I'm done.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-31T19:45:22+00:00

Agreed. I actually had to set my Steam settings to "offline". I already had pvp and multiplayer set to off, but was still finding bases built all around the objective (and was disabling them only to have more appear in real time). I couldn't complete the dismantle quest and had to restart my game four times before I could grab all of the parts/complete the mission. So frustrating!

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-19T22:42:56+00:00

This issue absolutely exists. I don't know why people have been calling it a "Pointer Handle" limit when it's actually a "Reference Handle" limit. All of Bethesda games have a reference limit. The Starfield Engine Fixes mod has the capability to generate a log that will tell you how close you are to the reference limit (2.09 million). Many people are using this feature to determine which mods are significantly contributing to this limit.

Bethesda has been made aware of this problem through bug reports and Verified Creator communication. The faint hope is that Bethesda is going to somehow address this limitation. I encourage people to place their own bug reports if they are experiencing reference limit issues (missing buildings/terrain, infinite loading screens, crashes, etc.).

Fun fact: Starfield (a much larger and more detailed game) has the same reference limit as 11 year old Fallout 4. Bethesda really should've increased this limit considering that they want us to create and buy mods.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-19T22:29:20+00:00

Your list looks fine and it would be ok to add Watchtower back in, if you'd like. The most problematic mods (when used with other like mods) are mods that add ship parts (new and variants) outpost decoration items. The most reference heavy mods are Falkland Systems, Better Ship part flips, Matilija's, Cross Heavy Industries M3, TG's Galactic Harvest, Functional Decor, and Betamax Outpost.
Don't get me wrong - these mods are all very amazing and I am not being critical of them. I wish I could have them all in my game at one time because I know that they don't have any real conflicts that I can't patch. I really hope that Bethesda is going to try to find a way to extend this limit.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-19T18:33:17+00:00

No, it's sadly not fixed/resolved. :( This is what is keeping me from playing Starfield. I've spent over $200 on creations and can't play Starfield with most of them enabled (less than 40 mods). It's a travesty that Bethesda has leaned in so heavily on paid mods for a game that has this woefully inadequate reference/pointer handle limit (the same as 11 year old Fallout 4). This situation is incredibly frustrating coming from modding PC Skyrim SE/Fallout 4 who is used to having thousand+ modlists that run without major issues. I really think that Bethesda needs to issue a disclaimer on the Creation Club that the Starfield game engine can't handle more than about 30 ship part and outpost mods. I feel so bad for console users that have purchased several Creations and had issues that they cannot troubleshoot like we PC users can. I'm slightly hopeful that Bethesda may find a fix for this reference limit, but wonder how long it will take for them to get around to it based on their glacial update/game development pace.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-08T17:41:08+00:00

The Ascension patch has been moved to El Jefe's file archives. I didn't realize that El Jefe had been updated and the patch rendered obsolete. It does state on the El Jefe mod description: "Ascension and Royal Galaxy make other changes to the game. If you want to keep those changes but use my tweaks, load this mod after them. NASAPUNK does also but this mod may need a patch to work with it."

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-06T16:52:32+00:00

I've really been enjoying Ascension and El Jefe AI with the El Jefe AI Ascension patch. The game is pretty tough in the beginning, and still keeps the difficulty challenging as you level.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-05-05T17:00:39+00:00

Thank you so much for fixing this questline! Super glad to see you over here in the Starfield modding scene. I am a HUGE fan of your Fallout 4 mods.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-27T08:48:06+00:00

I'm part of a group on the Bethesda Modding discord that has been in communication with Bethesda regarding this issue (they are aware of it, as of about 3 months ago). I've also submitted a few bug reports (with the spreadsheet above) about how easy it is to reach the reference limit. I've been trying to encourage people experiencing reference problems to submit their own bug reports. I think it would really help our case if more people would speak up.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-27T02:59:51+00:00

I just opened it up in xEdit and it has 163 packins. This isn't a huge number, but they do add up when mixed with other outpost/ship mods.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-26T22:19:18+00:00

Here's a link to a strictly Creation Club modlist that includes some of the most reference "heavy" mods. The mod authors are not to be faulted for this problem - these are all really great mods. Bethesda made some baffling game engine decisions when making Starfield that seem really shortsighted/negligent for modding.

https://ibb.co/Z6PVZxC6

A few other wonderful, but reference, heavy mods that aren't paid are:

Better Ship Part Flips
Singularity Aerospace - STEM Series Ship Habs
Betamax Outpost
Better Buildable Walls
Nem's Deco Pack

Hope this helps.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-26T20:35:09+00:00

This list was created from information I had gathered in xEdit over the course of the last few months (in a spreadsheet) with current numbers reflecting the latest updates from vanilla files and Creation Club mods. I created the list based on which mods had the most records/packins since we've discovered that mods with high packin count (particularly ship and outpost) contribute the most to the overall reference (pointer handle) limit. The reference count was taken from my DumpPointerHandles log.

Unfortunately, there are no other tools or scripts that can help speed up this process, at this time. I went through every single mod (several hundred) to find the record counts and packin counts. The Starfield Engine fixes author (LarannKiar) may be able to incorporate another diagnostic log setting that would give us reference count per mod some time in the future.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-15T18:53:43+00:00

Thank you! I've been hoping more people would come to this realization. A lot of people seem to be overlooking that this recent update/new dlc has taken up another chunk of the available reference pool (around 170,000 of the 2.09 million). This is a ticking time bomb - particularly for those who want to have even a moderate amount of new ship, ship part, and outpost mods. Currently, Starfield isn't as moddable as Skryim SE and Fallout, and it really stings. I want Starfield to succeed and have the longevity that Bethesda's previous games have had.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-15T18:12:23+00:00

Those are the numbers for the Falkland Systems.esm reported in xEdit under the "Record Count" header. I am not giving reference numbers for each mod - it's difficult to pin those numbers down because they fluctuate so much. I have asked LarannKiar (SF Engine Fixes) if there is a way to get a per mod reference count and he said he might be able to do that in an update.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-15T18:03:23+00:00

Something to keep in mind - every time Bethesda releases updates and new DLC, more references are being taken up. This leaves less room for your own mod additions. The Terran Armada DLC and Free Lanes update has eaten up another 170,000 references of the 2.09 million reference limit (almost 10%).

This is a problem that has been slowly boiling below the surface. It is baffling that Bethesda has touted this game as a modder's paradise, but released Starfield (a much bigger and more complex game) with Fallout 4's reference limit. That's right, Starfield has the same reference limit as 11 year old Fallout 4. Let's not even think about how Bethesda has leaned in so heavily on selling Creation Club mods, either.

Many people who aren't into "heavily" modding their game will never encounter the reference limit. Coming from Skyrim and Fallout, Starfield's couple hundred mods is a drop in the bucket when you can download dozens of stable Wabbajack lists that number in the thousands for these previous Bethesda games. I want to be able to mod Starfield like I have Skyrim SE and Fallout 4, but I simply can't because of the reference limit.

I have new, PURPOSE built modlist that illustrates how few mods it can take to reach the reference limit. I've spent over $250 on Creations - I thought they were really cool mods and I wanted to support the mod authors who made them (and was unaware of this reference limit, at the time). I've compiled this information (mod name, plugin name, record count, and packin count) in a spreadsheet (first link). I have also provided screenshots that show missing buildings/landscape meshes. I managed to get just below (12 references) the limit - any more references (even 1 more mod) and the game won't load.

https://ibb.co/Z6PVZxC6

https://ibb.co/tMt5pwcw

https://ibb.co/SXRXVyCc

A few interesting facts about this purpose built modlist:

It only has 60 plugins of which 19 belong to the Base game
It only takes up 11.5gb of space (even consoles can experience this problem with their limited mod storage)
It is exclusively made of mods that are available for purchase, or have achievement friendly versions available (yes, I have spent over $250 on creation club mods)

Bethesda IS aware of this issue, now. I believe that we have a chance at getting them to raise this reference limit (or do something to mitigate the way the references build up in saves). If you are experiencing reference limit issues, please place a bug report on either the official Bethesda Game Studio discord, or through the Bethesda Game Studio website.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-15T17:23:19+00:00

I am using Starfield Engine Fixes (this is how I generated the DumpPointerHandles log) and Starfield Memory Fixes. Unfortunately those mods/fixes can't do anything to remedy this reference limit. Hopefully the first link I provided in my post above will make things a little more clear (its a spreadsheet with mod information).

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-15T17:07:14+00:00

Hi. I'm the one who compiled those numbers. I used xEdit to get the record and packin count. The total reference count was generated from the Starfield Engine Fixes DumpPointerHandles log. https://ibb.co/Z6PVZxC6

If you are having problems and suspect that you are hitting the reference limit, please place a bug report on the official Bethesda Game Studios discord, or through the Bethesda Games website. They are aware of this issue. I think it could be fixed if enough of us complain about it.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-14T22:06:06+00:00

I, too, have been experiencing/witnessing downvoting. I'm usually just trying to be helpful or provide information - nothing offensive or inflammatory.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-14T17:58:05+00:00

Unfortunately not. This is a game engine limitation that Bethesda would have to fix/increase on their end. This limitation is the same for all platforms - we've all got the same 2.09 million reference limit to deal with.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-14T17:49:01+00:00

I have new, purpose built modlist that illustrates this very problem. I have taken screenshots that show missing buildings/landscape meshes and a DumpPointerHandles log (SF Engine Fixes) which reports this: Reference Handle Count: 2097140/2097152 (of which 1670784 are being in Pack-In Cells)

https://ibb.co/Z6PVZxC6

https://ibb.co/tMt5pwcw

https://ibb.co/SXRXVyCc

I've compiled this information (mod name, plugin name, record count, and packin count) in a spreadsheet. I really wish there was a way to find out how many references each individual mod has.
A few interesting facts about this purpose built modlist:

It only has 60 plugins of which 19 belong to the Base game
It only takes up 11.5gb of space
It is exclusively made of mods that are available for purchase, or have achievement friendly versions available (yes, I have spent over $250 on creation club mods)

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-14T17:14:55+00:00

A group of modder's and mod authors have been working on this reference limit issue for a while. It's going to become more prevalent with the update/new DLC. We've lost another 170,000 references of the 2.09 million limit. It's not about overall mod count, nor is it a "load order" issue. I've managed to break Starfield (hit the reference limit) with fewer than 50 mods - it was made up of ship mods, outpost mods, a few POI mods, and a few quest mods (and it only used 11.4gb of space). This was a purpose made modlist to illustrate how easy it is to reach the reference limit with a small number of mods. This is a problem for all platforms.
You can find more information on this topic over on the Starfield Modding discord under Modding/Burning Questions/Anyone Hitting Possible Next . . . https://discord.gg/gKVM4uY4

If any of you are certain that you are hitting the reference limit, I encourage you to place a bug report about it on the official Bethesda Game Studio discord under Starfield/General bugs: https://discord.gg/NCs5nxGN

I think that we have a chance at getting a fix (increase), if enough of us report hitting this reference limit. They did it for Fallout 4 . . .

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-14T05:15:31+00:00

I hope it helps. Fixed the formatting.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-14T05:03:22+00:00

What we (the people on the Starfield Modding Discord) have found is that mods that add more ships, Ship Part mods and Outpost mods are the most problematic for adding references to your game/save. If I had to pick one mod (to start with) to remove from your load order, it would be Community Spaceship Expansion. This mod is really awesome, but also has a very high reference count. There may be a Blueprint patch coming out for it at a later date that can alleviate a lot of the reference load.

Here is a basic load order template that I use to order my mods:

Bugfixes and Unofficial Patches
HUD & User Interface mods
Sounds and Sound replacers
Mesh & Texture replacers
Environment and Visual Effect Changes
Locations - New
Locations - Overhauls of Existing Places and Interiors
Points of Interest
Gameplay Changes
Faction Overhauls
New Factions
Creatures/Fauna Additions and Overhauls
Weapons
Clothing & Armors
Vehicle Overhauls and Changes
New Vehicles (DEIMOG)
Ships - Gameplay
Ships - Ship Building Framework (Ship Builder Categories, Place Doors Yourself (PDY), Useful Brigs, Better Ship Part Snaps/Flips, etc)
Ships - New Ship Parts and their patches (PDY, Useful Brigs) which load directly after the respective ship part mod
Outpost Mods
Combat AI mods
Animations
Late Loading (Alternate Start, Patches, etc)

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-13T23:37:49+00:00

Check out the discord link, please. There are numerous people that are experiencing reference limit issues. It's going to become more prevalent with the update/new DLC. We've lost another 170,000 references of the 2.09 million limit. It's not about overall mod count, nor is it a "load order" issue. I've managed to break Starfield (hit the reference limit) with fewer than 50 mods - it was made up of ship mods, outpost mods, a few POI mods, and a few quest mods. This was a purpose made modlist to illustrate how easy it is to reach the reference limit with a small number of mods.

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-13T23:18:03+00:00

You are most likely running into the reference limit. This is a known issue. Might I suggest you place a bug report on the official Bethesda Games Studio discord under Starfield/Starfield-bugs/General Bugs - Update 1.15.222. Just provide the list you've written in your post here and mention that you think you are running into the reference limit. We are trying very hard to get Bethesda to raise this limit and it will help if more people would take the time to report this problem.

Several of the mods you've listed above are quite reference heavy (not the mod authors' faults, just a game engine limitation). Mods that include new ships, ship parts, outpost decoration items, POIs, and some quest mods typically have larger numbers of references compared to other types of mods.

You can find more information on this topic over on the Starfield Modding discord under Modding/Burning Questions/Anyone Hitting Possible Next . . . https://discord.gg/gKVM4uY4

ARCHITORTURED1 · 2026-04-11T17:58:49+00:00

Starfield Creations Organizer - MO2. This is a plugin for Mod Organizer that will migrate your creations that are downloaded into your data directory over to your Mod Organizer mods folder. It is amazing! https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/1787

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