This guide is based on various sources with suggestions how to avoid or fix various problems with the game on modern hardware, scattered around in the Steam Community surrounding this game.
1) Install Mashed on Steam
2) Download Mashed: Fully Loaded PC version (Google Drive link)
3) Delete all files in the Steam installed Mashed folder (Don’t remove gamesave.bin if you wish to keep your save file)
4) Copy over all files from the downloaded Mashed: Fully Loaded version and paste them in the Steam created Mashed folder where you initially installed the game in step 1
5) Download and install RTSS
6) Open RivaTuner Statistics Server
7) At the bottom left, select the green “Add” button and locate the mashed.exe file in your Mashed Steam directory
8) Set the Framerate Limit on the right side to the current hz of your monitor (e.g. 60 or if higher, like for me, that particular value).
9) Keep RivaTuner Statistics Server open and open Mashed through Steam (You can minimise RivaTuner Statistics Server, it will minimise to your taskbar’s hidden icons)
The reason for having RivaTuner Statistics Server and limiting the framerate to match the hz of your monitor, is to ensure that the game doesn’t run at a lower framerate. For some reason, the base Mashed: Fully Loaded edition runs at 32 fps in game which can feel slow and janky compared to the Steam release. RTSS allows us to enjoy the features of Mashed: Fully Loaded edition while still having the smooth performance the Steam version has.
(hint: if you are using an Nvidia graphics card, you also can use the Nvidia control panel for this:
Manage 3D settings -> Program settings ->choose Mashed as a program to customise ->override global settings for FPS to the current hz of your monitor).
10) Run the game, try picking your resolution x16 in the top half of the drop down menu, not the bottom half.
Caution! Never ever pick x32! If you even do so once, the game will fail to create the necessary texture mappings, and selection of x16 resolutions is permanently disabled then. If you happen to have made this mistake, you need to uninstall the game and start over from scratch!