error code: Failed to load mods:SchallTankPlatoon/data-updates.lua:98: attempt to index field 'hr_version' {a nil value} stack traceback: SchallTankPlatoon/data-updates.lua:98: in main chunk

It has something to do with poison capsule graphics.
Which are you using any mods that may have changed the posion capsule? (Which actually removed the hi-res graphics.)

That was something weird I noticed, the icon was different. This is the first time I've played spidertron era Factorio. I'll look and see if I can find the one that's doing it.

I have added checks in the latest version 0.17.21 / 0.18.9 / 1.0.2.
Please let me know if it works for your game or not.

So i just launched the game with this enabled and it said:

Failed to load mods: Reached limit for entity. the game can't contain more than 65535 instances of this prototype due to hardcoded limits of the engine. See the log file for more detail.

The only options are disable all mods restart and exit. Do i have too many mods or something?

Oh, it is new to me.
I only know the 255 limit for tiles. Never heard of any limit for entities.
(Just searched and found this thread.)

Yes, probably too many mods. Wonder you are using (much) more than one or two mod suites?

quite a few...is there an easy way to prepare a modlist for you?

File factorio-current.log would be the easiest way to obtain the modlist. It contains the version numbers (but also your hardware info).
File mod-list.json also lists the mods, but without version numbers (nor any hardware info).
Nevermind if you don't want to show.

I am just curious how formiddable it would be to exceed 65535 entities limit.
In comparison, my entity instances count is less than 1500.

here it is

0.747 Loading mod aai-signals 0.5.2 (data.lua)
0.857 Loading mod aai-vehicles-chaingunner 0.5.2 (data.lua)
0.968 Loading mod aai-vehicles-flame-tank 0.4.1 (data.lua)
1.077 Loading mod aai-vehicles-flame-tumbler 0.5.1 (data.lua)
1.183 Loading mod aai-vehicles-hauler 0.5.1 (data.lua)
1.289 Loading mod aai-vehicles-laser-tank 0.5.2 (data.lua)
1.393 Loading mod aai-vehicles-miner 0.5.9 (data.lua)
1.499 Loading mod aai-vehicles-warden 0.4.2 (data.lua)
1.606 Loading mod Additional-Turret-updated 0.3.5 (data.lua)
1.732 Loading mod Aircraft 1.7.1 (data.lua)
1.844 Loading mod BetterInserters 1.2.0 (data.lua)
1.954 Loading mod bobinserters 1.0.0 (data.lua)
2.065 Loading mod Booktorio 1.5.2 (data.lua)
2.176 Loading mod car-finder 1.4.1 (data.lua)
2.287 Loading mod creative-mod 1.6.1 (data.lua)
2.412 Loading mod dark-tech 0.0.0 (data.lua)
2.532 Loading mod Darkstar_utilities 0.19.3 (data.lua)
2.680 Loading mod DoingThingsByHand 0.2.0 (data.lua)
2.806 Loading mod grappling-gun 0.2.6 (data.lua)
2.933 Loading mod Grass 0.0.2 (data.lua)
3.059 Loading mod HelicopterRevival 0.0.5 (data.lua)
3.189 Loading mod informatron 0.1.14 (data.lua)
3.317 Loading mod Mining_Drones 0.3.24 (data.lua)
3.452 Loading mod MIRV 0.2.3 (data.lua)
3.586 Loading mod RampantArsenal 1.0.0 (data.lua)
3.748 Loading mod RenaiTransportation 0.5.5 (data.lua)
3.890 Loading mod robot-recall 0.2.14 (data.lua)
4.027 Loading mod SchallAlienLoot 1.0.1 (data.lua)
4.167 Loading mod SchallCircuitGroup 1.0.0 (data.lua)
4.306 Loading mod SchallMachineScaling 0.18.4 (data.lua)
4.487 Loading mod SchallPickupTower 1.0.0 (data.lua)
4.637 Loading mod SchallRemainsPickup 1.0.0 (data.lua)
4.787 Loading mod SchallTransportGroup 1.0.1 (data.lua)
4.937 Loading mod SchallUncraft 0.18.2 (data.lua)
5.087 Loading mod spidertron-extended 0.3.2 (data.lua)
5.248 Loading mod spidertron-logistics 1.2.4 (data.lua)
5.400 Loading mod spidertrontiers 0.2.11 (data.lua)
5.611 Loading mod Spider_Control 0.3.5 (data.lua)
5.779 Loading mod Stacking 1.0.1 (data.lua)
5.946 Loading mod tarantulator 1.3.7 (data.lua)
6.115 Loading mod techno 0.1.1 (data.lua)
6.283 Loading mod Unit_Control 0.2.3 (data.lua)
6.451 Loading mod aai-programmable-vehicles 0.6.14 (data.lua)

should probably mention i am absolutely horrible about keeping mod counts low...

Honestly, this list appears much shorter than I would have expected. (Say, the thread I mentioned above were using 147 mods...)
Perhaps some mods do not have data.lua phase, but only later phases?

I spot a few big mods in your list, but they do not seem enough to hit the 65535 limit.

Well I have a lot of your mods that require this one but they aren't loaded because this one wasn't working

So that's possibly it

My less than 1500 entity instances count is already having my WHOLE Schall mod suite and a few others' mods enabled. So mine can't be the important factor to you.
I only know the more famous ones (say, Bob's Inserters, Aircraft) in your list, which do not have high entity instances count neither.

The remaining 60k+ entity instances must come from somewhere. (IMO, your mediocre-sized mod set should not have that many entity instances. Something seems wrong here...)
Try seek help on Factorio forum, on finding a possible way to check how many entities are contributed from each mod. Ore else you have to figure it out yourself.

Thanks for the help dude! I'll see what I can do!

I'll bet darkstar has a bunch honestly, that one seems to be the biggest of what I got now, lot more to it compared to what I had in earlier Factorio versions.

in my factorio world i have an absurd amount of high explosive rockets lying around on the ground...would that possibly be the issue or is the entity thing only based on the mods?

I am not sure about Darkstar (as I have never installed it).
From mod description and screenshots, it adds quite a lot of entity instances, but still below thousand I think.

Items on ground count towards entities only, not entity instances. 1000 HE rockets still count as 1 entity instance only.
They will likely lower your UPS/FPS, but will not crash your game start for the 65535 instance limit.

Damn, I was hoping that was it as I have a stacking mod and your remains and pickup so when shit dies tons of stuff litters the ground

I later did a mod purge and i must have had way too much content in only a little bunch of mods as i got em now. Thanks for tolerating me lol!

Grats you have finally solved this.
Though I wonder what formiddable mod list can get over 65535 instances limit. :-O

Probably because a lot of the mods I use add a lot of stuff or something.