Which Elder Scrolls game had the best lockpicking system?

Remag_Div · July 2017

Who voted for Morrowind? LOL

oaflet · July 2017

Oblivion

Oblivion's lockpicking drove me up the wall, but it's also my favorite lol. Immersion and realism are two big reasons why I love all of these games, and it had the most realistic system by far. Erm... not that I go around picking locks irl or anything. Not usually.

Lockpicking in Oblivion made me feel like I really WAS a thief attempting to break into something I shouldn't be. It made me pay close attention, worry about breaking my pick, and I screwed it up royally every now and then.

I do like ESO's system almost as much, and I'm glad they went back to a tumbler-type system. It's a great blend of prior systems. I do think it's too easy though, I never worry about breaking a pick or not getting it open first try. The timer at least adds back some of the intensity, and lockpicking by its nature should be something of an intense, furtive affair, and not so easy as to detract from that.

Strider_Roshin · July 2017

Morrowind

Because who needs lockpicks when you can magicka your way through life.

Tandor · July 2017

I've played every TES game since Arena was launched in 1994, but I'm blowed if I can remember their individual lock-picking systems with a view to ranking them in order of preference

!

I don't recall having problems with any of them, however, and ESO's is just fine.

Danikat · July 2017

Oblivion

I liked Oblivion because it was the most like a puzzle, if you weren't caught you could beat any lock regardless of your Security skill by figuring out the right position for each tumbler.

Based on my very limited real-life experience Skyrim is the most realistic, but that might be because I've only picked those tiny padlocks you get on suitcases using bent paperclips (for the record they were my padlocks, the first time I even had the key, I just wondered if I could do it, second time I'd lost the key...and broke the lock so it's probably good I never found the key). But the realism of not being able to see into the lock is probably the only thing it had going for it, its often frustrating to do.

I like ESO's method too, but the timer seems extremely arbitrary to me so that ruins the immersion a bit.

zaria · July 2017

Elder Scrolls Online

stevepdodson_ESO888 wrote: »

thawks wrote: »

coop500 wrote: »

I never played Morrowind long enough to find out, but given the combat is pure RNG I suspect lockpicking is also RNG?

Morrowind's lockpicking was, as OP says, literally stabbing the door with your lockpick equipped until it either opened or your lockpick broke. Pure RNG based on your skill, stats, and the type of lockpick you were using.

Of course, no one actually used lockpicks. Open Lock spells and enchantments were much less infuriating.

I voted ESO because Skyrim was so frustrating at higher difficulties and lower levels where your pick would just instantly break as there were no visual cues. Can't remember whether I liked Oblivion's or not.

I enchanted a ring that gave me 100% chance to pick locks...never needed to worry about lock at all after that

You could also enchant an ring with open lock area effect on use