I'm not sure where or if I'm allowed to post this considering the lack of a mod subforum, but here goes.

Anyone thought about making a lockpicking mod where lockpicking is left entirely to skill at the minigame rather than bending to an arbitrary statistical requirement? To compliment this could be an Electronic Lockpick item that would aid in picking locks of higher difficulty, with the most difficult locks in the game nearly requiring them. They could be introduced as extraordinarily rare items placed in the world, or could be added as a rare find on drop tables for certain high-tier spawning NPCs.

I had the idea due to watching some people playing New Vegas and hearing a lot of feedback that was criticizing the lockpicking system used in the game. It seems finding crates you can't pick leads to a bit of frustration. My thought: If you're good enough or willing to go at it long enough against near-impossible odds, why limit you?

I mentioned this yesterday. And was told there is already F3 mod for it. Dunno for sure, im on ps3 for now.

There are a couple of skill-based lockpicking mods on the Nexus for Fallout 3.
While I haven't checked the scripts on how it works, I can assume that porting the same system to New Vegas with the updated GECK should be easy. (Since it works on a global scale, without making specific references to Fallout 3's items or containers)

Strange. First though was "Oblivion had the opposite problem." If you limit Lockpick entirely to ability at the minigame, you MUST remove the Lockpick skill, no two ways about it. Otherwise, it's useless except for the rare "you must have XX lockpick skill to unlock the handcuffs on you." And that drove every oblivion player up the walls. And of course, if you remove the lockpick skill, you have people complain that you're taking the character's abilities out of the equation, that you're blurring the line between player and character.

But yes, there's a mod that removes the lockpick requirements for the various lock levels. Which makes it all but worthless to invest in.

The exsisting mechanic is fine.
If you're not high enough to open the lock, read a skill magazine.
If you're STILL not high enough to open the lock, clearly the devs didn't want you to pick it until a later level.
How is needing to gain knowledge in a skill an "arbitrary statistical requirement"?

Why doesn't someone just make a mod that gives us full stats, all weapons, and every lock comes pre-picked? That way, we don't even have to worry about leveling up and gaining skill.
Better yet, someone make a mod that plays the game for me, so I can just go about my day knowing somewhere theres a game being played on my behalf.

It puts in the mindset that you HAVE to dump everything into Lockpicking if you want to access things through the game, thus rendering it somewhat of a detriment. The issue has existed in many games including the original Fallouts. It leads to "optimal skill builds" which detract from the quality of play by taking away the open character building.

Well, it is an RPG, it should be about character skill, not player skill. I much prefer Fallout 3 system (skill limits for locks with minigame) over the Oblivion system (minigame only, any lock can be picked at any skill level).

In fact i use the opposite of the mod you're asking for, it allows bypassing the minigames for lockpicking and hacking completely with automatic character skill versus lock level check (and luck, perks, penalties and a bit of random chance). It also allows trying locks and hacks above current skill level, but there's a critical failure chance that locks the container/door/terminal permanently.

This.
You yourself could be really good at the minigame, but your character could be a real dumb persib with no idea how to pick a lock at all.

So you might have to actually roleplay as your dumb character. While you can leave it all to automation and dice rolls, part of the fun of actual roleplaying is actually playing the character as it should be.

Wait, isn't this thread about how you don't actually want to play the character as it should be?

In the original Fallout, they didn't artificially stop you from attempting to unlock doors. They would let you have the attempt even if there was a minimal or nonexistent chance you could succeed. If I recall correctly, you could pick at the lock until you were on the brink of death, maddeningly poking and prodding at it. The whole "YOU CANNOT PICK THIS LOCK UNTIL ARBITRARY SKILL IS AT #" sort of prods at people who play the game as a talky shooter, while breaking at the people who play for an actual immersive roleplaying experience. As someone with OCD, it drives me personally insane to leave things behind when I'm playing just to play.

In FO and FO2, you had Shooter and Sniper and Gunslinger builds and a small number of others played by general players. There were 3 primary skills all of them demanded you to pump up. Speech, Lockpick, and Small Guns. If I was playing the games to roleplay, I just wouldn't try to unlock things. If I like a large part of the player population am playing to just play and grab everything, then it's forced that Lockpick is a mandatory point sink.

Honestly, I tend to convolute things I talk about as time goes on. I can't hold a stable argument, so don't even try me. I sort of drift off in mid-paragraph.

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2917 is all the lock-picking mod I'll ever need.

That i agree with, it's silly you need to have exactly 75 in lockpicking to open a hard lock. I think Morrowind had the best lockpicking system, it was completely about character skill, but using a high-quality lockpick could allow you to open locks "over" your skill level. And explosive entries as Miaximus mentioned above is also a choice

Locked door?
:nuke:
What door?