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[Dark.Revenant]

Mod Troubleshooting Guide

Have a problem with modded Starsector?  Look no further!

Please suggest additional items or sections for this guide, in the comments.



Start Issues
Starsector won't launch to the main menu.


The launcher doesn't appear!
This usually indicates that Java is not configured correctly.  Check to make sure that the 'jre' folder is present and that the 'vmparams' settings are valid.  If the -xms or -xmx values are over 1024m, this could indicate that the 'jre' folder contains a 32-bit JVM.  If this is the case, you should switch the JVM in that folder to a 64-bit JVM: http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=8726.0.

Rarely, other issues can cause the launcher to not appear; for more information about your problem, run Starsector.exe from the command line.


Array-index crash!  (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException)
This crash is usually due to having a prerequisite mod disabled, such as LazyLib, GraphicsLib, or TwigLib.  Occasionally, this can also indicate that a mod is out-of-date with the current version of Starsector, or that your own Starsector version is out-of-date.


Out-of-memory / heap full crash!  (OutOfMemoryError)
If you are running a huge number of mods, this could indicate that you need to allocate more memory to Starsector.  Do this by increasing the -xms and -xmx values in 'vmparams'.  This requires a 64-bit JVM; see http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=8726.0.

If you are not running that many mods, or if the previous step doesn't fix the problem, this could indicate that your graphics device cannot handle the number of textures being loaded into the game.  The culprit, in this case, is GraphicsLib.  The following is a step-by-step guide to get GraphicsLib to work on your system by editing the GRAPHICS_OPTIONS.ini file within the GraphicsLib folder in a program like Notepad++.  After each step, check to see if the problem is gone:
1. Set "useLargeRipple":false.  The large ripple uses a lot of video memory.
2. Set "use64BitBuffer":false.  The 64-bit buffer option uses some video memory.
3. Set "loadSurface":false.  Surface maps use a lot of video memory.  Disabling this will slightly reduce the quality of lighting.
4. Set "enableNormal":false.  Normal maps use a lot of video memory.  Disabling this will noticeably reduce the quality of lighting.
5. Set "loadMaterial":false.  Material maps use a lot of video memory.  Disabling this will reduce the quality of lighting.
6. Set "enableBloom":false.  This disables the HDR bloom effect in the lighting engine, which uses some video memory.
7. Set "enableDistortion":false.  This disables distortion effects, which use some video memory.
8. Set "enableShaders":false.  This completely disables all GraphicsLib functionality, but remains compatible with mods that require GraphicsLib.  If you still have problems at this point, then GraphicsLib is not at fault.


Loading is extremely slow!
This is usually caused by your graphics driver forcing vsync on for Starsector, which will cause the loading screen to take an extremely long time (a half an hour or more).  Make sure that Starsector.exe and java.exe are set to not force vsync.




Graphics Issues
Starsector looks wrong.


Constant glitchy / artifacted graphics in the menu!
This problem is caused by incompatibility between your graphics driver and GraphicsLib.  First, if you are using a laptop, ensure that your computer's primary graphics device is being used by Starsector.  The exact method to do this depends on laptop manufacturer, but ultimately you should set Starsector.exe and also java.exe in the jre/bin folder to use your primary graphics device (typically, a dedicated graphics card instead of the integrated chipset on your CPU).

If that isn't applicable or doesn't work, try updating your graphics drivers and restarting.

If that does not work, then you will need to change the GraphicsLib configuration settings until the artifacts go away.  The following is a step-by-step guide to get GraphicsLib to work on your system by editing the GRAPHICS_OPTIONS.ini file within the GraphicsLib folder in a program like Notepad++.  After each step, check to see if the problem is gone:
1. Set "use64BitBuffer":false.
2. Set "enablePostProcess":false.  This will disable post-processing effects, which are fortunately not used in many situations.
3. Set "useLargeRipple":false.  The large ripple uses a lot of video memory, which could cause issues on some graphics drivers.
4. Set "enableDistortion":false.  This disables distortion effects, as some users find that their graphics device does not support it.
5. Set "extraScreenClear":false.
6. Set "enableBloom":false.  This disables the HDR bloom effect in the lighting engine, which could potentially improve performance.
7. Set "loadSurface":false.  Surface maps use a lot of video memory, which could cause issues on some graphics drivers.  Disabling this will slightly reduce the quality of lighting.
8. Set "enableNormal":false.  Normal maps use a lot of video memory, which could cause issues on some graphics drivers.  Disabling this will noticeably reduce the quality of lighting.
9. Set "loadMaterial":false.  Material maps use a lot of video memory, which could cause issues on some graphics drivers.  Disabling this will reduce the quality of lighting.
10. Set "enableShaders":false.  This completely disables all GraphicsLib functionality, but remains compatible with mods that require GraphicsLib.  If you still have problems at this point, then GraphicsLib is not at fault.


Intermittent glitchy / artifacted graphics in combat!
As above, this problem is caused by incompatibility between your graphics driver and GraphicsLib.  Ensure that your computer's primary graphics device is being used by Starsector.  If that isn't applicable or doesn't work, try updating your graphics drivers and restarting.

If that does not work, then you will need to change the GraphicsLib configuration settings until the artifacts go away.  The following is a step-by-step guide to get GraphicsLib to work on your system by editing the GRAPHICS_OPTIONS.ini file within the GraphicsLib folder in a program like Notepad++.  After each step, check to see if the problem is gone:
1. Set "use64BitBuffer":false.
2. Set "useLargeRipple":false.  The large ripple uses a lot of video memory, which could cause issues on some graphics drivers.
3. Set "enableDistortion":false.  This disables distortion effects, as some users find that their graphics device does not support it.
4. Set "enablePostProcess":false.  This will disable post-processing effects, which are fortunately not used in many situations.
5. Set "extraScreenClear":false.
6. Set "enableShaders":false.  This completely disables all GraphicsLib functionality, but remains compatible with mods that require GraphicsLib.  If you still have problems at this point, then GraphicsLib is not at fault.




Campaign Issues
Starsector has problems during the campaign.


Save game crash / corruption!  (OutOfMemoryError)
99% of the time, this happens because Starsector ran out of memory.  Allocate more memory to Starsector by changing the -xms and -xmx values in 'vmparams' (recommended to be at least 2048m for Starsector+, up to 4096m if Nexerelin and a huge number of factions are also enabled).  This requires a 64-bit JVM; see http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=8726.0.

You can try to recover your save by going into the 'saves' folder and entering the correct character folder.  Delete 'campaign.xml' and 'descriptor.xml', then copy 'campaign.xml.bak' as 'campaign.xml' and copy 'descriptor.xml.bak' as 'descriptor.xml'.

If the problem continues with increased memory, there are three possible causes:

• You're running from the .bat file instead of Starsector.exe.  The .bat script does not use 'vmparams', so your memory settings are completely ignored if you use it.
• Even more memory is needed.  This is unlikely if 4096m+ of memory is allocated to Java; Starsector should never use that much memory, no matter how many mods are loaded.
• A memory leak in a mod is causing Starsector to crash.  A good indication of this happening is if you get a random out-of-memory or GC limit overhead crash in the campaign if you leave it running for long enough.

Combat Issues
Starsector has problems during combat.


Very poor performance!
Our recommended system requirements for vanilla Starsector are:

• One of:
  
  • 1.8 GHz Gaming Intel CPU
  • 2.3 GHz Entry Intel CPU
  • 2.2 GHz Gaming AMD CPU
  • 2.6 GHz Entry AMD CPU
• One of:
  
  • Any NVidia card
  • Any AMD card
  • Intel HD 3000 or better
• 512 MB Video Memory
• 4 GB System Memory (Windows)

Alert: There are known OpenGL problems with AMD video card drivers, which could cause unusually low performance.

If you are running on a laptop, make sure that your power settings are set for maximum performance, and that your most powerful graphics device is being used for Starsector.  You should set Starsector.exe and also java.exe in the jre/bin folder to use your primary graphics device (typically, a dedicated graphics card instead of the integrated chipset on your CPU).  Never force vsync on through the graphics driver control panel!

If your hardware meets these specifications, it could be that you're running some tougher mods.  Of particular note are the mods GraphicsLib, Starsector+, and the Knights Templar.

Starsector+: This mod increases the recommended system requirements:

• One of:
  
  • 2.2 GHz Gaming Intel CPU
  • 2.6 GHz Entry Intel CPU
  • 2.6 GHz Gaming AMD CPU
  • 3.0 GHz Entry AMD CPU
• 768 MB Video Memory
• 6 GB System Memory (Windows)

Knights Templar: This mod adds a pair of new shaders.  Poor performance, particularly when using Templar ships or weapons, can be solved by changing options in Templars/TEMPLAR_OPTIONS.ini to disable Templar-specific effects.

GraphicsLib: This mod's default settings increase the recommended system requirements:

• One of:
  
  • 2.2 GHz Gaming Intel CPU
  • 2.6 GHz Entry Intel CPU
  • 2.6 GHz Gaming AMD CPU
  • 3.0 GHz Entry AMD CPU
• One of:
  
  • Mid-range NVidia GTX 4xx card or better
  • Mid-range AMD HD 6xxx card or better
  • Intel HD 6000 or better
• 1 GB Video Memory
• 6 GB System Memory (Windows)

In order to improve GraphicsLib performance, follow the following step-by-step guide by editing the GRAPHICS_OPTIONS.ini file within the GraphicsLib folder in a program like Notepad++.  After each step, check to see if performance is improved enough:
1. Set "use64BitBuffer":true.  This is known to cause odd performance issues.
2. Set "use64BitBuffer":false.  Yes, toggle it back off.  People have reported better performance with this enabled, and others have reported better performance with this disabled.
3. Set "enablePostProcess":false.  This will disable post-processing effects, which are fortunately not used in many situations.
4. Set "enableBloom":false.  This disables the HDR bloom effect in the lighting engine, which is a fairly expensive subsystem.
5. Set "enableDistortion":false.  This disables distortion effects, which can be hard on certain graphics cards.
6. Set "extraScreenClear":false.  Turning this off can't hurt performance.
7. Set "enableNormal":false.  Turning this off will significantly reduce lighting quality; however, it will load a simplified lighting shader that could improve performance.
8. Set "enableShaders":false.  This completely disables all GraphicsLib functionality, but remains compatible with mods that require GraphicsLib.  If you still have problems at this point, then GraphicsLib is not at fault.


Turret cover crash!  (NullPointerException)
This problem is caused by a mod that has incorrectly-configured turret cover sprites interfacing with GraphicsLib's lighting engine.  You can fix this by updating Starsector to the latest version: 0.7.2_RC3.  Make sure that your version is exactly 0.7.2_RC3.  RC2 will not work.




Help!  I'm still stuck!
Nothing in the guide describes the issue.

Have no fear!  Just follow these simple steps:
1. Dump starsector.log (in the starsector-core folder, in Windows) into http://pastebin.com/.  If you can't find this file, make sure that Windows is not hiding file extensions.  You can read this file with Notepad or your choice of text editing program.
2. Make a thread in this subforum with a link to your starsector.log.  Describe the problems you had and the steps you tried to take to fix it.
3. Wait for replies!

[gofastskatkat]

No body else using this yet? Ok I'll be first, had this error using the new GraphicsLib and Dynasector and im not using ss+ and i might just delete it anyway http://pastebin.com/hEnCkFjk

[Dark.Revenant]

Some preset variant in a mod is using a hullmod that isn't in the game w/o SS+ or SWP.  Probably NGO.

[samsaq]

How would one disable vsync in the starsector and java .exe? I see no actual settings in game and I haven't found anything to show how to do this otherwise.

[gofastskatkat]

Heres yet another error I have, not 100% certain but I think it has to do with the AI mod. http://pastebin.com/PVbVmgfg Also, as you can see, theres 2 seperate errors, but with what I can see it seems that both deal with AI functions, or lack thereof. Thanks for any feedback on what I should do.

[Dark.Revenant]

Post it in the relevant mod's thread.

[a_strauss]

I know I'm supposed to use the pastebin thing but my log is just too long. This is the error within the log, please help if you can.

Mod list:
1. SS+
2. Dynasector
3. Combat analytics
4. Common radar
5. Diable Av.
6. Interstellar Imperium
7. LazyLib
8. Leading Pip
9. Neutrino
10. NGO
11. Nexerelin
12. P9
13. Portrait pack
14. Scy nation
15. ship/weapon pack
16. knights tempalr
17. mayorate
18. twiglib
19. underworld
20. upgraded rotary weapons
21. version checker
22. zz audio plus
23. zz graphics lib

437514 [Thread-4] ERROR com.fs.starfarer.combat.CombatMain  - java.lang.RuntimeException: Spec of class [com.fs.starfarer.loading.specs.Q] with id [mobile_headquarters] not found
java.lang.RuntimeException: Spec of class [com.fs.starfarer.loading.specs.Q] with id [mobile_headquarters] not found
   at com.fs.starfarer.loading.SpecStore.super(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.loading.specs.HullVariantSpec.getAllMods(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.entities.Ship.<init>(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.loading.specs.forsuper.o00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.loading.specs.forsuper.o00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.loading.specs.forsuper.o00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.title.oOOO.Ò00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.title.oOOO.Ô00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.title.oOOO.Õ00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.title.oOOO.o00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.A.B.o00000(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.CombatEngine.advanceInner(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.CombatEngine.advance(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.title.TitleScreenState.advance(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.BaseGameState.traverse(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.state.AppDriver.begin(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.combat.CombatMain.main(Unknown Source)
   at com.fs.starfarer.StarfarerLauncher$1.run(Unknown Source)
   at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

[MesoTroniK]

Remove NGO.

[Goldendragonfinn]

hi um GraphicLib is not downloding as a .zip help pleas!

[Bolt]

I am also having the same problem as Dragon, I'm playing on mac and Graphics Lib won't download as a .zip

[Harmful Mechanic]

If you need to open .7z files on a Mac I recommend Keka.

[Bolt]

Tried this ^^ and it worked like a charm! Thanks so much!

[Mr.sincere]

42048 [Thread-VC-Main] ERROR exerelin.utilities.versionchecker.VersionChecker  - Failed to load vanilla update data from URL "https://bitbucket.org/LazyWizard/version-checker/downloads/vanilla.txt"
java.net.UnknownHostException: bitbucket.org
   at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
   at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
   at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
   at java.net.Socket.connect(Unknown Source)
   at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
   at sun.security.ssl.BaseSSLSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
   at sun.net.NetworkClient.doConnect(Unknown Source)
   at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(Unknown Source)
   at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(Unknown Source)
   at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.<init>(Unknown Source)
   at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.New(Unknown Source)


I been having trouble playing mods that require graphicslib.
when I start the launch to load up the game it will crash giving me a a message stating starsector 0.8.1a-rc8 Faltal:index0, SIze:0 check starsector.log for more info.
This happen when I try playing the mods requiring graphicslib..(I have graphicslib in the mods folder)
But when I play with mods that don't require graphicslib  the game will load up just fine.

[Midnight Kitsune]

Have you redownloaded the mod to be sure it wasn't messed up? Is the mod turn on in the launcher?
Also, that error is a small error from version checker not being able to reach the listed website, not because of GLib

[kilerdude56]

Every time I tried to access the local bar of a planet or station, it gave me the normal intro to the bar, and then right below it said "NullPointerException: Null" and I was effectively stuck since there was no option to get out of it, or any option to select from at all. Tried posting this on Pastebin but the log was just too long. Found the error in the logs.

Mods in use:

1. $$$ Lightshow 1.40
2. Active Gates 1.0.0
3. Arsenal Expansion 1.5.3g
4. Automatic Orders 0.3.2
5. Autosave 1.1
6. Blackrock Drive Yards 0.9.5
7. Boardable Unboardables
8. Combat Alarms Sounds 1.31
9. Combat Analytics & Detailed Combat Results 4.3
10. Combat Chatter 1.9.2d
11. Common Radar 2.5
12. Console Commands 3.0
13. Diable Avionics 3.0
14. Fix All Empty Planets 1.0
15. Foundation Of Borken 0.2.4-RC3
16. High Tech Armada 0.7.1d
17. Leading Pip 1.8.3
18. Luddic Enhancement 0.1.0b
19. Neutrino Corporation 1.85-RC4.1
20. New Beginnings 1.1.1
21. Nexerelin 0.9.3
22. Planetary Shield: Access Control 1.1
23. Ship/Weapon Pack 1.10.3
24. SkilledUp 1.1
25. SpeedUp 0.5.2
26. Starship Legends 1.1.13
27. Sylphon RnD 0.9.5c
28. Transponder Reminders 0.1.0
29. Unknown Skies 0.42
30. Upgraded Rotary Weapons 1.41
31. Vayra's Sector 2.4.3
32. Version Checker 2.0
33. Vesperon Combine 1.2.0
34. ZZ Audio Plus 1.1.1


106282 [Thread-4] ERROR com.fs.starfarer.loading.ShipHullSpreadsheetLoader  - Ship hull spec [flare] not found in ship_data.csv
106282 [Thread-4] ERROR com.fs.starfarer.loading.ShipHullSpreadsheetLoader  - Ship hull spec [module_hightech_decor] not found in ship_data.csv

I apologize if I posted this wrong.