TSL -- Force cage lag issue

[froglord 0]

Hi everyone - I have a very specific problem and I'm having trouble figuring out what to do about it.
 
So I'm still near the beginning of KOTOR 2 (just left Telos), and I keep running into an issue that I've narrowed down to being with the force cages. I've put the details at the bottom of this post but basically, when I'm on a map that has a force cage on it, turning my camera to face that direction tanks my frame rate, no matter where I am on the map, and no matter if the cage is on or off. It's fine if I'm not facing that specific direction, but that usually ends up with me running sideways and backwards into the camera, and generally I prefer being able to see where I'm going.

 

I guess I'd just like to know what my options are to fix this, and whether this is an issue with the force cage models themselves or the textures that run when the cages are on - or even something else entirely. I have TSLRCM installed through Steam, but that's it. Ideally I'd prefer a simpler fix of course, but I don't mind having to put in some extra work, even modding the game myself, if that's what it takes to fix this. I've listed everything I've done up to this point in spoiler tags below.

 

I'd really appreciate any help at all - I've pretty much exhausted everything I could think to do personally, and it wouldn't even be that huge a deal if this weren't my first playthrough, as I'd like to have the best experience possible. Thank you in advance for any ideas!

 

Troubleshooting:

 

 

Even before I had this issue I had the grass and shadows turned off preemptively because I'd had problems in the Taris Undercity in the first game; turning them back on just to check didn't make any difference. I run the game on medium graphics settings anyway because my laptop isn't exactly great, but turning them all the way down didn't have any effect on this specific problem. I have v-sync on and again, fiddling with it didn't do anything.

 

I went through all the recommended lag fixes I could find and none of them did anything: updating my display drivers, adjusting core affinity to run the game on a single core, setting higher priority, running as administrator, editing the .ini file, running in XP Compatibility Mode, reinstalling, even locking/unlocking the taskbar.

 

The lag started on Peragus, in the hallway after the security desk where Kreia starts talking to you telepathically to warn you about the droids in the next room. I hadn't had any lag at all before this specific hallway so I got through it by quick saving --> quick loading --> moving ~2m --> repeat, and everything was fine in the next room as long as I wasn't facing a certain direction - what I now know is the direction of the prison room. On Peragus outside the administrative level I had no issues - not even with the steam in the tunnels - and again, on the administrative level, it was fine as long as I wasn't facing the force cages. It was the same deal with Telos; every map that didn't have a force cage ran fine, but every map that did lagged to death when I was facing their direction.

 

 

Issue details:

 

 

So as I've said, the lag only kicks in when the camera's facing whatever direction the force cages are in, even if they're off or across the map, or when I'm in the same room as them. This also applies to dialogue - say my character is facing the cages, so that when the camera is on me it's facing away from the cages, and I'm talking to someone facing away from the cages, so that when the camera is on the npc it's facing the cages (i.e. me > < npc | cages, if that makes sense as a visual representation, where the small end of the <> is where the character faces and the large is where the camera faces). When the camera faces me, i.e. away from the cages, everything is fine. When the camera faces the npc however, i.e. towards the cages, the lag kicks in.

 

The lag is so bad that I get a single frame maybe every 4-5 seconds. I can pause, or open a menu, but it takes about that length of time to actually happen. Once I'm in the menu, everything moves as smoothly as normal, but the lag is still there when I close it. I can escape the lag if I hold my mouse to the edge of the screen and rotate away from the direction of the force cages, but that isn't always an option (e.g. dialogue), and it isn't always ideal or feasible (e.g. exploring a new area, not only to just see what it looks like but also to see what there is to interact with). I've only had to go through combat like this once or twice (the administrative level on Peragus, and the assassin that attacks you when you're first detained on Telos) and the game still goes through the motions, I'm just given no real indication of what's happening, because the image is refreshing slowly but the game processes aren't affected.

 

 

System and version info (just in case):

 

 

OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Version 10.0.14393 Build 14393

System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard

System Model: HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G1

System Type: x64-based PC

Processor: Intel® Core i7-3687U CPU @ 2.10GHz, 2601 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)

Installed Physical Memory (RAM): 12.0 GB

Intel® HD Graphics 4000

 

I'm running the current version off Steam, with the Steam version of TSLRCM installed.

 

 

Again, thank you everyone in advance for any ideas/advice!

[Sith Holocron 2,478]

Read this post. Follow the instructions. Bug reports with issues involving TSLRCM require the format in the linked thread. It is mandatory.

[bead-v 251]

Sith Holocron, I don't think the issue is TSLRCM-related.

 

froglord, have you tried turning off all the graphics settings including anti-aliasing, frame buffer, anisotropy... you didn't mention those. IIRC I've had trouble with Intel® HD Graphics 3000 in the past, and I specifically had to turn off the frame buffer..

[Kexikus 995]

You could also try to add

 

Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=0 or =1

 

to the [GraphicsOptions] of your swkotor2.ini. (I think it needs the spaces but try with and without them.)

To be honest I've no idea what this actually does, but it has been known to fix certain issues with the game^^ If someone could elaborate, I'd definetly appreciate it though.

[Sith Holocron 2,478]

Sith Holocron, I don't think the issue is TSLRCM-related.

Doesn't matter.  He's mentioning a bug and he mentions he's using TSLRCM.  That list asks all of the basic diagnostic questions so we don't have to answer the same ones over and over.  That's why the list is there in the first place . . . so we don't have to type this out over and over again!

[Ravao 0]

Hello everyone,

 

I was searching for this topic indeed. I have the same problem as froglord with or without the TSLRCM. Do you still want me to fill in the format?

 

By the way I turned off anti-aliasing, frame buffer and anisotropy. I also tried doing Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=0 or =1 and that didn't work either.

 

So to elaborate:

 

Massive frame rate loss when I get close and look into the direction of the force cage Atton is in at Peragus.

I know it's about the force cages since I used the camera option from the security desk in the security room on the administration level.

Whenever I try to     Access remote camera controls > Holding cells      it freezes the game. All other camera options are fine.

 

I also get a massive frame rate loss when Kreia tries to speak telapathically to me about the droids (re-establishing force connection) that are in the room next to the security desk. Presumably because I am close to the force cages. 

 

What's also strange is .. that I used to play this game perfectly fine. I haven't installed any mods, I am playing this game vanilla. I tried reinstalling the game a couple of times and that didn't work out either. I updated my graphic driver and that didn't work either.

 

Please help, I would love to play this great childhood game again.

[Sith Holocron 2,478]

Do you still want me to fill in the format?

Yes. Note the section marked "FOR ANY MODS OTHER THAN TSLRCM/M4-78EP!" and answer those questions.