How do containers work (in terms of item spawning)

Leafmint

I just arrived in an area for the first time and the number of containers containing anything has come to exactly zero. (This goes for all containers from sacks to trunks) Is this just luck of the draw?

Akhratos

Happened to me today after visiting Eastmarch.

Zero containers lootable while exploring the whole city before turning the quest.

Blackwidow

This is not a bug.

This is a feature to keep your inventory from getting too full.

Leafmint

Ah. As long as its a feature its all good then.
As explanations go I was hoping for something a bit more technical but I guess a smile is worth more than an answer in the long run.
So while you have not answered my question you have certainly added to my quality of life and for that you have my eternal gratitude. (Ok. maybe not quite eternal but at least until the next patch)

Happy hunting.

Phantax

The whole containers thing is seriously bugged -

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/95240/empty-bugged-loot-containers-bug-keeping-count/p1

Hopefully the next round of fixes (not 1.1) will address this issue !

Censorious

This is a guess based on my experience anc omments from others, since ZeniMax don't seem to want to tell us (or even admit to anything).

When you loot containers in an instance (house/dungeon/whatever) the system seems to incrementally increase your chances of finding empty containers in the next instance. Eventually, everything appears empty.
There seems to be a reset on this but it's rather long, possibly 24 hours or more.

This is a recent addition to the game. Previously there was an abundance of provisioning materials.
It also seems to vary from person to person. Some people say they've noticed no increase in empties, others like me see what looks like an almost permanent state of 'emptiness'.
Personally I suspect the system they put in place is bugged.

zaria

Blackwidow wrote: »

This is not a bug.

This is a feature to keep your inventory from getting too full.

Got the same today, I understand the reasoning for the container nerf however now its so strict its hardly any reason to loot houses at all.
and yes this not only hit rare motifs but also food materials hard as people don't bother looting houses, if they are very lucky they might get two lockpicks.

an limit on 30/ hour or something would be more reasonable it would make the login and loot, switch character and repeat unpractical but would hardly affect normal gameplay.

rawne1980b16_ESO

They stealth nerfed containers to stop people and bots constantly relogging to fill them again.

However they nerfed them to the ground.

Welcome to ZOS's losing battle with the bots. Where the bots find work arounds and we keep getting kicked in the nuts.