Lockpicking seems like it breaks occasionally

[TheAceOfSpodes]

Is it just me, or does the procedural gen on the lockpicking mini-game seem like it occasionally breaks? I've come across a few in the game already where there is just no valid answer. I had been feeling like "well maybe I'm just a moron" but I just hit a particularly obviously broken one. Of my key choices, I only had a single 2 pin or less option, and it didn't fit the 2 slot disc.

Is this a bug, a Bethesda feature, or am I actually just a moron and missing something entirely?

[Cur]

There are multiple "paths" to clearing the levels of the locks. If you clear the first level with the wrong combo then you won't have what you need for the later levels. I don't think it's a bug I think you just used the wrong combo on the first tier.

[Kashra Fall]

Haven't met a lock I couldn't pick yet.

[akaplan1]

Haha I couldn’t even do the one in the tutorial at first. I looked at every combination, rotated them all over, and I couldn’t see how it’d work. I thought for sure I was an idiot (and that’s probably still the most likely answer). But then I picked up another lockpick, tried again, and it was extremely simple. I don’t know what the hell happened with the first attempt.

[TheAceOfSpodes]

Originally posted by Cur:

There are multiple "paths" to clearing the levels of the locks. If you clear the first level with the wrong combo then you won't have what you need for the later levels. I don't think it's a bug I think you just used the wrong combo on the first tier.

Definitely wasn't that. I undid my previous moves to check. There were 2 discs with 2 slots, and I only had a single key that had 2 or fewer pins. The puzzle was, as far as I can tell, impossible. Can't fit a 3 or 4 pin key in a 2 slot disc.

So I backed fully out of it and did it again, and it was doable.

[Chuckawookie]

A picture would be really helpful in this case OP.

[TheAceOfSpodes]

Originally posted by Chuckawookie:

A picture would be really helpful in this case OP.

Yeah that would've been super useful in hindsight. If I come across this situation again I'll post it. So far its been like 3 times, so it'll likely happen again

[Technomancer]

Yep, I've had this happen a couple of times. Most recently, a novice lock with three openings in the upper right quadrant of the lock. The pick options all had 3 or 4 pins in two or more quadrants. Luckily I've gotten in the habit of quicksaving before picking a lock, so I just loaded my most recent save.

[trackles]

There are difficulty tirers you can reduce with perk

[Vilivus]

Anything above novice is broken for me most of the time. I can undo my moves to the beginning and find that there is literally no solution. I really hope it’s just a bug and not part of the design.

[kdodds]

Like others have said, it isn't that it's unsolvable, it's that you made a mistake and can't undo. There are absolutely locks where there are multiple solutions to the first tier, some of which will leave the subsequent tier(s) unsolvable. I already made this mistake once and noticed immediately after I'd used the part that I was wrong.

[Dem0n [FL]0cka]

Originally posted by kdodds:

Like others have said, it isn't that it's unsolvable, it's that you made a mistake and can't undo. There are absolutely locks where there are multiple solutions to the first tier, some of which will leave the subsequent tier(s) unsolvable. I already made this mistake once and noticed immediately after I'd used the part that I was wrong.

No, there are definitely instances where the minigame bugs out and doesn't actually provide you with a solvable puzzle. I've had 3 such instances as the OP describes where I ended up having to either load a quicksave or back out and retry (wasting a digipick).

[DiabloMuerto]

I've come across one or two like that but I don't spend enough time analyzing it to be 100% sure I just didn't overlook the solution.

[continuousq2]u[yn8=- a]

I feel the same way. I've started a lockpick where the first pick doesn't have a solution. It's obviously bugged but a lot of people are saying it's the "challenge." There's no challenge here. I've had situations like this:

Scenario #1
Starting position
Pick has no fit to initial ring load. So I tab out restart again

Scenario #2
I have a pick that will fit the first ring, but only in one position. I use it.
Next ring appears and the pick has no valid fit.

Scenario #3
The idea seems to be that you observe the rings coming up, plan your picks accordingly. OK. So I observe the first two rings. I use the pick that fits the first ring, doesn't block second.
Next ring loads, but it isn't the one that was previously shown. Now it's a whole new ring, with no fittings for the pick.

I'm on a quest for a corporate mission line, and I have to "pick" a computer (dumb I know, but I guess it's how they do "hacking"). I have a save point in front of the computer and have reloaded for 2 hours while hitting the above scenario variation bugs. It's a "novice" lock. Usually this problem corrects after a few tries... this time, this mission... i can't get past the issues above.

[TheAceOfSpodes]

Okay I've got some screenshots. Something ♥♥♥♥♥ is going on that I don't understand.

First ring.

https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheAceOfSpodes/screenshot/2006971200364131383/

Second ring suddenly changes and is unsolvable?

https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheAceOfSpodes/screenshot/2006971200364131653/

[Tolfdir]

Lock picking may need some attention. I also noticed that a few times, after placing a piece, the "singles" I had available to use disappeared, bricking the attempt.