Missing Textures/Graphical Glitches?

[ReikanOngaku]

Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 960 [Driver v. 378.78 --Up to date as of 3/14/17]

CPU: Intel i5-4690

RAM: 8GB

Monitor: 1920 x 1080, 60 Hz

Game version: Mass Effect™ 3 N7 Digital Deluxe Edition (Origin)
DLC installed: Citadel, Omega, Genesis 2, Extended Cut, Reckoning, Retaliation, Leviathan, Earth, Rebellion, Resurgence, From Ashes, & 
N7 Collector's Edition Materials

I have no mods installed and have reinstalled this game 5 times. Played through Mass Effect 1 and 2 recently without any problems (and was able to successfully mod the previous titles without issues either). 

Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

[myzombiecandance · Accepted solution]

@holger1405

I think I've got mine working properly again.  The driver rollback didn't help but I found a post you made regarding a similar issue:

http://answers.ea.com/t5/Mass-Effect-3/Shading-Issues-Blocky-Dark-Textures-that-Follow-You/td-p/5910...

You suggested closing Origin.

Under Documents>Bioware>Mass Effect 3>BIOGame>Config.  Rename "GamerSettings.ini" to "old_GamerSettings.ini"

Restart Origin, run Mass Effect 3, check if fixed.

This worked for me for the character import, opening scenes, and first few minutes of gameplay so far.

[EA_David]

@ReikanOngakuThanks for the detailed post. Does the game run smoothly or do you get performance issues other then the texture problems?

Can you try a clean reinstall of your 960 drivers?

Perhaps posting your dxdiag will help, too: https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

[ReikanOngaku]

These screenshots were taken immediately after I did a clean install of my Nvidia driver and restarted my PC. The Discord Overlay has no effect on the missing textures either. To answer your question as well, gameplay is smooth and there are no faults there. This seems to be purely a graphical issue and my guess to be a texture file issue. It's a guess, but that's something you have probably answered before with others. I have attached my DxDiag.txt here on this post like you had asked.

I thought it would be helpful if I put this into context with a comparison. I have no graphical issues with Dragon Age Inquisition as just one example (and I know I don't have issues with literally any other game.) 

[holger1405]

@ReikanOngaku

Try to repair the game. (in Origin > Game Library > right click ME3 > Repair)

If that don't helps, did you altered the ME3 save games or the ME2 save games with a save game editor?

Did you altered ME3 ini files?

Run CHKDSK on the drive ME3 is installed.

[ReikanOngaku]

I have read this response and will answer based on recent efforts after reading @holger1405's reply.

Try to repair the game. (in Origin > Game Library > right click ME3 > Repair)

This unfortunately did not solve the issue.

If that don't helps, did you altered the ME3 save games or the ME2 save games with a save game editor?

Did you altered ME3 ini files?

I did not alter any .ini files for either game and did not use a save game editor for any of the 3 games. I imported my ME1 Character to ME2, and from ME2 am importing it to ME3 right now. The missing textures for my issue also apply to brand new characters as well as default Shepherd for the import.

Run CHKDSK on the drive ME3 is installed.

Ran CHKDSK for my D: drive (where ME3 is installed) and did not find any errors with my drive.

[holger1405]

@ReikanOngaku

So this glitches happen even if you create a new character.

There are a few Windows update errors in your DxDiag, please look in the Update properties if everything that was not installed get installed afterwards.

- Close Origin completely.

- Go to your ">drive<:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 2\BioGame" folder and rename the "DLC" folder to "Old_DLC"

- Edit: Create a new folder with the name "DLC" (without the quotes) and move the "DLC_UPD_Patch01" and the "DLC_UPD_Patch02" from the "Old_DLC" to that folder.

- Start Origin > test.

If that don't helps, close Origin and set the "Old_DLC" folder back to it's original name.

There also is a missing driver error related to the "NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device" in the DxDiag, so please try this.

- Go here and download DDU.

- Go here and download this NVIDIA driver (378.49). (Of course only If you not already have it. Don't use Geforce experience to install the driver.)

- Run DDU in save mode to uninstall all NIVIDIA components from your system. (How long do you have this card and what card did you use before?)

- After reboot install the driver. (Preform a costume installation, install only the GPU driver and the PhysX software. > reboot > test.

 

[myzombiecandance]

I am also having the same issues.  It's not isolated to Shepard, many textures (perhaps shadows) on other character's faces have the same issue.  I have done several repairs, clean installs, changed setting in ME3Config such as turning dynamic shadows off-on-off, changed anisotropic filtering, changed spherical harmonic lighting, changed anti-aliasing.  No success.  This happens with new characters.  Default male Shepard doesn't seem to have any issues but the problems on Anderson, James, other NPCs, and the little boy persist in the opening act.  A few of the counsel NPCs in the opening act had glaringly bright highlights on their jaws, making me think that it has to be some problem with the shadows/lighting.

Changing the "DLC" Folder to "Old_DLC" doesn't allow me to launch the game from Origin.  Changing back to DLC had no effect.  CHKDSK and Error Checking my C:\ revealed no errors.  My DxDiag is attached.

[holger1405]

@myzombiecandance

Sorry about the DLCs, I forgot that the game will not start without the Patch DLCs.

I edited my post accordantly, since both of you are using the newest NVIDIA driver I would highly recommand to roll back to the version I linked above.

[myzombiecandance · Accepted solution]

@holger1405

I think I've got mine working properly again.  The driver rollback didn't help but I found a post you made regarding a similar issue:

http://answers.ea.com/t5/Mass-Effect-3/Shading-Issues-Blocky-Dark-Textures-that-Follow-You/td-p/5910...

You suggested closing Origin.

Under Documents>Bioware>Mass Effect 3>BIOGame>Config.  Rename "GamerSettings.ini" to "old_GamerSettings.ini"

Restart Origin, run Mass Effect 3, check if fixed.

This worked for me for the character import, opening scenes, and first few minutes of gameplay so far.

[holger1405]

@myzombiecandance

Well, that probably would have been the next thing on the list.

Good that you found it.

Have fun Gaming!