Padlocks for Containers - Keep your loot safe(r) in the wastes!

[Nintynuts]

I'm fairly new to Fallout 3, but one of the first things I noticed was how my loot disappeared for no reason (undoubtedly some random chance thing for when it's out of range).

Anyway, it's an area that seemed like it could be improved, so here's my plan:

 

- when you successfully pick a lock on a container, you get a padlock in your inventory,

- condition determines how hard the lock is to pick

- if you break a lock, it's unusable, but can be used for repairing other locks.

- combining locks (repairing) increases their condition and difficulty

- go to a workbench and you can make a keys for new-found locks from scrap-metal,

- re-use it to keep loot safe in the wastes.

- The higher the difficulty of the lock, the longer it lasts before your stuff is stolen.

- The higher your lockpick stat when you repair a lock, the better the increase of difficulty.

 

I have a feeling there's a key system already in the game (keyring in inventory), so this could expand on that.

I don't know if the engine tracks NPCs out of range, but if it does, that should be used to determine if your stuff gets stolen (the NPCs lock picking stat if possible, or if they have bobby pins or can break the lock).

 

Difficulty levels by CND:

1-10% - Very Easy

11-35% - Easy

36-65% - Normal

66-90% - Hard

91-100% - Very Hard

 

Also, I realize generally that only weapons and apparel have CND values, and if that's a problem, we'll just stick to different difficulty locks as separate items. Broken = Scrap (for keys etc).

 

Some more ideas for when significant headway has been made:

- Container weight limits - I suspect this might already be the case, but different size containers should have limits to the weight they can hold, just to balance out the usage (no tardis containers)

- Booby Traps - use a grenade/mine and wonderglue, if they open it, boom (more loot for when you return!).

- Pick up containers - when you can't pick the lock but you want the loot, weights slightly more than the loot alone, use scrap metal at a workbench to make keys and unlock

- Craft-able Tripwires - already in the game, another line of defense for your loot

 

If someone knows how to do all this, great, I can't wait to see it, but I would quite like to help as I'm in games development and would like to know more about this engine, and also possibly add this to my portfolio when it's done.

 

Please reply if you like the idea, can see problems as a more experienced player/modder, want to help or think you could guide me to do it myself.

 

Thanks guys!

[chronosmagus]

Just to elaborate on the 'disappearing loot' question:

 

Most containers are set to re-spawn after a certain amount of days (I think the default is 3), unless they're set otherwise in the G.E.C.K. A common mistake for people new to modding is to add many containers in a player home and forgetting to set them to not re-spawn (i.e. people losing their stuff after a while).

 

A mod as described above might be possible, but seems rather complicated for an issue that isn't really there :)

[Nintynuts]

Just to elaborate on the 'disappearing loot' question:

 

Most containers are set to re-spawn after a certain amount of days (I think the default is 3), unless they're set otherwise in the G.E.C.K. A common mistake for people new to modding is to add many containers in a player home and forgetting to set them to not re-spawn (i.e. people losing their stuff after a while).

 

A mod as described above might be possible, but seems rather complicated for an issue that isn't really there :)

 

Not sure what happened to me, but I stored a load of loot in a raider camp I cleared out, less than a day later I came back to add to it and it was all gone. The reason I'd like to change it is so all boxes can be re-spawn unless they've been player locked. Just seems fairer that way. At the very least it might be an nice new mechanic.