Also, I had a few questions in regard to the game itself. First, how do I add my own custom textures and materials to use on my robots and as my logo? Second, Is there a way I can save the pictures I use for the robot I've built onto a storage file so I could use them in other programs like GIMP or Photoshop? Finally, is there a way to build a translational drift or autonomous robot?
custom textures go in the "texture library" folder in the ra2 directory. they must be a 24 bit bmp file with a size that's a multiple of 64. team icons go into the "teams" folder, same file restrictions apply.
there is a screenshot button in-game, press f11 and it saves a screenshot in the "screenshots" folder.
as far as translational drift, you wouldn't be able to drive it yourself but there's an AI file that allows for "melty brain", which brings me to the autonomous portion of your question. in ra2 most people fight by converting their robot into an AI opponent and fighting it against other AI, since the game's netcode is so garbage.
sorry i can't help you with the game crash stuff, ive never seen that happen on a fresh install.