Realistic reason for needing keys for some doors?

[NMLevesque]

I know almost nothing about locks. So is there something about certain locks that would make standard lockpicking impossible or something? Specifically where the lock itself appears (but might not be) of the same type as others that can be picked. I would guess some kind of hidden electronic element, but the keys look too skinny to be a spy gadget in Fallout.

 

[Atomkilla]

 

[Risewild]

Even the normal locks wouldn't work in 200 years without any maintenance. They would be corroded, jammed with debris or other stuff like dust and/or rusty (depending on the type and material of the lock). With or without a key, I doubt many locks would open at all.

I guess a "Cross Key" Cylindrical lock would be pretty hard to lockpick the normal way:

 

[Matt Drax]

Heh, depends on what you define as the "normal way", because bobby pins are not it (at least not for doors leading outside a house or appartment)... Then again, all locks since Fallout 3 are Wafer locks, and they don't look like the secure versions... so meh, talking more about UNsecurity ^^. Anyhow, a full manual professional set would have no big problem with any conventional lock (aka opened with a normal turning key, no matter if the keyblade has 1 or 4 sides, that would only take longer and be a more fiddly job, as long as one does have any putty for a partial print ^^")

Edit: Btw, a Cross or Zeiss Lock is even easier to pick, it's just a normal tumbler with up to four sides. Nothing at all like a REAL Zeiss-Ikon Secure Lock, which could literally take HOURS to SPP xP
For reference: https://lock-lab.com/locklab-university/types-of-locks/

Also, since the player character only seems to know how to "noob rake", he would of course not be able to open every lock. Well, realistically not even 5% of the locks ingame, since he has only one type of "rake" (I really despise calling a bobby pin that ^^"), but oh well.

So yes, it makes kind of sense ingame to need keys, but then it makes no sense how many pre-war locks still work and could be easily be raked with a bobby pin... *shrug*

 

[NMLevesque]

So the gist is that Fallout locks look weak, the pc technique is pathetic, the pc uses crappy tools for it, so any kind of serious lock would be impenetrable to them? We can repair generators and robots, but anything requiring more than bobby pins would be like rocket science apparently.

 

[Alphons]

That's one of more stupid parts of 3D Fallouts.

FO and FO2:
If you are experienced enough in lockpicking you can open and lock doors and containers without any specialistic equipment. If your skill is too low you can use basic or expanded set of lockpicks to aid you in dealing with normal locks, while electronic locks are a task for someone with electronic lockpick or it's upgraded version. If you are a brute you can just blow the door with dynamite or C4 or pry it open with crowbar.

FO3, NV, FO4:
HURR, DURR. Those hydraulic doors don't stand a chance against my bobby pin. But I can't break glass doors or pry open wooden door rotting for two centuries.

 

[Risewild]

That is why I always hated Bethesda's Fallout lockpicking. Oblivion lockpicking was harder, but much better.
Oblivion Lockpick:

Or they could even do it like in Morrowind, where your character would just grab the lockpick and would "use it" (it would stretch their arm and move around the lockpick) on the locked container and it would unlock, fail or break the lockpick (depending on the lock level, the quality of the lockpicks, the character's security skill, the character's fatigue level and the character's stats Agility and Luck).

 

[NMLevesque]

FO3, NV, FO4:
HURR, DURR. Those hydraulic doors don't stand a chance against my bobby pin. But I can't break glass doors or pry open wooden door rotting for two centuries.

Bethesda also introduced the mini-nuke launcher. If anything you should be able to blow up entire houses.

I'm not sure what happens to old doors, but apparently even steel ones are in the 100+ years range. So I imagine by 200 years the wood doors could be kicked to splinters by a 12 year old.

 

[Einhanderc7]

From my perspective the lock picking mini game in the modern games seriously inhibit the use of the skills associated with it. At no point in time is there any form of difference from the various locks. What would have been interesting is if higher difficulty locks had a different kind of mini game at least. However the woefully unrealistic and immersion breaking mini games only serve to force a skill wall in front of the players.

Since the options such as using brute force have been removed from the game, this "requirement" for multiple locations in the games present a very large issue with the design of the in game mechanics.

I also have to agree that the massive maintenance and corrosion issue would be difficult to navigate, however if they were to be included in the game this way it would present a interesting mechanic to allow more beefy characters to smash their way in.

So much negative possibility space, it's a darn shame.

 

[Walpknut]

Lockpick in modern Fallout is handled in a very retarded way. There is really no realistic explanation for some locks being unpickable and needing a key.

 

[Alphons]

I could see lockpicking mini-game from Oblivion in 3D Fallouts.

Corrosion and lack of maintenance could be handled by lowering difficulty of opening doors affected by it. Doors without regular maintenance could have some pawls already locked in place or time, when you are able to lock a pawl in place could be longer in comparison to similar door that is regularly used and maintained.

Forced entry could be ability gained with various perks. Blowing up the lock would be ability gained from perk requiring (let's say) 35 lockpicking and 50 explosives- but it could be used only on doors.

 

[Yamu]

Realism is great where it's called for and the 3d Fallouts' hacking and lockpicking systems could definitely use some work, but one does have to keep in mind that the gamespace is an analog of a world, not a direct representation. Designers need ways to separate the world into discrete locations to add some difficulty to exploration and assert at least a modest level of control over what you can access when.

I doubt the Vault Dweller and the Chosen One could ACTUALLY steal someone's gun while standing right in front of them and then shove it into their pocket without a trace, or that all 1000 residents of Vault 13 had to share the same eight bedrooms. Sometimes you've gotta meet the designers halfway. I personally didn't find the unpickable or impassable doors in the new games to be any less realistic than the originals' allowing you to open 99% of the world's locks with your bare hands by going "coochie coochie coo."