Lockpicking skill tree...pointless! : V

» Mon May 14, 2012 11:13 am

Why on earth is there a lockpicking skill tree?

Since the beginning of the game i have been able to pick every single lock on every single one of my characters without problem, except the odd broken lock pick.

I miss the old lockpick engine, at least you had to concentrate and work at it, now it's just twiddle twiddle click! :facepalm:

» Sun May 13, 2012 10:16 pm

I found the oblivion one much easier, this one feels like a harder version of the fallout one because the picks break a lot easier. If I ever play thief I will use the skill tree because I don't have the patience to fiddle with expert and master locks in dungeons anymore, + it helps with other things too.

» Mon May 14, 2012 11:05 am

Seriously, how do you open those Expert/Master locks on low level?

» Sun May 13, 2012 11:45 pm

Why on earth is there a lockpicking skill tree?

Since the beginning of the game i have been able to pick every single lock on every single one of my characters without problem, except the odd broken lock pick.

I miss the old lockpick engine, at least you had to concentrate and work at it, now it's just twiddle twiddle click! :facepalm:

Not everyone's as good as you?

My lockpicking is somewhere in the 40's. I still break a pick or two on the lv2 and 3 (Apprentice and Adept?) locks, and up to half a dozen on Expert. I generally don't bother yet with Master.

(Of course, I also svcked at the Oblivion minigame, and built up my skill there too. And got the unbreakable pick.)

edit: that said, I've had more important places to put my perks. I'll eventually put a few more in picking, if only to grab some of the interesting side perks.

» Sun May 13, 2012 11:01 pm

Mini-games in general defeat the purpose of a skill, it is hard outside of something like combat with hard numbers being whittled down to create a tangible enough benefit for the skill. There will always be a group of people who don't need the skill at all and can pick anything from the get go,there will always be a group of people who svck so bad at it they need all the help they can get from the skill but most people will be able to pull off the mini game but the skill helps makes it easier so while it is not worthless for them it is close to it.

» Sun May 13, 2012 11:10 pm

Seriously, how do you open those Expert/Master locks on low level?

i agree with the OP...it's not really hard but i'm on pc and use a pc all day at work so i'm pretty delicate in my movements and keypresses. i also listen carefully. just by moving the pick there's a sound i've learned to listen for that tells me i'm close...hard to describe it though.

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:26 am

Seriously, how do you open those Expert/Master locks on low level?

When you find you are close to the right spot memorise the pick location by scratches on the ring around the key hole and continue to work from there.
Sometimes you can get it in 5 picks other times 15+, sometimes you only get 8 gold in master locks so maybe investing in lockpicking might increase this?

» Mon May 14, 2012 7:25 am

Anyone who says they don't break picks on Expert/Master locks without perks is a filthy liar.

» Mon May 14, 2012 2:27 am

Seriously, how do you open those Expert/Master locks on low level?

Just try and try again. I am low on lockpicking and it takes around ten lockpicks for me to open a expert of master slot. The hardest is to find the spot that moves the "big lockpick". When you find that spot it's just the matter of fine tunning it.

» Sun May 13, 2012 11:20 pm

The skill would be extremely useful if lockpicks weren't so common...

» Mon May 14, 2012 2:24 am

I found the oblivion one much easier, this one feels like a harder version of the fallout one because the picks break a lot easier. If I ever play thief I will use the skill tree because I don't have the patience to fiddle with expert and master locks in dungeons anymore, + it helps with other things too.

Iv'e been playing Oblivion lately (build up to Skyrim) and in no way is the lockpicking in Oblivion easier, you do have to think and genuinely concentrate, the new system has dumbed down the whole technique, how should i as a brand new character have absolutely no problems picking a lock marked as adept or master?

The first master lock i came across i inserted a pick wiggled it a bit to the left and click open sesame, no training, no practice...no skill!

» Mon May 14, 2012 1:06 am

Seriously, how do you open those Expert/Master locks on low level?

I've been opening those since the beginning; the toughest Master costing me 6 picks. You just need delicate hand and a stethoscope pressed against the monitor to listen to the tumblers :biggrin:

» Mon May 14, 2012 12:55 pm

I regret putting a couple perks into lockpicking now. It's too easy and I have gear that gives me up to 60% better lockpicking I can switch to if i'm having trouble.

» Mon May 14, 2012 1:15 pm

Anyone who says they don't break picks on Expert/Master locks without perks is a filthy liar.

most i've gone through on any lock (including master) is 5 maybe 6. not a single point in lockpicking perks because i don't see any reason to. i find more lockpicks than i use. i have over 100 in my inventory.

» Mon May 14, 2012 3:17 am

Mini-games in general defeat the purpose of a skill, it is hard outside of something like combat with hard numbers being whittled down to create a tangible enough benefit for the skill. There will always be a group of people who don't need the skill at all and can pick anything from the get go,there will always be a group of people who svck so bad at it they need all the help they can get from the skill but most people will be able to pull off the mini game but the skill helps makes it easier so while it is not worthless for them it is close to it.

Following that combat skills would defeat the purpuse as well because there are people who can just beat up every enemy without any levels into the weapon skill...

i agree with the OP...it's not really hard but i'm on pc and use a pc all day at work so i'm pretty delicate in my movements and keypresses. i also listen carefully. just by moving the pick there's a sound i've learned to listen for that tells me i'm close...hard to describe it though.

I use PC as well, yet I still don't know how is it possible to find the sweet spot without breaking at least 10 picks to find a place where it doesn't break from the first press.

» Mon May 14, 2012 4:07 am

I'm sitting on 90+ lock picks, and I have never bought a single one. (I'm not even a thief type.)

I break at most 3 picks before I figure it out. If they wanted to make it a bit harder, the tumblers should randomize once a pick breaks.

» Mon May 14, 2012 6:29 am

Anyone who says they don't break picks on Expert/Master locks without perks is a filthy liar.

Bad kid is bad.
I'm a level 38 in lock picking and have had no trouble opening master locks with only 2 or 3 picks.

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:06 am

Unfortunately I have to agree with the near uselessness of lockpicking perks. I have opened up Masters with little effort, sometimes it took me all of 2-4 attempts. Sometimes it can get fiddly but for the most part, its just simply not hard enough. I just don't think you should be able to even attempt it without required perks.

» Mon May 14, 2012 9:06 am

The perks in that tree are to make it easier for people that have issues with the minigame, basically.

They're not meant to be mandatory for everyone (otherwise they're not 'perks' at all).

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:09 am

i agree with the OP...it's not really hard but i'm on pc and use a pc all day at work so i'm pretty delicate in my movements and keypresses. i also listen carefully. just by moving the pick there's a sound i've learned to listen for that tells me i'm close...hard to describe it though.

Can you hear it when you are close to that one spot? I never knew this?? I just "looked" for it?

» Sun May 13, 2012 10:28 pm

Anyone who says they don't break picks on Expert/Master locks without perks is a filthy liar.

Then you really have not been trying hard enough or are getting the whole thing wrong!

I re-itterate, lockpicking in real life is ridiculously complicated, yes i know this is only a game but a challenge would be nice, the mini game for lockpicking at the moment is just pre-school!

» Sun May 13, 2012 11:13 pm

Bad kid is bad.
I'm a level 38 in lock picking and have had no trouble opening master locks with only 2 or 3 picks.

Kid that can't read, can't read.

Using 2 or 3 means you broke one or two finding the sweet spot. Thanks for proving my point.

» Mon May 14, 2012 9:57 am

What they should do is force the player out of the lickpicking minigame when they break a pick....

That would mean its not impossible to pick any lock....but having the right perks sure would make it more possible. Could you imagine picking an expert lock if every time you broke a pick the location changed? That would make it worthwhile in investing the perks for lockpicking.

» Mon May 14, 2012 10:20 am

Iv'e been playing Oblivion lately (build up to Skyrim) and in no way is the lockpicking in Oblivion easier, you do have to think and genuinely concentrate, the new system has dumbed down the whole technique, how should i as a brand new character have absolutely no problems picking a lock marked as adept or master?

The first master lock i came across i inserted a pick wiggled it a bit to the left and click open sesame, no training, no practice...no skill!

When people say lockpicking in Oblivion is easier they are referring to the fact that in oblivion your pick health refreshed after each lock. In Skyrim you lose many more picks because picks retain damage.

» Sun May 13, 2012 10:24 pm

I still upgrade the tree even though I'm good at lockpicking, it speeds up the low level ones.

The Master ones break a bunch of my picks, but the OP is basically talking about a single time he got lucky on the first try.