I think I'm going to take a stab at the lockpicking tree over the weekend, see if I can come up with some interesting tweaks without the Editor. I haven't modded an Elder Scrolls / Fallout game since 2006, so it goes back a while. I'll have to see what's possible. Maybe with script extender.

Hmm, thanks for that. I did not know they left those out. I never looked for them.

Because, it's not like it's that hard to open a lock with a pick in this game. I have yet to come across a lock that I can't open. And, that's the biggest problem with Lockpicking in this game, no real need to increase the skill or select perks for this skill. If my character does not have the skill level required, it should not be able to open the lock. Right now, lockpicking has more to do with me than it does with my character and that's not RPG. I remember the first lock I opened was a Master level lock and I thought, OK, so the lowest level locks are called Master, what are the harder locks called?

I don't see why people think lockpicking doesn't fit there roleplaying style, I for one don't really care if it doesn't fit exactly, but some people obviously do...

What is wrong with a 2h heavy armor warrior who can lockpick, how is that any less plausible than a stealth archer? I don't see the problem, its just manipulating the locks mechanism with a pick to unlock it. Mages who have mastered the understanding of magic in this game, are able to open a lock with a pick. Given some of the other problems with this game (not huge ones apart from the magic resist) this is nothing IMO.

His complaint is that a WARRIOR QUEST, not a thieves' guild quest, REQUIRES lockpicking to succeed. As a warrior, he should not have to go outside of his skillset to complete the quest.

Is that plain enough for you now?

Nice job attempting to patronise me on a games forum.

Look at my comment above, its just as plausible for a warrior to lockpick.

*gasp*
A moderator being wrong?
This can not go unpunished!
*takes out Ebony Blade*
Please wash your neck and prepare for consequences.
/jk



I agree with this so much it hurts. >_>
I had some trouble in the beginning since I didn't play FO so I had to learn how does this new system works.
Once I got it (which took very little time), I totally forgot about even taking a look what difficulty lock is since I had no problem with any of them (which is pretty sad when your Lockpicking is 15-20 and has no perks invested in it).


True, even though I think that they should aim for perfect balance between player's skill and characters skill.
It would kinda be dumb to let just numbers decide your chance of opening locks.
Still, I think that they should make picking locks a lot harder without proper perks and skill level.

Also, I think that picking locks should be real time and that broken lockpicks should make noise which can attract enemies, guards and door/chest owners.
That would actually really make Lockpicking an important skill and give purpose to it's perks (now, they are all totally useless).


Because it doesn't.
It's like forcing a mage or warrior to sneak.
It's simply not their thing.
And what's wrong with having an alternative?


Nothing if you RP that way.
The problem is that picking locks is not a warrior or mage thing and therefore some people don't want it.
I'm personally not that bordered with it, but I do understand why it does bother some people and support the idea of giving alternatives.
In this case, it can only make game better.

Not just lockpicking. I recall in some of the civil war quests being asked to 'sneak in there and ...". I stand there looking back at them, wearing full heavy armor. "You want me to what?"

I thought that being a warrior type that the civil war quests would be right up my ally. As it turns out they really wanted a rogue.

Dey dook ah jerbs :confused:

Yep. I tried it with Aela as she looks like the Archer / Thief type. She can't open master locks at all.

If that's the way they want to role, but there still needs to be an alternative for RP purposes. If you don't RP, it wont mean much to you, but for those that do, it can be quite annoying.

I've very mildly RP'd in Morrowind/Oblivion, but took it to a much higher level in Skyrim giving my guy a whole back story, and following stringent rules. Man do I wish I had done this more in Morrowind/Oblivion. It really has added something to my TES experience! I intend to play this way from now on with the TES/Fallout series.

I agree, they need to add options for RP purposes........in this RPG. Emphasis on the R and P part.

Yeah, that happens in other quest too. The only thing I'll give them is that you don't fail the quest for not doing it sneakily. Unfortunately though, and this kind of harkens to what we're all discussing, the only other option is a full frontal assault. It would be great if you could create distractions, use speech, do something besides sneak or introduce everybody's face to your ax.

This.

I love lockpicking. Its so easy with the unbreakable perk or one of those stones (forgot the name of it).

Absolutely it's plausible. I personally don't have a problem with that. But do you think Conan bends over and picks locks? No, in the comics he either had one of his lackeys do it or he picked it over his head and smashed it open... I would have preferred an "option" to bash it open...

some people lock doors
especially when they lock people up (hence the LOCK part XD)
not having any locked doors or chests wouldn't make any sense
do agree on some alternatives to lockpicking like using magic or bashing the door in

See. There is your alternative. :thumbsup:

Another vote for bringing back the Open spell and lock bashing.

Its not that its not plausible. Its that its not a choice. Its forced onto us. There should be alternatives. IF not an alternative to unlocking said lock, another alternative to completing the quest. Not all characters should be forced to pick locks, just like not every character should be able to sneak, aim a bow with precision or cast a master spell.

There's nothing wrong with wanting more than a single option in a roleplaying game; a game where decisions about your character are the very root of the genre. If you choose to refuse to understand this, and stick to your narrow-minded vision, its your prerogative. Personally, I think you're just being hard-headed and stirring trouble for the gist of it. You're not even offering an opinion. You're just telling people to shut up.

I think its perfectly fair for people to hope for more out of a high-profile series like the Elder Scrolls. At the very least, its more than fair that we expect it not to regress. Alternatives to lockpicking are in no way an unreasonable expectation.

If such things were never discussed, games would never evolve. And the devs would never know our opinion on the matter.

While I agree that any player can learn to pick locks in Skyrim with a little practice, there are two reasons this can still be a problem for many people.

1) Picking locks levels the lockpicking skill and thus your character level rises.

2) Roleplay. Some characters would not know how to pick a lock.



My preference would be to have locks be used in two ways; special thief centric quests, and to find extra goodies. Never to block progress in the game unless you pick a lock.

I'm currently playing a mage, and I don't mind the slightly strange RP interruption of picking locks, nor do I mind actually picking them (turns out I'm kind of good at it, and I sort of think it's a fun little distraction from conjuring and destroying all the time). However, I completely agree that some adjustments need to be made, simply because lockpicking levels so stinking fast. It's currently my second-highest skill (between destruction and conjuration), and I'm finding myself skipping out on all locked doors and chests, and missing all of that loot (I'm a greedy hoarder and seller) just because I don't want it to level so much.

I'd say either give us other options (bash, spell, etc) that wouldn't level lockpicking at all, or tone down the leveling in general. I can see my points in lockpicking increase every time I mess up and break a lockpick; that's absurd. You should level for successful attempts, and level more for successful attempts with harder locks. But I shouldn't gain an entire level in lockpicking just because it takes me 10 picks to open a Master lock, especially when I shoot firebolts at everything that moves and my destruction skill is just a few levels above my lockpicking skill.