What game had the best lockpicking/trap disarming m̶i̶n̶i̶g̶a̶m̶e mechanic?

[Dorateen]

I enjoyed the lock picking and trap disarming from Wizardry 7. First, the thief party member has to Inspect to detect what trap it might be, and then select the correct combination of tumblers. The level of success or failure is governed by the character's appropriate skill level.

[rusty_shackleford]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

Lockpicking in a game that uses a rolling save mechanic(think say, dork souls inspired) could make locks that have a chance of breaking upon failure. I suspect the reason we don't see mechanics like this anymore is because every game is effectively focus-tested with a QA team and developers will quickly realize that people will press reload the moment it happens. So the only chance of seeing it is probably in something that restricts saving to it not being able to easily undermine game mechanics.

[Ryzer]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

Lockpicking in a game that uses a rolling save mechanic(think say, dork souls inspired) could make locks that have a chance of breaking upon failure. I suspect the reason we don't see mechanics like this anymore is because every game is effectively focus-tested with a QA team and developers will quickly realize that people will press reload the moment it happens. So the only chance of seeing it is probably in something that restricts saving to it not being able to easily undermine game mechanics.

In Wizardry games, failing to pick the lock, especially in early game enables a trap that can kill one or more members of the party which is a huge penalty and the chest remains locked.
This is why you have to be careful to open a chest in Wizardry games or simply decide not to open it, choice and consequences.

[Emphyrio]

lockpicking isn't fun. Smashing chests is fun.

[GhostCow]

lockpicking isn't fun. Smashing chests is fun.

Most games make the items break when you do that, which is not fun

[Goth-Girl-Supremacy]

Lockpicking is a gay skill to have.

[BENEFACTOR]

lockpicking isn't fun. Smashing chests is fun.

Most games make the items break when you do that, which is not fun

Not in Baldur's gate.

[Bertram_Tung]

I liked Ultima Online's lockpicking system. I click my lockpicking skill and I target the chest, and the chest either gets lockpicked or it doesn't depending on my skill level.

[Vergil]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

I had a mod for New Vegas that made lockpicking an automatic dice roll based on your skill level and you could get a critical failure and increase the lock difficulty.

[rusty_shackleford]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

I had a mod for New Vegas that made lockpicking an automatic dice roll based on your skill level and you could get a critical failure and increase the lock difficulty.

Probably a good bunch of ideas that could be mined from mods if someone spent a few days just wading thru the muck.

[Oyster Sauce]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

I had a mod for New Vegas that made lockpicking an automatic dice roll based on your skill level and you could get a critical failure and increase the lock difficulty.

Probably a good bunch of ideas that could be mined from mods if someone spent a few days just wading thru the muck.

Ideas Guy needs to become an actual position

[rusty_shackleford]

I had a mod for New Vegas that made lockpicking an automatic dice roll based on your skill level and you could get a critical failure and increase the lock difficulty.

Probably a good bunch of ideas that could be mined from mods if someone spent a few days just wading thru the muck.

Ideas Guy needs to become an actual position

Good ideas are underrated, it's obvious that developers aren't overflowing with ideas.

[Vergil]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

I had a mod for New Vegas that made lockpicking an automatic dice roll based on your skill level and you could get a critical failure and increase the lock difficulty.

Probably a good bunch of ideas that could be mined from mods if someone spent a few days just wading thru the muck.

Bethesda stole an entire quest mod for a ****** questline in Fart Harbor

[TKVNC]

Morrowind. Because it's real time.

I don't appreciate games that pause time for things.

Also, Kenshi does it well too, actually.

[Norfleet]

Papers Please. At one point someone leaves a bomb on your desk and you have to disarm it or you get exploded.

lockpicking isn't fun. Smashing chests is fun.

Most games make the items break when you do that, which is not fun

That's why I like to pick the lock first, and then smash the chest anyway. That way I get both the satisfaction of smashing the chest AND the loot from picking it. And mark the chest as "I WUZ HERE" so I don't accidentally encounter it again.

[wndrbr]

The Long Dark has a decent lockpicking minigame. It's real-time (thus playing into the time and temperature management mechanics of the game), and it sort of makes sense from the point of realism (you're slowly rotating the dial listening to clicking noises the lock makes).

[rusty_shackleford]

what about hacking?

[TKVNC]

what about hacking?

Unironically, Fallout 3.

[rusty_shackleford]

what about hacking?

Unironically, Fallout 3.

Is it the same in all the bethouts?

[logincrash]

what about hacking?

Unironically, Fallout 3.

Is it the same in all the bethouts?

I think so.

[TKVNC]

what about hacking?

Unironically, Fallout 3.

Is it the same in all the bethouts?

As far as I know, yes? Never played 76 so can't comment.

[Tadeusz]

what about hacking?

I like hacking in VtMB. It's a simple skill check with basically bruteforcing a password but it's quite immersive with a real computer interface. And hacking can be bypassed if you find a password.

[TKVNC]

I really like Skyrim's method for traps..
Where they have noticeable levers / trip wires / etc that you can abuse against enemies, or disarm & trip yourself. I think it should be expanded though which mods do quite well.

Skyrim (And Fallout?) are the only games I can think of that have a trip wire that you can walk up to and interact with to cut it yourself. I wonder why more games don't do that..?

EDIT
They even have hanging flammable urns over oil puddles you can shoot down with arrows by hitting the ****. It's kinda depressing no other games (including Beth titles) do this kinda stuff.

--

I really liked Kingdom Come Deliverance for lockpicking & pickpocketing.. the minigame is.. whatever - but:
- it doesn't freeze time and so you get this tense feeling of quickly jiggling a lock open before the home owner notices
- it significantly improves with higher skills, you can lock pick at any skill level but you'll have to struggle a lot to not be a noisy ******* who breaks their picks all the time and gets caught, with better skill investment you can basically crack them with ease.


--

If games don't implement theft systems.. then.. the optimal lockpicking system should be instant picks with a single skill check. Don't make me sit around NWN-style waiting for a loading bar to close when it's just a time drain. Minigames / Timers should exist only when you can have a risk of being caught by NPC's and have to plan / time around that.

Dragon Age: Origins, and BG3 did that for traps though

[Oyster Sauce]

Gothic 1 Remake - Easy Lock Picking Guide - Lock Pick Lawyer hates this trick!

after 18 years, a new lockpicking minigame has been created

[Havitner]

Picking locks in DDO made a really satisfying sound when you succeeded.

[Tadeusz]

after 18 years, a new lockpicking minigame has been created

What an unnecessarily complicated and long minigame. Makes me appreciate Two Worlds 2's lockpicking minigame even more - it's short (there's a hard limit of few seconds for an attempt) and somewhat fun.

[J1M]

After thinking on it for a bit, I think the biggest problem with most lockpicking isn't the implementation but lack of penalty for failure. You usually just break a lockpick and keep trying until you open it, therefore lockpicking doesn't actually do anything but waste your time.

Lockpicking in a game that uses a rolling save mechanic(think say, dork souls inspired) could make locks that have a chance of breaking upon failure. I suspect the reason we don't see mechanics like this anymore is because every game is effectively focus-tested with a QA team and developers will quickly realize that people will press reload the moment it happens. So the only chance of seeing it is probably in something that restricts saving to it not being able to easily undermine game mechanics.

In Wizardry games, failing to pick the lock, especially in early game enables a trap that can kill one or more members of the party which is a huge penalty and the chest remains locked.
This is why you have to be careful to open a chest in Wizardry games or simply decide not to open it, choice and consequences.

You mean it has the huge penalty of reloading the game and wasting a minute of your time.

[J1M]

Mass Effect (PC) had something that was quick and approximated deftness.

Human Revolution had a good system that integrated character progression.

Uplink is great for the feel of hacking computer networks.

[Breathe]

Gothic 1 Remake - Easy Lock Picking Guide - Lock Pick Lawyer hates this trick!

after 18 years, a new lockpicking minigame has been created

God I hate it.

[Tweed]

Nothing has come close to Thief's lockpicking in all this time.