BATTLETECH - Low GPU utilisation and frame rates in Urban biomes

[SirLankyIII]

One line summary of your issue
Low GPU utilisation and frame rates in Urban biomes

What platform are you running the game on?

Steam

What operating system do you use?
Windows 10
Which version of the game are you running?
1.6
What DLC do you have installed?
Flashpoint,
Shadowhawk Pack

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
During missions in urban biomes gpu utilisation is well below 50% of total usage leading to dramatically lower frame rates than should be expected (averaging sub 30 fps, barely maxing at 50 fps). This is in stark contract to missions on other map types and in the dropship layer where gpu utilisation is generally in the 90-95% range with frame rates as high as 120 fps and averaging 80 fps.
Ram usage is generally similar across game modes as is cpu utilisation.

Steps to reproduce the issue
Load into any urban biome and compare gpu utilisation with the same utilisation in any other map biome.

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

Attach Output Log
Windows: BATTLETECH\BattleTech_Data\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
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

 

[Blaze53]

That doesn't seem like it could be possible, yet it could explain why my FPS gains in urban biomes after turning all the resource-heavy stuff to medium were minimal.

 

[AndrewT]

Do you have the camera down at or near ground level? If so try raising it some.

 

[Blaze53]

GPU utilization actually seems to go down in urban biomes when the camera is both away from the ground and pointed towards the horizon, and separately. This shouldn't be possible, unless this game is ridiculously CPU-dependent...

 

[SirLankyIII]

I'll have to check next time i'm on an urban map, but performance is generally worse at or near the ground. Regardless gpu utilisation doesn't break 50% in either situation on urban maps and generally stays around 40%.

EDIT: I Can now confirm that regardless of whether at ground level or raised to max elevation the issue remains the same. Performance is worse at ground level, but GPU utilisation is still sub 50%, averaging 40%, at all times during play on Urban maps

 

[Zed Dynamite]

I can also confirm. GTX 1080 Ti, game is nearly 100% smooth all the time, except in urban settings, where the framerate tanks hard.

 

[SirLankyIII]

A new update with Version 1.6.2 and the reduced clutter in Urban biomes. Turning on the reduce clutter/props feature allows the fps to reach as high as 80fps vs barely reaching 50 and seems to keep the fps between 60 and 70 most times now (EDIT: After further play time fps still regularly drops into the sub 50 range with clutter reduced).
Oddly though switching between clutter on and off in the exact same unchanged scene results in MORE gpu % being utilised when the reduced clutter feature is turned on i.e. with normal cutter cpu usage is sub 40-50%, with reduced clutter it is at 60-70%. It would seem like it should be the other way since there are less assets to render with the new feature turned on.