cannot do anything in live mode

when playing with my sims, i cannot do any object interactions, cannot have my sims move anywhere, etc; essentially, i cannot do anything in live mode. when clicking on objects or sims, no menu pops up. sometimes when i go into the game, i can do a few interactions until the game basically breaks and i can't do anything. i also will then have trouble pausing/unpausing the game, going into build mode, saving the game, exiting the game, etc. however, when i go into the game and go straight into build mode from the map of lots (i don't go into live mode at all), i don't seem to have any problems building.

this gameplay issue also seems to happen anytime after i click an in-game computer (any type of computer and at any lot). i click the computer, the expected interaction menu does not pop up, and then basically everything breaks. i cannot click to walk anywhere, i cannot click on any object or sim, i have issues trying to pause or enter build mode, etc.  

i have never used mods or cc. i have tried restarting my computer multiple times and repairing the game through the EA menu multiple times. i have tried clearing my cache. i tried saving under a new save file in the game. i also tried freeing up a lot more of my pc's storage in case that happened to be the issue. however, the issue is still occurring.

Packs installed: Cats & Dogs, City Living, Cottage Living, Dine Out, Dream Home Decorator, Eco Lifestyle, Get Famous, Get To Work, Get Together, Growing Together, Holiday Celebration Pack, Island Living, Jungle Adventure, My First Pet Stuff, Outdoor Retreat, Paranormal Stuff, Parenthood, Lovestruck, Realm of Magic, Seasons, Spa Day, StrangerVille, Tiny Living, Toddler Stuff, Vampires, Vintage Glamour Stuff, Werewolves