CTD when nearing or Winterhold (or the college of)

[Kill3rCat]

Title says all (if you ignore the typo :smile:). Didn't get this problem until recently when I installed a bunch of mods during a game. Can rule out that as a problem since I created a new save and still get CTD in the Winterhold area. This doesn't occur in any other city/hold.

 

Specs: i7 6700K, 16GB RAM, GTX 970.

 

Load order:

 

0 0 Skyrim.esm
1 1 Update.esm
2 2 Dawnguard.esm
3 3 HearthFires.esm
4 4 Dragonborn.esm
5 5 Skyrim Project Optimization - Full Version.esm
6 6 SkyTEST-RealisticAnimals&Predators.esm
7 7 Nock2Tip.esm
8 8 Campfire.esm
9 9 RSkyrimChildren.esm
10 a TouringCarriages.esp
11 b SkyUI.esp
12 c Footprints.esp
13 d Convenient Horses.esp
14 e dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp
15 f dD-Dragonborn-Dawnguard-EBT Patch.esp
16 10 vImmersiveBeds.esp
17 11 Immersive detection of NPC.esp
18 12 AskTheWay.esp
19 13 CobbEncumbrance.esp
20 14 Primal Fear - Dynamic.esp
21 15 SimplyKnock.esp
22 16 SleepTight.esp
23 17 Vigor - Combat and Injuries.esp
24 18 vwr Wet Eyes.esp
25 19 Loadout.esp
26 1a Leave Combat.esp
27 1b Real Roads.esp
28 1c mintylightningmod.esp
29 1d Skyrim Particle Patch for ENB - Flame Atronach Fix.esp
30 1e JaxonzEnhGrab.esp
31 1f ImmersiveSpells.esp
32 20 Xtended Loot - Core.esp
33 21 Order My Items.esp
34 22 Immersive NPC in the dark.esp
35 23 WSCO - OcciFemaleVNL.esp
36 24 WSCO - OcciMaleVNL.esp
37 25 RSChildren - Complete.esp
38 26 WSCO - Better NPCs.esp
39 27 Holds.esp
40 28 Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Major City Interiors.esp
41 29 Holds - RSChildren Patch.esp
42 2a FireAndIceOverhaul.esp
43 2b DeadlySpellImpacts.esp
44 2c DeadlySpellImpacts - Two Fire.esp
45 2d CollegeOfWinterholdImmersive.esp
46 2e DialogueTweaks.esp
47 2f Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Dungeons.esp
48 30 Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Dawnguard Interiors.esp
49 31 No Combat Boundaries - Legendary.esp
50 32 Vivid Weathers.esp
51 33 Vividian - Extended Weathers.esp
52 34 Vivid Weathers - Extended Snow.esp
53 35 Vivid Weathers - Extended Rain.esp
54 36 Vivid Weathers - Minty Lightning patch.esp
55 37 Unbelievable Grass Two - Ultra Edition.esp
56 38 RealShelter.esp
57 39 WetandCold.esp
58 3a RSPatch.esp
59 3b HoldsRSpatch.esp
60 3c Undeath.esp
61 3d Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Major City Exteriors.esp
62 3e SMTX_Woodcutter.esp
63 3f Tamriel Reloaded Mountains.esp
64 40 Sacrosanct - Vampires of Skyrim.esp
65 41 GuildStarter.esp
66 42 Duke Patricks - Optional Race Edits For Combat - with DLC.esp
67 43 CreatureSizeVariants.esp
68 44 Inconsequential NPCs.esp
69 45 SMIM-Merged-All.esp
70 46 Hunterborn.esp
71 47 Immersive Patrols II.esp
72 48 Frostfall.esp
73 49 Religion.esp
74 4a Farmers Sell Produce - Skyrim.esp
75 4b Realistic Lighting Overhaul - Minor Cities and Town Interiors.esp
76 4c Hunterborn-Skytest Patch.esp
77 4d Master of Disguise - Legendary.esp
78 4e WetandCold - Ashes.esp
79 4f Vividian - Torches Preset.esp
80 50 SRG Enhanced Trees Activator.esp
81 51 Religion - Campfire Backpack Patch.esp
82 52 NonEssentialChildren.esp
83 53 RSChildren_PatchNEC.esp
84 54 HoldsFrostfallCompatibilityPatch.esp
85 55 Holds - SPOPatch.esp
86 56 Nock2Tip.esp
87 57 Sleeping Innkeepers.esp
88 58 CaranthirTowerReborn.esp
89 59 LostLongSwords.esp
90 5a CShacks.esp
91 5b Sneak Tools.esp
92 5c Spellsword.esp
93 5d HoldsTouringCarriagesCompatibilityPatch.esp
94 5e iNeed.esp
95 5f Equipping Overhaul.esp
96 60 Sneak Tools Vanilla Hoods.esp
97 61 Sneak Tools Vanilla Masks.esp
98 62 iNeed - Dangerous Diseases.esp
99 63 SpellswordDawnguardDragonborn.esp
100 64 sm_scroll crafting v3.esp
101 65 Immersive Citizens - AI Overhaul.esp
102 66 ELE_Legendary_Lite.esp
103 67 RealisticWaterTwo.esp
104 68 Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp
105 69 RealisticWaterTwo - Legendary.esp
106 6a HoldsAlternativeStartCompatibilityPatch.esp
107 6b Duke Patricks - Heavy Weapons Combat.esp

 

 

I use LOOT to sort my load order. I have the latest version of SKSE (afaik) and the game is installed in "D:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common". Most of these mods were installed with NMM, though some (typically smaller or older) ones were installed manually.

 

I'm trying to use the tried and tested method of elimination to determine which mod is causing this issue.

 

Thanks in advance to anybody who can shed some light on this issue!

 

Update: After a few hours of elimination, I've tracked the issue tracked down to either 'Holds: City Overhaul' or 'Immersive College of Winterhold'. I have a gut feeling the issue is arising from the compatability patches...

 

Update2: Problem is Holds. Idk why.

 

Update3: I was previously using Open Cities. I have disabled it, but it's a pain to completely remove since I wasn't using NMM at the time I installed it. Could the files left over (even though they're not enabled) be having some effect? There was also an overwrite issue when installing with 'Enhanced Vanilla Trees', for which there is no compatability patch. I've tried reinstalling Holds twice now, the first time selecting 'no' to the overwrite, and the second time selecting 'yes'. Both times, the same crash occurs.

 

Update4: I disabled all mods except the 'Alternate Start' (because no way am I playing the damned Helgen sequence time and time again just to test mods), 'SkyUI', 'Holds', and compatibility mods for aforementioned mods. Surprisingly, it still crashes. Something of note is that I am using Vividian ENB, which I didn't disable while testing this. I selected patron of inn - Winterhold, which spawns me in the Winterhold reworked inn from 'Holds'. The game is stable. I use the exit door to Winterhold, loading screen, and BAM what a pretty desktop I have.

 

Update5: Using the above reduced list of mods (DLCs, AS, SkyUI, Holds), on a fresh save, I also crash consistently when entering:

- Solitude

- Winterhold

- Falkreath

- Dawnstar (even the Dawnstar inn is messed up, with no walls and a view of an eery grey void with blue skies above)

I do not crash when entering:

- Windhelm

- Riften

- Morthal (edit: Morthal is not affected by the 'Holds' mod anyway)

- Markarth (edit: Markarth is not affected by the 'Holds' mod anyway)

- Whiterun

- Riverwood

 

There are other locations I've not tested, but I don't feel it necessary.

 

Update6: Tried making some .ini tweaks to increase the amount of VRAM the game uses, as per Hold's installation instructions. The game is still stable and works fine in most areas, but the crashes still occur in the same locations as before. In other words: No change.

 

Update7: Tried disabling my ENB and then retrying; still crashes. No change.

 

Update8: Given up trying to get Holds to work. Disabled and uninstalled Holds (and related compat. patches), and as expected the issue is gone. 'Tis a shame, I really liked the look of the mod, but can only conclude it's broken to all hell and may not even be being maintained anymore. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If anyone comes here with the same problem looking for a solution, you've found it. Banish Holds from your load order. There's your simple, tried and tested solution.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Kill3rCat