Infinite loading after leaving the Citadel for the first time
I chose to install some mods for my replay of ME3:
Content: ThaneMOD, MEHEM, Intuitive Controls, Shorter Dreams (also needed a DLC cracker for something here)
Textures: Bedding, Cabin Picture, HR Environmentals, ALOT TPFs (in that order with ME3Explorer)
I had quite a bit of trouble getting past a crash when trying to launch ME3, but it appeared to be linked to updating TOCs with ME3Explorer, and I can now successfully launch the game. As the title suggests, I've made it to the Citadel but when I leave, it goes to the Normandy loading screen and appears to crash. Although the loading animations and music continue to play, it will not continue and the Task Manager says that ME3 is no longer responding. Before the first crash, my last autosave was soon after arriving at the citadel so it's unlikely that any events triggered an issue here. It's also unlikely to be a memory issue that I've read about elsewhere, I quicksaved at the exit but it still happens when I reload.
It is not Origin's fault - I've copied the files across to a new directory to preserve the vanilla files under Origin Games before installing any mods. I've also disabled auto update for the client and the games themselves as well as the in game overlay. I also wanted to try with a vanilla version of the game, but it was denied - the DLC cracker broke something with my multiplayer DLC and it would not let me load my game.
Short of starting a new vanilla game to test, what else can I try?
It appears that ME3Explorer did not properly update TOC files somewhere in the game directory.
For anyone reading this: go to the AutoTOC tool, and under \BIOGame create a new TOC file and overwrite when prompted. Also look under all DLC folders in \BIOGame\DLC\ and if there is a TOC file, create a new one and overwrite when prompted. As a precaution, also update SFAR files with the DLC TOCBin tool; check each DLC under \BIOGame\DLC\[DLC]\CookedPCConsole for an SFAR file and update it.
I don't know exactly what fixed it, but I do know that the TOCBin Update tool broke my game and caused it to crash on launch, but it might be the version I used. It also appears that the automatic update TOC after installing mods/TPFs doesn't work, so always update the primary TOC as above.
