I'm playing with the full uFCOM set up plus a couple of quest mods. After leaving the sewers I fairly quickly headed to the content of the Windfall mod. While there I found that all chests could be opened with enough patiance even with my fairly low Security skill. This was what I had been lead to expect in Oblivion (I'm just now getting around to playing the Steam GOTY version I bought this summer).

Now I've come back to the main land and I'm finding that almost all hard and very hard locked chests give me a message that the lock is beyond my skill level. If this a change from FCOM? Is there any way around this? Since there had been no mention of a major change in how locks worked I thought I was safe playing a character with both security and alteration as minor skills. Now it seems that either I have to go through a horrible long period of ignoring boss chests while I raise my security skill (its at least 25 where as alteration is 8) or give up and start over.

Open the console with ~ and type: Set LapMinLock to 0

I believe this disables the setting so you can lockpick all locks at any level.

The skill requirement for locks is from OOO (major part of FCOM). To open those locks you must raise your Security skill or use an Open Lock scroll/spell.

That part of OOO is interesting. Even though my character is almost all stealth, she can't open all the locks yet (really, the mini-game is too easy), so now the scrolls are worth keeping.

Yes, this is from OOO. Yes, there is way around - bash the locks if you have enough STR.

Use a blunt weapon, and I use a fortify strength and luck spell before I attempt to do that. And keep your stamina high, and repair hammers handy. Takes about 5 minutes of pounding at times, but hopefully the loot in the chest is worth all the hammering(:brokencomputer:)

What's already said. I just want to mention that it is covered in the OOO 133 Readme ("Trapped Containers, Bashing Locks, Picking Locks"). And as OOO is the backbone in FCOM it's a good idea to check it out.

9 times out of 10 what is in those precious hard locks are not really worth all the effort - maybe one unique item (the 1 time in 10) usually grand soul gems and a medium level magic item - ehh.

Build up a store of open hard lock scrolls (hit shady sam and warlock luck at each passing ... always look in the scroll section from each merchant). Then after the typical OOO dungeon dive save before the final treasure chest(s) and open the lock with scroll - if nothing grand reload and move on.

It is not that the scrolls are expensive it is that they seem like the rarest item in FCOM - certainly more rare that whatever is found in the chests.

You have a slight point but you're exaggerating. On lower levels the contents of hard/very hard locked containers are by far the best way to get money IMO. :shrug:

EDIT: To the OP - you might consider the Tower Stone S between the Old Bridge and Vindasel S of Imp City, as its effect is Open Hard Lock.

If using OOO make sure you either have the brains (Alteration), brawn (high STR) or nimble finger (Securuty) to open locks.
[Start rant]
As in most other fantasy RPGs the use of lockpicking is sadly rendered useless by the lame implementation of magic spells that open any locks without risk of setting off traps. What's the point in specialized thieves when any generic mage can just say TRZP to open licks without risk?
[End rant[

I've yet to find anything all that exciting in a hard locked chest for ages. Occasionally a unique item but not what I'd call powerful or useful, just unique.

My character is rolling in money even with EE and gold restrictions. All the creatures and quests and turning in magic loot - my character makes more money selling magic jewelry than anything else. Which is SO plentiful in this game. Rarely does he ever get the full value but even selling at 30% value just by carrying a bag of frost shield rings and hitting every merchant on the road (who never turn down loot btw) he rakes in 1000s of gold.

Magic in this game is so plentiful and so meaningless. Any buffoon can cast a low level fireball, turn invisible, or summon a demon from another dimension and most of the magic is weak and for show. That is a fallacy of this game and its design to allow you to "go anywhere and do anything." That is design flaw and other than EE with its strict remove loot functions (which I can't bare as I at least want to try and find good loot) there is not much of a fix I've found yet. To make magic truly rare. There are great magic overhauls ... Midas, Fearsome, etc but those don't remove the plenitude of low level magic dross that drowns out and make mundane all the magic.

OOO/FCOM have made an attempt to at least make chests more challenging, but after that what is found in the chests remains :yawn:

Finding hard lock scrolls takes more work than finding hard locked chests and then the treasure often makes me want to save the scroll in hopes the next chest is better. A low level character is better off either saving before opening or just not opening them for a while till they have enough scrolls, bash abilities, magic abilities, stealth abilities to make it worth doing.

But I've used the console before too - I mean really am I supposed to fight my way to the bottom of a 4 level dungeon and be one scroll short and then go back to town to scrounge up a scroll with Map marker overhaul marking the dungeon - or worse go back after cell respawn and fight my way all the way back down there again to get ... ... a grand soul gem, some sword of silliness, and a 30% shock ring and maybe 3-400 gold? Maybe a nice piece of armor - mostly not. No thanks. All that is falling off the shelf anyway with every encounter on every road, hill, dungeon, cave, fort, etc. "Oh a ring of 3% chameleon ... oh ... well just throw it on the pile ... I may get 200 for it from some merchant who hangs out at the corner of the cave of doom and fort desolation."

So I don't think I'm exaggerating in saying that just making the access to the chests doesn't make them more interesting once opened. In fact the lame loot just makes them more of a nuisance.

But I do have another answer and that is http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=31424 - great mod that replaces the generic lock picks with various levels that can improve your security skill. So my nord paladin has low level lock pick, but with a better lock pick he has medium level.

I have found that the loot:lock level ratio is WAY out of proportion. I find chests with NO lock, and gather 1000 gold worth of stuff from it. Open a Very Hard locked chest, and find 10 gold, and an iron dagger? In the same room...... There is no rhyme or reason to lock level vs. loot value in the game. Even more apparent with an FCOM game. Would be nice if that could be addressed.

I get like 10000 from selling stuff from from hard/very hard locked containers by Lvl 2. No way I could get that some other way. Not sure I'm excited by the items, though, but whatever. Also, it's matter of avoiding frustration - if my char has fought her way into a boss room I get frustrated if not being able to access the loot. So, basically, being able to open hard/very hard locks as soon as possible is like my first priority with OOO/FCOM. With your logic (not that I bothered reading your entire novel length post) you might as well say that it's meaningless to do most dungeons as you don't find any exciting items in them. Why do, say, Vilverin at all?

I could easily list 10 dungeons suitable for low level chars that have very worthwhile hard/very hard locked containers. Found a Dwemer Claymore at Lvl 1 this time around, for example.

First place I head is for the Skelton key :hubbahubba:

Fascinating response - why ask a question of someone to clarify their point right after admitting that you did not read their point?

Or was that question as rhetorical as the one above this sentence[.]

Hmmm - now if one were to think about it - why do anything if the loot is not worth it? what other reason might there be? [rhetorical]

Actually if you had read the 'novel' (really that much text scares you? have you read the average readme even?) then you would know that I was not bashing OOO or FCOM but pointing out a flaw in the game design that FCOM does not address, so there is no need to take up the shield of FCOM and smite (or snub) the evil psymon.

jeez

Write a book, man, I'm sure it would be a blockbuster.

A dwemer claymore - by level 8 my character had a stack of 50. Also by level 8 he only had only about 10 open hard lock scrolls. What is more rare in an FCOM game a dwemer sword or an open hard lock scroll?

Ok an orange sword might be useful at level 1 but rarely does it seem to get better from there - proportionally better. I agree with HeyYou that there does not often seem to be that big a difference between what is in variably locked containers. More often than not my thought is "should have saved that scroll." My character (I) have spent more time checking for those at merchants than fretting over getting as stronger sword.

P.S. you are being rude. People are allowed to disagree with you - just so you know.

I have finally had a moment to get back to this. I forgot to mention bashing in the earlier post; for that most part I do not have the strength to bash them open either. I'm using nGCD and my level 15 melee oriented Nord still has a strength of 54. It makes sense that a middling level warrior alchemist couldn't get into every chest but it does bother the OCD part of my personality.

I guess I'll continue to be frustrated. Saving before chests is too gamey for me but I do hate to leave the chests unopened even when I know the loot is likely to be so so. The odd thing is that I seem to be playing a different game then the rest of you. Yes, now the I am level 15 I'm seeing magic stuff all over. On the other hand I really didn't see this until recently as I'm loving the fact that most human and humanoid enemies (bandits, marauders, smugglers, and goblins) have fairly limited magic.

Head down south and talk to Nocturnal... :icecream: