Kotor Dantooine Graphics Glitch

If you are playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) on a modern PC, you may encounter a graphics glitch that causes black lines, distorted textures, and low frame rate on certain areas of the game, such as Dantooine and the Undercity of Taris. This glitch can make the game unplayable and ruin your experience of this classic RPG. Fortunately, there are some possible solutions that can help you fix this issue and enjoy the game as it was meant to be.

Causes of the Glitch

The graphics glitch is caused by a compatibility problem between the game engine and newer graphics cards, especially AMD cards. The game was released in 2003 and uses an old version of OpenGL that is not well supported by modern drivers. The game also uses a feature called Vertex Buffer Objects (VBO) that is supposed to improve performance, but actually causes graphical errors on newer hardware. The glitch is more noticeable on areas with grass, such as Dantooine, because the game renders many grass blades using VBO.

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Solutions to the Glitch

There are two main solutions that can help you fix the graphics glitch: disabling VBO or turning off grass. Both solutions require editing the game's configuration file (swkotor.ini) located in the game's directory. You can use Notepad or any other text editor to open and edit the file. Make sure to backup the file before making any changes.

Disabling VBO

One solution is to disable VBO in the game's configuration file. This will prevent the game from using the problematic feature and avoid graphical errors. To do this, follow these steps:

Open swkotor.ini with Notepad or any other text editor.

Scroll down to the section marked [Graphic Options].

Add the following line at the bottom of the section, creating an extra space: Disable Vertex Buffer Objects=1

Save and close the file.

Run the game and check if the glitch is fixed.

This solution was suggested by a user on [GameFAQs].

Turning Off Grass

Another solution is to turn off grass in the game's configuration file. This will reduce the number of objects that use VBO and minimize graphical errors. To do this, follow these steps:

Open swkotor.ini with Notepad or any other text editor.

Scroll down to the section marked [Graphic Options].

Find the line that says Grass=1 and change it to Grass=0.

Save and close the file.

Run the game and check if the glitch is fixed.

This solution was suggested by users on [Steam] and [Reddit].

Conclusion

The graphics glitch on Dantooine and other areas of KOTOR is a common issue that affects many players who use modern PCs. The glitch is caused by a compatibility problem between the game engine and newer graphics cards. The glitch can be fixed by disabling VBO or turning off grass in the game's configuration file. These solutions are easy to apply and can help you enjoy the game without graphical errors.

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