Random Crashes

[dedaF]

Sorry for posting 2 topics but I am having lots of crashes today and it was fine all day yesterday. I played for about 90 minutes and the game crashed, after i tried reloading it has been crashing nonstop about after 1 minute of playing all day. Is there anyway for me to figure out what is causing the crashes? I made sure I didn't use mods that were not compatible with each other and everything. I thought it might have been Pipboy Readius but after I uninstalled the the crashes continue. Maybe my mods are out of date? If anyone have any advice for me I'd appreciate it, I really want to play tonight :sad:

[GrindedStone]

The best way to avoid crashing is to not use mods at all.

That's kind of impossible for most people.

 

However you can limit the amount of mods by only using the ones you can't live without.

Also you can make different builds. The last FNV build I used had BOE, BH, WOP an it crashed all over the place.

This next one only uses WMK (WMX) maybe thru testing I'll find that it doesn't crash as much as the last did.

 

Merge patch, bashed patch, master update, and even viewing with FNV edit or wyre bash to correct the date so that it works together.

It's going to turn out different each time you make a install an build of a load order, some better than others.

 

Once you start playing stop adding stuff is a good idea.

Then testing the vanilla game is a better idea, installing a mod, test that, install another, test that, an so on, the slow build.

[dedaF]

Good advice, I guess I'll just put up with this crap till I see the ending I'm going for then I'll just start a new game without adding any mods along the way.

[GrindedStone]

FalloutNV.esm

 

CaravanPack.esm Safe to use but still they inject stuff into the main .esm which is kind of dirty

ClassicPack.esm

MercenaryPack.esm

TribalPack.esm

 

DeadMoney.esm Worst DLC ever made as far as dirtyness, It's so bad I won't even try to fix or change it in any way, I just change everything else to allow it work or create overrides

 

 

More Perks.esm Perks an some perks, made by dree, see dree perks FO3

More Traits.esm

 

 

AmmoSpreadEffectFixer.esm Came with WMX (weapon mod expanded) Came from WMK, then uh modded weapons in FNV came from WMK

 

iHUD.esm Required NVSE (even though I didn't wana NVSE) it's worth it just for Ihud it's like being in the game.

DarNifiedUINV.esp DarNified is probalby the most popular HUD, small text, long lists, long dialog, less scrolling, stuff like that

Imp's Timescale Adjuster.esp Imp's allows you to set the time scale to 1:1 or whatever you like, then also the Hardcore mode scales along with the time scale to balance that you know so you can sleep an wait.

 

DrugsAreBadMKay.esp Adds visual effects to most of the drugs in the game, blur the screen, wierd colors, tripping out, if only we added little dancing creatures, where did they come from

FeelingIrradiated.esp Comes with Drugs are bad Mkay, adds a visual effect as you get radiation, blurs an looks green an you're like OMG!

 

UsableCigarettes.esp Open cigarette cartons an packs an then smoke them to get a buff, also has animation for smoking, edited the convert script

 

More Traits Update.esp More perks than I'll ever need or even use

More Perks Update.esp

EDTraitsAndPerks.esp

NV_STTraitsandPerks.esp

jarelle_perk_and_traits.esp

XFO - 4a - Perks - Paths.esp

XFO - 4bb - Perks - Two per level.esp Pick two perks per level

 

 

CONELRAD 640-1240.esp More radio stations than I'll ever listen to

Existence2.0.esp

Big Band Radio.esp

BluesRadioNV.esp

Radio Free Wasteland.esp

Radio Free Christmas.esp

zmod_add_misc_RadioGaga.esp

 

 

dD - Enhanced Blood Main NV.esp Adds cooler looking blood, but it's been edited by me a lot

 

WeaponModsExpanded.esp I tried BOE, BH, WOP in the last load order but it was crashing so I started over an installed WMX as a weapon mod

WMX-ModernWeapons.esp

WMX-PreOrderPackMercenary.esp

WMX-PreOrderPackCaravan.esp

WMX-DeadMoney.esp

 

Override-DeadMoney-Drugs.esp uses Dead Money, Drugs are bad, and any other mod that has drugs in it as masters, the override combines the parts those mods add to the drugs into one item it also fixes dead money without actually changing dead money, avoiding having to save dead money which would break it, Created by me

 

MergePatch.esp This is the same thing as the override above only it's generated by a semi automated process built into FNV edit, it adds all mods as a master then merges lists an list type data together.

 

zz_IhATEyOU.esp Mod that contains the player race I made for matched neckline an wrists along with various armor mash ups I made for that body, then a trailer out in the desert that is trashed, a few weapons I made an any edits I want to make to the game, that's why it's last, so I can change stuff in it as much as I like. I've probalby made a new version of it from scratch about 6-7 times now, which is why it's named I hate you. Anything I think up to create goes in here.

 

http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac156/grindedstone/NewVegas/ScreenShot4-2.jpg

[dedaF]

Quick update on my crashes, I fixed the random crashing, but now I cannot "zone" anymore meaning whenever I take a door outside I crash, I tried doing player.moveto x to leave a few areas and see if that was the problem but its anywhere. Though I can use player.moveto and not crash.

 

 

My current mods (in load order) are as follows

 

-FalloutNV.esm

-Caliber.esm (ballistics mod for classic weapons, most recent mod installed to the crashes)

-CFWNV.esm (classic weapons)

-FNVToolkit.esm (not sure why I have this? Think it might be required for another mod)

-M14.esp (small mod for adding M14 to goodsprings, didnt seem to cause trouble for 10+ game hours)

-RCSS.esp (reinforced chineese stealth suite, no problem for 20+ hours)

-Weapon Mod Expansion.esp (no problem for 15+)

-Tactical Weapon pack.esp (no problems 20+ hours)

-RNV Extended[20].esp (new songs to RNV, no problems for 15+)

-Secret Stash 20.esp (more songs, same thing no problems for 15+)

-Deadlier Explosives.esp (recently installed, worked for 4.5 hours before crash)

-Fellout.esp (seemed okay for about 10+ hours)

-Grenade Hotkey.esp (no problems for 10+)

 

Hope you guys can see if I have something overlapping or something is outdated or something. Really don't want to do 30 hours over lol

 

 

Quick Edit: Tired deactivating Deadexplosives, classic wepaons, and caliber but still no go. Might be boned. Any ideas?

Edited March 23, 2011 by dedaF

[GrindedStone]

First start a new game an see what happens.

 

Then run a merge patch or bashed patch

 

FNV master update wouldn't hurt

 

Then if you feel strong load the whole thing with FNV edit, apply a conflict filter an see how much red an purple turns up, go to the geck main page find out what that stuff means, an fix it.

 

You can also build the load order slowly, install a mod, test, play have fun, install another, again an again until it's perfect

 

you could start making content which is a good way to learn how to fix it, plus if you want something you can just make it

 

When I first install the game I'll play just that vanilla install for about a week or just past level 10, to have fun a test to see if the vanilla game has any problems.

Edited March 23, 2011 by GrindedStone

[dedaF]

not big on modding or any of that lingo sorry lol. you said a FNV master update? as in patching the game? i think it is current since I installed from steam about 5 days ago.

 

Also what is a merger patch? I'm guessing start a new game then it merges the data and finds whats corrupt? That seems like what i want to do if thats what you mean. Also where would I get any of this? thanks

[GrindedStone]

Launch the game, wait for it to reach the main loading screen, don't touch anything until it does.

When it does, click New, hit yes, watch the movie (yes again) Then follow thru doc mitchels painful game start (it's not that bad)

Create a new an different character. Exit Doc mitchels. Open the console, type TMM1, fast travel around causing a insane amount of chaos

do things you would never do, throw grenades at dead people, beat up cows with your fists, hit little kids, shoot mini nukes at your feet, Steal from the poor, give to the rich, fast travel as much as possible.

See if that causes crashing. We can get to the other stuff later but you can do this now.

[GrindedStone]

I make sure to have a copy of Visual C++ (any year) as well as the entire family of .NET framework installed 1 2 3 3.5 4.0 all of them, normally I get these thru microsoft downoads or automatic updates. I also make sure to have a Windows XP SP3 level version of windows, often fully updated by microsoft, but I always start with the service pack, an then use the web site to scan to see what is needed. You can get to the website really easy by going to the start menu, Set program access an defaults, Add programs, there's a button link that opens to the microsoft automatic updates, allow the Active X control which will allow microsoft to scan the computer for what it needs, pick the Service pack, then reboot, do it again, an take high priority, check to see you got .NET frame work, look around in optionals. I normally decline the signed drivers. Also I update WMP an set WMP as the default player for .wav an .mp3. Then the only other thing on the computer is Java an the adobe flash player. I use whatever drivers come in the box with my hardware, unless it's time to update from the website that makes the hardware (for example New Vegas I update from websites) Then I update my BIOS once every couple of years if that. However I will format the harddrives an start over fresh with empty hard drives about twice a year but you need a windows install disc to do that.

 

Also some players say un-installing Visual C++ an .NET framework then installing it again helped with crashing.

 

I run a Nvida 9800 GT it gots 1Gb of video memory, 1GB runs smoother than 512Kb.

I use these settings in the Nvidia control panel.

(location) *Game*

 

Use the advanced 3D image settings (in adjust image settings with preview)

 

(Manage 3D settings)

Anisotropic filtering *FNV* 2X

*FO3* 4X

 

Antialiasing- Gamma correction Off

Antialiasing- Mode Off

Antialiasing- Setting None

Antialiasing- Transparency Off

 

CUDA-GPUs All

Extension Limit Off

Maximum Pre-rendered frames 3

Multi-dislpay/mixed-GPU Accel Single display performance mode

 

Texture filtering- Anisotropic sample optimization On

Texture filtering- Negative LOD bias Clamp

Texture filtering- Quality High performance

Texture filtering- Trilinear Optimization On

 

Threaded Optimization Auto

Tripple buffering On

Vertical sync Force on

 

 

 

 

Game launcher settings.

 

(General)

1600x1200 (your native resolution)

Antialiasing Off (best performance)

Anisotropic Filtering Off (best performance)

Vertical Sync on

HDR On

 

(Detail)

Texture quality High

Radial Blur quality Medium

Depth of field On

Transparency Multisampling On

 

(Water)

Water refractions On

Water reflections On

 

Reflection quality Medium

Soft reflections On

 

Full Scene Reflections Off

Full Detail Reflections Off

Water displacement Off

 

Depth fog On

Water Multisamlping Medium

 

(Shadows)

 

Enable shadows on or off, it's only character shadows I use on most of the time.

 

Shadow quality Medium

Shadow filtering Medium

 

Max interior shadows 3

Max exterior shadows 3

 

(View distance) *Mainly set in-game see in-game settings below*

 

Object fade 6

Actor fade 4

Grass fade 2

Specularity fade 5

Light fade 15

Item fade 3.8

Shadow Fade 2

 

(Distant LOD)

Tree LOD fade 26

Object LOD fade 38

Land quality 100

 

 

 

In-Game settings (set by the number of clicks from left to right)

 

Actor fade 3 clicks

Item fade 3 clicks

Object fade 6 clicks

Grass fade 6 clicks

Shadow fade 3 clicks

Light fade 6 clicks

Specular fade 3 clicks

Object fade 8 clicks

Tree LOD 8 clicks

 

 

 

Fallout config .ini files

 

*FNV*

Fallout_default located at steam/steamapps/common/FNV This is the main config file.

Fallout located at my documents/mygames/FalloutNV This is the secondary config

FalloutPrefs located at my documents/mygames/FalloutNV This is also a config file

 

I check all three so they match exactly, an look for these tested settings I use.

Basiclly the same thing for fallout 3 only there are just 2 files to change.

 

 

1=True 0=False in most cases

1=On 0=Off in most cases

 

bRunMiddleLowLevelProcess=0 !EXPERIMENTAL!

 

bUseThreadedBlood=1

bUseThreadedMorpher=1

bBorderRegionsEnabled=0

 

bPreemptivelyUnloadCells=1

 

iPreloadSizeLimit=Set acording to tweekguide from http://www.tweakguides.com/Fallout3_10.html

 

bUseHardDriveCache=1

bUseThreadedParticleSystem=1

bUseThreadedAI=1

bLoadFaceGenHeadEGTFiles=1

 

fDecalLifetime=300.0000 (5 minutes)

 

bAllow30Shaders=1 (Requires switching shader packages acording to tweekguide)

 

iMaxDecalsPerFrame=30

 

bAlwaysRunByDefault=0

 

(put in controls section)

fForegroundMouseAccelBase=0

fForegroundMouseAccelTop=0

fForegroundMouseBase=0

fForegroundMouseMult=0

 

iAudioCacheSize=4096

iMaxSizeForCachedSound=512

 

bEnableBorderRegion=0

bCloneModelsInBackground=1

iNumHavokThreads=5

 

bForceFullLOD=1 (distant bushes)

 

iBackgroundLoadLoading=1

bUseBackgroundFileLoader=1

bBackgroundLoadLipFiles=1

bLoadBackgroundFaceGen=1

 

bSelectivePurgeUnusedOnFastTravel=1

bCloneModelsInBackground=1

 

bUseFaceGenLOD=1

 

uMaxDecalCount=300

bProfileDecals=1

 

Run Archive Invalidation invalidated in NVMM (FOMM) Toggle it on to apply, it's in the tools tab now, then near the bottom of the falloutdefault.ini check to see that the corrections were applied to the load list of archives with AI! being first, then above that archive file= listed as blank.

 

Once this part is done I play the vanilla game for as long as I can have fun with it, at least past level 10, in order to see how well the game is running on this current install. I try to re-boot the computer after about 4 hours of fallout play, but sometimes it goes for 8 hours. The system cache will go corupt eventually, which will crash you or ruin your save games. So it's good to reboot. I will do a soft re-boot often, save, exit the game, then launch the game again, but after a while it's time to restart the whole computer.

 

Mod selection- If everything goes smooth. Then I'll download tons of mods, an put each in a seperate folder which is named based off what it does or how much I'm scared of it breaking the game. Also inside these folders the seperate parts of large mods are in seperate folders named 1 2 3 4 5 in the order of install, if there is a update it goes in a update folder, if there is a optional then it goes in a optional folder. Once my brain is fried from downoading mods. I then start looking at them to see what I want to install. It's got to be a dang sparkly diamond that I just can't resist, something that I just have got to have an won't play fallout without for me to even consider installing it. However I will install one mod I'm not sure about, but this is only as a test to see if that poop even works, keep in mind though that if that one mod doesn't work you'll have to do all this crap listed above again, which is really really bad, hence, I really really got to have the mods I install otherwise I wouldn't bother installing them. But fear not, the more builds you make the better you get.

 

FNV edit or FO3 edit- When the load order is installed an put into a order where things that are the same are grouped together with the main .esm at the top. I will load the whole thing with FNV edit or FO3 edit then I'll fix everything that is causing problems as far as the .esm an .esp. Though I never change a DLC as a way to avoid having to save the DLC possibly breaking them. I will fix the DLC by adding overrides that load last an use the DLC as masters. These are basicly small quarantine mods just for the DLC. Think of it as a way to make the DLC work with the player made mods but without changing the actual DLC's. The other stuff gets seperate overrides too if needed. Basicly anything you can't fix by Drag an drop or copy paste or fix very easy, gets fixed inside a override. To do this you right click the top of the mod in the right window, where the mods name is or the entry in the left window, then pick copy as override into, create a new file, name it based of what it's doing. Override-Drugs, Override-Dialog, Override-Scripts, Override-NPC This being done as a way to further seperate them avoiding a landmine going off from having too many masters in on one override. You never wana add a mod as a master to another mod as a way to fix them, quarantine it, use a override. Since we are here below copy as override into, there is copy as new entry into, which basicly makes a new version of this entry for you to do whatever you want with. It takes a while but you can pretty much make anything just using FO3 edit. Just save it before you change something you don't know what it is or how to fix, then go to the geck main page to find out what that data actually is.

 

Merge Patch- If you load up the whole load order in FNV edit or FO3 edit, you can click the box on the left that has all the mods in it, Ctrl A (select all) then right click the selection, you can create a merge patch. What this does is create a new mod which uses all of your mods as masters, thus allowing any content in those mods to be used in the MergePatch.esp you just created, then it picks up on common areas of conflicts that could be fixed just by merging them, this is often list type data, like a bunch of entrys spread out like a shotgun blast, Merge Patch brings them all together in one list so that everything gets used, not just the one that was loading last in the load order. The more mods you have the more you need a merge patch but I run one anyway an see if it picks up on anything, if it doesn't then I just don't save it. Also it's a good idea to view what it picked up on an go thru each entry an fix things if they need it.

 

Bashed Patch- This is the same thing basicly as Merge Patch only it's done with Wyre Bash, Bash Gary, Gary bash, something like that. I was too tired to learn how to use it. I have too many other things to learn like scripting an making models that actually work for a change.

 

Master update- FNV edit or FO3 edit has the ability to clean up some hidden data an also turn all of the mods in the load order into psudo .esm, which is cleaner than .esm with .esp after because we don't really stick to the rules when we are creating mods. Also the main reason I use it, is that it has the ability in both games to prevent crash upon saving the game, an even fix save games which are crashing upon save. In FNV this happens around 7 hours into the game. Any time I change something in the load order, even if it's just a tiny thing I know that I should master restore before I change it, then master update afterwards. Thankfully it's a fully automated process. You add -masterupdate an -masterrestore to the target line of the shortcut to FNV edit or FO3 edit to launch those. Also it creates backup copies of your .esm an .esp before it changes them just in case all you do is rename the back to what they were an bam instant .esm or .esp, though I have only had to use one or two over the last few years, so I delete them most of the time.

 

 

In closing- The only other thing I do is give the computer time to actually boot up, it's a couple of minutes now that I have norton 360 installed again. Then also when I launch fallout 3 or fallout new vegas I won't skip to the main loading screen, I wait an let it get there on it's own. Then I only use the load an new buttons at that main menu. I'll load a save game, then press Esc as soon as the screen pops up. Also I might fast travel somewhere spin the camera around an press Esc an load the same save game again (double load) usually the second load is smoother, but I don't do this very often. Then when I want to save the game I press ESC which pauses the game, then save, then create new save. Each time. I turn off the autosave an I never quick save because they are not full saves an they are prone to coruption. I never overwrite a save game. Then I won't delete any of the save games until I'm ready to delete them all. I also don't install mods until I'm ready to delete all the save games. Most of the time I play on the 1 death rule, when the character gets killed I have to start over an go thru the tutorial again as a penalty (it really makes you wana stay alive) Then losing characters is sad so you feel a bit of sadness from the death. However there are muligans sometimes, an as a rule there is a 3 deaths in one day limit, an then yah they are really dead after that. So I'll delete all the saves an maybe get another mod an start over, crying my way thru the tutorial.

Edited March 23, 2011 by GrindedStone

[dedaF]

Ended up just starting a new game and seems to work just find. You said earlier Dead Money is a nightmare? Is it bad when pirated or downloaded directly from steam too? I mean I know it is buggy I don't even have to ask that question its a fallout DLC but would it do something as bad as corrupt my saves ect? Thanks again.