Lockpick Skill?

[Profound_Darkness]

I am wondering just how useful this is.

So far the only good it did me was I gave my reporter a 5 in lockpick and after several attempts I managed to gain access to the witch. That has been the only time out of 2 games (1 half finished/abandoned from loading a mid-mission save and playing badly, other in progress).

Oh and before anyone thinks it's bad to give multiple attempts... I was out in the open and a few zombies were headed my way by the time I got the door open. We had to sit and wait for them to shamble off before we could get back to fort.

[Paul]

It's really not useful IMO. Even with 0 skill you can open locks with several attempts as long as you have decent finesse (which you should, since it affects all weapons). If you're in a hurry shooting the door is the fastest option even if you have good lockpicking. If you're not in a hurry you could even bash it down with a crowbar to save ammunition.

They should add locked trunks and other containers that you can't bash so that lockpicking would be useful.

[Mecron]

[DatonKallandor]

I like a crowbar - it's not as loud as blasting a door with a shotgun, but it's still a key for all doors.

[Profound_Darkness]

It's funny, the next run I see several locked doors... One of the doors hid a bunch of really nice gear like nails and Bungie cords. Another one was encountered while trying to get my people out of sight of an m16 wielding zombie... Luckily one of the other team members has a good lockpick skill in that last case. So they aren't terribly common then...

That assist notification came in REALLY handy with that gun toting zombie though.

[Wyrdfire]

I am wondering how useful the skill is also. I have played through about a week, and I've been able to... punch open all of the locked doors so far. They were all wooden. Are there less destructible locked items also?

[Paul]

I haven't seen any yet, hence my feelings about the skill.

If there were big iron doors or iron boxes full of loot that you had to picklock and required a ton of damage to destroy the skill would be useful. As is, it's the skill equivalent of the 34 special. It comes in handy sometimes, but you sure would rather something else.

[Profound_Darkness]

This is fitting nicely into my category of handy skill to have access to, but not necessarily something you need on Ben.

[Mecron]

yes...if you HAD to have it...wouldn't be much of a choice, would it?

[White Raven]

I keep fantasizing of one day having a high enough lockpick skill to open all those safes I keep seeing around town...

And the bank vault!

I know, the money's worthless and the valuables aren't so much anymore. But maybe someone put a gun in one of those safes...

--WR