Mass Effect 3: Bug - Can't Interact with any object in the environment, (i.e. doors, terminals, elevators, etc.)

[dsaldivias]

I am having a problem with my game that just started yesterday.  I started a new playthrough with an imported character from ME2.  I can't seem to interact with anything in the environment.  Doors, terminals, datapads, anything that requires me to hit space bar to activate it doesn't work.  I walk right up to the object and the reticule to interact with the object never appears.  The only way to get it to work is by pressing ESC to get to the mission computer screen then ESC again.  For a brief second the interaction reticule appears and if I'm quick on the spacebar then I can interact with said object.  This is quickly becoming very cumbersome.  I just finished a playthrough with my Broshep just 2 days ago and everything was working fine.  I started a new playthrough with an imported Femshep and everything starts going crazy.  Is there a solution to this.  Some settings that can be altered somewhere, like in coalesced.bin.  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

My system specs:

HP Pavilion Notebook

Windows 7 Home Premium

AMD Phenom II N640 Dual Core Processor 2.90GHz

6.00 GB RAM

64-Bit Operating System

GPU = AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250

[NikOhdeemus · Accepted solution]

I am sure this is, um, a few years too late to help YOU, but I'm posting in case someone else needs this info.

In Mass Effect 3, turning the Lens Flare off can make the Interact Reticles disappear for some bizarre reason. Check to see if you have turned lens flare off either in your Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 3\BIOGame\Config\GamerSettings.ini file or by editing your Coalesced.bin file. Sorry, you're just gonna have to rock it J.J. Abrams-style.

[Gorath_the_Elder]

You didn't have sufficient graphics power to handle the game.  After having forced it to run far beyond it's designed level of effort, it's been cooked.  When you get another system with a games-capable grapnics card, you can try again.  Laptops, Notebooks, Tablets, and All-in-Ones aren't able to accept upgraded video.

GPU – 256 MB with Pixel Shader 3.0 support
Supported chipsets: Nvidia 7900 or better; ATI X1800 or better. Please note that Nvidia GeForce 9100, 9200, 9300, 8500, 8400, 8300, and 7300 are below minimum system requirements, as are AMD/ATI Radeon HD3100, HD3200, HD3300, HD 3450, HD 4200, HD 4250, HD4350, and HD4550.

 

[ThandalNLyman]

Your card may be minimal, but you have already played through at least once without this problem.  So I gotta ask, "What's changed?"

Based on the symptoms, I'd guess a video driver...

[A-Real-Armadillo]

I have the same issue. I'm on my fourth playthrough of ME3, and it's only started doing it now. I know it's not my card, since every other game works fine. I briefly saw a DirectX error one time so I feel like it's something to do with that. 

I first thought I'd fried my card, but I no longer thing that since nothing else is gitching. I might try uninstalling and reinstalling, since the problem seemed to happen when I reintstalled Portal 2. I hope this gets fixed. I can't get past the last bit of the Leviathan DLC now. 

[Jettzi]

Same problem, same DLC module.  In ME2, particulary w/ the content pinned to Nos Astra/ Liara/ ShadowBroker, I learned that  sweeping the player view and keying the space-bar sometimes accessed the reticule or released the sticking point, the method of exiting the game and re-entering play also works (mostly).  In ME3, DLC- Leviathan .I had a stick-point; could not descend a ladder.  Sweeping all the way to the "top" and keying to descend, I was able to break the stick-point, however, the interaction reticule requires constant efforts throughout the game in repositioning/sweep to acess.   Disabling all 3d tech in the monitor has mostly solved the main in-game issues, but not for the Leviathan module. =(

[NikOhdeemus · Accepted solution]

I am sure this is, um, a few years too late to help YOU, but I'm posting in case someone else needs this info.

In Mass Effect 3, turning the Lens Flare off can make the Interact Reticles disappear for some bizarre reason. Check to see if you have turned lens flare off either in your Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 3\BIOGame\Config\GamerSettings.ini file or by editing your Coalesced.bin file. Sorry, you're just gonna have to rock it J.J. Abrams-style.

[ivanfabric]

Thank you SOOO MUCH!!! It helped me in 2019 as I was pulling my hair trying to get it to work for 3 days and numerous reinstalls...

Well done! I love it when good souls are leaving solutions from aeons ago just for posterity, it can be so helpful even years down the line!

[Henry_Dustron]

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@NikOhdeemus wrote:

I am sure this is, um, a few years too late to help YOU, but I'm posting in case someone else needs this info.

In Mass Effect 3, turning the Lens Flare off can make the Interact Reticles disappear for some bizarre reason. Check to see if you have turned lens flare off either in your Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 3\BIOGame\Config\GamerSettings.ini file or by editing your Coalesced.bin file. Sorry, you're just gonna have to rock it J.J. Abrams-style.

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I am sure this is, um, a few years too late to say, but THANK YOU SO MUCH my man, this is the same with Mass Effect 2. I turned off a bunch of post processing effects by editing the Coalesced.ini because I just hate motion blur, Depth of Field, lens flare etc. And was terrified that I messed something up.