Game Skyrim Forum

Ok, It's simple,

Here are my views

Fallout -

Very limited at begining.
You svck until you get to 50 point on lockpick.
You are limited in what you can pick.
Your 'force' option svckS

Oblivion -
You can take a chance at the 'very hard' locks even if it's 10 points
You have an equal chance on all locks
You can do any lock as long as you have picks.
It's fairly simple and isn't a puzzle.

In other words, if they kept that in fallout (from oblivion) Fallouts System would be better.
So what do you think?

Fallout's lockpicking makes much more sense because the mini-game can be completed quickly and fairly easily, but not too easily such that it doesn't feel challenging when you come across hard locks. However, the only part of it that's stat-based is the auto-try option, and I never use that unless I'm guaranteed to win, for fear of breaking the lock. Restricting certain locks to certain skill levels, then, is the best way to go. By contrast, Oblivion's mini-game is boring, takes far too long, etc. Almost every time I play, I rush for the Skeleton Key or use the console to give myself ten thousand lockpicks, so I can mash the auto-try button and skip the tedium. It's just not fun, period.

I am judging with only that line, but I don't think that's very realistic.

I liked having the opportunity to open whatever lock I wanted to in Oblivion. It was that one "tink" you heard when you hit the tumbler that let you know to stop it.

In fallout I can't open half of the containers because of the lockpick skill required. I can't even make an attempt.

By the way Fallout's lockpick system has many good sides, too, and I am sure that Oblivion's one is not heaven-on-earth.
Yet I cannot list Fallout's good sides since I have not played Oblivion.

I liked the Oblivion system better because there was some actual player skill involved.

But I'm a boring person.

Sure the Oblivion one got tedious, but you could always try, no matter your skill. In fact it's a good way to show off to your friends when you just start a new character and start picking very hard locks cuz you've been doing it for the past 3 years.

oblivion atleast I could try to pick a lock instead of a message saying I am nt skilled enough in oblivion I could try any lock but would find it easier if I had a higher lockpick level.

I prefer Oblivion's lock-picking system.

1. I can attempt to pick any lock no matter my skill level.

2. Once I achieve a mastery of lock-picking it becomes easier to pick the locks. Why is it still hard to pick a lock in Fallout 3 even if I am at the maximum skill level?

3. No broken locks. You can try as many times as you want as long as you have lock-picks.

I Think the keyholes have changed between the Oblivion's time and Fallout's time,but IDK,you can pick a pressure door.

i dont like games to be effected by the condition of my controller or a difference of inside vs. outside perception of a game.

Oblivion's was so easy though. I got to the point where I never broke any lockpicks even when I had no lockpicking skill. I got bored with it (minigames FTL) and just went back to using Open spells. I don't even recommend using security as a skill in Oblivion for any class. Just take Alteration... you get everything security can do plus water waking, water breathing, and shileds.

So in the end, I think FO3 has a better system.

I personally HATED oblivions lockpick minigame. It was just mind numbing to watch those tumblers fall on the last one even though i timed it JUST RIGHT AHHAHAHAHHGHGHGHAH!!!!!??!!111one But, enough of that... it just seems like Fallouts system is alot more fun!

Oblivion takes place in an entirely different fantasy world. Nothing to do with time.

Ug, this is tough.

Oblivion - Very tedious but led to that large sigh of relief when you finally got it, though I did resort to "Auto Try" and just using my "Open Very Hard Lock" spell when I got my level up high enough.

Fallout 3 - Annoying at low levels where you can't even try if your skill is too low, which leads to lots of trying to remember where to go back to later. The system is fun. I like how it's done. It's a simple concept, but not boring.

I'd have to say Fallout 3 edge's out Oblivion's because when you could, you would just bypass doing the lockpick minigame in Oblivion.

Fallout 3, definitely.

In fact it is the only game I've played with a lock picking minigame I've liked. The system in the original Thief games was also OK, as it was less about skill than time consumption (it didn't pause the game). Thief 3 had a system that was too easy to matter, the mechanic was similar to FO3 except there were only ever four or eight spots and your pick couldn't break. As with the earlier games it was more about time consumption, but it only took a few levels before I could open any lock extremely quickly, so the time consumption didn't really matter. Oblivion's system was, in my opinion, equally pointless but far more frustrating.


In this case I'd have to say that being limited is a good thing. It wouldn't work for all RPGs, but I think it's important that you need the skill to fully utilize it. In Oblivion the security skill is largely pointless as the mini-game relies far more on player ability than character skill. The Fallout 3 mini-game seems to be a good balance of player perception and skill level.

I can't comment on the force option because I've never needed to use it.


I never found the Fallout 3 mini-game much of a puzzle. I do think it would have been helpful if you knew how large the regions were, but I don't know how well that could be implemented. Perhaps tying it to your perception stat instead of your lockpicking skill, it would be nice to have more times when your attributes stand out.

In Oblivion I quickly found that I just waited until I could get the skeleton key and would auto-attempt locks from then on. Even after I got the hang of the timing the mini-game did nothing for me. This further neutered the security skill, but since I already felt like it didn't matter I can't say I really cared.

In a future TES game I hope the mini-game is more like FO3's, although perhaps not with the skill requirements to attempt harder locks.

sure then why would you need a skill for lockpicking?? im all for gameplay sure and the best way is to make a mix of both. Not having the skill you should not try open the look with a mini game because a better player at the minigame can still open the lock with a player that isnt skilled not opening that lock with a skill of 100... it doesnt make sense, fallout system actually makes you think if you really want a lockpicking skill and if its worth for you to have it.

All that also adds to replay value because it motivates you to restart with a different character and using different skills to find new stuff in the game.. fallout mini games were quick and easy enough to be fun and just add a feeling of actually doing the thing, just like the hack game it gave a feeling of hacking with all that meaningful letters and punctuation points etc..

all minigames have been flawed. but, the lockpick mini is getting better every game.
take thief, morrowind, oblivion, fallout3, whatever, and, you get good gameplay, but, a lack in all.
the lockpick genre has improved quite a bit and fallout's is quite good. as is oblivions except for the fact
that you could be right-on screen wise but miss game-wise. plus, the shrine quest knowledge most get
after one playthrough.

off the top of my head im gonna have to choose a die roll mechanic based upon my post realtime play.

i think pure realtime ends up too simple and pure die roll ends up too, um, 1980's.

Oblivion's was done via sound. Once I worked that out, it was a cake walk.

great call!
id bet alot of us actually do the no sight, pick the lock, sound up or down depending (with vibration)way of using the lockpick skill.
its more of a challenge and more realistic.

So you dont mind games saying skill to low at 49 so you cant attempt then after 1 point or wearing a vault utility jumpsuit my char is suddenlt able to open the lock with ease. IRL I dont know how to pick a lock so mt skill would be 0 but dose that stop me from trying no, oblivions is more realistic than fallouts sure the mini game svcked but atleast I had an option for it insted of fallout where I need top have my lockpick at x to try and unlock y.

for roleplayers there a differentiation.
for others its a terrible system thats abuse is widely recognized.

Splinter cells lockpicking minigame is the best created imo. I would love if somebody added a mod to change locks to a splinter cell lock minigame, And you could base it around your skill levels. The lower your picking skill thats needed the more keys on the keyboard that would drop the tumbler.

I was hoping for a neither option, but as it wasn't there I voted Fallout.

Crap. I voted wrong. I said I liked both when I like the Fallout system much better. It involves much more guesswork on the part of the player.