Modding in more than 10 water bodies causes the Scenario Editor to crash on open

Age of Mythology: Retold Report a Bug
1

  • Game Version: Premium

  • Build Number: v.100.18.50572.0 (574860R)

  • Platform: Steam

  • Operating System: Windows 11

Issue:

Modding more than 10 water bodies causes the Scenario Editor to crash on open and the game to BugSplat on close.

  • This occurs whether the 11+ water bodies live in the same mod or are split across multiple mods.

  • If I comment out the 11th <ocean> entry, the Scenario Editor opens and behaves normally.

  • With 11+ entries, the editor crashes immediately on open, and the game produces a BugSplat dialog when closing (even if I never reach the open editor).

  • My XML file goes in any mod’s folder in the mods folder: ...\[MODNAME]\Game\Data\map_definitions\water_bodies_mods.xml.

    Screenshot 2025-10-10 083707
    Screenshot 2025-10-10 0837071920×911 192 KB

    Screenshot 2025-10-10 083818
    Screenshot 2025-10-10 083818714×754 132 KB

Trigger Event:

  • Attempting to open the Scenario Editor (from the main menu) while a mod is enabled that defines 11 or more custom water bodies via XML in Game\Data\map_definitions. Closing the game after this state consistently produces a BugSplat.

Repro Steps:

    1. Create/enable a mod with the attached water_bodies_mods.xml that defines 11 <ocean> entries (see code block below).
    2. Launch the game, and go to Scenario Editor (or close the game).
    3. Observe: the editor crashes (or the game BugSplats if you instead close the game).
    4. Comment out the 11th <ocean> entry (leaving 10 total), reload, and try again.
    5. Observe: the editor opens normally; closing the game does not BugSplat.
    6. Re-enable the 11th <ocean> (back to 11 total).
    7. Observe: the crash/BugSplat returns.
      Repro frequency: 100% on my machine with this content.
<?xml version="1.0"?>

<waterbodies>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_101" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_102" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_103" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_104" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_105" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_106" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_107" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_108" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_109" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <ocean name="TEST_WATER_110" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>
  <!--<ocean name="TEST_WATER_011" depth="3.0000" bottom="japanese\japanese_beach_1" bank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_3" outerbank="japanese\japanese_grass_dirt_2" surface="water" vfx_appearance="-1" vfx_tint_color="-9744188">
    <rendering oceanwaveamplitude="0.0150" coastalwaveamplitude="0.0400" oceanwavechoppiness="4.0000" coastalwavechoppiness="1.0000" oceanlargestwavesize="10.0000" coastallargestwavesize="10.0000" oceanwaverandomdirection="180.0000" oceanwavedirection="0.0000" coastalwavedistance="6.0000" coastalwavevariance="0.0000" speedmultiplier="0.2000" refractionamount="0.2024" refractiontint="1.0000" refractionshoredistanceshade="0.1082" refractionblur="0.0612" murkinessdensity="0.7079" murkinessdepthshade="0.8000" murkinessnormal="1.1294" shorecolor="0.027 0.082 0.051" deepcolor="0.020 0.102 0.110" shorecolordistance="11.0000" waveletheightluminosity="1.0000" surfaceroughness="0.0100" specularcrunching="0.5000" causticsscale="0.3454" causticsscrollspeed="0.0127" causticsintensity="1.0000" causticsdepth="10.0000" flipbooktexture="vfx/textures/water/waterflipbook_turbulent_01" flipbookspeed="1.0000" flipbookuvscale1="0.5000" flipbookuvscale2="0.2500" flipbooknormalstrength1="0.5000" flipbooknormalstrength2="0.5000" foamtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_3" foamtextureshoreflowspeed="-0.2000" foamtextureuvscale="7.8513" foamshoredistance="13.6609" shorefoammaskpower="2.7000" deepfoammaskpower="9.0000" foamalphashore="0.2000" foamalphadeep="0.9947" foambandtexture="vfx/textures/foam/foam_2" foambanduvscale="8.0000" foambanddistance="2.0867" foambandalpha="0.5000" foambandflowspeed="0.2000"></rendering>
  </ocean>-->
</waterbodies>
2

I am wondering if this bug will be fixed? I just tested again to see if it has been fixed; it has not yet been fixed, and I haven’t seen it be added to the bug tracker yet: Age of Mythology: Retold Known Issues & Solutions – Age of Empires Support

Thanks!