Modded cockpit prevents connection to online server

[Sinbad]

After I installed the cockpit mod from Maximillien I can no longer connect to mulitplayer server. I have no problems when I use the default cockpit. It only happens when I use the mod. The game loads right up to "entering universe" and I even hear the music start then crashes to desktop. The first time it happened I got this error:

Runtime error 7018 Could not load 3D object at line 66222

There's no problem when I play in Single Player... it's only when connecting to multiplayer. With game build 1.588 I solved the problem by changing from wireless internet connection to cable connection. But build 1.702 doesn't let me even with cable connection. I've troubleshooted with the following steps:

1. Check physical memory available: 2.82 GB
2. Uncheck unnecessary background programs
3. Use "game mode" on anitvirus (Bitdefender)
4. Disable antivirus

The problem is obviously related to internet connection but it's funny that it only happens with that modded cockpit. It's a shame cos I do love that cockpit! In the meantime I'm playing with the default cockpit. Thanks in advance.

System specs:

Intel Core i5 3.10Ghz
RAM 4GB
Windows 7 64 bit
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 1GB

[Vice]

Does anything change when you change the Planet Detail setting to Low?

[Sinbad]

Yes! Just tried it on low planet settings and the game loaded fine with the mod. What does that mean? I hope there's a way round that because I like the high planet detail. If not I guess I'll just have to resign to only using the mod when in single player.

[Vice]

It just means that the custom cockpit is pushing the memory resource need just enough higher as to cross a threshold where memory is not available to the game to fully load the cockpit. Multiplayer utilizes some different points in memory, so the higher memory need of the custom cockpit is resulting in the change in behavior between the two modes. There are a couple of options:

1 - Find out what other program or setting is limiting the base memory limit available to the game. Although you have over 2 GB free, something is likely preventing the lower range of around 1.5 GB from being available consecutively to the game.

2 - Edit the cockpit mesh itself to reduce its memory overhead.

3 - Remove or reduce individual high resolution HUD elements that may be using high amounts of memory. Keep resolutions at 1:1 ratios (ie 64X64, 128X128, 256X256, etc).

The problem you've run into is a significant reason why the game itself doesn't use higher detailed models, textures, etc. With the default media it uses, it's right near the limit of what many system are capable of with default settings and a 'normal' set of background programs running (even with 4, 8, 12, etc GB of -installed- memory). It's tough to get a solid level of consecutive memory available on a Windows PC to operate the kind of graphics, sound, and gameplay systems of a game like Evochron (much of it is due to the seamless design structure of the game's environmental systems). So when a new media element is introduced that pushes the resource need a bit higher, it can pose problems on some systems. Your system is probably pretty close to being able to work with the custom cockpit since you can get it to work in single player, so it will probably just need some tuning and tweaking to get the memory overhead low enough to work in multiplayer also.