Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

Developer(s)	Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher(s)	LucasArts
Engine	Odyssey
First release date	February 8, 2005

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	2003
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords	2005
Star Wars: The Old Republic	2011

Key points

Commonly referred to as 'KOTOR 2' or 'TSL'.

Patching restored content and widescreen resolution patching is highly recommended for both retail and Steam versions.

Steam version has better compatibility than the retail version.

Retail version installation is cumbersome (only available as x4 CDs), requires a number of workarounds, and is relatively rare to acquire.

General information

Obsidian Forum.

Steam Game Hub Discussion.

Steam Forum.

LucasForums.

Availability

Source(s)	Store unlock	Notes
Collection		Includes KOTOR 1. Requires disk check. Fully patched and compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7.
Retail		Requires disk check. Requires significant patching and tweaking. Only available as x4 CDs.
Steam		Patched to work on modern operating systems.

Collection (retail)

Knights of the Old Republic Collection is a collection of KOTOR 1 and 2, and is available through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Game data

Default install directories

	Location
Retail	C:\Program Files (x86)\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\
Steam	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Knights of the Old Republic II\

Save game location

	Location
Windows retail version	%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\Saves\
Windows Steam version	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Knights of the Old Republic II\Saves\

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GameSave Manager		In the database.

Video settings

16:9 ratio screenshot, with stretched HUD elements.

Resolutions of 1366x768 and under do not display dialogue below correctly.

Patching to widescreen using UniWS.

Graphics option	Native	Notes
Widescreen resolution		Widescreen is hackable, but 1366x768 and under is not supported.
Multi-monitor		Unsupported.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		Add AllowWindowedMode=1 under [Graphics Options] in swkotor2.ini and make sure FullScreen=0.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Hacks will make mouse cursor inaccurate.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)		External vsync will cause performance issues.

TweakGuides has created a comprehensive guide for fixing issues in this game. It can be found here.

Widescreen resolution

KOTOR2 natively supports 4:3 resolutions only.

Widescreen fixes will break the minimap location reporting, which can be solved using the minimap fix.

Widescreen fixes resolutions of 1366x768 and under will not display dialogue option text correctly and are unplayable.

Steam widescreen

Only widescreen hack method which works on Steam version.

Works by replacing the updated Steam exe to an older one to allow UniWS to work, which reverts to a slightly older version of the game with some bugs.

Steam widescreen using Squizzy and UniWS • Link Run the game, and set in-game resolution to 1280x960 (this allows a custom resolution to be selected externally). Download Squizzy Kotor2 Resolution Patcher. This is simply to extract an exe compatible with UniWS, not to use the resolution patching function. Extract the new swkotor2.exe, replacing the file in the game directory: C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Knights of the Old Republic II\ Download UniWS. Run the resolution patcher, select game Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords Set the desired resolution and click 'patch'. Check swkotor.ini has the desired resolution (under the [Display Options] and [Graphics Options] headers): [Display Options] Width=1920 Height=1080 [Graphics Options] Height=1080 Width=1920

Retail widescreen

Retail widescreen using UniWS • Link Run the game, and set in-game resolution to 1280x960 (this allows a custom resolution to be selected externally). Download UniWS. Run the resolution patcher, select game Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords Set the desired resolution and click 'patch'. Check swkotor.ini has the desired resolution (under the [Display Options] and [Graphics Options] headers): [Display Options] Width=1920 Height=1080 [Graphics Options] Height=1080p Width=1920

Widescreen minimap problem

Unfortunately other UI elements will be stretched in widescreen, there are no other fixes.

Fix minimap location • Link After applying a widescreen resolution, the HUD elements will be streched and the minimap will not report the correct location. 1) Download the HUD fix for either 16:9 resolutions or 16:10 resolutions. 2) Unzip and place the mipc28x6_p.gui file in the \Override\ folder.

Dialogue options won't display

Dialogue options will not display on vertical resolutions of 1366x768 or below.

Increase resolution to 1366x785 • Link This causes some of the screen to be cut off at the top. Slightly mouse hotspot inaccuracy. Using the #Steam_widescreen_using_Squizzy_and_UniWS, set the resolution to 1366x785. Check swkotor.ini has the desired resolution (under the [Display Options] and [Graphics Options] headers): [Display Options] Width=1366 Height=785 [Graphics Options] Height=785 Width=1366

Input settings

Sample Pinnacle controller profile.

Input Settings	Native	Notes
Remapping
Controller support		Not natively supported.

Controller

Controller is not natively supported.

Pinnacle controller profile • Link A Pinnacle profile created by user Cid is available to use.

Improvements

Menu confirming that TSLRCM is installed.

Restored content: Dxun Revisited.

The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod (TSLRCM)

PCGamingWiki file mirror.

Restored content information at Star Wars Fanpedia.

Unlike other KOTOR 2 mods, the TSLRCM does not need to be installed in the \Override\ folder. Simply extract to the root folder of the game.

Successfully installed mod will result in updated splash screen.

Highly recommended patch restores cut content from the game.

Version 1.8.2 now supports M4-78 Enhancement Project which restores 'droid planet' content.

Disable Steam automatic updates • Link Prevents Steam from overwriting the mod changes. 1) Right click on the game in the library, and click 'Properties'. 2) In the updates tab, select 'Do not automatically update this game'.

Skip intro logos

Delete or rename files • Link Delete or rename the files: leclogo.bik ObsidianEnt.bik Legal.bik

Issues fixed

Error fixable by going into windowed mode or by changing NVIDIA Control Panel settings.

'Stopped working'

Error occurs after the company logos and before the main menu, or after clicking on 'Load Game' from the main menu.

Full error message: 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords has stopped working'.

Switch to windowed mode • Link Switching to windowed mode sometimes fixes this issue.

Activate discrete graphics card • Link Make sure non-Intel graphics card is being used. Intel integrated graphics seems to work for the Steam version but not the retail version in some cases.

Change NVIDIA Control Panel settings • Link If you have a newer NVIDIA GPU and your game keeps crashing when you click 'Load Game' from the main menu, a detailed solution for this can be found here. The critical detail seems to be changing Threaded Optimization in the NVIDIA Control Panel to OFF

Stuttering or freezing after combat

This can be fixed by limiting maximum framerate.

Apply Vsync

Multi-core fix • Link If using a multi-core computer, you will need to set CPU single core affinity. 1) Right click on the shortcut and select 'Properties'. In the target box, type in: cmd /C start "SWKOTOR2" /D "C:\Program Files (x86)\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\" /high /affinity 1 "C:\Program Files (x86)\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\swkotor2.exe" Replace C:\Program Files (x86)\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\ with where your game install is located. E.g. If you're running 32bit it will be just C:\Program Files\....

Other information

Higher quality movies

Not required for Steam version or the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Collection 2 DVD re-release.

LucasArts released replacement upscaled cutscene videos.

Only benefits resolutions of 1600x1200 or higher, otherwise it defaults back to 640x480.

Higher quality movies install instructions • Link Install Update Patch - 1135 MB.

Higher quality music

Not required for Steam version or the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Collection 2 DVD re-release.

Original shipping audio quality: 11,025 Hz, this patch updates it to 44,100 Hz.

Higher quality music install instructions • Link Install Music Update Patch.

KOTOR and TSL Save Game Editor

KOTOR and TSL Save Game Editor (English Language Only) (3.3.3), also known as the 'KSE'.

Save game editor (cheat) works for both KOTOR 1 and 2.

The save game editor doesn't automatically detect the Steam version of KotOR2.

Choosing game location inside the KSE program • Link Right click the name of the game you want to edit (The Sith Lords). Navigate to proper directory. On Steam, default is (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps\Common\Knights Of the Old Republic II) Click OK

Steam registry • Link Use 'regedit' to add the appropriate keys. The editor searches for a string value named 'Path' under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LucasArts\KotOR2 This string should be located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\LucasArts\KotOR2 in 64-bit versions of Windows.

Low performance

Disable Vsync

Disable frame buffer effects

Low Frame Rate • Link If experiencing low frame rates from the Steam version of the game: 1) Navigate to game directory. By default it is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Knights of the Old Republic II 2) Locate file "swkotor2.ini 3) Edit and change "DisableVertexBufferObjects=1 under "[Graphics Options]" to "Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1

Retail installation for Windows 7

This guide is specifically written for the original retail version of the game.

All steps should be done with an administrator account.

Working on Windows 7 x64 bit.

Retail installation instructions • Link 1) Download and install the latest version of DirectX. 2) Insert the game disc, and ignore any auto play screens. 3) Open up the Start Menu and click on 'Computer'. Right click on the disc drive that has the game disc and select 'Explore'. 4) Right click on setup.exe and select 'Properties'. Click on 'Compatibility' and select the options 'Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)' and 'Run as Administrator'. 5) Run setup.exe and install the game as normal. The path where the game is normally installed is C:\Program Files (x86)\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\ 6) Apply the retail patches. Once the patches are downloaded, right click on the files, select 'Properties', and follow the same compatibility settings as was done on setup.exe. 7) Explore the hard drive and find the folder where you installed the game. Right click on the folder, select 'Properties', un-check 'Read-Only', then click 'Apply'. 8) Right click on every .exe file in the game folders and set the compatibility modes to the same as in step 4. 9) Right click on the kotor2.exe and select 'Create shortcut'. Move the shortcuts to your desktop. 10) This shortcut needs to be set to 'Run as Administrator'. To change the icon to the shortcut, click on 'Properties' and then 'Change icon'. A new box will open. Find your game folder and select the game .exe. To prevent the command window from popping up briefly while launching, under the shortcut properties change the 'Run' mode to 'Minimized'. 11) TSL Windows Vista Fix needs to be downloaded. 12) Extract TSL Windows Vista Fix and place the mss32.dll file in the game directory, overwriting the file of the same name.

Retail patches • Link Not required for Steam version. Retail autopatching servers have been shut down, and manual patching is required. Installation requires running the patch exe files in Windows XP Service Pack 3 compatibility mode as administrator. International versions only: 1.0a patch must be installed before 1.0b. US Patch. International Patches - for UK, French, German, Italian and Spanish versions of the game.

System requirements

Steam version

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7	Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 3 1GHz or AMD Athlon 1GHz	Intel Pentium 3 1GHz or AMD Athlon 1GHz
System memory (RAM)	2 GB	2 GB
Video card (GPU)	32MB with Hardware T&L DirectX 9.0b compatible	32MB with Hardware T&L DirectX 9.0b compatible
Hard disk drive (HDD)	5 GB	5 GB

Retail version

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	Windows 98/Windows 2000/Windows ME/Windows XP	Windows 98/Windows 2000/Windows ME/Windows XP
Processor (CPU)	1 GHz	1.6 GHz
System memory (RAM)	128 MB	512 MB
Video card (GPU)	32 MB Card	128 MB Card
Hard disk drive (HDD)	4 GB free	4 GB free