Surviving Mars - Surviving mars application crashes when trying to start a new game. But starting the tutorial or loading an existing save works.

[Patrick Vollenwyder]

Description
Surviving mars application crashes when trying to start a new game. But starting the tutorial or loading an existing save works.


Mac


Steam

What is your game version?
1007874

Do you have Space Race installed?
Yes

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
Issue description:
Surviving mars application crashes when trying to start a new game.
But starting the tutorial or loading an existing save works.
Platform:
Mac OS 11.5.1
Surviving mars with September 13th Hotfix installed. All DLC except for Above and Beyond
Steam Store
No mods enabled

Hardware:
Mac mini 2018 i5 with AMD RX580 eGPU
Display attached to eGPU to ensure that it is doing the rendering.

Actual behaviour vs expected behaviour:
Expected to get to the screens to setup a new game.

Can you replicate the issue?
Repro steps:
Open game from steam client.
Click on start new game .
Game begins loading, progress icon at lower right of screen is animated/ showing progress
After a few seconds (2-10) game crashes.

The same result occurs when selecting the challenge and creative options.
The crash still occurs after a full computer reboot.

Starting a tutorial, or loading an existing see file results in the game loading up normally.

Attachments
File(s) attached

 

[AndrewT]

You have a lot of mods in that log!

What I'd suggest is a full clean reinstall of the game:

- move any valued save games elsewhere; they are under
~/Library/Application Support/Surviving Mars/{large number}/
- "uninstall" in Steam-Surviving Mars
- unsubscribe from All mods in the Steam workshop for this game
- manually delete both the ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Surviving Mars AND ~/Library/Application Support/Surviving Mars/ folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular you need to make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam SM or Application Support SM locations, before installing again.

If that helps, you can then start subscribing to mods again - but only ones that have been updated since the latest patch.

Good luck!

 

[Patrick Vollenwyder]

You have a lot of mods in that log!

What I'd suggest is a full clean reinstall of the game:

- move any valued save games elsewhere; they are under
~/Library/Application Support/Surviving Mars/{large number}/
- "uninstall" in Steam-Surviving Mars
- unsubscribe from All mods in the Steam workshop for this game
- manually delete both the ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Surviving Mars AND ~/Library/Application Support/Surviving Mars/ folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular you need to make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam SM or Application Support SM locations, before installing again.

If that helps, you can then start subscribing to mods again - but only ones that have been updated since the latest patch.

Good luck!

I've tried doing the steps recommended above, unsubscribing from mods, uninstalling the game, cleanup the support files, and reinstall, but the same crash is occurring. starting a new game still causes a crash while the tutorial and loading old save games still works.

 

[AndrewT]

Okay, this is now the known LUA crash in MacOS. I wasn't 100% sure whether it was fixed in the recent hotfix but clearly not. I've added this thread to that bug report now.

One user reported that lowering the graphics quality settings in the game got around the problem - can you try that?

 

[Patrick Vollenwyder]

OK lowering the video presets down from high to medium fixed the crash. So its a workable mitigation for the bug, I can always up the settings after I've started a new game.
Thank you for helping me get the game working again.