Current experiment: reverting back to Windows 7, leaving the webcam disconnected (it may have been the problem, I usually leave it disconnected)
edit: game works again…as long as my webcam is not hooked up.
(back on windows 7) …why does my webcam make stonehearth crash?
hmmm… your webcam has your image and the game is afraid of it?
more serious, so it’s working again 
yep! so just had a little go at the new features, and can be back to modding soonishTM 
(after i reinstall all my shit etc XD)
Though I still don’t know why the game is allergic to USB peripherals…