Random CTDs, but specifically in Sanctuary

[Molokkx]

So, the basics first:

 

1) I use the latest game version, with the latest F4SE version. I use Nexus Mod Manager to install my mods (and I launch the game via the Mod Manager by choosing the F4SE option).

2) I started my game with uGrids to 9, and uExterior to 128 (as per the recommended settings I've seen in a guide).

3) The game's timescale is set to 10 (default 20).

4) Outside of the above "Base" changes, I've made no other custom changes to the .INIs (other than adding the usual bInvalidate line, of course). All other values in the .INIs are the result of the default game launcher's Ultra settings, that's it.

 

Now, the mods part. First, the load order (note that of course the essential .ESMs are above the Unofficial Patch, they're just not listed):

 

*Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch.esp
*ArmorKeywords.esm
*four_play_resources.esm
*TrueStormsFO4.esm
*Homemaker.esm
*HUDFramework.esm
*SimSettlements.esm
*One Minutemen Radiant Quest At A Time.esp
*More Where That Came From Diamond City.esp
*Vivid Fallout - All in One - Best Choice.esp
*Radiant Clouds and Fogs.esp
*RadiantBirdsv05.esp
*LongRangeBulletHoles.esp
*Pip-Boy Flashlight.esp
*Glowing Animals Emit Light.esp
*LooksMenu.esp
*CBBE.esp
*four_play.esp
*FO4_AnimationsByLeito.esp
*Mindless_Sex.esp
*KSHairdos.esp
*AzarPonytailHairstyles.esp
*UniqueUniques.esp
*MoreUniques.esp
*Armorsmith Extended.esp
*Armorsmith All DLCs Patch.esp
*Eli_Armour_Compendium.esp
*Eli Armor Compendium AE VIS Patch.esp
*ModularVaultSuit.esp
*ModularVaultSuit - ColourSchemesAddon.esp
*BetterSettlers.esp
*BetterSettlersNoLollygagging.esp
*BetterSettlersMortalPack.esp
*BetterSettlersCCAPack2.0.esp
*ImmersiveVendors.esp
*SettlementLimitationsVanilla.esp
*Quieter Settlements - Vanilla.esp
*Quieter Settlements - Contraptions.esp
*Quieter Settlements - Wasteland Workshop.esp
*PlayerComments.esp
*FlirtyCommonwealth.esp
*FlirtyCommonwealthFemale.esp
*TrueStormsFO4-FarHarbor.esp
*TrueStormsFO4-FarHarborExtraRads.esp
*TrueStormsFO4-GlowingSeaExtraRads.esp
*Rikushai_DickChick_V3.esp
*UniqueFemalePlayer.esp
*Rikushai_DickChick_V3_UniqueFemalePlayer.esp
*Gorgeous VaultGirl.esp
*UniqueFemaleFollowers.esp
*actress piper vanilla hair.esp
*D.E.C.A.Y.esp
*BTInteriors_Project.esp
*ValdacilsItemSorting-00-ValsPicks-DLCVersion.esp
*ValdacilsItemSorting-CosmeticsByClass.esp
*Scrap Everything - Ultimate Edition.esp
*ScrapUpdate - Ultimate.esp

Alright, now the issue:

 

The game randomly CTDs while in Sanctuary, specifically. I have utmost confidence now - after DAYS of exploring, questing and going in all places and then regularly coming back to Sanctuary - that there has to be something that causes a crash while in Sanctuary and ONLY in Sanctuary. At first, I thought that going with uGrids at 9 might have been too difficult for the game to sustain. But it does NOT crash or freeze anywhere else in the wasteland, outdoors AND indoors.

 

I've completed a bunch of quests (some main, a couple of side quests), managed four Settlements (main one being Sanctuary so far) and been to all the main game hubs of course including Diamond City. I've played two particularly long sessions of 4 hours each a few days ago while outside of Sanctuary, even roaming around and having fights with Mutants in Boston. With uGrids to 9 I have to tolerate a pretty slow Boston area BUT... other than slow downs the game is rock solid stable there. And everywhere else really... EXCEPT in Sanctuary. And I just cannot figure out why.

 

There's a few mods I'm using that - I THINK - might be culprits, those would be:

 

- Sim Settlements / But so far the mod does work.

- One Minutemen Radiant Quest / Maybe Preston is trying to give me a quest and the game CTDs everytime?

- Better Settlers / That mod, as far as I know, does not conflict in any major way with Sim Settlements unless I missed something major somewhere.

 

And... that's it? I think? Those mods for now are the ones that come to mind which MIGHT have something to do with my CTDs. If not then I really don't know what could be causing the crash.

 

With all this said, I have NOT yet tried to simply disable ALL my .ESPs and one by one reactivating them, in a process of elimination. The thing is, the CTD crash in Sanctuary is pretty much guaranteed to happen in any session I play. BUT... it never happens at the same time. Sometimes it crashes pretty soon after I load up the game. But sometimes it takes up to an HOUR before it happens (and that's one hour of STAYING in Sanctuary, never leaving its boundaries to venture out). Doing a process of elimination and waiting literally up to hours with each one is just completely impractical.

 

So I'd like to ask any of you kind souls reading this if you just maybe happen to have some knowledge and maybe troubleshooting experience with some of the mods I coincidentally also use (and you use as well) to shed some light on what MIGHT be happening here.  Some guidance, or some steps I might have forgotten to do. Maybe a guide somewhere, or perhaps a KNOWN bug, or a known incompatibility that I might have missed, etc. ANYTHING right now would greatly help.

 

Thanks!

[EMayhem]

What about your specs?.. maybe your rig can't handle it..

 

Your loadorder may also help.

 

And what about your gridstoload, preload and blah settings?

 

Anyway.. make sure everything is compatible, you have every required file and/or mod for mod xyz.

So go back to the mod pages and read the description carefully..

 

And since u haven't tried to disable the mods one by one.. do it.

 

And yes, you will have more or less some slow downs in boston, according to nexus, it's a known prob.. 'coz bad port.

 

[Di3sIrae]

Well, that's it, i would test incompatibilities with settlement mods. Sim Settlements works good so far for me, but i don't use any mod for settlers. It IS a pain, but do some tests. The best would be to try to replicate this in a new game, but... yeah, you know.

I would start with the simlpe things. Disable ONLY Better Settlers first. I don't like the "disable everything" way of doing it, i usually have some culprits in mind and go for them first before going all the way down. Once i was having CTD's in some places and in the end it was a mod that changes a meshe of one door. It was updated and i missed the update. In the end, no problem with esps and nothing else, just a known issue.

So, think like this: You get random CTD. Okay for bethesda games. You get CTD in sanctuary. Sanctuary is a settlement. Probably a big one.
You have mods that alters settlements, so try disabling them to test. You have at least 4 mods that are specific to settlements (better settlers, scrap everything, quieter settlements, sim settlements).
Disabling Sim means probably destroying part of your settlement, so try disabling one or all the others aside from it. If ir crashes, then disable all the 4 mods and test. CTD again?

You have 4P mods. Maybe they are interacting bad in Sanctuary, so you could try disabling them, BUT enabling the settlement mods back, since the game CTD without them.


But try verifying the game with steam. Some times you got a corrupt file somewhere and the mods are ok.


And i don't know how FO4 is handling uGrids, but if you have any doubt, backup your 3 ini files (fo4, fo4prefs, custom), and remove them from the my Games folder.
Then open the launcher, set whatever you want in it, open the game (without F4SE), then close it, and run BethIni to sort your ini.
Change what you want but try to stay close to vanilla... Then test the game again with your new inis.
If nothing changes, just replace them with your backup

[D_ManXX2]

maybe scrap everything ?? it is prone to crashes especially if your pc is not powerfull enough. also check armorsmith extender if you miss anything in the insatllation it is also prone to crashes just like it predesessor weaponsmith.

[Halstrom]

Make sure you didn't install the DogGenitals/DogmeatPenis file that's actually a Skyrim file, it will cause CTD anywhere you meet dogmeat like heading out over Sanctuary bridge.