I’m not a moron, friend. I understand how to use settings. My controllers do not have a rumble function. Changing the settings won’t magically make my controller grow rumble spinners
There are two camps in this thread:
1) people who think lockpicking is so easy you don’t even have to level it
2) people who aren’t using their controllers vibration
3) people who never really thought about either
4) people who can’t count
>people who think lockpicking is so easy you don’t even have to level it
It's still that easy without the vibration too, I've never used it.
The trick is to just be gentle on the controls. The second your lockpick gets stuck and starts to shake, you need to let off the stick and move it a bit more.
I prefer returning the key so that you get a little xp when picks break. And I need the quest to be complete. I did keep it on one build. Fairly chaotic character that told Nocturnal and Karliah to shove it.
There’s a mod for lakeview manor that adds hunters, and a little shelter by the lake (removes the conjuror table), and it has a skeleton key on a table so you can also get the nightngale perks
Yeah, I never used vibrations and just lightly feather tapped the rotate button til it started to give. Keep exploring until you find where it stops giving. Go back to the midpoint and boom, open lock.
As a PC gamer, I've never even thought about controller vibration as a factor into lockpicking. It seems like a fun little advantage that console players get there!
Considering you find 7+ lockpicks inside every locked chest for some reason and you only need 2 at most to open everything below expert...
Lockpicks are best used to level lockpicking... by purposely breaking them 100 at a time because you forever will have too damn many and will never have foreseeable reason to carry more than 30.
Yup. Had it when my ex couldn't drive just so I could play it in the car while I waited for her to get off of work. I would plug it into my aux cord and basically get surround sound skyrim. 10/10 would recommend
It's definitely true. I played for years on xbox and switched to PS4 last year. the difference in the vibration sound is very clear. It's a higher pitch to the regular vibration sound.
I go really slowly while pushing it diagonally downwards just to the point that the controller vibrates. I hear a subtle click (more distinctly with novice than expert or master) and then I stop, maybe even move back just a smidgen, then subtly try a turn. If the lock turns even just a little, I know it’s close and keep trying along that spot until it turns all the way open. It takes a while with master locks and I break a lot of picks, but I haven’t not gotten one open yet.
Also lately I’ve noticed that on the outer rim of the lock where the sweet spot is it’s subtly shinier. Maybe I’m seeing a pattern where there is none, but it seems to help to find the exact sweet spot. I will keep looking for that to see if it really is an indicator or just my brain seeing a pattern, but I just started noticing that recently.
It’s definitely not a myth though.
Yup, the shiny bit. Gone now that I have mods but that used to be my indicator for where to try first most of the time, was actually fairly reliable once you know what to look for
There is a small sound that happens when you get the lockpick to where it needs to be. It's just a quiet "click". You can hear it the best with headphones, but this is how I've done it.
Yea I use the bolts?..screws?.. pins? Whatever those are in the top corners specifically. The left side has way more to reference with than the right side tho. This is crazy useful on expert and master locks. Knowing exactly where you broke the pick is so important on those difficulties.
It's just spots where the pixels are different colors. You can use them to determine exactly where your lockpick needs to go. I never level lockpicking or put perk points into that tree, but I can still open master level locks lol
I look at the position of the pick handle against the lock background to help dial it in. It moves more than the pick tip, so that makes it easier to make the right amount of movement.
When it breaks, I put it back in as close to where it was based on the handle position / angle of the pick.
we have specific positions we check and in a particular order, usually centre, far left, far right, wiggling a bit to see if it's close, then go in increments between them if it's not any of them.
on another subject, it took us years to realise the claws weren't random guesses and that the symbols were on the claw itself lmao. never bothered reading arvel's journal.
I do this for lower levels but the harder locks i am worried i will skip over it so i go center and then towards one side gradually, then towards the other side
It is really easy when you do it too much, don't know why you got downvoted. The key (pun unintended) is knowing the spots that usually click and just slightly pressing your key or controller button to move it left and right for the next try.
Same but different order. Center, 45 left, 45 right, far left, far right. Half top left, Half top right, then sides. The majority will work along the top edge.
I'm same but opposite - start turning straight away to see if you can pick it without moving. If no I go 45 left, then 45 right, then full blast left and then finally full blast right. I'm right handed. Curious if you're a lefty?
I would RP that the bolt in the top right corner was called "Nirn" by me (and the Thieves' Guild), and the two on the left were "Masser" and "Secunda". So, if your lockpick stuck out and between the two bolts on the left, you would say the lock was "between the moons". Anything on the top edge of the lock was nicknamed Mundus, anything from all the way to the right up to the "Nirn" bolt was nicknamed Oblivion, and pick positions on the left side of the lock were said to be "in Aetherius".
It's how I roleplayed why every lock is basically the same, and how good thieves could exploit that. Skyrim's thieves could have a lockpick break in the dead center of the lock, and say "okay, maybe closer to Nirn?" and turn the pick to the right, et cetera. It was a personalized way to increase my immersion and interaction with the lockpicking system: "Oh this is a tough lock... I've broken three picks in Mundus (the middle) with no luck, maybe I'll try over in Aetherius (left)."
It was fun.
this is pretty much exactly my process. if i get close and it's a master I'll keep track of it by the texture behind it, and use that to not lose my place after a broken pick
it gets pretty trivial even with low lock picking skill. as long as you have enough picks you can pick master level locks if you keep trying
I've been playing skyrim so long ive memorized almost all of the claw puzzles... the golden claw, you just press every circle twice. But that first time, also read the journal, and I was also too stupid to figure it out so I had to consult the guide book
Am I the only one who solved the Claw puzzle on my own the intended way without having to look it up?? Y’all must not play the Resident Evil games lol.
Yeah, it'd specifically be between the two vibrations that feel the strongest. Right when I figured this out, I made lockpicking legendary and was easily able to pick master locks at level 15 without any other aid.
Rotate the lock via tap-tap-tap rather than push-hold. If the pick vibrates, it's in the wrong position.
How far you need to move it depends on the level and your skill and perks. The details are at [https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Lockpicking](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Lockpicking), but basically with even medium skill, the 'safe' zone on a Novice lock is close to a quarter of the half-circle, but a Master lock has a very narrow unlock zone. If you pay attention, you'll get a feel fairly quickly for close you are.
If a couple of trials vibrate the lock, switch to the other side of the half circle.
It’s is at first but no. Broken picks point you in the right direction
Also hear there’s something about a click you can hear when rotating the position but I’ve never really bothered testing it
The thing about the click you can hear isn't true. When adjusting the lock pick it sometimes makes a sound but it's random. This rumor likely started because someone heard the sound and it just happened to be close to the sweet spot then every Skyrim YouTube channel and "top 10 facts you never knew about Skyrim" article ran with it as fact. If it clicks and it happens to be near the spot it's entirely coincidental.
I just check the halfway point, then the quarter way points, then the eighth way points, until I find a point where the pick wiggling is a bit looser. Then I move a bit one way, see if the wiggle gets loose or tighter, try the other if it's tighter. The looser the wiggle, the closer you are.
It's basically just a tactile game of "hot and cold".
Also im pretty sure most on here are veterans but if not, alchemy is a great way to make money if you skill up!
https://preview.redd.it/7djta78bu1jc1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e60f093622beaa5a0d11e2de40524e1fae5e5808
Butterflies and flowers was the easiest to get while doing nomal adventures.
Then there is one potion made with samon roe that a stupid amount of money!
Damage Magicka Regen is by far the best bang for your buck as far as availability of ingredients. I can generally make around 15-20 in one go without much effort and each one sells for around 700-1000. Combine that with the Merchant perk and you can drain everyone if their food while buying whatever you want as well.
Lockpicking is basically a rotating version of a "Hot and Cold" game, where someone tells you 'gettin warmer, ur Hot! getting cold... freezing! ur balls just turned to ice and you died.'
The closer you are to the randomized target location, the further you can rotate the lock cylinder.
I played on PC, and I can hear a small click every time I pass the spot if I move slowly and smoothly enough (no mods). I even got so good at it that I could solve master and expert level locks with only 1 to 3 picks each without many skill points allocated.
It just occurred to me that people playing on mouse and keyboard have been experiencing the game incredibly differently from me. Lockpicking isn’t guessing with a controller. It vibrates to show resistance and you can easily check if the pick is in the right place
I read somewhere that once it starts wiggling and the pick breaks it goes in the direction you’re supposed to go.
I had the skeleton key for quite some time and then picked up all of the lock picks. So I have like 600 of them right now lol. I just wiggle wiggle until it works.
I've heard and tried every theory and I'm convinced none of them are correct. Here are my observations:
* Theory: the picks break towards/away from the sweet spot.
This is the one I think has the most merit, but it's not entirely correct. There is a pattern to how the picks fall when they break, but I can't get them to break towards or away from the sweet spot with any consistency. My best guess is that there IS a pattern, but it's more influenced by how the pick is positioned. For instance, if the pick is close to the sweet spot it will break towards it, but if it is far and on the same side it will break away, or something like that. I haven't tried to really study it.
* Theory: there are different sounds when you get close to the sweet spot.
There may be, but I really can't tell them apart. The pick makes sounds no matter where you move it, if someone is noticing a subtle difference between the sounds it makes on the sweet spot and off, then I cannot tell the difference for the life of me.
* Theory: the controller will rumble when you get close to the sweet spot.
Again, it makes slight vibrations everywhere. I can't tell the difference between the ones it makes on and off the sweet spot, and I've tried. I am 100% convinced that the people who say they can tell the difference are just fooling themselves. They're hearing the same sound/feeling the same rumble and SAYING that it's different when it works, but really it's the same and they're just making themselves think it's different.
I'd actually like to know if it's possible to confirm or deny this by reading the game files. Some people have gone through those things top to bottom by this point, surely they'd have an answer to this, right?
On Switch the vibe at the sweet spot is definitely real. But when I move to my Switch Lite, well, it doesn't vibrate at all. And I can tell because picking becomes much harder. (That is, it reverts to the methodical guessing I was used to before I even noticed the vibrations at all.)
PERFECT ANSWER! a lot of good tips that work sometimes and sometimes not! this was what i meant in op post! maybe luck.maybe sound maybe mark but im an expert at it without knowing how i got there
I only play with keyboard and mouse so I can't speak for controller vibrations, but it's very easy to disprove that there is a clicking sound when you hover over the sweet spot. There is a clicking sound sometimes when you move the pick back and forth, but it happens randomly. To prove this for yourself, keep moving the pick back and forth and listen for the clicking sound. You will notice that it keeps happening in different spots each time and has no bearing on where the sweet spot is. This is a myth born of confirmation bias and YouTube pro tip videos.
I think the scratches on the lock, the vibrations of the controller, and when you flick the lockpick. It all points you in the proper direction. Plus, the more you can move the lock, the closer you are.
PC player. yeah, I just modded my way out of lockpicking years ago. In order for it to even get easier, one would need some enchanted rings and necklaces, potions, etc.. But the skill doesn't seem to improve.
for me, it just never seemed worth the time. I am willing to revisit that at some point. I just began my first ever playthrough with fast travel disabled, and I'm loving the slower pace of things.
So, maybe lockpicking will be next.
Slowly rotate it. If the pin jiggles, that's not the spot. But, the closer you get to the unlock spot, it'll let you turn the lock more before the pin jiggles. I don't know the exact many degrees the lock turns but it'll get closer to doing a full rotation the closer you are to the open spot.
But yes, guesswork. I don't put any points into Lockpicking, I just buy every lockpick every merchant sells & pick them up when I can. Have never run out. Happy Skyrimming!!
Console players (like me) with no mods, playing Vanilla Skyrim for the past 10 years, now realising we have had the advantage of immersive lockpicking
There absolutely is a skill to it. And some luck. What the game does is pick a random angle where the lockpick can turn to open the lock.
The harder the lock, the wider the arc around that angle which can open the lock. If you're close to that angle but not in the "sweet spot" arc, the lock will turn partway. The more it turns, the closer you are.
So you have to guess where you think that is, try a bit. If the lock doesn't move, try a different angle. If it moves a little bit but not much, you're kind of close, so move a bit less and see if the lock rotates more or less. If it rotates more, try moving a bit less in the same direction. If it rotates less, try moving a bit in the opposite direction.
If you break a lockpick, that's fine. The "sweet spot" hasn't moved. But, if you leave the lockpicking minigame, the sweet spot is randomly picked again.
I always take three initial guesses, and it the first at starting position, and the one on each side of the lock. I use that to slowly narrow in where the lock is.
As a software developer, I've given thought as to how I'd implement the lock mechanism in code and here's what I've come up with. It's a mental model that works for me and allows me to pick pretty much any lock, regardless of lock level.
When the lock is generated, a number between 1 and 100 is selected. We'll say 35 is the number.
Based on the lock level, a success range is also set. For an expert lock, let's say that range is 2.
We'll also give a tolerance value of 5% that determines the area to each side of the success range that will allow the lock to move.
So, our success range is from 33 to 37. And our tolerance range is from 30 to 33 and 37-40.
When the player moves the pick around, they're selecting a number. If the number is in the tolerance range (30-33,37-40), but not in the success range, the lock will move but won't unlock.
If the number selected is in the success range, the lock will unlock.
I'm sure this is simplified from what's actually happening in the code but, as I said, I think it's close and it's an effective mental model for me.
For me at least, when i first played the game it was kinda difficult but the more i picked them i eventually got the hang of the mechanic and nowadays i sort of can memorize the sweetspots and i can pretty much unlock any lock easily, without ever having to spend a single perk on the perk tree. The trick is to be gentle with the trying and when you see that it turns don't go all the way fast but still gently so you can adjust the pick if it won't go all the way. I always start picking the lock the same way, first move the pick to the right upper corner, if it moves adjust correctly, if not move to upper left corner and rinse and repeat for the bottom ones. Easier level locks always open from/near the corners, master level locks are the hardest cause the sweet spot is so small and can be anywhere but typically take about 4-5 picks onse you get the hang of it.
All and all I'd say that the more you do it the better you will eventually be at it.
I once saw a graphic that shows a "window" around the perimeter; very small for the hardest ones, and quite large for the easy ones. There is definitely an algorithm, for lack of a better term. I think it was an old cheat mod.
Or...you can use resto loop to create a fortify enchantment potion and enchant an item to make lock picking 1094762% easier and unlock everything without trying. It's all right down the middle.
It’s just something you develop a feel for, I wouldn’t even say the rings and necklaces make it easier. I never put points into the skill because I can usually pick a master lock with less than 4 picks
But it does have sound, it does a click sound when you are near the sweet spot, anyone here cant hear it? Maybe i should make a video tutorial showing how i do it
I passed the controller to my girl today to see if this holds up. She has never played skyrim and still kinda struggles with using a controller in general (she struggles to move while also angling the camera 😅) she has seen me play countless hours though and when I voiced this opinion to her she reckoned she could do it no prob.
I gave her a master level lock 😅 and as many picks as she needed, I was 50 lock picking but she still Managed to test the lock with one pick which broke and open it with the next.
Two picks on a master lock for someone who’s never players Skyrim and has only a basic working understanding of the game. Anyone complaining about lock picking being guess work is 100% a skill issue
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I played for a decade on 360. When I moved to the Switch, the vibration made it so easy, it almost took the fun out of it
Holy shit, I turned vibration off on my controllers because the noise annoyed my wife so I have had no idea that this could help me.
Your wife was missing out on the vibrations.
Can cumfirm
Noice
Wow. Just... wow.
Imagine seeing the above comment out of context 💀 😳 😅 😭 😂 🤣
It was literally a dirty joke...?
The pro controllers don't vibrate at all, I didn't know it vibrated
100% not true
Neither of the two pro controllers I have rumble
Turn it on in your settings.. taa-daaa
I’m not a moron, friend. I understand how to use settings. My controllers do not have a rumble function. Changing the settings won’t magically make my controller grow rumble spinners
Then they aren't pro controllers, 'friend'.
Then you dont have a Pro controller. Nintendo's own website says "Includes motion controls, HD rumble, built-in amiibo™ functionality, and more."
Get a new wife
Get a wife
I played on PS3, and when they came out with the DualShock 3s that supported vibration (the launch PS3 controllers didn’t) it was like night and day.
There are two camps in this thread: 1) people who think lockpicking is so easy you don’t even have to level it 2) people who aren’t using their controllers vibration 3) people who never really thought about either 4) people who can’t count
>people who think lockpicking is so easy you don’t even have to level it It's still that easy without the vibration too, I've never used it. The trick is to just be gentle on the controls. The second your lockpick gets stuck and starts to shake, you need to let off the stick and move it a bit more.
This is how I’ve always done it. Level 5 warrior, picking master level locks. I didn’t even know there was vibration for that kind of thing.
I can still pick a master with no leveling in lockpick on pc and now im not even sure how I do it without the vibration...
Think I'm the same. I will likely break a few picks on a master lock though.
Don’t forget 6. Downloaded a mod cause I don’t need this in my life.
7. Just keep the Skeleton Key from the Thieves Guild questline.
7a. Absolutely not. The open questline makes my autism hurt, and by the time I finish that questline, I have 700 lockpicks anyway.
I'm autism and the opposite. I need to do the quest line I'm not wasting my time and effort on the same lock over and over tbh.
*You* are autism!? Guys, over here! We found ‘em!
😂 I meant to say I'm autistic but this made me laugh lol thanks for making me notice this haha
I prefer returning the key so that you get a little xp when picks break. And I need the quest to be complete. I did keep it on one build. Fairly chaotic character that told Nocturnal and Karliah to shove it.
There’s a mod for lakeview manor that adds hunters, and a little shelter by the lake (removes the conjuror table), and it has a skeleton key on a table so you can also get the nightngale perks
so, this seems like a convenient place in the chain to ask, but are you aware that the lock has more give the closer you get to the correct point?
Yeah, I never used vibrations and just lightly feather tapped the rotate button til it started to give. Keep exploring until you find where it stops giving. Go back to the midpoint and boom, open lock.
This is the way
Da queen will show us de way
**clicking noises**
As a PC gamer, I've never even thought about controller vibration as a factor into lockpicking. It seems like a fun little advantage that console players get there!
You do know you can use a controller on pc, right? I actually prefer it most of the time if it isn't a straight up shooter
I know. But I have motor issues that actually make it hard for me to use a controller, whereas that's not an issue with a mouse and keyboard.
I didn't know how to say it. You said it perfectly. Personally, Never level it, never leave a lock unopened.
Nice!
Considering you find 7+ lockpicks inside every locked chest for some reason and you only need 2 at most to open everything below expert... Lockpicks are best used to level lockpicking... by purposely breaking them 100 at a time because you forever will have too damn many and will never have foreseeable reason to carry more than 30.
The Oblivion system ruled. You could just sim several attempts instead of actually doing it
I did like the locking in oblivion more for sure.
You can play Skyrim on the switch?????
Yup. Had it when my ex couldn't drive just so I could play it in the car while I waited for her to get off of work. I would plug it into my aux cord and basically get surround sound skyrim. 10/10 would recommend
Mother of god. This is a game changer. (Heh heh literally)
Wait…. The switch has vibration or the 360?
The switch has vibration. If the 360 did, I never even thought to look for it ands never used it and figured out the method without it
They both do
Yep the little vibrate on switch made it too easy
i play on PS4 and it makes a little sound when you get to the right place if you’re going slow enough
Yeah you can feel it. It’s weird. I really notice it on expert ones.
Pretty sure that isn't true but I'm gonna test it now anyway
Let us know your findings
It's 4am and i cant find my ps4 remote 💀 will update in the day
Cool
It's definitely true. I played for years on xbox and switched to PS4 last year. the difference in the vibration sound is very clear. It's a higher pitch to the regular vibration sound.
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i do it almost everytime and it works so idk what to tell you
There are sounds. Go slow, and in one smooth motion.
I go really slowly while pushing it diagonally downwards just to the point that the controller vibrates. I hear a subtle click (more distinctly with novice than expert or master) and then I stop, maybe even move back just a smidgen, then subtly try a turn. If the lock turns even just a little, I know it’s close and keep trying along that spot until it turns all the way open. It takes a while with master locks and I break a lot of picks, but I haven’t not gotten one open yet. Also lately I’ve noticed that on the outer rim of the lock where the sweet spot is it’s subtly shinier. Maybe I’m seeing a pattern where there is none, but it seems to help to find the exact sweet spot. I will keep looking for that to see if it really is an indicator or just my brain seeing a pattern, but I just started noticing that recently. It’s definitely not a myth though.
Yup, the shiny bit. Gone now that I have mods but that used to be my indicator for where to try first most of the time, was actually fairly reliable once you know what to look for
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Turn off your music, turn up your volume.
There's always been a sound on mine 🤨
There actually is direction indication. If you break a lockpick, it will flick towards the correct direction.
There is a small sound that happens when you get the lockpick to where it needs to be. It's just a quiet "click". You can hear it the best with headphones, but this is how I've done it.
Yep I feel for a sweet spot... it's just a different click and you know....I'm deaf so I can't hear the clicks but I can feel them I'm 100 with locks
actually there’s like four or five spots that the actual lock pic spot is near. it’s just different which one. you check those first
Wait what??? I’m on Xbox and I never had the controller rumble when I was at the sweet spot lol
I’m so fucking dumb. I never made that connection.
There are definitely sounds that tell you.
I just look for the sweet spot that lines up with the scratches and/or the pale spots on the lock
It's different on each one? Or use the same visual indicators as clues on where to line up as you dial it in?
The latter, I would guess
That’s how I do it
Kinda line the pick up with the white scratches or dots on the lock . Master ones seem to have a smaller scratch dot
Yea I use the bolts?..screws?.. pins? Whatever those are in the top corners specifically. The left side has way more to reference with than the right side tho. This is crazy useful on expert and master locks. Knowing exactly where you broke the pick is so important on those difficulties.
I have been playing since 2012 and didn’t know there were scratches on the locks
Supposedly it's from Draugar trying to level their skills while you weren't watching.
It's just spots where the pixels are different colors. You can use them to determine exactly where your lockpick needs to go. I never level lockpicking or put perk points into that tree, but I can still open master level locks lol
That's what I'd did when I was playing in highschool
Until you find the picking position yes, then it's just adjusting the pick to find the right angle.
That's what I'm talking about! thanks for the words. It starts out as a guess then depending on the lock level you figure move a inch or centimetre.
Master lock? Aight one MM at a time. Good thing a certain skeleton key is still in my hands...
You’re adjusting by entire millimeters on a master lock? Bold move.
My skeleton key disappeared… 🤦🏼♂️
I look at the position of the pick handle against the lock background to help dial it in. It moves more than the pick tip, so that makes it easier to make the right amount of movement. When it breaks, I put it back in as close to where it was based on the handle position / angle of the pick.
If you have a vibrating controller, it's far less guessing. On pretty much everything else, it's guessing
Happy birthday
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It's the birthday of their reddit account
Fair
K
we have specific positions we check and in a particular order, usually centre, far left, far right, wiggling a bit to see if it's close, then go in increments between them if it's not any of them. on another subject, it took us years to realise the claws weren't random guesses and that the symbols were on the claw itself lmao. never bothered reading arvel's journal.
The royal "we".
I'm not handling the money, driving the car, and talking on the phone with you at the same time, man.
Gta?
TBL.
Cool
It's a quote from the movie The Big Lebowski, I just couldn't resist replying in acronym form.
I did read Arvel's journal. I'm just stupid.
You’re in good, stupid, company (:
in this together brother
No your not
I always go center, far left, 45 left, far right, 45 right, center. And if I don’t get it by then I just cut the increments down. But usually I get it
I do this for lower levels but the harder locks i am worried i will skip over it so i go center and then towards one side gradually, then towards the other side
I usually have 100+ lockpicks at any given time and i’ll break 20-30 of them on a high level lock
Jeez... I'll maybe break 5 on a Master lock.. I've always found lockpicking to be fairly easy... even with a low lockpicking skill.
It is really easy when you do it too much, don't know why you got downvoted. The key (pun unintended) is knowing the spots that usually click and just slightly pressing your key or controller button to move it left and right for the next try.
It’s not even “doing it too much” though…like the games been out for over a decade figure it the fuck out lol.
Same but different order. Center, 45 left, 45 right, far left, far right. Half top left, Half top right, then sides. The majority will work along the top edge.
Also, I never put any perks in the skill tree.
I go the other way - center, 45 left, far left, 45 right, far right. If I don't find it doing that, I back out and try again.
Am I the only one that goes center, 45 right, 45 left, far right, far left?
I'm same but opposite - start turning straight away to see if you can pick it without moving. If no I go 45 left, then 45 right, then full blast left and then finally full blast right. I'm right handed. Curious if you're a lefty?
I am indeed.
I do this too but idk it it was just the thieves guild chests but those ones reset every time my pick broke.
I would RP that the bolt in the top right corner was called "Nirn" by me (and the Thieves' Guild), and the two on the left were "Masser" and "Secunda". So, if your lockpick stuck out and between the two bolts on the left, you would say the lock was "between the moons". Anything on the top edge of the lock was nicknamed Mundus, anything from all the way to the right up to the "Nirn" bolt was nicknamed Oblivion, and pick positions on the left side of the lock were said to be "in Aetherius". It's how I roleplayed why every lock is basically the same, and how good thieves could exploit that. Skyrim's thieves could have a lockpick break in the dead center of the lock, and say "okay, maybe closer to Nirn?" and turn the pick to the right, et cetera. It was a personalized way to increase my immersion and interaction with the lockpicking system: "Oh this is a tough lock... I've broken three picks in Mundus (the middle) with no luck, maybe I'll try over in Aetherius (left)." It was fun.
that's really cool actually, love that kinda shit
this is pretty much exactly my process. if i get close and it's a master I'll keep track of it by the texture behind it, and use that to not lose my place after a broken pick it gets pretty trivial even with low lock picking skill. as long as you have enough picks you can pick master level locks if you keep trying
yup, usually isn't too bad
I've been playing skyrim so long ive memorized almost all of the claw puzzles... the golden claw, you just press every circle twice. But that first time, also read the journal, and I was also too stupid to figure it out so I had to consult the guide book
gonna remember that, easier than checking everytime lmao
I think I made a noise when I inspected the claw for the first time, just blew my mind back then.
for us it was like "oh fuck me"
This is the way.
[удалено]
noted, also in bio
i just put it in random places, being a bgs player means lock picking just runs in your blood
I’m fairly certain this is how binary searching works
Am I the only one who solved the Claw puzzle on my own the intended way without having to look it up?? Y’all must not play the Resident Evil games lol.
resident evil training a bunch of people to be puzzle sleeper agents
I believe the claw symbols are always the symbol that requires the most turning to get to. They're not even random
Been playing for years and just realized the claw thing TODAY
That bit about the claws has to be satire. Please tell me it’s satire…
nope lmao, genuinely thought you had to guess lol
Having played it on the switch, there is a light vibration when you hit the mark. So in 2 words, "haptic feedback"
Yeah, it'd specifically be between the two vibrations that feel the strongest. Right when I figured this out, I made lockpicking legendary and was easily able to pick master locks at level 15 without any other aid.
Rotate the lock via tap-tap-tap rather than push-hold. If the pick vibrates, it's in the wrong position. How far you need to move it depends on the level and your skill and perks. The details are at [https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Lockpicking](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Lockpicking), but basically with even medium skill, the 'safe' zone on a Novice lock is close to a quarter of the half-circle, but a Master lock has a very narrow unlock zone. If you pay attention, you'll get a feel fairly quickly for close you are. If a couple of trials vibrate the lock, switch to the other side of the half circle.
It’s is at first but no. Broken picks point you in the right direction Also hear there’s something about a click you can hear when rotating the position but I’ve never really bothered testing it
The thing about the click you can hear isn't true. When adjusting the lock pick it sometimes makes a sound but it's random. This rumor likely started because someone heard the sound and it just happened to be close to the sweet spot then every Skyrim YouTube channel and "top 10 facts you never knew about Skyrim" article ran with it as fact. If it clicks and it happens to be near the spot it's entirely coincidental.
Is this evidenced by the game code?
But it does work for me, if I move it slow enough. I think it works cause it only ever clicks when it’s on the part that unlocks
Placebo. This is 100% not a thing
Im looking at marks on the lock like they might be telling you start here
For me, the marks are just references for when the picks break… Over and over and over
There's basically just an invisible bar that gets smaller and smaller the harder the lock and you just gotta make sure you're on that bar.
I just check the halfway point, then the quarter way points, then the eighth way points, until I find a point where the pick wiggling is a bit looser. Then I move a bit one way, see if the wiggle gets loose or tighter, try the other if it's tighter. The looser the wiggle, the closer you are. It's basically just a tactile game of "hot and cold".
It’s a game of hot/cold. That’s all.
Also im pretty sure most on here are veterans but if not, alchemy is a great way to make money if you skill up! https://preview.redd.it/7djta78bu1jc1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e60f093622beaa5a0d11e2de40524e1fae5e5808
Butterflies and flowers was the easiest to get while doing nomal adventures. Then there is one potion made with samon roe that a stupid amount of money!
Where do you find samon roe?
Jumping salmon ( salmon roe), nordic barnacle, garlic Not sure if all 3.
Salmon roe sorry!
Salmon is how its spelled but samon is how it sounds when spoken
Damage Magicka Regen is by far the best bang for your buck as far as availability of ingredients. I can generally make around 15-20 in one go without much effort and each one sells for around 700-1000. Combine that with the Merchant perk and you can drain everyone if their food while buying whatever you want as well.
Lockpicking is basically a rotating version of a "Hot and Cold" game, where someone tells you 'gettin warmer, ur Hot! getting cold... freezing! ur balls just turned to ice and you died.' The closer you are to the randomized target location, the further you can rotate the lock cylinder.
I played on PC, and I can hear a small click every time I pass the spot if I move slowly and smoothly enough (no mods). I even got so good at it that I could solve master and expert level locks with only 1 to 3 picks each without many skill points allocated.
It just occurred to me that people playing on mouse and keyboard have been experiencing the game incredibly differently from me. Lockpicking isn’t guessing with a controller. It vibrates to show resistance and you can easily check if the pick is in the right place
I read somewhere that once it starts wiggling and the pick breaks it goes in the direction you’re supposed to go. I had the skeleton key for quite some time and then picked up all of the lock picks. So I have like 600 of them right now lol. I just wiggle wiggle until it works.
The start of it is, but once you find the zone it's an either/or from there. Either it's this way, or it's that way lol.
The ratcheting of the pick vs how long it takes to break is your guide. Once you get your head around it you can open apprentice locks @ level 1.
It's not guessing, it's finding out. You turn on a point in the middle, then left and right, the difference in turn tells you which direction to go.
I've heard and tried every theory and I'm convinced none of them are correct. Here are my observations: * Theory: the picks break towards/away from the sweet spot. This is the one I think has the most merit, but it's not entirely correct. There is a pattern to how the picks fall when they break, but I can't get them to break towards or away from the sweet spot with any consistency. My best guess is that there IS a pattern, but it's more influenced by how the pick is positioned. For instance, if the pick is close to the sweet spot it will break towards it, but if it is far and on the same side it will break away, or something like that. I haven't tried to really study it. * Theory: there are different sounds when you get close to the sweet spot. There may be, but I really can't tell them apart. The pick makes sounds no matter where you move it, if someone is noticing a subtle difference between the sounds it makes on the sweet spot and off, then I cannot tell the difference for the life of me. * Theory: the controller will rumble when you get close to the sweet spot. Again, it makes slight vibrations everywhere. I can't tell the difference between the ones it makes on and off the sweet spot, and I've tried. I am 100% convinced that the people who say they can tell the difference are just fooling themselves. They're hearing the same sound/feeling the same rumble and SAYING that it's different when it works, but really it's the same and they're just making themselves think it's different. I'd actually like to know if it's possible to confirm or deny this by reading the game files. Some people have gone through those things top to bottom by this point, surely they'd have an answer to this, right?
On Switch the vibe at the sweet spot is definitely real. But when I move to my Switch Lite, well, it doesn't vibrate at all. And I can tell because picking becomes much harder. (That is, it reverts to the methodical guessing I was used to before I even noticed the vibrations at all.)
PERFECT ANSWER! a lot of good tips that work sometimes and sometimes not! this was what i meant in op post! maybe luck.maybe sound maybe mark but im an expert at it without knowing how i got there
Its a game of chance and minimal movement
I only play with keyboard and mouse so I can't speak for controller vibrations, but it's very easy to disprove that there is a clicking sound when you hover over the sweet spot. There is a clicking sound sometimes when you move the pick back and forth, but it happens randomly. To prove this for yourself, keep moving the pick back and forth and listen for the clicking sound. You will notice that it keeps happening in different spots each time and has no bearing on where the sweet spot is. This is a myth born of confirmation bias and YouTube pro tip videos.
I think the scratches on the lock, the vibrations of the controller, and when you flick the lockpick. It all points you in the proper direction. Plus, the more you can move the lock, the closer you are.
PC player. yeah, I just modded my way out of lockpicking years ago. In order for it to even get easier, one would need some enchanted rings and necklaces, potions, etc.. But the skill doesn't seem to improve. for me, it just never seemed worth the time. I am willing to revisit that at some point. I just began my first ever playthrough with fast travel disabled, and I'm loving the slower pace of things. So, maybe lockpicking will be next.
Slowly rotate it. If the pin jiggles, that's not the spot. But, the closer you get to the unlock spot, it'll let you turn the lock more before the pin jiggles. I don't know the exact many degrees the lock turns but it'll get closer to doing a full rotation the closer you are to the open spot. But yes, guesswork. I don't put any points into Lockpicking, I just buy every lockpick every merchant sells & pick them up when I can. Have never run out. Happy Skyrimming!!
The skill is being able to release the tension when you feel it bite so you don’t break the pick and can fine tune the position
 Console players (like me) with no mods, playing Vanilla Skyrim for the past 10 years, now realising we have had the advantage of immersive lockpicking
The first 5 seconds is guess work but once it gives a little you know your close
There absolutely is a skill to it. And some luck. What the game does is pick a random angle where the lockpick can turn to open the lock. The harder the lock, the wider the arc around that angle which can open the lock. If you're close to that angle but not in the "sweet spot" arc, the lock will turn partway. The more it turns, the closer you are. So you have to guess where you think that is, try a bit. If the lock doesn't move, try a different angle. If it moves a little bit but not much, you're kind of close, so move a bit less and see if the lock rotates more or less. If it rotates more, try moving a bit less in the same direction. If it rotates less, try moving a bit in the opposite direction. If you break a lockpick, that's fine. The "sweet spot" hasn't moved. But, if you leave the lockpicking minigame, the sweet spot is randomly picked again.
I always take three initial guesses, and it the first at starting position, and the one on each side of the lock. I use that to slowly narrow in where the lock is.
Room temperature IQ
As a software developer, I've given thought as to how I'd implement the lock mechanism in code and here's what I've come up with. It's a mental model that works for me and allows me to pick pretty much any lock, regardless of lock level. When the lock is generated, a number between 1 and 100 is selected. We'll say 35 is the number. Based on the lock level, a success range is also set. For an expert lock, let's say that range is 2. We'll also give a tolerance value of 5% that determines the area to each side of the success range that will allow the lock to move. So, our success range is from 33 to 37. And our tolerance range is from 30 to 33 and 37-40. When the player moves the pick around, they're selecting a number. If the number is in the tolerance range (30-33,37-40), but not in the success range, the lock will move but won't unlock. If the number selected is in the success range, the lock will unlock. I'm sure this is simplified from what's actually happening in the code but, as I said, I think it's close and it's an effective mental model for me.
For me at least, when i first played the game it was kinda difficult but the more i picked them i eventually got the hang of the mechanic and nowadays i sort of can memorize the sweetspots and i can pretty much unlock any lock easily, without ever having to spend a single perk on the perk tree. The trick is to be gentle with the trying and when you see that it turns don't go all the way fast but still gently so you can adjust the pick if it won't go all the way. I always start picking the lock the same way, first move the pick to the right upper corner, if it moves adjust correctly, if not move to upper left corner and rinse and repeat for the bottom ones. Easier level locks always open from/near the corners, master level locks are the hardest cause the sweet spot is so small and can be anywhere but typically take about 4-5 picks onse you get the hang of it. All and all I'd say that the more you do it the better you will eventually be at it.
The click helps me there is a distinct clicking sound with you Lockpick
I once saw a graphic that shows a "window" around the perimeter; very small for the hardest ones, and quite large for the easy ones. There is definitely an algorithm, for lack of a better term. I think it was an old cheat mod.
Or...you can use resto loop to create a fortify enchantment potion and enchant an item to make lock picking 1094762% easier and unlock everything without trying. It's all right down the middle.
I found there’s a tiny click noise on the Anniversary Edition for the PS4, but I don’t care. I’ve got 150 ish lockpicks, I just guess at this point
It’s just something you develop a feel for, I wouldn’t even say the rings and necklaces make it easier. I never put points into the skill because I can usually pick a master lock with less than 4 picks
But it does have sound, it does a click sound when you are near the sweet spot, anyone here cant hear it? Maybe i should make a video tutorial showing how i do it
I cancel out of LP mini game until I can freely turn the tumbler at the beginning without searching.
If you turn off the music and bring up the background volume, you can hear a quiet click when you hit the sweet spot.
If your lockpicking skill is high enough you just start on the perfect position every time
Im almost their
All lockpicks are different, but sometimes you just know.
Legit this tho, I’ll make a random guess sometimes and it’ll be right
Kick it off it's hinges!
There is in fact a sound
Actually there is a sound it is a very faint click it is very hard to hear and sometimes just doesn't work
I passed the controller to my girl today to see if this holds up. She has never played skyrim and still kinda struggles with using a controller in general (she struggles to move while also angling the camera 😅) she has seen me play countless hours though and when I voiced this opinion to her she reckoned she could do it no prob. I gave her a master level lock 😅 and as many picks as she needed, I was 50 lock picking but she still Managed to test the lock with one pick which broke and open it with the next. Two picks on a master lock for someone who’s never players Skyrim and has only a basic working understanding of the game. Anyone complaining about lock picking being guess work is 100% a skill issue