BATTLETECH - Must restart and play windowed version in MacOS Catalina

[ambivalentmaybe]

One line summary of your issue
Must restart and play windowed version in MacOS Catalina

What platform are you running the game on?

Steam

What operating system do you use?
MacOS 10.15.1
Which version of the game are you running?
1.8.0-629R
What DLC do you have installed?
Flashpoint,
Urban Warfare,
Heavy Metal

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
When I start the game (from the Steam client), it does not launch. I have to control-click on the icon in the dock and force quit. I then restart the game from Steam and a dialog pops up asking if I want to reopen the windows from the previous force-quit session. If I say "reopen windows" I have to force-quit again. If I choose "don't reopen windows" the game opens and runs fine in a window. (If I maximize the display, there are too many glitches to be playable.)
Have you tried verifying your files?
Yes

Steps to reproduce the issue
Start the game (from the Steam client), it does not launch. I have to control-click on the icon in the dock and force quit. I then restart the game from Steam and a dialog pops up asking if I want to reopen the windows from the previous force-quit session. If I say "reopen windows" I have to force-quit again. If I choose "don't reopen windows" the game opens and runs fine in a window. (If I maximize the display, there are too many glitches to be playable.)

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]

I frankly have no idea what could possibly cause this bizarre problem for you.

Once you are in the game you should be able to set it to windowed mode, then it should start up like that all the time so you don't have to go through that dance. Does that work?

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

I frankly have no idea what could possibly cause this bizarre problem for you.

Once you are in the game you should be able to set it to windowed mode, then it should start up like that all the time so you don't have to go through that dance. Does that work?

Yes, I have set the video options to windowed mode. But it still stalls at first launch and has to be restarted.

 

[AndrewT]

Erk, okay then, so much for that idea. Unfortunately there's no BattleTechLauncher app on Mac.

What if you run it in fullScreen or borderless mode?

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

Erk, okay then, so much for that idea. Unfortunately there's no BattleTechLauncher app on Mac.

What if you run it in fullScreen or borderless mode?

If I run it full screen (via the video settings or by clicking the green button in the upper left of the window) the display is too glitchy to be playable, with lots of red horizontal lines around the edges. I tried to take a screenshot of this, but when I do a command-shift-3 or -4, the glitches all go away until I take the screenshot or press escape to leave screenshot mode.

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

I just found that if I am recording the screen via the command-shift-5 app, I can play the game in full screen mode without any glitches. But as soon as I turn the screen recording off, the glitches return.

 

[naphouse]

Is this still an issue with 1.8.1?

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

The game now starts up fine, but there are still video glitches when full screen.

 

[candelarius214]

I've been having this same problem since 1.7 (still happens to me with 1.8). I have another thread I opened on this topic. When I roll back to 1.6 the problem goes away.

PS. I can't even get it to run in windowed mode, but I may be doing something wrong. But the problem is the same (won't start, have to to force-quit, is a crazy-glitchy-choppy screen with red flashing bars around the edges).

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

I've been having this same problem since 1.7 (still happens to me with 1.8). I have another thread I opened on this topic. When I roll back to 1.6 the problem goes away.

PS. I can't even get it to run in windowed mode, but I may be doing something wrong. But the problem is the same (won't start, have to to force-quit, is a crazy-glitchy-choppy screen with red flashing bars around the edges).

If your problem is the same as mine, one way to get the game to play in windowed mode is to start the game, then record the screen via Command-Shift-5. When I do that, the glitches all go away. With the screen being recorded, you can change the settings and set it to windowed mode. Then stop the recording and restart the game.

You can also control-click on the game icon in your library, choose Properties and then Set Launch Options and enter "-windowed" in the text field (without the quotes, obs).

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

Erk, okay then, so much for that idea. Unfortunately there's no BattleTechLauncher app on Mac.

What if you run it in fullScreen or borderless mode?

Sorry for the late reply, but I didn't realize what 'borderless' mode was until I ran across another forum that mentioned how to enable it. So I tried it and the glitches were not there, but neither would the game controls work (trackpad did fine, keystrokes including Escape were not recognized). If I moved from borderless to full screen, the glitches returned.

 

[candelarius214]

I just tried the trip with Command-Shift-5. That allowed me to get to the control panel in the game to turn on Windowed mode, but as soon as I click the green dot to maximize the window, the glitch returned. You have to maximize the window otherwise the bottom of the window is cut-off, making it impossible to play. Also, you're correct, the interface is glitchy, it takes a double mouse click, sometimes repeated clicks, to move through the in-game menus. But regardless, the game is still broke for me. ;(

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

I just tried the trip with Command-Shift-5. That allowed me to get to the control panel in the game to turn on Windowed mode, but as soon as I click the green dot to maximize the window, the glitch returned. You have to maximize the window otherwise the bottom of the window is cut-off, making it impossible to play.

For me it is playable in window mode—provided the window is small enough to fit on the screen.

 

[PsyPryss]

This is what it looks like in Full Screen.

 

[candelarius214]

This is what it looks like in Full Screen.

Yep, that's exactly how my screen looks, too. If I click into a menu it will briefly "shift" back into focus and look normal, but only briefly before it flashes back to that mess. I've tried everything and nothing is working as a permanent solution for me. Which REALLY sucks, as I really was loving this game up till 1.7..... :-(

 

[candelarius214]

Update: I tried installing the game via Steam for Windows, using Parallels. The game loaded and launched fine. But now the ground textures are apparently missing or something, all the terrain is a greenish color with narrow strips of ground textures occasionally flashing through. Ugh. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

 

[AndrewT]

The emulated video system in Parallels is not up to running this game, or pretty much any other one IME. Same with VMware Fusion.

Sorry that didn't work!

 

[TheOriginalKage]

Same issues here, just testing the game today. Seems like Catalina busted all kinds of games, even pretty new ones.

EDIT1: For anyone else reading this thread, I found a workaround! I chose to open the binary in low resolution. Doing this in 1.8 allowed me to run the game without the weird graphical glitches. The game is running at 2048x1280. I did a play through in skirmish and it worked with zero issues.

 

[Badga]

This is still broken in 1.9 after it was supposed to be forwarded to the dev team last year

 

[AndrewT]

This is still broken in 1.9 after it was supposed to be forwarded to the dev team last year

Since this thread started it has become clear this is a problem caused by bugs in the openGL shader compiler in Catalina. It affects several unrelated games and is not a bug this dev team can fix.

Until and unless Apple fix it, all that can be done is juggling resolutions and display modes, as discussed above. If you have any sort of support relationship with Apple please report the problem to them - the more the better!