I don't like the way Lockpicking works

[Ripcage]

Skyrim's lockpicking system takes a lot of guess work in my opinion. There are a few things that could help it out quite a bit. For example the sound that you hear when you move the pick around could be changed so it would get a little louder as you get closer to the soft spot. A force lock option could be added to the system where your chances of forcing the lock open would improve as you invested into perks. Open lock spells need to make a return, but implemented in a new way that presents a new challenge rather than just casting the spell.

[Evil-i]

There's really not much guesswork to it if you have a technique that you follow each and every time. It's just a simple process of elimination.

[Yaije]

locked doors and chests actually have valuable stuff? Last time I hit a master chest it had a couple cheap potions and a scroll of fireball. After that I just went around looking for keys (anything worthwhile had a key that someone held)

[Theificka]

There's really not much guesswork to it if you have a technique that you follow each and every time. It's just a simple process of elimination.

Actually, I noticed a pattern in the game, it's gotten to the point where I can easily discern where it is just from breaking one pick: It wasn't there? Then it must be in one of these two spots...

[Travalanche]

IDK, it's not necessarily bad really. I honestly just don't see how the skill could be implemented any other way. Oblivion was a pain in the butt in many ways and just way too much work. I think skyrim did it right by copying Fallout 3, it's not groundbreaking but it works, I'm 50/50 on the issue and while I find it okay it's a bit bland but I don't know what else could be done with it.

I also find it odd how people get polarized at later levels, what was once valuable is now obsolete, the trick is to ignore that and just take anything over 50 septims, don't forget to take the etra pockets perk either, once you get to the point where anything valued at under 100 septims is worthless it's a steep slope... I've been there.

[CBR JGWRR]

There's really not much guesswork to it if you have a technique that you follow each and every time. It's just a simple process of elimination.

For a master lock at level 15 with no perks there's 16 or so points where the sweet spot can be, it's just a matter of patience and time.

Personally I like both Skyrim and Oblivion's way of doing lockpicking.

[udubdawgs]

i hate it and think it was a sickening abandonment of developer responsibility.

as well, it just plain reduces roleplaying ability, options, depth and customization.

though, compared to the overall game it fits right in.

[CBR JGWRR]

Wrong thread?

[udubdawgs]

Wrong thread?

huh?

[CBR JGWRR]

Well, that post could have gone in any of the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads...

[udubdawgs]

Well, that post could have gone in any of the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads...

and, thus, is perfectly appropriate in this one.

[ZackyZombify]

Then don't complain about it, just don't lockpick. Not that hard to do. Don't like skyrim? Don't play it. I don't like morrowind but you don't see me complaining. I think lockpicking in skyrim fits skyrim, as Oblivion's fit oblivion. I really don't mind either of them, though open spells are missed.

[CBR JGWRR]

Well, that post could have gone in any of the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads...

and, thus, is perfectly appropriate in this one.

OP doesn't have Morrowind.

[KalleFlaxx]

I prefer Skyrim's lockpicking system over Oblivion's. To me, Oblivion was just far too easy. Give me a handful of lockpicks and a Security skill of 5 and that Very Hard lock will be open in no time. Recently installed a mod that put a metal plate over the pins so you can't actually see them, but have to rely on the clicking sounds instead (I actually ran out of lockpicks in a dungeon because I was unable to pick a lock. Dunno if that's ever happened to me before).

Although, as someone mentioned, I'd say Morrowind's system is even better. Sure, it's not advanced or exciting in any way, but it's much better in a role playing perspective. If my character isn't good at picking locks, he shouldn't be able to pick locks well. It's just weird for a beginner thief to be able to break in anywhere just because the person controlling him have picked tons of locks before.

So I can definitely understand the frustration with Skyrim's system, but I fail to see how it is worse than Oblivions, save for the lack of an Auto Attempt function.

[udubdawgs]

Well, that post could have gone in any of the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads...

and, thus, is perfectly appropriate in this one.

OP doesn't have Morrowind.

and, i wasn't talking about morrowind.

[BunBun299]

I don't see what anyone is complaining about. Except very early on when I have a finite amount of lockpicks, I can open any lock with a bit of patience. Its not that hard, and it feels a lot less random than Oblivion's did. I could never get that one right. Once I got the Skeleton Key, I just used auto attempted until it opened.

[Belthazor]

I don't see what anyone is complaining about. Except very early on when I have a finite amount of lockpicks, I can open any lock with a bit of patience.

That's exactly what I am complaining about. You can open master locks with a novice level lockpicking skill. It doesn't make sense. It detaches your success with the lockpicking game from your character's actual skill.

Well, that post could have gone in any of the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads...

What makes you think that those "Morrowind lovers", to which I count myself, hate Skyrim? Skyrim is a good game overall. I've played it for over 1,300 hours and am still playing it. But that doesn't mean I have to like or be content with every feature it has. Show me one post where a "Morrowind lover" said something along the lines of "Ugh, Skyrim sucks." People who really hate Skyrim or think it's a bad game, don't play it. People like me, who complain about Skyrim, yet keep playing it, complain because they think that Bethesda made some bad design choices and that previous games in the series handled the same things in a better way. If we just shut up and turned our back on the game, just because we disliked certain features, then guess what. We'd be the kind of people that Bethesda is trying to cater to. The broad mass, who just wants to play through this game before moving on to the next.

[CBR JGWRR]

I don't see what anyone is complaining about. Except very early on when I have a finite amount of lockpicks, I can open any lock with a bit of patience.

That's exactly what I am complaining about. You can open master locks with a novice level lockpicking skill. It doesn't make sense. It detaches your success with the lockpicking game from your character's actual skill.

So what? IRL it works like that. There isn't a way to make it character dependant except by making it auto attempt only, and not allowing the player to open the lock.

Well, that post could have gone in any of the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads...

What makes you think that those "Morrowind lovers", to which I count myself, hate Skyrim? Skyrim is a good game overall. I've played it for over 1,300 hours and am still playing it. But that doesn't mean I have to like or be content with every feature it has. Show me one post where a "Morrowind lover" said something along the lines of "Ugh, Skyrim sucks." People who really hate Skyrim or think it's a bad game, don't play it. People like me, who complain about Skyrim, yet keep playing it, complain because they think that Bethesda made some bad design choices and that previous games in the series handled the same things in a better way. If we just shut up and turned our back on the game, just because we disliked certain features, then guess what. We'd be the kind of people that Bethesda is trying to cater to. The broad mass, who just wants to play through this game before moving on to the next.

Read the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads... Full of examples.

Also, remind me where I used the words "All", or "majority" or even "Some". I never specified numerics.

[Belthazor]

So what? IRL it works like that. There isn't a way to make it character dependant except by making it auto attempt only, and not allowing the player to open the lock.

That's why I liked Morrowind's approach to lockpicking much better. And what works like that IRL? Unless you're incredibly gifted, it takes a lot of practice to master anything.

Read the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads... Full of examples.

Also, remind me where I used the words "All", or "majority" or even "Some". I never specified numerics.

Where did I say you used the words "all", "majority" or "some"? I didn't even mention those in my post. But you're generalizing by calling these threads "Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads". If it's only "Morrowind lovers", who "hate" Skyrim, then you're kinda proving my point. Other people don't complain because they don't care enough about the series to bother about it.

Look, in the end, it's all a matter of opinion. There's no right or wrong, and there never will be. If you're happy with the way things are and have nothing to complain about: good for you. Me, I don't like that TES series has turned from being RPGs to being an action game with RPG elements. And let's face it, that's what Skyrim is. I don't even mean that derogatory in any way.

[CBR JGWRR]

So what? IRL it works like that. There isn't a way to make it character dependant except by making it auto attempt only, and not allowing the player to open the lock.

That's why I liked Morrowind's approach to lockpicking much better. And what works like that IRL? Unless you're incredibly gifted, it takes a lot of practice to master anything.

Lockpicking, the subject being discussed.

Read the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads... Full of examples.

Also, remind me where I used the words "All", or "majority" or even "Some". I never specified numerics.

Where did I say you used the words "all", "majority" or "some"? I didn't even mention those in my post. But you're generalizing by calling these threads "Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads". If it's only "Morrowind lovers", who "hate" Skyrim, then you're kinda proving my point. Other people don't complain because they don't care enough about the series to bother about it.

They're threads started by Morrowind lovers who hate Skyrim. Hence why I call them Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads. Nothing more, nothing less. Everything else you extrapolated...

Look, in the end, it's all a matter of opinion. There's no right or wrong, and there never will be. If you're happy with the way things are and have nothing to complain about: good for you. Me, I don't like that TES series has turned from being RPGs to being an action game with RPG elements. And let's face it, that's what Skyrim is. I don't even mean that derogatory in any way.

[Ripcage]

Read the current Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads... Full of examples.

Also, remind me where I used the words "All", or "majority" or even "Some". I never specified numerics.

Where did I say you used the words "all", "majority" or "some"? I didn't even mention those in my post. But you're generalizing by calling these threads "Morrowind lovers hating Skyrim threads". If it's only "Morrowind lovers", who "hate" Skyrim, then you're kinda proving my point. Other people don't complain because they don't care enough about the series to bother about it.

Look, in the end, it's all a matter of opinion. There's no right or wrong, and there never will be. If you're happy with the way things are and have nothing to complain about: good for you. Me, I don't like that TES series has turned from being RPGs to being an action game with RPG elements. And let's face it, that's what Skyrim is. I don't even mean that derogatory in any way.

Could you guys take this to a PM if you're going to continue? It is off topic.
On topic:
I think if BGS were to implement the force lock option into Skyrim, that players should not get any experience for opening a lock with force lock. Players with a lower skill would be encouraged to actually pick the lock, rather than try for the short cut. Players with a higher skill have the option there if they don't feel like picking the lock themselves. Skill increases should increase your chance of success and perks like Master Locks should come with a bonus that lets you force lower leveled locks with 100% success rates.

[DarkEastwood]

I find Skyrim lock picking is pretty easy, and Oblivions was pretty hard (for me at least). Which is kinda why I like Oblivions better, since I believe lockpicking should have a heavy degree of dexterity on the player's part.