I understand your frustration with the frequent crashes in Path of Exile: Affliction. It’s particularly disheartening when they occur consistently upon loading into main towns, as it disrupts the game’s flow and can lead to lost progress.
Based on the information you’ve provided, here are some potential causes and troubleshooting steps:
1. Renderer-Related Issues:
Try a different rendering mode: If you’re currently using Vulkan, switch to DirectX 11 or vice versa. This can sometimes resolve compatibility issues with certain hardware or drivers.
Update graphics drivers: Ensure you have the latest drivers for your graphics card. Outdated drivers can cause instability and crashes.
Disable background programs: Close any unnecessary programs running in the background, as they might be conflicting with PoE’s resource usage.
Check for overheating: Monitor your system’s temperatures. If your GPU or CPU is overheating, it can lead to crashes.
2. Memory-Related Issues:
Close memory-intensive applications: Free up memory by closing web browsers, media players, or editing software before running PoE.
Consider a RAM upgrade: If you have limited RAM, increasing it might improve stability.
Enable a paging file: This can provide additional virtual memory to help prevent crashes.
3. Game File Integrity:
Verify game files: Use the game’s launcher or Steam’s verification feature to check for corrupted or missing files.
Reinstall the game: If verification doesn’t resolve the issue, a clean reinstall might be necessary.
4. Community-Suggested Solutions:
Disable shader pre-caching: Some players have reported success by disabling this option in the game’s settings.
Disable Game Bar: If you’re on Windows 10, try disabling the Game Bar feature, as it can sometimes interfere with games.
Additional Tips:
Monitor crash patterns: Note any specific graphical settings or actions that seem to trigger crashes more frequently.
Report the issue to GGG: Provide detailed information about your system specs, crash patterns, and attempted solutions to the developers on the official Path of Exile forums or bug report channels. This can help them identify and address the root cause.
Remember to exercise patience and persistence during the troubleshooting process. Finding the exact cause of crashes can sometimes require trial and error. By following these steps and working together with the PoE community and developers, you can hopefully find a solution that allows you to enjoy the league without constant interruptions.