I'm trying to make a second character, so I load up the NEW game, sit through the opening animation/scene (any way to skip that each time?) and get through all the customizing of a new character without a problem, using mouse and keyboard.

When I finally click on "R-DONE" (have to use mouse, oddly, I think because I remapped R to autorun) the "Finish and Name Character" box pops up, and I can select >> OK << or >> CANCEL << with the mouse, but when I try and click, nothing. I've also tried to use every key on the keyboard, to no luck.

I've disabled the 360 controller in Options and unplugged it as well. Still no luck.

any help at all, please?

Try remapping the keys to DEFAULT... then create the character, then set them back to what you had. If you remapped prior to 1.3... the old remapping you had before might be invalid in 1.3. They changed something that causes things like this to happen, related to the keymapping.

Hmn, good thought but no luck.

I should also note that I can't do anything in the game at that point, including getting out of menus...I have to use Task Manager to crash the game. Even alt-tab doesn't kick in

thanks though. Any other thoughts?

Yes! I was on patch 1.121 and went up to 1.3x and I'm good now

thanks!

Your very first save in the game is when you climb off the wagon and before you get your name called and start the appearance customization. In other words, to avoid the beginning wagon ride don't start a new game - load the first save (Usually Breton Level 1) and go from there. Can't help you with the control issue though. Sorry.