Editing Openai/696e303b-9f9c-8001-b1df-6fcfc3f35a2c (section)

=== Assistant: Yep, this one’s actually pretty readable once you strip away the arcane chanting. ===
Yep, this one’s actually pretty readable once you strip away the arcane chanting.

Short version first: this is a VFE Insectoids bug triggered during map generation when your transport pods land. Not vanilla. Not HugsLib. Not your save. One specific mod tripped over a null object and face-planted.

Now the autopsy.

The core error is a classic:
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

That means some piece of code expected “a thing” and instead got nothing. Zero. Void. The cosmic shrug.

The smoking gun is here:
VFEInsectoids.InsectMapGenDef.DoMapGen

More specifically:
SpawnHiveSurroundings → GenAdj.OccupiedRect(Thing t)

GenAdj.OccupiedRect is a vanilla utility that asks: “What tiles does this thing occupy?”
But the Thing t it was given is null. So RimWorld goes “bro what thing?” and crashes that generation step.

Why it happens now
This only fires when:
* A new map is generated
* The map uses Insectoid-specific generation hooks
* Your transport pods arrive at a site (not your home map)

So what’s likely happening:
* VFE Insectoids tries to spawn or decorate a hive structure during map gen
* One of the hive-related ThingDefs fails to spawn (missing def, failed resolve, bad patch)
* The mod still assumes it exists and asks for its occupied rectangle
* Boom: null reference

Why your game didn’t instantly die
This is during arrival action, not a tick loop. RimWorld aborts the map gen step, logs the error, and usually either:
* Fails the site generation
* Dumps you back to the world map
* Or generates a half-broken site

This is not harmless red spam, but it’s also not a save-corruptor. Think “engine stall,” not “engine exploded.”

Most common real causes (ranked by probability):
# VFE Insectoids version mismatch with your RimWorld version
# Missing or outdated Vanilla Expanded Framework (VEF)
# Another mod patching insect hives / structures badly
# Landing on a site type not meant to support insect map gen (quest sites, special ruins, etc.)

Concrete fixes that actually work:
* Update VFE Insectoids and Vanilla Expanded Framework together. Treat them as inseparable twins.
* Temporarily disable only VFE Insectoids, reload, and try the pod landing again. If it works, confirmation achieved.
* If you use other mods that touch insects (biomes, factions, custom hives), test without them. One bad Harmony patch is enough to ruin the party.
* As a workaround: avoid podding into sites that generate new maps until fixed. Caravan entry often bypasses the problematic hook.

What you don’t need to worry about:
* HugsLib is just reporting the event. It’s the messenger, not the criminal.
* UnlimitedHugs didn’t cause this.
* Vanilla RimWorld isn’t at fault.

Mental model to keep:
Map generation is like setting up a stage play. VFE Insectoids told the crew “place the hive prop here,”