For what it's worth, I play only in solo mode (including during this community goal). The crashes were not happening because my console was trying to keep up with other players. At least not directly.
(Why do I play in solo mode? Because I don't really understand how this MMO game is supposed to work, in terms of other players. In the beginning I played in open play mode, and I never saw anything from other players, except perhaps their ships sometimes flying by. I never saw any messages, or anything else. Nothing. I don't understand how this is an MMO game. But why did I permanently switch to solo mode? Because the only two interactions I ever had with other players was them attacking me for no reason whatsoever and destroying my ship in a couple of seconds with me completely unable to do anything about it. That's why.)
(Actually, when I participated in the previous CG I did switch to open play mode, just to see if there would be more interaction between players that I could see. In my very first trip I did indeed encounter another player. Who immediately proceeded to shoot at me, for absolutely no reason. I wasn't even carrying any cargo. At least this time I was able to escape before he destroyed me. But I am seeing a pattern here: Play in open play mode, get shot by other players, for no reason whatsoever. So much for it being an "MMO". At least it does have a solo mode, else I would have stopped playing.)
Indeed I really don't enter Open play myself* and unfortunately beyond the games' extremely flimsy crime and punishment system, there's nothing to stop players attacking others beyond their own moral code or lack thereof.
It's a real pity that this game isn't like The Elder Scrolls Online, which is Co-op PVE first in main gameplay areas with optional PVP areas which you have to choose to enter, then further still may choose to engage in PVP at all within those areas...
Unfortunately the best place and really only place to find still completely voluntary Co-op gameplay is with like minded players in player groups, which in particular on Playstation are based around one player hosting them, inviting then playing along with their friends (even among public groups such as Mobius, it's based on and limited by being friends with the host), so the groups are limited in size by the hosts PSN friends list, which caps out at either 2,000 or 20,000 players on PS4 (the host doesn't have to be online for the group to exist, unless the host chooses to shutdown a particular group, they are permanent and persistent)...
*Anyway the few times I entered Open I did so while never leaving the hanger of a large station and played exclusively in multicrew while chatting with like minded players and either while doing that or from the forums I found out about the strictly PvE only group Mobius, which I've been a part of for several years...
Indeed while the group used be very popular and particularly around CGs I used to meet a lot of other players, all of whom were friendly and no one ever shot at me or another player - doing so would see them quickly kicked out of the group whatever the circumstances...
While in recent years, sure the group has been a bit of a ghost town, but I still see the odd player there every few months, while clearly they're still added members because I'm in Mobius 2, while they're seemingly adding people to Mobius 3 right now.
While they have an application form to join the group and the process looks complicated, it's really not and I highly recommend doing so.
Here's a link to the group's registration page:-
https://www.elitepve.com/page/join# 
In early days I had a lot of fun playing alongside other players in the group, in particular during bounty hunting and Combat Zone CGs, often played in full wings, while other players were queuing to join the wings when players dropped out
..
Outside of specific combat, I quite often escorted other players on trade runs, missions and while they were mining etc.
As said even though the group has been pretty dead in the last year or three, I still have occasional interactions and meet ups with other players...
One day I was bounty hunting in a RES sites, when I saw quite frantic pleas for help from another player in chat, and after a bit of searching I found the other player, probably a new player, mining in a seemingly unarmed mining ship under attack from a single NPC pirate flying a Sidewinder!
I swatted the annoying fly bothering the player and then flew escort for them until they docked at a station with their load
.
Within Mobius I made quite a few friends, though I'm not sure how many of them still play Elite, also I'm generally not online as much or at the same time of day as I used to be, but in there I joined several of their also PVE only groups, some of them having 30 or more players.
Indeed the reason many people choose to shoot at other players, whether "just because", while role playing as a pirate, because they're in "enemy" Powerplay factions, "enemy" CZ factions, for weapon testing or even consentual PvP are all banned within Mobius and most other PvE groups.
As said, if I met over 100 unique players (often the same players more than once), no one ever fired a shot in anger at me in a player group, so I can't recommend them highly enough, but of course as said, it'd be better if the Devs had built PvE modes into the game, but with like minded players and player groups, we can create the next best thing!
.
Anyway best of with your stability and fly safe out there!
![[PS4 Pro - PC] earthtone99](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/194/194606.jpg?1590051410){kind=avatar}