Lock Picking

[SneaksieDave]

Oh, if only the public forum browsers could see the discussions that go on behind the scenes about this and so many other topics...

 

Anyway, yes, the ability to have non-pickable doors is important. Actually, this did happen in TDS. I've recently played the Keeper Compound and there are even two examples in that map - the passage to the lower area with Caduca's quarters (required a trigger), and the passage to Orland's chambers (required a Keeper ring). Ah, or some reason I'll never forget the one door in.. I believe it's Constantine's place? In the garden area, greenhouse if I remember correctly, there was a short stairwell down with a locked door at the bottom of it. I searched for that key forever before I found out what it was about. Such a sense of intrigue and mystery from such a simple thing... really makes the mind wander and fantasize. Oh the memories.

 

Yes, non-pickable doors are very important, and were some of the best moments in Thief.

 

For the record, I love the lockpicking in TDS (aside from the animation suck in/lock).

[tommo]

hehe i am actually privy to these background discussions as Dram, my brother, is on the team.

 

The problem i thought with T:DS lockpicking was that it was great and fun of itself, but then it didnt quite fit in right. Lockpicking doors wasnt entirely convincing, and not being able to lockpick doors seemed even more artificial. The use of keys was also very unsatisfying. That among other reasons is why T3 kept impassable doors to a minimum. And obviously as has been said thats too large a sacrifice.

 

Itll be interesting to see what approach you guys take to keep both the oddities and subjective effect's of this world satisfied.

[Tels]

There will be some doors that cannot be picked, as that's an important feature in map-building, giving the FM author ways to ensure a player doesn't get to a particular area until he's been somewhere else first.  As for cycling through keys, we haven't really decided yet.  That's a small issue that can be decided later.

Well, you could have both of them: Just have an option "Auto-select proper key" :-) That would satisfy occosianal players and hardcore looters.

 

And for the record: pickable doors and keyring-rotating _are_ an tension-device - you sit there, probably in the light, make noises and just hope that no guard comes around the corner (on that flush carpet where you cannot hear him) and then begin to sweat and then to fumble. So, picking is essential, and if it is something that you can actually influence (e.g. learn to be better at either by having skillpoints or doing it manually with clues) than the better. I would like the feeling to "beat" a door in 10 seconds when it took me 40 when I tried it first. (Or to select the right key because I actually remember that the small golden key fits the church's sidedoor

 

Oh, and of course, Thief is all about having more than one way, so people who don't like lockpicking (even on auto-mode) can find & use a key, bash the door, bribe the guard, steal a key, go through the secret backdoor, or just find any other way :-P

 

My 0.02€

 

Tels