Picking locks - Can it be improved? Is RNG better or should we have a minigame?

[Macdallan]

I get really bored picking locks in 7 Days to Die. Hold E, select pick, wait, hear annoying fail noise go ca-chunk and repeat. Boring. Why does it fail and make us select it again? Why not keep going until I run out of picks, or until I hit Escape? That would be preferable to hearing that insanely annoying click noise over and over, and having to constantly hold E and re-start the process. Sure, add some time if the RNG fails, but keep going until the lock is opened.

Better yet maybe give us more than just simple lock picks. Give us lock pick guns (yes they are a thing and they are faster but only work on really simple locks) and safe cracking kits (because you can't pick a safe with a lock pick). Let us learn how to "rake" open easy locks. Let us use brute force (add a crowbar, please) on some locks that will simply pop them open (not just smash the container open). I've broken a few locks open, it's much easier to do with some cheap locks than you might think. Let us pick locks on doors, too.

Even better would be to add a minigame to lock picking, something like Skyrim or the safe cracking mini-game in GTA V online. Make it something active instead of click, wait, and RNG decides. Have character skill and better lock picking equipment make it easier. Why is this better? It makes us focus on the task at hand and that will build tension because maybe a sneaky zombie just stumbled into the room while we were working out the second number in that safe's combination...

Thoughts?

[comet_65cali]

While I think more of a skill based lock-picking, like in Undead Legacy, would be a welcome addition. here are my thoughts:

There are several different ways to break into a safe/chest/ATM:
-Lockpick using Jailbreaker Candy is an instant success at picking locks.
-Mining Tools, especially with, Miner 69'er, The Great Heist and using the ironbreaker mod for a true brute-strength choice.
-Use of timed charges (Cheap to buy/make) or Shotgun Breaching Rounds (VERY Expensive to make) are also options to get into safes.

Picking safes takes time and you will get smacked if you do not have awareness of your surroundings and gives more of a hazard by waiting to pick a lock. So there is some punishment for not checking behind your back.

[mathaniel]

Jail breakers won`t even use a lock pick although you do have to have at least one in inventory. It doesn`t break the pick. They cost 100 dukes, cheap enough yes? And with the above options, add something else as the choices allow easy ways to get in even at early stages. Reminding that earliest game days, safes have crap for loot, usually. RNG rules in the end. I just started a new Navesgane run. Never even thunk about timed charges. Mebbe I`ll give some a go tonight. Other uses for those timed charges?, without straying too far from OP question?

[Macdallan]

Originally posted by comet_65cali:

While I think more of a skill based lock-picking, like in Undead Legacy, would be a welcome addition. here are my thoughts:

There are several different ways to break into a safe/chest/ATM:
-Lockpick using Jailbreaker Candy is an instant success at picking locks.
-Mining Tools, especially with, Miner 69'er, The Great Heist and using the ironbreaker mod for a true brute-strength choice.
-Use of timed charges (Cheap to buy/make) or Shotgun Breaching Rounds (VERY Expensive to make) are also options to get into safes.

Picking safes takes time and you will get smacked if you do not have awareness of your surroundings and gives more of a hazard by waiting to pick a lock. So there is some punishment for not checking behind your back.

I'm not a fan of any of the magical candies, like the Jailbreaker, and think they all need to be removed from the game.

I wouldn't mind keeping the ability to break into a safe if it took a lot longer and caused a lot more noise than it currently causes, maybe that activity needs to generate a lot of heat or have some other negatives, especially if using explosives or other very loud methods like an auger or pick. There's a general failure right now for the game to properly attract zombies to noises and it's not just opening containers with brute force that falls flat in this regard.

I feel like they need to give us a reason to actually be quiet, and not just for safe cracking or lock picking. Maybe people often rig their safes and chests with explosives so if they are not opened properly the contents are destroyed or seriously damaged causing the loss of some, or all, of the contents or damage to the player. Give us a reason not to choose brute force every time.

Picking locks currently does take some time but I'm always listening carefully since I don't need to focus on the actual task at hand (because it's just a timer and RNG) and thus I've never been surprised while picking locks. Maybe if you listen to music when you play or have the sound volume quite low then you might not notice the noises of approaching enemies, but if you're even remotely paying attention it simply won't happen.

[Macdallan]

Originally posted by mathaniel:

Jail breakers won`t even use a lock pick although you do have to have at least one in inventory. It doesn`t break the pick. They cost 100 dukes, cheap enough yes? And with the above options, add something else as the choices allow easy ways to get in even at early stages. Reminding that earliest game days, safes have crap for loot, usually. RNG rules in the end. I just started a new Navesgane run. Never even thunk about timed charges. Mebbe I`ll give some a go tonight. Other uses for those timed charges?, without straying too far from OP question?

Yeah, I think that Jailbreakers are stupid and should be completely removed. I'm not a fan of any of the "magic" items in the game. I hate the candy so much I refuse to use it.

Because of the poor loot stage and loot table system almost every container in the early game everything has crap loot including wall safes and gun safes.

Shaped charges aren't bad for blowing holes in tough walls since they have a limited blast radius. Makes it easier to forge your own path through those Tier 4 and 5 POIs.

[RasaNova]

In addition to shaped charges and picks (either lockpicks or the tool) we also have breaching slugs, which can make short work of locks.

But I agree that lockpicking is irritating, and I really think it deserves some love considering there's a dedicated skill for it, which I think is quite possibly the most useless of all of them. It's the only skill that I can't imagine a situation where it would be worth investing in.

[Macdallan]

Originally posted by RasaNova:

In addition to shaped charges and picks (either lockpicks or the tool) we also have breaching slugs, which can make short work of locks.

But I agree that lockpicking is irritating, and I really think it deserves some love considering there's a dedicated skill for it, which I think is quite possibly the most useless of all of them. It's the only skill that I can't imagine a situation where it would be worth investing in.

I usually pick it up because I don't like breaking things open all the time. I do feel like it's only worthwhile if you are like me and don't want to smash, shoot, or blast things open because most of the time it doesn't matter if you're loud or not so it's hardly an essential skill.

I suppose if you were in the wasteland at night that might not be the best place to make noises, especially if you have feral senses turned on and the difficultly cranked up, but in most scenarios it really doesn't matter how you open locked containers. I just feel like it should be more important than it is but I shouldn't complain too much. Why? Because they didn't go the other route and make all the containers and doors unbreakable and unable to be opened unless we can pick the locks. I'm not a fan of games that have obviously flimsy doors, chests, etc. that you aren't allowed to force open because you must have the key, or pick the lock, even though you've got shotguns, explosives, etc.

[VideogameAddiction]

I break anything open that is locked. Like Macdallan said in the last post, I'm sure lockpicking is very useful in the wasteland (I really need to go to the wasteland), but anywhere else, no real reason not to just break into everything. The worst thing that could happen (if you had been making a lot of noise before breaking into something), a screamer might spawn.

[Crashtian]

I wouldn't mind if it was timed, skill points to reduce picking time, no failure RNG. Reduce hearing and vision to a little animation of a lock being picked or something idk. Let the player cancel that animation at any time if they think something is coming at them, but then make them start over.

the RNG aspect of lock picking right now is frustrating, sometimes w/o skill points you open 5-6 things no problem, other times you can burn through 30 picks. You can skill it up, but it's such a niche skill when putting the points into anything for breaking the lock open is a better, more versatile skill choice.

[Cor.]

Some of the Overhaul Mods are going with a Fallout 4 type of lock picking system. I guess they solved the ability to implement it.

[Jinxed]

DF mod just added a lock picking mini game and I absolutely hate it. The first few times it was a neat new thing, but now not so much. I'd rather just bang on the damn thing with my pickaxe or crowbar. In vanilla I use timed charges or my pickaxe.

[pApA^LeGBa]

I would like to see the same lockpicking minigame as in Fallout 76.

The lockpicking minigames i have seen in overhauls at 7 days aren´t really good, forgot wich one but with one minigame it was really hard to tell when the pick will break for example.

FO76 has the right balance between having to do something and not beeing too frustrating.

[william_es]

Yeah, my lockpick is a steel pick with anti-metal mods installed.

If I get lockpicks I save them for the 10,000 health containers... I try them (just in case), break them all, then bust the container open with the pick. Every once in a while I manage to open something up with lockpicks, but I don't count on it.

[[AN] Mad Scientist]

perception perks should let you pick locks better (if i recall correctly or it is under the intellegence branch, been about a month)

[Macdallan]

Originally posted by AN Mad Scientist:

perception perks should let you pick locks better (if i recall correctly or it is under the intellegence branch, been about a month)

Yes, the lock picking perk is under perception at perception level 1/4/7. It gives you less chance to break a pick and faster picking speed.

https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Lock_Picking

Originally posted by pApA^LeGBa:

I would like to see the same lockpicking minigame as in Fallout 76.

The lockpicking minigames i have seen in overhauls at 7 days aren´t really good, forgot wich one but with one minigame it was really hard to tell when the pick will break for example.

FO76 has the right balance between having to do something and not beeing too frustrating.

Yeah, something like that could work. I like the safecracking minigame in GTA V Online, too. It takes a little finesse but it's not super frustrating. Every time you mess up it's your own fault and not because of RNG or a poorly designed game mechanic. Wouldn't be hard to implement and add bonuses or penalties to make it work well in 7 Days to Die.

[[AN] Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by Macdallan:

Originally posted by AN Mad Scientist:

perception perks should let you pick locks better (if i recall correctly or it is under the intellegence branch, been about a month)

Yes, the lock picking perk is under perception at perception level 1/4/7. It gives you less chance to break a pick and faster picking speed.

https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Lock_Picking

Originally posted by pApA^LeGBa:

I would like to see the same lockpicking minigame as in Fallout 76.

The lockpicking minigames i have seen in overhauls at 7 days aren´t really good, forgot wich one but with one minigame it was really hard to tell when the pick will break for example.

FO76 has the right balance between having to do something and not beeing too frustrating.

Yeah, something like that could work. I like the safecracking minigame in GTA V Online, too. It takes a little finesse but it's not super frustrating. Every time you mess up it's your own fault and not because of RNG or a poorly designed game mechanic. Wouldn't be hard to implement and add bonuses or penalties to make it work well in 7 Days to Die.

Ah aight, sorry been a while since i touched the game so i partly forgot