I recently re-installed AO on my new Vista machine and it was slow.  Then I discovered that NVidia provides a utility ("Manage 3D Settings") that allow me to adjust the way my computer runs the AO client (named Client.exe). The results were stunning; I now have a better AO setup than I ever have before.  It's breathed new life into the game for me.

For those in the same situation, here are the details. 

Please write down your original settings before experimenting!  Results are not guaranteed. The end-user bears all responsibility for messing with his or her machine, and so on.

Display Environment

Computer: Dell D561S
(Nice, but hardly a speed machine)

Operating system: Windows Vista SP1

Display driver (NVidia GeForce6150SE nForce430):
Version 7.15.11.7516 (dated 2008-05-02)

Notes

It's probably best to change one item at a time and see if it helps
Improvement may be zero until another setting is done

To make these settings:

- Go to NVidia Control Panel

- Select Manage 3D Settings

- In "Select program to customize":
Browse to the AO folder and select Client.exe
(Don't pick Anarchy.exe; that's just the launcher)

Settings  [NC] = Not changed from default

Anisotropic filtering .............. Application-controlled
Antialiasing - Setting ............. Application-controlled
Conformant texture clamp ...... [NC] Use global setting (Use hardware)
Extension limit ............... [NC] Use global setting (Off)
Force mipmaps ...................... Trilinear
Maximum pre-rendered frames ........ 8
Multi-display/mix-GPU accel ........ Single display performance mode
Texture filtering - AMFO ...... [NC] Use global setting (Off)
Texture filtering - ASO ............ On
Texture filtering - NLODB ..... [NC] Use global setting (Allow)
Texture filtering - Quality ........ Performance
Texture filtering - TO ............. On
Triple buffering ................... On
Vertical sync ..................[NC] Use global settings

Performance Improvements

Before: Could only manage 800 x 600 x 32
After:  Can now handle 1360 x 768 x 32

In both cases, a small amount of mouse lag was considered acceptable

AO Settings

The performance improvements were achieved with these AO settings...

Rendering Device ...... Primary Display Driver - Direct3d TL HAL
Texture quality ....... High
Texture color depth ... 32 BPP

All view distances and effects are turned on.

Note: Even with everything turned on and running fast, AO still looks to me like it was designed in the mid-90's (which it was).  Ah, well, a good game is a good game, even if the graphics suck. Consider chess:  lousey graphics, but nonetheless popular!  :)

Awsome screenshots the one at the bottom is really cool.

Why am I forwarded here ??

The link is wrong.. This is supposed to be the discussion on KOTOR screens.

Graphics are mediocre as represented in these screenshots.  Hopefully the trade off will be having lots of people on screen at once wthout killing out computers.

This thread appears to be a tad mixed up.

hehe, i got confused

Originally posted by Oltzu

hehe, i got confused

lol  iread your comment then looked at your avatar...rofl

It's great that they've toned down the light saber's appearance.  Now all they have to do is fix the Fisher Price hair dryer.... of doom. :)

Jabbing aside, I kind of like the look of the game and I look forward to seeing it in action.

edit: but seriously, they need to change that hair dryer contraption into something else.

This thread is more popular than I'd expected. Too bad I have no idea what anybody else is talking about.

lol tim

Feels like they are turning AO into Star Wars.. This thread is strange!

Good original post though :)