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I'm starting to put together a guide on everything I've learned about the different types of crashes that can occur with Fallout.
As many of you have probably noticed, I hit the breaks on my bi-weekly patches, this is why. The number of folks having crashes is just too damn high! So I'm gathering tons of intel and have already made several major improvements to Sim Settlements for the next version.
Not all of the crashes folks are experiencing are caused by SS, but any that are, I want to identify and resolve. I'm also improving the SS code based on what I'm learning to make it less likely to trigger these issues.
Below are some of the different types of crashes, how you can test if you have that crash, and what you can do to try and fix it.
1. System Overload Crash:
Your game is just overwhelmed. These are the types of crashes many Xbox players experience in Downtown Boston. There's just so much stuff loaded into memory that the engine gives out.
This can happen in settlements as well, especially those using Sim Settlements, because the build limit is being ignored and many objects are being created while you're away.
Test: If this is the type of crash you have, it will be very inconsistent, sometimes when you repeat steps it won't still happen.
What Can I Do?: Check out the Improving Performance guide which has a lot of potential changes you can make to reduce the load on your game. https://simsettlements.com/web/wiki/index.php?title=Performance
2. Physics/LOD Crash:
The game is struggling to process something such as updating the LOD models to show you the higher detail as you approach, or some sort of moveable object has gotten stuck in a spot where it's processing the physics infinitely.
Test: If you're experiencing this crash, it will be repeatable from a save as you approach a particular area.
What Can I Do?: Fast travel away from the area as far as you can and then return (if you're playing Survival, there are mods to enable it you can use temporarily). Usually this is enough for the engine to load the assets in a different order and avoid the crash.
3. AI Nav Crash:
The game can't find completable paths for your NPCs that are trying to reach a target and continues to try forever to find them one.
Test: If you're experiencing this crash, it will be very intermittant, but will usually be foreshadowed by your FPS dropping to a crawl right before it happens. On PC, running the tai console command will turn off AI, doing so before you enter a problem area will prevent this issue if it was this type of crash.
What Can I Do?: If the issue is in your settlements, you can send some of your settlers to other settlements so that you don't have so many in the same spot.
If you're using Place Everywhere, check that you didn't sink any of your assignable objects too low.
If you're using Scrap Everything and have removed any major structures, you will end up with not only problems in the navmesh, but also tons of extra stress on your system. I've seen so many issues with Scrap Everything, that I've quit using it altogether. Using a settlement expansion or re-design mod is a much safer way to gain extra space without these issues. The All Settlements Extended and Clean and Simple mods are fantastic alternatives.
4. Load Order/Bad Mod Crash
The game is struggling to deal with some sort of conflict between mods.
Test: This will be a very repeatable crash, you should be able to follow a particular series of steps to make it happen. If you're experiencing this crash, disabling all of your mods will make this go away (just uncheck them in the load order screen, or the plugins tab of NMM, no need to actually uninstall them!).
What Can I Do?: PC users, try using LOOT to see if the actual order your mods are loaded is the problem.
Try the half-split method to identify the particular mod that's causing your issue. To do this, enable exactly half of your mods, then load your game and attempt to repeat the crash. If you can still crash the game, you have loaded the "bad half", otherwise, your other mods are your "bad half". Now load half of the "bad half", try crashing the game again and identify the "bad half" of the first "bad half". Keep repeating this until you find the problem mod. This will only take a max of 8 tries.
Once you've identified the problem mod, try placing it at the top of your load order, now test again, if that still doesn't work - move it to the bottom. If it works in neither place, either disable it for this character or check the mod's page to see if they have any advice on load order.
If you find Sim Settlements to be your problem mod and you happen to be on PC, you've got a priceless piece of research material on your hands! Upload your .fos save file to dropbox.com, then send a link to the save to me through the forums along with a description of what I can do to replicate the crash.
5. Corrupt Save
The save file has had something go horribly wrong. Most often this is caused by removing mods in the middle of a playthrough, but can also be caused by a mod that did something it shouldn't have, or just having a series of unfortunate sequences occur. There's a reason Bethesda warns you to use mods at your own risk and why I encourage everyone to save as much as possible!
Test: A corrupt save crash will not only be repeatable, but will still happen if you disable all of your mods.
What Can I Do?: PC Users, you can use Fallrim Tools to try and clean up the obsolete data. Xbox users.... it's time for a new character.
If I missed or incorrectly reported anything, please let me know and I'll try and keep this updated to help folks out.
As many of you have probably noticed, I hit the breaks on my bi-weekly patches, this is why. The number of folks having crashes is just too damn high! So I'm gathering tons of intel and have already made several major improvements to Sim Settlements for the next version.
Not all of the crashes folks are experiencing are caused by SS, but any that are, I want to identify and resolve. I'm also improving the SS code based on what I'm learning to make it less likely to trigger these issues.
Below are some of the different types of crashes, how you can test if you have that crash, and what you can do to try and fix it.
1. System Overload Crash:
Your game is just overwhelmed. These are the types of crashes many Xbox players experience in Downtown Boston. There's just so much stuff loaded into memory that the engine gives out.
This can happen in settlements as well, especially those using Sim Settlements, because the build limit is being ignored and many objects are being created while you're away.
Test: If this is the type of crash you have, it will be very inconsistent, sometimes when you repeat steps it won't still happen.
What Can I Do?: Check out the Improving Performance guide which has a lot of potential changes you can make to reduce the load on your game. https://simsettlements.com/web/wiki/index.php?title=Performance
2. Physics/LOD Crash:
The game is struggling to process something such as updating the LOD models to show you the higher detail as you approach, or some sort of moveable object has gotten stuck in a spot where it's processing the physics infinitely.
Test: If you're experiencing this crash, it will be repeatable from a save as you approach a particular area.
What Can I Do?: Fast travel away from the area as far as you can and then return (if you're playing Survival, there are mods to enable it you can use temporarily). Usually this is enough for the engine to load the assets in a different order and avoid the crash.
3. AI Nav Crash:
The game can't find completable paths for your NPCs that are trying to reach a target and continues to try forever to find them one.
Test: If you're experiencing this crash, it will be very intermittant, but will usually be foreshadowed by your FPS dropping to a crawl right before it happens. On PC, running the tai console command will turn off AI, doing so before you enter a problem area will prevent this issue if it was this type of crash.
What Can I Do?: If the issue is in your settlements, you can send some of your settlers to other settlements so that you don't have so many in the same spot.
If you're using Place Everywhere, check that you didn't sink any of your assignable objects too low.
If you're using Scrap Everything and have removed any major structures, you will end up with not only problems in the navmesh, but also tons of extra stress on your system. I've seen so many issues with Scrap Everything, that I've quit using it altogether. Using a settlement expansion or re-design mod is a much safer way to gain extra space without these issues. The All Settlements Extended and Clean and Simple mods are fantastic alternatives.
4. Load Order/Bad Mod Crash
The game is struggling to deal with some sort of conflict between mods.
Test: This will be a very repeatable crash, you should be able to follow a particular series of steps to make it happen. If you're experiencing this crash, disabling all of your mods will make this go away (just uncheck them in the load order screen, or the plugins tab of NMM, no need to actually uninstall them!).
What Can I Do?: PC users, try using LOOT to see if the actual order your mods are loaded is the problem.
Try the half-split method to identify the particular mod that's causing your issue. To do this, enable exactly half of your mods, then load your game and attempt to repeat the crash. If you can still crash the game, you have loaded the "bad half", otherwise, your other mods are your "bad half". Now load half of the "bad half", try crashing the game again and identify the "bad half" of the first "bad half". Keep repeating this until you find the problem mod. This will only take a max of 8 tries.
Once you've identified the problem mod, try placing it at the top of your load order, now test again, if that still doesn't work - move it to the bottom. If it works in neither place, either disable it for this character or check the mod's page to see if they have any advice on load order.
If you find Sim Settlements to be your problem mod and you happen to be on PC, you've got a priceless piece of research material on your hands! Upload your .fos save file to dropbox.com, then send a link to the save to me through the forums along with a description of what I can do to replicate the crash.
5. Corrupt Save
The save file has had something go horribly wrong. Most often this is caused by removing mods in the middle of a playthrough, but can also be caused by a mod that did something it shouldn't have, or just having a series of unfortunate sequences occur. There's a reason Bethesda warns you to use mods at your own risk and why I encourage everyone to save as much as possible!
Test: A corrupt save crash will not only be repeatable, but will still happen if you disable all of your mods.
What Can I Do?: PC Users, you can use Fallrim Tools to try and clean up the obsolete data. Xbox users.... it's time for a new character.
If I missed or incorrectly reported anything, please let me know and I'll try and keep this updated to help folks out.
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