Silent break-in options

[jonniemarbles]

A lot of places (see: the mall) can't be broken into at present without smashing glass/an entire door down. I'd love to see some way of breaking into these places without making so much noise - the burglar profession in particular should be able to pick locks with the right tools, and perhaps this should be learnable by others too. Credit cards, paper clips and bobby pins are obvious options for lock picking/jimmying doors at present, but maybe glass cutting tools too?

[SomeRandomGuy]

Burglar could definitely use something to make it a worthwhile choice, at present it's a waste.

[King jjwpenguin]

Burglar could definitely use something to make it a worthwhile choice, at present it's a waste.

agreed!

[Spiff-Ivor]

Lockpicking mod made into the game?

 

I'd like to crowbar a door open

[bobchaos]

I always thought a crowbar was a universal key: opens everything from crates, to doors, going throught skulls! It would be nice to have the crowbar be able to force a door open without downright breaking it.

 

As for picklocking, the game would need some real lockpicks added, as there is no way you can pick a lock with a paper clip or a bobby pin in real life, they simply are too flimsy to lift the heavy pins and turn the deadbolt. They might work on handcuffs (single, light tumbler pin), but on the average front door (4-6 heavy, spring supported pins and a very heavy deadbolt), they would bend instead of lifting them pins.

Same for the credit card: that trick works on interior doors because they typically have the (can't recall the name, that thing that pulls out of the frame and into the door when you turn the handle) cut at an angle, and a thin object can get in there and force that thing into the door. But front doors usually have a very solid bolt extending from the lock into the frame.

[jonniemarbles]

I always thought a crowbar was a universal key: opens everything from crates, to doors, going throught skulls! It would be nice to have the crowbar be able to force a door open without downright breaking it.

 

 

ATM crowbars are totally useless, the only reliable weapons (on my non-combat-optimized character) are baseball bat, frying pan and axe. Everything else takes like 500 hits to kill a zombie (or won't even knock them down half the time), is incredibly loud or breaks after 30 seconds (this could be applied to frying pan actually, but at least they're still useful once broken).

 

It feels kind of silly that a frying pan takes 3-5 hits to kill a Z whilst a crowbar can take easily double that. 

 

Edit: It's also worth noting that most lockpicking requires something like a flathead screwdriver as well, to turn the lock once the tumblers are set. A cool/balancing thing about this is that it means you would need both hands equipped to pick a lock, making it way more dangerous if a Z *does* sneak up on you. Personally I wouldn't have a problem with paperclips etc. being used as picks - it might not be perfectly realistic, but where exactly in game are you going to find lockpicking tools right now? Police station evidence locker maybe?

[bobchaos]

 

I always thought a crowbar was a universal key: opens everything from crates, to doors, going throught skulls! It would be nice to have the crowbar be able to force a door open without downright breaking it.

 

 

ATM crowbars are totally useless, the only reliable weapons (on my non-combat-optimized character) are baseball bat, frying pan and axe. Everything else takes like 500 hits to kill a zombie (or won't even knock them down half the time), is incredibly loud or breaks after 30 seconds (this could be applied to frying pan actually, but at least they're still useful once broken).

 

It feels kind of silly that a frying pan takes 3-5 hits to kill a Z whilst a crowbar can take easily double that. 

 

Edit: It's also worth noting that most lockpicking requires something like a flathead screwdriver as well, to turn the lock once the tumblers are set. A cool/balancing thing about this is that it means you would need both hands equipped to pick a lock, making it way more dangerous if a Z *does* sneak up on you. Personally I wouldn't have a problem with paperclips etc. being used as picks - it might not be perfectly realistic, but where exactly in game are you going to find lockpicking tools right now? Police station evidence locker maybe?

 

On combat optimized builds crowbars are great because they have very high durability. It won't let you down halfway through a fight with a horde. As for finding lockpicks, locksmiths will usually have those. The hardware store in West Point would be a great place for them to spawn, and I can see small towns like the 2 in game having a dedicated locksmith business. I do agree that gameplay should have priority over realism, but I don't feel it would be hard from a coding perpective to have both in this case: it's one extra item + sprite, all the other mechanics involved would have to be made anyhow if they get into lockpicking. +1 for needing to hold a screwdriver in the off-hand. Lockpick sets include a screwdriver-like tool, but one way or the other you need to use both hands.

[Fryhizzle]

I like the idea that you can use a crowbar to force a door open.  However, the door should remain open and unusable after forcing it open to simulate the bolt and door jam being broken.

[bobchaos]

I like the idea that you can use a crowbar to force a door open.  However, the door should remain open and unusable after forcing it open to simulate the bolt and door jam being broken.

I was thinking more you can still use the door but not lock it, on account that zombies aren't smart enough to operate a simple door either way and would just push against it like idiot :/ Maybe if they push from the inside the door opens but if they push from the outside it behaves like a normal closed door?

[Fryhizzle]

 

I like the idea that you can use a crowbar to force a door open.  However, the door should remain open and unusable after forcing it open to simulate the bolt and door jam being broken.

I was thinking more you can still use the door but not lock it, on account that zombies aren't smart enough to operate a simple door either way and would just push against it like idiot :/ Maybe if they push from the inside the door opens but if they push from the outside it behaves like a normal closed door?

 

I was just figuring that if you use a crowbar to open a door, it would break the door jam.  If the door jam is broken, the door would no longer latch, and would swing freely.  Considering the restraints on a game like this, I would figure the door would just have to remain open.