BATTLETECH - Loading any urban maps/missions crashes to Desktop

[B1ackBishop]

One line summary of your issue
Loading any urban maps/missions crashes to Desktop

What platform are you running the game on?

Steam

What operating system do you use?
Windows 10 64bit
Which version of the game are you running?
1.8.1-640R
What DLC do you have installed?
Flashpoint,
Urban Warfare,
Heavy Metal

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
Trying to load any urban map mission with crash to desktop. This was not a issue before the game updated to the Heavy Metal DLC.
I have tried to disable Ambient Occlusion, Antialiasing, Reflection, Motion Blur and turned Reduce Props on and off.
I have tried other urban mission in different systems, all crash every time. Mission that are NOT urban biome, load fine.
Verified games files through Steam.
Have you tried verifying your files?
Yes

Steps to reproduce the issue
Accept any mission with a urban biome. After launching, game starts to load the mission but crashes to desktop.

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

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

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

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#/

Attach screenshot / video

 

[AndrewT]

Firstly we see Avast in the crash stack the4e, so add BattleTech.exe to its exceptions list.

but the most likely cause is that new AMD video driver you have. Please revert to 19.2.x from their support site.

good luck with that!

 

[B1ackBishop]

Thx for the feedback.
So, I added the whole Steam\SteamApps\common\BATTLETECH folder to the exception list in Avast (just in case) and downgraded the AMD driver from 19.12.3 to 19.12.2. I assume that's what you meant because there's no other driver older than that on the AMD page.
Unfortunately though, I still get the same crash. Uploading the updated DxDiag and output_log files. Used the same save file as the original OP.

 

[B1ackBishop]

Meantime, I also reinstalled the game just in case the Steam game file verification skipped something, but no dice. Still crashes with any urban mission.

 

[AndrewT]

Lots of Avast still in the crash stack:

C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswAMSI.dll
C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\amd64_avast.vc140.crt_fcc99ee6193ebbca_14.0.27821.0_none_5b87bb4915fad71f\MSVCP140.dll
C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\amd64_avast.vc140.crt_fcc99ee6193ebbca_14.0.27821.0_none_5b87bb4915fad71f\VCRUNTIME140.dll
C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\AavmRpch.dll
C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\dll_loader.dll


That aside, what if you run the game in windowed mode - any better?

 

[B1ackBishop]

I uninstalled Avast, just in case.
Ran the game in Window mode, still crashes. I'm attaching updated output_log file. Have a video but can't upload for... reasons (top progress indicator just keeps on going for over an hour), and can't post the link, yet (5 posts minimum).

 

[AndrewT]

We now know that 19.12.2 is no better than 19.12.3 in this respect. Please try reverting to 19.9.2
https://www.amd.com/en/support/prev...eries/radeon-rx-vega-series/radeon-rx-vega-56

 

[B1ackBishop]

Didn't see the "Previous Drivers" link on the AMD driver page before, sorry.
So I installed the 19.9.2, tried to load a urban map both in full screen and window mode, still crashes! Please note though, that I reinstalled Avast as we previously ruled out this wasn't the cause.
Attaching the new output_log file, screenshot of the AMD driver version and posting one more time (5th post) to be able to link the video of what's happening.

 

[B1ackBishop]

Here goes the link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_wFROehn_18FAUhJ6aE0I_cawS8QDnHK

Also, please note that the time of this recording, I had actually uninstalled Avast previously, as shown at the end of the video (it's not running in the notification area).

 

[AndrewT]

That latest output log has a whole new error that looks like game corruption. Please run a Steam Verify operation against the game, see if that finds anything to fix.

And Avast is still in the crash stack:

C:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswhook.dll

AV apps are deliberately made hard to uninstall fully. You should use the free Revo Uninstaller utility to remove it entirely.

 

[B1ackBishop]

Ran Steam game files verification and it indicated "successfully validated". Screenshot attached. Just an added note, I had already tried to reinstalled the game through Steam on post #4.
Ran Battletech again with AMD driver v19.9.2, Windowed and full screen, still crashes. I'm attaching the latest output_log.

Meantime, I remembered I had a full installation of a Battletech Advanced 3062 modded folder, before the Heavy Metal DLC was released. I reinstalled the latest AMD drivers and
used that older BATTLETECH modded folder, went to a urban map, and the game loaded fine. I'm attaching screenshots.

I can only conclude that either Steam is not verifying/installing the latest version of Battletech properly (doubtful, because I believe there would be more people reporting this, if this were the case), or there's an issue with Battletech's latest release and certain hardware/systems?

 

[AndrewT]

or there's an issue with Battletech's latest release and certain hardware/systems?

Not impossible of course, but if so there's nothing about it showing in the log or dxdiag. Are you seeing entries in the Windows Event viewer relating to these crashes?

 

[B1ackBishop]

Yup, there is a logged app error:

Faulting application name: BattleTech.exe, version: 2018.4.2.64310, time stamp: 0x5cf7e95c
Faulting module name: d3d11.dll, version: 10.0.18362.387, time stamp: 0x7e72d1cb
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000011e5e0
Faulting process id: 0x2bd0
Faulting application start time: 0x01d5c696badd2e0f
Faulting application path: D:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common\BATTLETECH\BattleTech.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\d3d11.dll
Report Id: ad68c316-008e-4fb9-b9ea-4fddaf4174b6
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Direct3D 11 Runtime is crashing, so it does have something to do with the AMD drivers, then? But then why doesn't this happen with the same AMD drivers on a previous version of the Battletech? The recent game version doesn't like AMD! Lol. Is this something the can be fixed in a next game patch?

 

[AndrewT]

But then why doesn't this happen with the same AMD drivers on a previous version of the Battletech? The recent game version doesn't like AMD!

Or vice versa, I would say. Presumably the 1.8.x version uses some graphics feature or function that the previous BT versions did not, and that is what is faulty in the AMD driver.

Is this something the can be fixed in a next game patch?

Technically speaking, the game could be modified to not trigger the bug in the AMD driver I suppose. Better though to not have the bug in the driver in the first place!

We know the 19.12.x drivers have bugs that affect several of our games, unrelated ones in fact, so that's pretty clearly on AMD to fix. However yours is the only case I know of with the earlier 19.9.x driver. What I'm going to suggest now is to a clean uninstall of the driver you have now:
https://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/AMD-Clean-Uninstall-Utility.aspx

Reboot, then install 19.2.x again, then reboot again.

I hope that does it for you!

 

[B1ackBishop]

Thanks for your help Andrew.

So, after trying different solutions, on and off, I finally resolved this issue. For those interested, I performed a clean installation of Battletech (through Steam) by following some other users' step by step in this and other forums. A good example is here:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...h-guide-uninstall-battletech-cleanly.1107452/

Here's what I did:
1- Unchecked Steam cloud synchronization
2- Uninstall Battletech through Steam
3- Deleted or made sure the "Battletech" folder was gone from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common
4- Deleted the "637090" folder from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\USER_ID
5- Deleted the "Harebrained Schemes" folder from C:\Users\%username%\AppData\LocalLow
6- Deleted the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Harebrained Schemes\BATTLETECH
7- Reinstalled Battletech through Steam

Tested loading any urban map in a new career or campaign and map loads with no problems.
Note that trying to restore old saves by partially or fully restoring your old 637090 save folder will mess everything up again. Even after restoring the NEW fresh 637090 folder resulted in 100% guaranteed crashes as before, forcing me to repeat everything from step 2.

Hope it helps anyone with similar or the same issue.

EDIT
Managed to restore my old 637090 folder (just this folder) and use my old saves after messing around with the video settings, namely, the Texture Quality and Terrain Quality. If I have either or both on anything less than "high" setting, loading any urban mission crashes again. I just leave those two on High. Loaded several urban missions even after restarting Steam and the game, loaded every time.
Wonder if this was actually the problem and I didn't need to clean uninstall. Oh well, working fine now.