Key Problems

[hanktol]

Keys in my installation of Oblivion aren't all opening the locks (checks, cupboards, etc.) that they're supposed to. One example is Luciana Galena's Key in Bravil, which is supposed to open Luciana Galena's chest outside her home, but doesn't. Another is the owner's key for Best Goods and Guarantees in Leyawiin. This isn't a universal problem. For instance the owner's key in Rendir's Staffs in the Imperial City Market District works.

 

I'll have the appropriate key in my inventory, but when i try to open the chest or what-have-you, I get the "This chest is locked. It cannot be picked. You need the key" error. I wasn't caught picking it, either.

 

I've found instances of other people with this problem, most of them playing the XBOX360 version of Oblivion, but haven't found any answers yet. I have also encountered this problem on a different install of Oblivion, from a different disc. Yes, I am using mods, but I've checked them all with OBMM, and I've deactivated them all, to no avail.

 

I need to be able to get to other people's stuff. They've locked it away, which obviously means it's worth having. Please, help a thief in a jam!

 

 

 

Edit 1: Originally read "Locks in my installation of Oblivion..." Oops. Fixed.

[ResidentWeevil2077]

Actually, you can't open those chests per se. Those chests don't have keys, but if you're that desperate, open the console with ~ (up in the corner below "ESC" with the "~" and "`" on it), click on the chest, and type "unlock", minus quotes. Besides, why are you trying to get into those chests anyway? I can tell you there's nothing much to take. HINT: Whatever the merchant is selling is in the aforementioned chests. Which isn't much BTW. Look, if you're gonna be a thief, at least go after the good stuff :rolleyes:

[xenxander]

It's true, a lot of "you need a key" containers don't have a key. Our beloved "Necrophilia lover" dunmer has two barrels upstairs that state they "need a key" and she doesn't have the key in her inventory anywhere.

 

Also some NPCs, who do have keys to their houses, and perhaps "private keys" for chests and such, still have containers in their homes that say "you need a key", but the NPC actually doesn't have that key.

 

Those containers are just really there for fluff - I unlocked them because I was curious once (console - 'unlock'), but in all cases, they were empty. :glare: :confused:

[ResidentWeevil2077]

I think the reason BethSoft did this was to prevent would-be thieves from plundering a merchant's stock (Remember Morrowind? You could steal expensive things the merchant was selling, and either hawk them to some other merchant or use them for yourself - now those are some fond memories :devil: )

[xenxander]

Most likely this is the reason. As all loot is leveled to your character, that fact that some shops have loot that is not leveled means they didn't want you to heave easy access to it.

 

Lke "hands of the antronach". always available in the IC (though I think it ranges from being Dwemer to being ebony - I've seen both versions).

 

they didn't want you looting items that weren't your level, so they put them in chests under the floor or behind walls.

 

stupid stupid stupid.... leveled loot is the worst idea yet for a game (with the exception of armor / weapon degradation :( )

[Vagrant0]

Most likely this is the reason. As all loot is leveled to your character, that fact that some shops have loot that is not leveled means they didn't want you to heave easy access to it.

 

Lke "hands of the antronach". always available in the IC (though I think it ranges from being Dwemer to being ebony - I've seen both versions).

 

they didn't want you looting items that weren't your level, so they put them in chests under the floor or behind walls.

 

stupid stupid stupid.... leveled loot is the worst idea yet for a game (with the exception of armor / weapon degradation :( )

While I would tend to agree, there are alot of places where leveled loot makes thingsd better... For instance providing variety in what NPCs have to sell, or what can be found in dungeons. The problem is that Bethsoft became too reliant on it for making good equipment impossible at low levels, but abundant at high levels, meanwhile making 99% of all the containers in thw world, even those that have hard locks, have useless things in them. Their goal was to make exploring dungeons more interesting, but instead make it more teadious since you know that there isn't anything worthwhile in that bandit hideout other than maybe what the leader is wearing. They did better with this with SI, but still didn't do it right.

 

Additionally, leveled equipment on an NPC can make that NPC more adaptive, or atleast provide more variety than what would be present with static loot. If bandits all went around in the same fur armor, with the same rusty axe, there wouldn't be much point in trying to kill them outside the annoyance factor, and they would no longer be of any challenge after level 4 or so.

 

As for locked things which have no key. This is also done to force the player through another route, or to prevent them from being able to enter an area early without having to specially script those items or come up with some explaination as to why the player cannot access them. It's a practicality issue, and I've had reason or two to use it myself. And from a vendor standpoint, what's the point of having vendors if the player can simply walk over and pick something up.