BATTLETECH - Only cursor visible at launch

[GooeyFunseeker]

One line summary of your issue
Only cursor visible at launch

What platform are you running the game on?

Steam

What operating system do you use?
Windows 10 Version 1903 Build 18362.778
Which version of the game are you running?
1.9.X Latest Steam Version
What DLC do you have installed?
Flashpoint,
Urban Warfare,
Shadowhawk Pack,
Heavy Metal

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
Upon launching in fullscreen BattleTech does not display any graphics beyond the mouse cursor. Audio plays in the background, assuming an intro video, and if I hit escape it will go to a menu. If I move the mouse cursor around I can hear the menu options being "highlighted". (Untitled.png, Untitled2.png, Screenshot_5.png)

If I force to Windowed mode via BattleTech configuration (ALT During game launch) the game window will display solid white, and audio/audio cues will play, same as fullscreen. (Screenshot_6.png)

I have never been able to get the game to work, as I purchased it today. I have attempted launch with steam overlay disabled. Discord overlay is disabled. Windows 10 game bar features are disabled. No overlay software (FPS counters, DVR, etc.) are running.
Have you tried verifying your files?
Yes

Steps to reproduce the issue
Launch BattleTech from any location. Steam, Direct EXE Launch from Windows Explorer, etc.

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]

This is a very strange one, basically no clues in those files at all!

If you have any other Unity games do they run okay?

Run a Steam Verify operation against the game, see if that finds anything to fix.

 

[GooeyFunseeker]

If failed to verify one 5.6mb file. After re-acquiring the file, I tried running the game. No luck. The attached screenshot is all I've got still.

I play a few Unity games without trouble. 7 Days 2 Die, Pillars of Eternity, Dungeon of the Endless, Endless Legend, Homeworld Desert of Kharak, Endless Space 2, Shadowverse, and Elder Scrolls Legends.

 

[GooeyFunseeker]

I have gotten the game to run. I found my answer via a Cities:Skylines troubleshooting thread on Steam. I launched the game with the "-gpu #" launch option to force it to run using my GTX 1050. Apparently, Unity can get lost if you have multiple active display adapters, virtual or physical. (In my case physical, as my laptop runs my Intel HD and GTX 1050 in parallel.)
Using that command option, it stops "seeing" the other display adapters, and starts displaying correctly.

 

[AndrewT]

Hmm, this game does not usually have trouble with dual video system setups, I wonder why it did in your case?

Anyway well done on finding that!

 

[GooeyFunseeker]

I'm not entirely sure. But I am getting VERY low framerates in relation to my hardware specs. Sub 30fps on 1366x768 minimum settings. Any ideas?

 

[GooeyFunseeker]

Update: I launched a non-unity game I haven't played in a few years and was getting a black screen on launch. I thought it was odd, and so decided to completely uninstall my Intel HD drivers and re-install them on a whim, planning to do so with my AMD drivers afterwards. Turns out, my Intel drivers have been to blame for my issues with BattleTech this whole time, they either didn't install properly or became problematic after the fact.

Regardless, I can now run the game without launch parameters and I no longer have framerate issues. Similarly, the other game is no longer having launch issues. So there we have it. I consider this bug resolved.

 

[AndrewT]

Oh yeah, since some change in Windows a couple of years ago all video goes through the Intel before either being shown with it, or being passed onto the nVidia or AMD GPU, depending.

Why they do that now I do not know but we have to look at two drivers now instead of one.