Stellaris - Game not loading past splash screen (2.8.1)

[jgpollard]

Description
Game not loading past splash screen (2.8.1)

Game Version
2.8.1 (dfce)

What version do you use?
Steam

What expansions do you have installed?
Synthetic Dawn, Utopia, Leviathans Story Pack, Apocalypse, Megacorp, Distant Stars, Ancient Relics, Lithoids, Federations

Do you have mods enabled?
Yes

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
This issue is happen with both mods enabled and disabled.

The game loads from the launcher and the splash screen appears but there is no more progress past this. If you click at all the screen turns black, then white and then the game crashes. This happens every time I try to launch the game.

However, if I spent some time (usually 25-50 minutes) launching the game multiple times (with and without mods) and resetting steam and my PC multiple times, it sometimes works. There doesn't seem to be a pattern or a combination which results in a successful load it appears to happen when it wants. This makes playing the game either impossible or HIGHLY frustrating.

I have tried on a few occasions a completely fresh install. However, this issue still happens.

Steps to reproduce the issue.
Happens on every single start up of the game.

Upload Attachment
(DID NOT ANSWER QUESTION)

 

[Kevin R.]

Description
Game not loading past splash screen (2.8.1)

Game Version
2.8.1 (dfce)

What version do you use?
Steam

What expansions do you have installed?
Synthetic Dawn, Utopia, Leviathans Story Pack, Apocalypse, Megacorp, Distant Stars, Ancient Relics, Lithoids, Federations

Do you have mods enabled?
Yes

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
This issue is happen with both mods enabled and disabled.

The game loads from the launcher and the splash screen appears but there is no more progress past this. If you click at all the screen turns black, then white and then the game crashes. This happens every time I try to launch the game.

However, if I spent some time (usually 25-50 minutes) launching the game multiple times (with and without mods) and resetting steam and my PC multiple times, it sometimes works. There doesn't seem to be a pattern or a combination which results in a successful load it appears to happen when it wants. This makes playing the game either impossible or HIGHLY frustrating.

I have tried on a few occasions a completely fresh install. However, this issue still happens.

Steps to reproduce the issue.
Happens on every single start up of the game.

Upload Attachment
(DID NOT ANSWER QUESTION)

I'm having the exact same problem. I don't know what's causing it, either. I've tried to disable the Necroids pack (which I'd just purchased), go back to 2.7.2, do a clean install, and install it on my other hard drive, but I'm getting the same problem every time.

As an aside, I've also been having problems starting up Hearts of Iron IV. That game simply will not start at all through the launcher, and I've had to go through the program files and start the application manually from there to get it to work. I suspect, though I cannot say for certain, that there may be a bug in the launcher that's affecting different games in different ways. (Cities: Skylines seems to work perfectly fine, for instance.)

 

[jgpollard]

Since the last update to the Paradox Launcher - Which was downloaded and installed for me today (v2020.16) - This issue has now become more frequent and so far as not been solved by a system reboot or closing and opening steam again as described above.

 

[AndrewT]

Sorry I missed this thread before, not sure how that happened.

Wen this happens can you run the game from stellaris.exe directly from Windows Explorer? or does it fail then too?

 

[jeffreya]

I can confirm that it does not work when running directly from windows explorer. I have also run it as administrator and that does not help.

 

[jeffreya]

But running in borderless fullscreen fixed it.

 

[Kevin R.]

Borderless fullscreen worked! Thank you.

And I'm glad I wasn't the only one who suspected something's up with the launcher.

 

[jgpollard]

I've tried this and it works sometimes for me. But I still have the joy of having to reset steam and the PC a few times before it does

 

[AndrewT]

The alternative to borderless mode is to go into properties-compatibility for stellaris.exe and tick the Disable fullScreen Optimisations box.