Lockpicking : V - Skyrim

» Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:20 pm

I'd really like them to ditch the minigameaspect altogether and instead implement something like a timebased (difficulty vs skill = time it takes & chance of success) skillchecksystem presented in realtime, with the ability to look around to see if anyone's coming, and with limited tries (based on difficulty and skill) after which the lock jams for a certain period of time if the attempt fails.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:02 am

Finally I'm favorable to lock bashing, but I've never seen it done well up to now, in any mod or game. Given enough time and proper tools (sledgehammer, crowbar), you should presumably be able to force open most locks. However the noise should attract people and enemies like hell. Major inconvenient: hitting a container like mad has a good chance of breaking fragile content. There's also the problem of leaving evidence: seeing a forced container or door should be instant theft alarm, while a clean lockpicked chest won't be noticed unless someone is looking for the stolen contents. And for game balance's sake and since we're after all living in a magic world, important containers or doors should have magic traps, alarms and reinforcements that make bashing them down pretty impossible (though superhuman strenght might beat a low level of magical reinforcement).

Some nice thoughts here. It's fair enough that characters should have the option of breaking open doors/locks with brute strength. But there needs to be some tradeoff, otherwise security becomes much less worthwhile investing in. And I think the tradeoffs you give are quite credible. If you wanted to break into a house in town, then smashing down the door is likely to attract guards. Similarly, it doesn't strike me as too implausible that there could be locked chests designed and built in such a way that bashing them open with brute force will almost invariably damage the contents. Perhaps another option along these lines is that smashing open locks with a weapon reduces the condition of the weapon.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:46 am

Before the lockpicking system is improved, they need to make it necessary. At any relatively high level of alteration, lockpicking becomes COMPLETELY unnecessary, and you can also get the skeleton key. It's currently one of the most pointless skills imaginable. One possible way to fix this would be to make the unlocking spells require higher levels to use, be hit/miss and take up a lot of magic.

As a skill, I think the minigame should appear as a HUD element on the side of the screen while you continue in real time. It should be a fairly simple game though, and not largely luck based, so that most of the thing depends on your level and the lock difficulty.

And lockpicks should be easier to find.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:49 am

Keep the lockpicking minigame. Just make it that the autoattempt can be done without going into a new screen(realtime). Like by pressing a modifier key(alt/shift/ctrl etc) when you open a lock.

That way everybody wins.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:21 am

Oblivion did it good. I'd say just improve on it. Make it quick and interesting.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:39 pm

The trouble with lock-picking or hacking minigames is that no matter how well designed they are, after the 50th time you've gone through it it gets really old and annoying. So my solution is to put whatever minigame you want in there, but also put in an auto-attempt option, preferably one that doesn't svck. Also, let warriors bash chests and doors. This can be balanced by the sound drawing the attention of enemies and by possibly damaging some of whatever is inside the chest.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:35 pm

May I suggest that we all take a look at this system:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS96dT8LZS4

... but using that as a basis, with character skill affecting "the size of the sweet spot" and such, we might achieve something that would be workable for more people than we have now.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:03 am

Bring back lockpicking, make it harder, and make it realtime.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:37 am

I think it needs to be in real time. That would add to the pressure, and make you feel so much more like a thief sneaking around trying not to get caught. I really liked Fallout 3's lockpicking, but I was really disappointed that you couldn't even try to pick a hard lock. That doesn't make sense at all, in real life you could at least try.

What I think they need to do is figure out a mini game that's in real time, and actually has your character "lockpick" or "security" skill dramatically make it easier as it raises. That way you can pick a hard lock at lvl 1, but it will be just that, hard, almost impossible preferably. In Oblivion, it was kind of hard, but once you got the hang of it you could pick any lock at lvl 1 with ease, and made almost no reason for lvl'ing your security skill.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:10 pm

May I suggest that we all take a look at this system:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS96dT8LZS4

... but using that as a basis, with character skill affecting "the size of the sweet spot" and such, we might achieve something that would be workable for more people than we have now.

Huh... what do you know. Somebody already implemented my system but without the benefits for levelling up. I also think the sweet spot cues should be subtler, but become more pronounced with increased skill.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:37 pm

Eh, remove the lockpick game. I never used it; just seemed like a waste of time :shrug:

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:11 am

I like FO3s lock picking system. Use it.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:05 am

I'd prefer not to have a minigame, but if there's go to be a minigame, it should be in real time. When the world pauses while you pick a lot, it completely removes the risk of getting caught.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:15 pm

I like FO3s lock picking system. Use it.

But that makes the lockpick skill only useful in chunks of 25 :shrug:

I guess that would work better with TES' levelling system though.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:54 am

i liked the morrowind style , also like D&D

» Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:53 pm

Huh... what do you know. Somebody already implemented my system but without the benefits for levelling up. I also think the sweet spot cues should be subtler, but become more pronounced with increased skill.

Well, I don't think Mafia 2 HAS levels. Then again, I don't know anyone who bought it. I got mine as a promo on a GeForce 470. I'm guessing the fanbases don't cross much, or someone else would have brought it up.

» Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:29 am

a minigame rather than just some hidden dice roll saying i can or cannot unlock something.
two worlds 2 has a nice minigame in it that does actually involve some skill, especially on master locks.
but im always open to new types of minigames.

id like to see something where the lockpicking skill does influence the way you can actually lockpick things. like the time you have, or your hand being more steady... or something.

i dont like it when the game just says 'you cant do that because you need 18 in lockpick' <--- thats crap. as a thief i would try.. maybe fail, but at least let me try!