BATTLETECH - Game doesn't display at all [Linux]

[DMNinja]

One line summary of your issue
Game doesn't display at all

What platform are you running the game on?
Steam

What operating system do you use?
Artix Linux (Arch Linux without systemd)

Which version of the game are you running?
1.9.1

What DLC do you have installed?
Flashpoint, Urban Warfare, Shadowhawk Pack, Heavy Metal

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
The game possibly attempts to initialize on a screen resolution higher than my screen. The telltale sign that this might be the case is on the attached pic of the issue. My current active window is set up to display a small red border before it displays as fullscreen. In this case, the border is anchored on the top left side, and the right and bottom sides of it are not displayed. It is noticeable on the screenshot too.

I've checked the unity settings, and they're set to 1920x1080.

The game audio and functions run fine. I was able to skip the intro cutscene manually on that state. The game is also responsive my keyboard's kill command. Other than the display issue, the game seems to be running just fine.

Have you tried verifying your files?
Yes

Steps to reproduce the issue
Install a fresh copy of Artix Linux as per manual instructions
Enable multilib repositories to gain access to the Arch repositories
install steam through pacman (pacman -S steam)
Run battletech through steam

Attach DxDiag (PC), System Info log (Mac), or run sudo lshw -html > specs.html and uploaded specs.html (Linux)
File(s) attached

Attach Output Log
Windows: \Users\YourUserName\AppData\LocalLow\Harebrained Schemes\BATTLETECH\output_log.txt
Mac OS: Users >{name} > Library > Logs > Unity > Player.log
Linux: ~/.config/unity3d/Harebrained Schemes/BATTLETECH/Player.log
File(s) attached

If the game crashed, please attach the crash file with the time stamp closest to the crash.
Windows: [Steam library folder]\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\DumpBox
For v.17 and beyond try here: C:\Users\[YourUserName]\AppData\LocalLow\Harebrained Schemes\BATTLETECH
OSX: Macintosh HD > Users > [username] > Library > Application Support > Steam > steamapps > common > BattleTech > DumpBox
Linux: [Steam library folder]/steamapps/common/BATTLETECH/DumpBox
File(s) attached

If a save game was loaded at the start of the game session, upload it. Please make sure to upload the save game with the timestamp closest to when you loaded it.
Windows:
Steam: [Steam installation folder]\userdata[SteamID]\637090\remote\C0\SGS1
GOG: 'C:\Users\USER_ID\AppData\Local\GOG.com\Galaxy\Applications\50593543263669699\Storage\Shared\Files\C#\SGS#'
Vanilla:'C:\Users\USER_ID\AppData\LocalLow\Harebrained Schemes\BattleTech\C#\SGS#'
OSX:
Steam: Macintosh HD > Users > [username] > Library > Application Support > Steam > userdata > [SteamID] > 637090 > remote > C#> SGS#
GOG: Macintosh HD > Users > [username] > Library > Application Support > GOG.com > Galaxy > Applications > 50593543263669699 > Storage > Shared > Files > C# > SGS#
Vanilla: Macintosh HD > Users > [username]> Library > Application Support > unity.Harebrained Schemes.BattleTech > C# > SGG#
Linux:
Steam: /home/.steam/steam/userdata/[steamID]/637090/remote/C#/SGS#
GOG: /home/[username]/.config/unity3d/Harebrained Schemes/BATTLETECH/remote/C#/SGS#/
Vanilla: /home/[username]/.config/unity3d/Harebrained Schemes/BATTLETECH/remote/C#/SGS#/
File(s) attached

Attach screenshot / video
File(s) attached

 

[DMNinja]

For some reason, the .html file requested is unable to be attached. Thus i am pasting the raw text format here:


00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Root Complex
00:00.2 IOMMU: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 IOMMU
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:01.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 PCIe GPP Bridge [6:0]
00:01.6 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 PCIe GPP Bridge [6:0]
00:08.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 00h-1fh) PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:08.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to Bus A
00:08.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to Bus B
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 61)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 5
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 6
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2 Device 24: Function 7
15:00.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset USB 3.1 xHCI Controller (rev 02)
15:00.1 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset SATA Controller (rev 02)
15:00.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43b2 (rev 02)
16:00.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
16:01.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
16:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
16:05.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
16:06.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
16:07.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 300 Series Chipset PCIe Port (rev 02)
1b:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
1c:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168NGW [Stone Peak] (rev 10)
2e:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd NVMe SSD Controller SM961/PM961/SM963
38:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Raven Ridge [Radeon Vega Series / Radeon Vega Mobile Series] (rev c6)
38:00.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Raven/Raven2/Fenghuang HDMI/DP Audio Controller
38:00.2 Encryption controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 10h-1fh) Platform Security Processor
38:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven USB 3.1
38:00.4 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven USB 3.1
38:00.6 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h (Models 10h-1fh) HD Audio Controller
39:00.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 61)

 

[AndrewT]

From that log it looks like you have a corrupted game installation to me. Probably best to do a clean reinstall:


- Remove the game from Steam (uninstall)

- Manually delete all these files and folders, if still there:

To find these, in Finder do cmd-shift-G to bring up the GOTO box. In there paste ~/Library/ :
.steam/steam//steamapps/common/BattleTech/

~/.config/unity3d/Harebrained Schemes/BATTLETECH/

.steam/steam/userdata/*steamuserID*/637090/
(first move the /remote/C#/SGS#/ folder elsewhere to keep your save games)

- Install the game again

- run a Steam Verify operation to confirm it came down okay.

Good luck with that!

 

[DMNinja]

Sadly, the issue persisted after a clean reinstall. The install on the previous iteration was also a fresh one.

Just to note, steam attempts to launch the game through Steam Linux Runtime

 

[AndrewT]

Can I see a new player.log please, does it also have those errors?

steam attempts to launch the game through Steam Linux Runtime

I have to admit I'm not 100% sure what this means, can you clarify for me please? Is this some packaged edition of Steam rather than the normal Linux Steam Client app?

 

[DMNinja]

Player.log attached as requested.

To clarify, That is the default option under Properties > Compatibility > (If i check "Force the use of a specific steam play compatibility tool to check what steam is using by default) . It just means that the game runs natively on linux through what steam calls "Steam Linux Runtime", which is essentially the steam libraries for Linux.

For reference and clarity, Stardew Valley (a game that is also officially linux supported) uses the same library and runs without me having to use proton.

 

[AndrewT]

It just means that the game runs natively on linux through what steam calls "Steam Linux Runtime", which is essentially the steam libraries for Linux.

So using the libs that Steam provide rather than those that reside in Linux or come with the game? Is that right?

What happens if you don't do that, just run it out of the normal settings? I just tried the game under Ubuntu 20.04 and it loaded fine for me.


We still see these errors:

Note: Creation of internal variant of shader 'Terrain/BT-TerrainTesselation' failed.
0:23(1): error: syntax error, unexpected '[', expecting end of file

If they are not a corrupted game installation then I guess there is an issue in the video area here. Are you on the latest driver for that Vega 11 video system?

 

[DMNinja]

I have some good news to share!

After almost a full day of troubleshooting on a linux gamer forum, we managed to figure out a few things that you can freely request that i share. But now there are clues in the right direction!

I passed the argument -show-screen-selector and chose to run the game windowed. It worked immediately! The window is still anchored to the top left and it's off by 3x3 pixels from the top left of the screen, and the visuals just freeze the moment i disable windowed mode, but the game is fully working!

There seems to be quirk compatibility issue between the specific unity version of the game, my window manager (DWM), mesa and the AMD APU and does get very complicated, very fast. I'm willing to delve deeper, but for all intents and purposes, the original issue is now solved.

I'll not be marking the topic as such, due to that small issue, but that's for you to decide now