Creatures Caves

I'm working on a site with more detail but here's my attempt at a quickstart guide for 2024:

Creatures 2 Community Edition by lisdude
Many huge engine improvements. If you don't install this patch, you will constantly have crashes/errors like the one you saw.
(Advanced: You will occasionally get world scriptorium corruption after a few years ingame which looks like tons of script error popups. I mitigate this by re-injecting fresh copies of the event scripts which are causing errors.)

Do not install the Remastered Patch, the Community Edition replaces it. This used to be required so you will see it in older guides.

Better Albia by GimmeCat
This is a Room Editor file and some patch COBs. Room Editor issues a huge number of CAOS commands to the game and fixes many poorly designed parts of the map.
Install Room Editor, then follow the BA install instructions.

Room Editor registration key:
GamewareDev
301-5061A-1234U-WI

Patch COBs
Refer to the Community-Recommended list and GimmeCat's list. Disregard the mentions of the Remastered patch.
There are so many fixes I frequently forget to inject some. Many are not strictly required.
Many gamebreaking issues are solved by modified creature scripts/stims from foods so you should always have these:
- Albian Updates 1.1
- Sleep Update But Better 1.1
- Modified Tomatoes/Nuts (These are important fixes, but I noticed these plants and anything you download based on them still cause eating disorders. The inedible sprouting fruit do not actually become invisible when the attr is changed.)
- Modified Potatoes/Carrots (these appear to be totally fine)

Fun COBs
~~There is no fun to be had in Creatures 2~~
- Ocean Bridges 1.1
- Grendel and Ettin Control System
- Bridges and Barriers pack (Hang Bridge and Canopy Bridge)
- Buzzing Lifts and Buttons (optional, I like testing genetics with and without it)
- Nutrient Plant 1 (comes with game)
- Water Fountain
- Strawberries
- Travellers Hub/Rescue Post
Generally be wary of:
- objects with confusing effects (eg. push-to-eat foods like Meat Vine, ball toy that reduces hunger, shower toy that reduces sleepiness), these do more lifelong damage here than they could in DS
- genetic/evolving COBs

Genetics
Start with Akamai Canny and try everything available to see what you like about each. I did this and now play with my own Canny variant I hope to release.
Crossbreeding incompatible genome bases used to corrupt worlds but no longer does with the CE patch. I still wouldn't raise them together.