Staxel Troubleshooting Guide

Having trouble getting the game to run correctly ?
This guide helps cover some of the common problems and fixes.

Programs Which May Interfere with Steam

• Some 3rd party programs may interfere with Steam or Staxel, please see this guide by Steam https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

Are you on Windows?

• Staxel currently only supports Microsoft Windows operating systems
  
• Mono is not supported
  
• Versions before Windows 7 are not supported

Is your Windows 64bit on x86?

• Staxel currently only supports 64bit Windows on x86 compatible processors

Do you have enough free RAM?

• Staxel uses about 6GB, having less might work but lag is to be expected
  
• 8GB of system RAM the minimum recommended amount
  
• Closing other applications may free up memory
  
• Ensure swap file is of sufficient size
  
• SSD based RAM extensions such as Intel Optane are not recommended

Have you tried rebooting your computer?

• Rebooting is sometimes needed to complete the installation of drivers and/or updates.
  
• Rebooting can help reset hardware that has encountered an error

Do you have a videocard suitable for 3D games?

• A videocard capable of supporting Directx 11 is required
  
• Older intel integrated video cards (Intel HD 2000/3000) are not supported
  
• Please visit the following link for more info:
  https://steamcommunity.com/app/405710/discussions/2/2860219962088600627/
  

Are the required libraries installed?

• Staxel requires a number of code libraries which Steam will install alongside the initial Staxel installation. If you're having problems starting the game, or you're coming across errors like "DLL_NOT_FOUND", the installation of these libraries may have failed or become corrupted.
  
  Please see the following link for more information:
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/405710/discussions/2/1693785669848071360/
  
  Downloadable versions of the various installers can be found here:
  
• https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r0iw1t7yusci2lq/AACzO2SwegHuBGlJWinEyY8Xa?dl=0

Are you on the default branch?

• Staxel has multiple beta branches available for testing at certain times. If you've been playing on a Beta branch, always make sure you're set back to the default branch if you start encountering issues:
  
• Right-click on Staxel in your library > Properties > Betas
  
• Use the drop-down to make sure "NONE" is selected

Have you tried verifying the game files with Steam?

• If you're having soft crashes (not crashing to Desktop) this is an especially good place to start. Verifying files will scan Staxel's content directory to make sure all of the game's assets are present and accounted for. Your world saves will not be affected and your mods should remain intact.
  
  Please visit the following page for a quick guide on how to verify files on Steam:
  
• https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2037-QEUH-3335

Antivirus/Firewall software

• Antivirus software can sometimes cause performance issues with a game if they are constantly monitoring activity in the background. If you're experiencing unexplained/unusual performance hits, consider deactivating your antivirus software for a bit to see if this improves things.
  
  
• If you're unable to launch the game and other solutions haven't worked, it's also worth deactivating your antivirus for a test to see if it's grabbing onto any files, preventing Staxel from running/installing correctly.
  As Staxel is still a relatively new game, there may be some Antivirus programs which haven't yet added it to their whitelist.
  
  
• If you're having trouble connecting to your friends in multiplayer (especially when using dedicated servers) you might also want to check that your antivirus/firewall software isn't blocking the connection by deactivating them to test.
  
  
• If disabling your antivirus/firewall solved your issues, consider adding the Staxel folder in Steamapps to the software's exceptions list. It's not a good idea to leave your security software disabled.
  
  
• Please also see this guide by Steam
  https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4361-MVDP-3638
  https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

Windows and Drivers

A lot of issues that get reported are solved when the user updates their drivers.

• Always make sure your relevant drivers are up to date
  
• Run Windows Update to ensure most essential drivers for your hardware are installed
  
• Update video card drivers through the Nvidia or AMD driver utility software

Do you have enough free space on your hard drive?

• Low disk space on your hard drive can cause you to encounter issues with installing/running the game
  
  
• Although Staxel's installation is relatively small, the size of the world saves can become quite large. For this reason we recommend a minimum of 10GB free space on your hard drive to run Staxel
  
  
• You can delete old worlds in the main menu to free up space

AccessViolation (0xC0000005)

Access Violation error could be triggered for a variety of reasons.
A few possible causes:

-Corrupt files
-Out-of-date drivers
-Conflict with anti-virus
-Overclocking processors

• Check that the Staxel.Client.exe and Staxel.Client.Dotnet.exe are not being blocked by a virusscanner
  
• Verify Integrity of Game Files
  https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2037-QEUH-3335
  
• In steam right click on Staxel -> Properties -> Local Files->Browse Local Files, in the 'bin' folder directly start Staxel.Client.Dotnet.exe
  
• Clean Boot Windows
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows
  
• if it still fails try the 'Hard resetting the game files without losing your worlds' section
  

Could not load file or assembly ... or one of its dependencies.

* Please visit the following page for a quick guide on how to verify files on Steam:
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2037-QEUH-3335

* The redistributables may not have been successfully installed, you can get them here:
* https://launcher.playstaxel.com/StaxelRedistributables.exe
* https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r0iw1t7yusci2lq/AACzO2SwegHuBGlJWinEyY8Xa?dl=0

Also see sections:

* Try starting the game directly from game files
* Do you have mods installed?
* AccessViolation (0xC0000005)
* Antivirus/Firewall software
* Are the required libraries installed?

Black screen when launching the game

• (If you have an nvidia graphics card) Go to the NVIDIA Control Panel -> Manage 3D Settings and press the 'Restore' button to reset any possible issues with driver settings.
  
  
• Try rebooting
  
  
• Start game in Compatibility mode (launcher option)
  
  
• Disable Discord streamer overlay (multiple reports of Discord's overlay causing a black/green screen when launching Staxel)
  
  
• Overlays, fps counters, screen capture software, tuners, plugins, hacktools can all cause issues. Try disabling any software like this to see if it solves your problem.
  
  
• Make sure the game is set to fullscreen (default keyboard shortcut is Alt + Enter)
  
  
• Update/reinstall videocard drivers
  
  
• Some users reported toggling fullscreen with alt+enter or f11 helps show the game.
  
  
• Perform a clean reinstall:
  > Backup any world folders from the LocalContent directory in .../steamapps/common/Staxel
  > Uninstal Staxel via Steam
  > Delete the entire "Staxel" folder from .../steamapps/common/
  > Reinstall Staxel via Steam
  (keep in mind your mods will be removed in the process)
  
  
• Disable Nvidia fast sync (or in some cases, Reset to Default). See the following link for more information:
  https://beebom.com/what-is-nvidia-fast-sync-enable/
  
  
• If you're using an AMD video card, disable "OpenGL Triple Buffering" in the AMD driver utility software
  
  
• Disable MultiSampling (set Multisampling to "false" in the options.config file found in .../Staxel/LocalContent)
  
  
• Manually install the required redistributables. Steam will try to install these upon first time installation but it can fail. You can find them at the link below (note, you can ignore the x86 folder except for xnafx40_redist.msi)
  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r0iw1t7yusci2lq/AACzO2SwegHuBGlJWinEyY8Xa?dl=0
  
  
• If your computer has both a dedicated videocard and an integrated motherboard videocard, make sure your motherboard's video cable is plugged into the dedicated video card's port
  
  If you're still experiencing problems please visit the following link for other possible solutions:
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/405710/discussions/2/2860219962091570210/

'The screen device name must be a non-empty, non-null string'

If you're receiving this error please visit the link below for a possible fix:

• https://steamcommunity.com/app/405710/discussions/2/1693785669848952086/

Do you have mods installed?

Using 3rd-party mods may possibly cause issues with the game. Checking that mods aren't the source of the problem is a good place to start.

• Uninstall the mods using the Mod Manager utility (launcher option)
  
• Remove mod .dll files from the /bin directory in the Staxel folder (mainly regarding code/UI mods)
  
• Verify Staxel's game files on Steam
  
• Contact mod maker for support
  
• We do not provide support for issues with mods (but we do try to help)

Try starting the game directly from game files

• The game might be blocked or encountering issues when launched from the Steam Client or the Standalone launcher. Going into the game files and double clicking on Staxel.Client.Dotnet.exe (in the /bin directory) can sometimes help resolve this.
  
  
• You may need to sign out of Steam and make sure the Steam application is closed before attempting this.
  
  
• Running the application directly in this way will also show the game's debug console which may provide additional information.
  

'Failed to create process Staxel.Server'

• Please verify the files in Steam, in steam right click on Staxel -> Properties -> Local Files -> Verify Integrity of game files..
  
• Check that the Staxel.Server.exe and/or Staxel.Server.NoConsole.exe are not being blocked by a virusscanner
  
• In steam right click on Staxel -> Properties -> Local Files->Browse Local Files, in the 'bin' folder directly start Staxel.Server.NoConsole.exe and Staxel.Server.exe and close them again, this in some cases tells virusscanners it is ok to use these programs.
  
• if it still fails try the 'Hard resetting the game files without losing your worlds' section
  

Blue Screen (BSoD)

• Blue screens are an operating system level problem caused by overheating, faulty hardware, driver issues, corrupted files or operating system level faults.
  
• Please ensure the system is sufficiently cooled (make sure air vents are not covered, fans are working, and that your computer is relatively free of dusk, especially on cooling elements and fans)
  
• Please ensure a sufficiently rated power supply is used, gaming on battery power is not recommended on laptops
  
• Run Windows Update
  
• Update drivers
  
• Hot swapping hardware during a gaming session is not recommended and not supported by Staxel

Game runs slow

• Staxel might be using the wrong videocard. Make sure your monitor is plugged into the dedicated graphics card on the back of your PC.
  If you're playing on a laptop which has both integrated and dedicated video cards, be sure that Staxel is set to use the dedicated card in your gpu's driver utility program.
  See the following links for more info:
  https://steamcommunity.com/app/405710/discussions/2/2860219962090928637/
  https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2615/~/how-do-i-customize-optimus-profiles-and-settings%3F
  
• Lower the graphics settings in Staxel's options menu
  
• Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements
  
• Windows Update or Windows Defender might be active in the background doing updates or scans
  
• Antivirus/anti-malware/firewall programs may be affecting performance
  
• Close other programs to free up resources
  
• Please ensure the system is sufficiently cooled as some systems slow down if they get too hot. (Make sure air vents are not covered and cooling elements and fans are free from dust for example)
  
• Please ensure a sufficiently rated power supply is used, gaming on battery power is not recommended on laptops as they might choose to run slower in a lower power mode.
  
• Workshop Items and Mods can use significant resources.
  
• Check that the system is not overheating or thermal throttling.
  
• Please do not run the game from an external drive or network share.

Game looks pixelated/low resolution in windowed or borderless mode

• Increase the resolution in the option which sets the maximum renderbuffer sizes in windowed modes

Multiplayer troubles

• Staxel currently supports 3 types of networking
  
• Steam network, provided by steam, can have bandwidth limits, what is used when you 'join friend' on the steam friends list
  
• IP, direct connection by ip or hostname, fastest, can be hard to setup
  
• StaxelNet, uses relays hosted by Plukit, easy to use
  
• If you have trouble with 'join friend' or connecting by ip we recommend trying StaxelNet

Hard resetting the game files without losing your worlds

• In steam right click on Staxel -> Properties -> Local Files -> Browse Local Files
  
• In the explorer window that opens, delete the 'bin' and 'content' folders.
  
• In the 'LocalContent' folder delete the 'graphicsautodetected.config' 'lastCharacter.json' and 'options.config' files.
  
• In the Steam Staxel properties window click 'Verify Integrity of Game Files..'
  
• It will scan and detect the missing files, and start to download them in the background.
  
• Close the properties window.
  
• Steam will now download the game files again, when this is done try starting the game.

Gather information

• Press the “Windows” key and “r” at the same time. Type “dxdiag” into the run window and press enter. Save All Information. Please attach this file when sending a support email.
  
  
• Crashlogs are automatically generated upon crashing/encountering errors. These are saved to the .../Staxel/bin/crashlogs/ folder and will be sent to us if you submit feedback/logs at the end of your session.
  
  
• You can view the debug console while running the game by creating en empty .txt file file in the /bin folder named "showconsole.txt" (make sure the file extenstion is .txt and that it's not just part of the filename)
  
  
• In the windows 'System Information' program, in the 'Software Environment/Windows Error Reporting' section you can possibly find a Application Error entry for Staxel
  
  
• Windows might also log an Application Error. You can look for those in windows 'Event Viewer' (Section: "Windows Logs/Application" Application Error )
  

Support

• https://discord.gg/Staxel
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/405710/discussions/1/
  
• [e-mail]

Refund

• https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6695-QIKM-7966

Tools not charging/Shipping Catalogue not in the Store/Items not in the Catalogue

• With the 1.4 update a few changes have been made to when items and upgrades are unlocked, progress further in the villager quests to unlock.

Known problems and solutions

• Problem in the driver of some flightstick/steeringwheel/joystick/ps2controller/joystick emulator devices. Resolved by unplugging the receiver stick of the wireless controller or otherwise unplugging the controller. (Game crashes, no error logs found, windows event viewer shows a crash in EZFRD64.dll )
  
• Please do not run the game from an external drive or network share as this can cause issues.

[chimpas brothers]

thank you!