Locked Containers and Leveled Lists

[Moraevik]

I couldn't say how many times I've played Skyrim, but the more I do the more I'm convinced there's something wrong with leveled lists and locked containers. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the value of the contents of a locked container tends to go down as the difficulty level of the lock goes up (at least relative to the level of the player)? It's not absolute, and I've gotten some very nice loot from containers with Expert and Master level locks, but it seems to happen often enough that I'm starting to think of it as the "Inverse Value Rule".

 

Also, does anyone know what it is with lockboxes that have no contents at all? I know that some of them are involved with thieves guild quests, so it makes sense that nothing gets put into them until you have the quest, but how about those in places like Mehrunes Dagon's shrine? I'm sure there's no TG quest to rob that one, but it's always empty for me.

 

Anyway, first post for me here. Sorry it had to be a pet peeve, because I love Skyrim in spite of all the bugs I've encountered, but this has been nagging at me ever since my first play-through.

[TheKorot]

You could also see it as a method for the game to become harder the more you progress. Since the relative worth of the loot decreases as you progress is less, you'll need more loot to afford things. Thus you need to find more chests --> raid more dungeons --> kill more bandits/mages/forsworn/whatever you'll find on your path. But it could also be just your perspective of course. I personally haven't been paying too much attention to the worth of the stuff in chests and the like, so I haven't noticed it that much. Don't know about the empty boxes though, I'd guess it has to do with how the game decides what loot to put in which chest, which is prop. based on player level.

 

Regards,

Korot

[Moraevik]

I see where you're coming from, Korot, but I don't think that's the issue, here. There's a place in the Rat Run in Riften, for instance, where there are two mini-chests that are side by side. One doesn't have a lock. The other one does. The one without a lock almost always drops better loot (at least for me) than the one which doesn't have a lock. In many places I've noticed this inverse relationship, almost to the point where I see a Master-leveled lock and think to myself "Oh, wonderful -- more throw-away garbage". There could be an Apprentice-level locked container in the very same room and it will invariably yield better loot.

 

As far as player level and lockboxes, I don't think that has anything to do with empty lockboxes. Some lockboxes in the game never spawn treasure, and I've checked them at low, mid, and high levels. They seem to be there just as "props", but if that's the case you shouldn't be able to interact with them. I suppose the devs could be throwing them in so that players can get some lockpicking practice, though. That didn't occur to me until just now, in fact. I'm sure this is why there are so many empty, but locked, cells in various forts.

[thompsonar]

I've noticed some funny business with the locked chests as well. I don't know if it's all just completely random or what. But I have opened many an expert or master lock to find about 20 gold and a minor potion. Then like you say there are times when you find a novice chest with some enchanted weapon and 150-200 gold.

 

Sometimes I do get good stuff out of high level locks and sometimes I get crap out of unlocked/low level locks, this is what makes me think it's just entirely random and the locks are there as you mentioned to gain experience.