How do you remember to go back later in the game when you're sufficently upgraded enough to be able to unlock these? or do you never go back to the same location again?

Well, sonny, back in my day, when dinosaurs walked the earth, there were these things called pens and notepads....

Of course now you have that newfangled "internet" thing, with wikis and walkthroughs and youtubes and other such nonsense...

yup

lockpick is and has always been something i work on as quick as possible, the only expert locks i couldnt pick that i ran across were at concord, as soon as i hit level 7 bam expert lockpick and i went back

the amazing thing for me is i remembered where all the master locks that i ran across were and went back at level 18 (master locks)

Chances are good you'll be back there several time. One raider den in boston been there least 6. But I don't mind, since theres a missile launcher trap setup right outside. So easy to grab, didn't noticed until about the 5th time the thing was a trap.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but other than some of the magazines that boost stats hidden in locked rooms, there's nothing you can't live without for a while.

I won't, very disappointed in locked loot. More so behind master locks. Won't find anything you won't find in normal containers. Though to be fair, rather than 2 different cal. Bullets, there maybe 3 to 4.

BTW, not often that I find a master lock room that didn't have another way in. Mostly a key on dead raider.

Since I found that the locations re stock and the world itself seemed to reset since the dead raider outside Sanctuary got his stuff back I'm unlocking the same safes anyway so I don't even remember if it was too high the last time through.

Did anybody else notice that you could lock safes linked to monitors so that you could spend endless hours locking and unlocking the same safe, if you were so inclined....personally I noticed this once, tried it and then got back to enjoying the game.

I write down all the locations of the unopened safes and doors and unhacked terminals so I can go back to them later. http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1555892-anyone-wish-we-could-mark-unopened-safes-terminals-etc/. I said I wished a mod would let us mark these locations on the Pip-Boy. I'm up to level 35 and have about 30 unopened and unhacked items. I still have only advanced lockpicking and hacking. I haven't even opened the master-locked advance weapon way back in Vault 111. I'm doing pretty well in combat so It's unlikely that I will spend any more perk points on lockpicking and hacking any time soon. But I will get them eventually, if only to get those XP. All those unopened & unhacked items could add up to hundreds of XP.

Btw, is anyone annoyed that FO4 has the EXACT same mini-game for lockpicking and hacking as in FO3 and NV? At least in the Elder Scrolls games, those mini-games have different designs in different games.

Btw you do know that most containers, locked ones as well will respawn(the ones you unlocked and emptied will just relock and have new loot in) as the location respawns so unless you plan to come back soon to pick the stuff up there rly is no point in writing it down since it will respawn anyway.

Step 1- Cait

Step 2- ???

Step 3- Profit

Lockpicking safes is just not as rewarding as it used to be, before you could open up a safe you could not pick till later and get something to make the wait worth it but if you go back to an old expert safe in FO4 its almost always: 2-3 drugs, pre war money, 3-4 ammo types and maybe a pipe pistol.

The chests don't go away though. If anything it makes even mores sense to write the locations down since they are a recurring source of loot, xp, and companion brownie points.

This map does have the location of all Master locks, along with a lot of other stuff you can search for.

http://www.ign.com/maps/fallout-4/commonwealth

Ofcourse they dont go away they just keep endlessly respawning/relocking as time passes:) still dont see a reason to write them down though cuz there is so many locations ingame and most of them have multiples anyway:)

i have a habit of restarting these games over and over xD, so i still haven't gotten through 50% of the content, but I noticed early on that the chick from the combat zone (Cait?) can open up to Expert locks (with bobbypins) and Nick Valentine can hack up to Expert terminals, so on the playthrough i'm on now (hoping this will be the one i finally play all the way through with xD) i'm only getting the first lockpick and hack perks in order to give me incentive to do some exploring later with those two companions

and yea, i dont like the lockpick minigame, i like the ES one better, wish the would combine torsion bar from this minigame with rake from ES minigame

It only takes 2 perk points and a perception of 4 to get it to Advanced so what's the biggy?

That and level 7. Heck you can unlock Master locks at level 18.

But has anyone notice how completely worthless the Rank 4 of Locksmith is? This is a highest ranked perk for that skill and it is completely useless. By the time I could get Rank 4 I've got 99+ Bobby-pins, so why on earth would I care if I lose a pin or two trying to open a Master lock?

you have companions that can have master locksmithing or master hacking. So its not a big problem even if you never level them

Agree, by the time my level is high enough for the 4th, I have more pins than I know what to do with.

I mean... They're so heavy after all!

I just move on. It's unlikely what's in the safe is critical for me to have, and now that I have the perks to unlock these safes, my hunch was correct.

I still chuckle how every safe has at least one piece of silver in it.

More disappointing: not a single legendary item.

I tried to remember them all, and I think I got most of them. I didn't have to remember too many as I got my Locksmith rank to Expert fairly quick.

which companions?

i know Cait and Nick Valentine can do up to Expert locks and terminals (respectively), but i've tried them both on master and they say "that's too hard for me" or something to that effect

as some have said, yep the level 4 lockpick (and hack) perk is pointless

and yes unfortunately locked containers in this game are beyond pointless for loot, very very badly done, every master locked safe ive picked has the same crap as the novice one before it, but i love picking locks so ill still take the perks and pick the locks

the only ones ive found worthwile is the banks they generally have a big safe door with master terminal and then when you in anywhere from a handful to a dozen locked wall safes (like safety deposit boxes i guess) which are full of pre war money (the bank next to back street apparel is awesome)

id rather spend the perks and do my self rather than companions for 2 reasons, 1 i like picking locks and 2 so can pick companion cause i want them not cause i need to have them to do xyz

Just travel with Cait. She picks locks, and scolds you for checking out her [censored]. You can't blame me, especially since she can't die so does all her fights in the Red Dress.

so if you can use terminals to lock opened safes, does that mean picking them again gets you XP?