe Kreia too), that Revan's campaign against the Republic was waged in such a way as to preserve certain levels of infrastructure. It's implied he might actually have been intending to conquer the galaxy to keep something else from doing so, though that's speculation. But, as with just about every Jedi hero in the games, Revan is made out to be something special.

I remember that exact phrase too, so I don't think you're speculating. If so that goes a long way to support what 'Rosa is saying about the success Revan could have had resisting the lure of the dark side if he could have turned to the Council (though, of course, not to 'Master' Vrook ).

Oh and a very happy belated birthday to you, Callidus.

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Dec 1 2015, 08:54 AM

[Callidus Thorn]

Sorry if this debate has run its course, but...

Heh, I could talk Star Wars all day

As I recall they did feel that there was something behind the Mandalorian threat and they used that feeling as the reason they wouldn't commit to war. I'm curious, do you honestly believe that instinct (or force vision, intuition, etc) minus proof somehow absolves them for the billions that died under their so-called protection?

But they had proof that something wasn't right. the Mandalorians weren't waging a war of conquest, but actively seeking to draw the Republic into battle. And went to some lengths to do so. And why? To fight the inferior warriors of the Republic? No, they wanted to fight the Jedi. But to what end? To see who were the better warriors? To test themselves? Or for some darker, unknown purpose? I believe both Mandalore and Kreia both say that it wasn't the Republic that was important, but the Jedi, so the Council was right to hold back to try and understand why the Mandalorians wanted to fight the Jedi.

Charging into a conflict without understanding it is a sure way to get in over your head. Which is exactly what happened to Revan.

On point, I was under the impression that her connection to the force was severed on Malachor V, and that the wound you speak of was created there both by her actions, and by the things that she witnessed. Like you I am going strictly from memory, so let me know if I’m wrong. The Jedi Masters discomfort with her started early in her training, as I remember it. It had something to do with her ability to form connections through the force (which sounds a lot like petty jealousy when you really stop to think about it… especially from 'Master' Vrook ).

All that aside, as of the time of KOTOR 2 there are only two known beings in the galaxy designated as so-called ‘wounds in the force’, The Exile and Darth Nihlus. Knowing what we do of the nature of balance within the force, isn’t it an obvious supposition that the Exile represents light to Nihlus’ darkness? Yet, without even considering that possibility the Jedi Masters take it upon themselves to attempt to permanently sever her connection to the force (which, we are told, is a fate worse than death to a force sensitive) because she possesses a power they cannot quantify or control. Earlier some of these same ‘Masters’ chose to destroy Revan’s mind and replace it with another because he has gone beyond their ability to manipulate and control.

Of course the above is an interpretation on my part, but it is an interpretation that is informed by the events of the game.

Yes, it was at Malachor V that the Exile was wounded(I guess that's the best term to use). The Jedi Masters might have been uncertain about training her, but in all honesty, I think that that's as much to make The Exile into the same sort of Nexus that Revan was. Kreia spoke of the bonds of loyalty, and implies that Revan used them to turn those who followed him, and the Exile was given something similar but more innate.

Iirc the Sith Assassins in KotOR2 were given training based off of Force wounds, letting them draw strength from their enemies. This likely played a sizable role in their success. The balance in the Force argument, to my mind, tends to be rather weak. They've got a Sith Lord running around with the capability to destroy entire planets, and I believe it's uncertain how much the Jedi knew about Nihlus at the time. But, as dangerous as Nihlus was, The Exile probably had even greater potential because of her forging connections that so unnerved the Masters. If we assume that they knew even a little about how Revan was turning Jedi during the Jedi Civil War(his process involved Wounds in the Force) then The Exile might have been able to turn anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Found something on Wookiepedia on it: Link

And it should be noted that The Exile had lived without the Force since Malachor V, so I don't see that it could be considered a fate worse than death to her. I mean, we literally see them regain their connection to the Force in KotOR2.

I remember that exact phrase too, so I don't think you're speculating. If so that goes a long way to support what 'Rosa is saying about the success Revan could have had resisting the lure of the dark side if he could have turned to the Council (though, of course, not to 'Master' Vrook tongue.gif ).

The problem with that line of thinking is that it wasn't a question of resisting the lure of the dark side. What the Sith Emperor did to Revan was similar to what the Jedi did to him after they captured him. It wasn't a fall to the dark side, it was having part of his mind effectively remade, a kind of Force-powered brainwashing, to turn him into a Sith. Compared to Malak, who destroyed Taris and wrecked Dantooine, he was fighting the compulsion placed upon him. But he was no more free of the dark side than Malak was, no less willing to wage war on the Republic than Malak was.

And whether or not he could have fought the compulsion if he met the Sith Emperor again is utterly unknown.

The only way the Jedi Civil War could have been avoided is if Revan had followed the Council. Because that's the only way he wouldn't have ended up finding the hidden Sith Empire.

Oh and a very happy belated birthday to you, Callidus.

Thank you.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 5 2020, 12:53 AM