Posted January 20, 2015
With this unpolished gem finally being released here, me still using Linux and a guide for <i>KotOR</i> (the first game of the series) already existing in this forum, I had to create another one. And here it is.
Again, this thread may be used for discussions and questions regarding the use of Wine for this game, so feel free to ask if you encounter any problems on the way.
My system:
Arch Linux x86_64 with Kernel 3.18.5-1-ARCH
Wine 1.7.35
Resolution: 1920x1080
So, here we go:
01. Installation
Nothing fancy here, I used nothing but a standard vanilla 64-bit prefix, no additional components required.
Installing the game itself was easy too, no problems until the very end. One error messages appeared, but it has no effect as far as I can tell, since the game was installed properly afterwards. So simply click it away and ignore it.
Don't worry about the installation hanging in between, just wait a few minutes, it will finish after a while.
02. Configuration
Do not start the settings application. It causes more problems than it solves and everything can be adjusted later in the game itself.
If you don't want to play the game in another aspect ratio than 4:3 (for example 16:9 or 16:10), skip the next point.
03. Widescreen
If you wish to play the game in widescreen mode, for example with an aspect ration of 16:9, you need to download a few files.
First of all, the UniWS patcher, which can be found here. Everything you have to do is explained very well on this site and you should be just fine, if you follow the instructions there.
However, this patch doesn't include corrections for the HUD, it will be stretched. You need another package of files to fix that, which can be found here (please note that not all resolutions are supported). Again, follow the instructions there and you'll be fine.
Finally, emulate a virtual desktop per winecfg with your desired resolution, for example 1920x1080. That will help, fixing a lot of problems with your desktop environment.
Playing in widescreen mode has only one problem left now: the game's videos won't scale correctly to your resolution. I know of no way to prevent that from happening as of now, but it's only a minor annoyance and therefore acceptable. I actually found a way to bypass this problem, by re-rendering the movies, which took me about 40 hours. But really, if you're not crazy like me, don't do that.
04. Modifications
KotOR II is an unfinished game. Everyone knows that, and it's quite a shame, but fortunately there are modifications which help to enhance the experience so much, that the game really shines.
Two of the most popular ones are and [url=http://deadlystream.com/forum/files/file/579-m4-78-enhancement-project/]M4-78EP, and they can be installed at this point. (TSLRCM is basically mandatory, even for first-time players. Think of it as one last big patch.)
05. In-game
Finally, to prevent the game from crashing and some graphical issues, disable Frame Buffer Effects and Grass (disabling grass isn't too bad, don't worry) in the game.
Everything else can be set to maximum, or to your liking.
And that's it, ladies and gentlemen.
I wish you the best of luck and a lot of fun with this truly great game, have a nice day.
Troubleshooting
Q: When I start the game to change my resolution to 1280x960, in order to apply the widescreen patch, the option for this resolution doesn't show up. What can I do?
A: This problem occurs when you start the game for the first time with the virtual desktop per winecfg already being enabled. Disable it and the option should show up. Apply the patch and enable the virtual desktop again afterwards.
Again, this thread may be used for discussions and questions regarding the use of Wine for this game, so feel free to ask if you encounter any problems on the way.
My system:
Arch Linux x86_64 with Kernel 3.18.5-1-ARCH
Wine 1.7.35
Resolution: 1920x1080
So, here we go:
01. Installation
Nothing fancy here, I used nothing but a standard vanilla 64-bit prefix, no additional components required.
Installing the game itself was easy too, no problems until the very end. One error messages appeared, but it has no effect as far as I can tell, since the game was installed properly afterwards. So simply click it away and ignore it.
Don't worry about the installation hanging in between, just wait a few minutes, it will finish after a while.
02. Configuration
Do not start the settings application. It causes more problems than it solves and everything can be adjusted later in the game itself.
If you don't want to play the game in another aspect ratio than 4:3 (for example 16:9 or 16:10), skip the next point.
03. Widescreen
If you wish to play the game in widescreen mode, for example with an aspect ration of 16:9, you need to download a few files.
First of all, the UniWS patcher, which can be found here. Everything you have to do is explained very well on this site and you should be just fine, if you follow the instructions there.
However, this patch doesn't include corrections for the HUD, it will be stretched. You need another package of files to fix that, which can be found here (please note that not all resolutions are supported). Again, follow the instructions there and you'll be fine.
Finally, emulate a virtual desktop per winecfg with your desired resolution, for example 1920x1080. That will help, fixing a lot of problems with your desktop environment.
Playing in widescreen mode has only one problem left now: the game's videos won't scale correctly to your resolution. I know of no way to prevent that from happening as of now, but it's only a minor annoyance and therefore acceptable. I actually found a way to bypass this problem, by re-rendering the movies, which took me about 40 hours. But really, if you're not crazy like me, don't do that.
04. Modifications
KotOR II is an unfinished game. Everyone knows that, and it's quite a shame, but fortunately there are modifications which help to enhance the experience so much, that the game really shines.
Two of the most popular ones are and [url=http://deadlystream.com/forum/files/file/579-m4-78-enhancement-project/]M4-78EP, and they can be installed at this point. (TSLRCM is basically mandatory, even for first-time players. Think of it as one last big patch.)
05. In-game
Finally, to prevent the game from crashing and some graphical issues, disable Frame Buffer Effects and Grass (disabling grass isn't too bad, don't worry) in the game.
Everything else can be set to maximum, or to your liking.
And that's it, ladies and gentlemen.
I wish you the best of luck and a lot of fun with this truly great game, have a nice day.
Troubleshooting
Q: When I start the game to change my resolution to 1280x960, in order to apply the widescreen patch, the option for this resolution doesn't show up. What can I do?
A: This problem occurs when you start the game for the first time with the virtual desktop per winecfg already being enabled. Disable it and the option should show up. Apply the patch and enable the virtual desktop again afterwards.
Post edited December 12, 2016 by Urnoev