Security and the skeleton key

civimike · Post by **civimike** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:59 pm

OK, maybe i missed this somewhere...but....

I just got hte skeleton key, and i was talking toa budy of mine and he brought up a good point. you dont have to even try to pick locks anymore. i just keep hitting the auto atempt button till it opens. great cause it make the lock pick mini game so much eaiser...but my qustion is... will my security skill go up faster if i try to actually pick the locks? i guess my question is more...when does my securtiy skill go up? when i succesfully lift a tumbler or when i succesfully pick a lock?

GrayMouser · Post by **GrayMouser** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:27 pm

I have seen my security skill increase just by trying to lift a tumbler. So it must be per attempt (good or bad).

GrayMouser

Salem Verano · Post by **Salem Verano** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:38 pm

You get a skillgain with each tumbler you succesfully lock.
So playing the mini game will make your security skill go up faster then auto-attempt.

GrayMouser · Post by **GrayMouser** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:43 pm

Besides, it's fun and easy once you get the hang of it. The tumblers come up and down at varying speeds. One of the 'up' speeds is pretty slow. If you patiently flick the tumbler up until you get the slow upwards movement, it's easy to set it in place.

GM

civimike · Post by **civimike** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:20 pm

I agree its fun. ESp. now with the skeleton key giving me such a boost...just want to be as efficent with my time as posible...i wonder if anyone has any numbers on how the auto-attempt works...since im security 74 now, does that mean i have a 74% chance of succeding with an auto atempt? im just gussing at that but i would love to know the mechinisim.....

istara · Post by **istara** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 5:10 pm

GrayMouser wrote:Besides, it's fun and easy once you get the hang of it. The tumblers come up and down at varying speeds. One of the 'up' speeds is pretty slow. If you patiently flick the tumbler up until you get the slow upwards movement, it's easy to set it in place.

GM

I used to do it like this, but it was still tricky. I also tried listening for the different "clicks", but could never work it out that way.

Then I noticed that the slowest rise (or at least an adequately slow one to click and hold) ALWAYS happens after the fastest fall. Wait for a fast fall, then click on the next rise. Very very easy to get the knack of - I am very malcoordinated and impatient, but once I discovered this, the game was boringly easy. And then I found the Skeleton Key.

GrayMouser · Post by **GrayMouser** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:18 pm

istara wrote:I used to do it like this, but it was still tricky. I also tried listening for the different "clicks", but could never work it out that way.

Then I noticed that the slowest rise (or at least an adequately slow one to click and hold) ALWAYS happens after the fastest fall. Wait for a fast fall, then click on the next rise. Very very easy to get the knack of - I am very malcoordinated and impatient, but once I discovered this, the game was boringly easy. And then I found the Skeleton Key.

Hmmm, if that's really true, then doesn't it mean that there is a predetermined pattern for all possible tumbler speeds? I haven't spotted an overall predetermined pattern... If what you say is true, then it would imply that the program combines a particular tumbler-down motion with a particular tumbler-up motion, instead of combining an up motion with a down (if you know what I mean). Weird. Also, it would imply that there is also a preset pattern for every other down then up combination of motions.

GM

rpger · Post by **rpger** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:12 pm

The Skeleton Key also gives you a "real" 40 point increase in your security skill...by that, I mean look at the stat sheet: instead of being in green numbers like all other temporary skill increases, it is in blue. That means you will take longer to raise your skill....unless...

...you trick it by dropping the Skeleton Key on the ground just before your security skill goes up a level. You can retrieve all those extra points (that otherwise would disappear in the single level increase) by switching to regular lockpicks just to push it over the level. That way you will get 2 or more level increases per level with the Skeleton Key.

Yes, that's right....2 or more levels for one. It is almost like cheating, and very fast. You must drop the Skeleton Key, switch to regular picks to level, then raise tumblers. For every tumbler you raise, you will also go up one level. At very high levels this may only give you marginal advances though, however early on it is amazing to go up 2 or more levels in less than 5 seconds.

i9ub · Post by **i9ub** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 4:53 am

The slowest rise isn't ALWAYS after the fastest one. However the general trend for picking locks is that after the fast tumbler rises, the slow will soon follow.

Stormrider · Post by **Stormrider** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 1:04 pm

Which quest has to be completed to get this skeleton key?

Btw. I heard that the best way to raise your security is to find a very hard lock and click auto atemp numerous of times! With this skeleton key of course!

Vook · Post by **Vook** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 6:08 pm

With skeleton key raising security makes sense only as a method of levelling up. Simply, skeleton key makes the security skill redundant. There's no need for this skill anymore, it's just a dead number. Same with Speechcraft and the Casanova spell. Redundant and useless.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:51 pm

Vook wrote:With skeleton key raising security makes sense only as a method of levelling up. Simply, skeleton key makes the security skill redundant. There's no need for this skill anymore, it's just a dead number. Same with Speechcraft and the Casanova spell. Redundant and useless.

Unless it's one of your primary skills, then it becomes your controlled method of leveling up when you are ready with your minor increases. Don't make blanket statements like that, there are a lot of factors that may not apply to you, but could be very important to how other people are playing.

As far as actually opening stuff, once you have the skeleton key, the security skill is meaningless. But there are still resaons people may want to raise it.

civimike · Post by **civimike** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:53 pm

your right, but im one of those -want to get eveything to 100%- knda guys...if i dont keep up on everything, then ill spend two weeks running all over looking for locks to pick!!!!

i9ub · Post by **i9ub** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:28 am

Anonymous wrote:
Vook wrote:With skeleton key raising security makes sense only as a method of levelling up. Simply, skeleton key makes the security skill redundant. There's no need for this skill anymore, it's just a dead number. Same with Speechcraft and the Casanova spell. Redundant and useless.
Unless it's one of your primary skills, then it becomes your controlled method of leveling up when you are ready with your minor increases. Don't make blanket statements like that, there are a lot of factors that may not apply to you, but could be very important to how other people are playing.

As far as actually opening stuff, once you have the skeleton key, the security skill is meaningless. But there are still resaons people may want to raise it.

Apparently you missed the first sentence. It's ok, it happens. Here, I'll help you out.

Vook wrote:With skeleton key raising security makes sense only as a method of levelling up.