Name: EpF Lock-Forcer
Version: 1.0
Date: 4/2/2011
Category: Cheats and God Items
Author(s): EpF
Source: http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=40087


Description
===============================
A craftable device to force open those pesky locks, for those who don't want to invest those precious skill-points into Lockpick. HOWEVER, it is not without consecquences!


Location
===============================
Visiting Goodsprings School house will get you started


Details
===============================
3 Tiers
----------------------------
The "Induction Lock-Forcer" comes in 3 versions that are craftable. The two lowlier versions come with significant penalties and risks; the "refined" version is just relatively heavy (though still only 7lbs).

Recipes
----------------------------
The recipes will only show up when you have appropriate skills. The skills which allow you to craft the Lock-Forcer are: Lockpick; Science; and Repair. In that order, skill-requirements progressively increase. For example: The "crude" version requires Lockpick 10 *or* Science 15 *or* Repair 20.

Operation
----------------------------
The Lock-Forcer operates through a menu choice that pops up when you activate a locked container ONLY if your lockpick skill is too low - otherwise the lockpick mini-game pops up as normal. Note that this *may* conflict with VMods Suite Container Sorters module - more on that later.

Consequences
----------------------------
If you choose to try using the Lock-Forcer on a locked container, there are 3 possible outcomes: Success (painless); success (painful); or failure (painful). Your chance of success or failure depends on your levels of the 3 skills mentioned above, your luck, some randomness and the difficulty of the lock. As a baseline, I took 15 in all 3 skills and luck at 10. With those stats plus maximum score in TWO scripted dice-rolls, you will successfully open a level-100 lock! (For those of you interested in a bit more detail, read the next section - otherwise skip to the one after.)

Inner Workings
----------------------------
The script controlling the succes of the attempt includes 2 random percentages (from a game-engine function). However, the first is modified to a 1/10 chance, and the second is limited to a 1/12 chance. It's a lot more complicated than that, but that was just by way of explaining that it doesn't require two consecutive scores of 100.

IMPORTANT!
----------------------------
The lock-forcer gets dropped from your inventory every time you use it! *However*, you don't have to pick it up again to use it: as long as it's fairly close to you, you can still use it. If it gets moved too far away though, you'll have to go pick it up - repeated backfires are going to eventually move it too far away to use. If you're wondering why I made it like this, it's to represent some kind of set-up process. If I had the skill to create the models, animation and scripts necessary to show the player attaching a cable to the lock, I would do that - it would be cool! For now it just gets dropped from your inventory.

Balance
----------------------------
A note on Balance: This is supposed to be a way to do away with the lockpick skill to a fair extent, so if you don't like that idea, this ain't for you. However it's not just a handy way of implementing console-unlock, or anything like it. Firstly, the two lowlier versions add significant weight, impair your Agility and Sneak, as well as slowing you down considerably. Even when you succeed in opening a locked container, you may suffer for it - and that goes for the "refined" version too. However the refined version requires a high enough skill-level to create in the first place that using it will likely be more successful. There is one more caveat though: Your Lockpick skill contributes more to your chances of success - 5 times as much as Repair and almost twice as much as Science - so even if you get to build one of the refined versions based purely on your Repair skill, you'll still find 100-level locks quite painful, even if they do open more often!

The way I envisioned this being used by a character is that the negative consequences of using it would mean that they would never take it with them and only be bothered going back to wherever it's stashed to get it when encountering really intriguing locks. I guess it's supposed to force (pun intended) some kind of role-playing behaviour.

I'd be interested in feedback on any aspects of the mod


Future Plans
===============================
Firstly I want to add a timer between dropping the forcer and the thing activating; not long, just a second or two.
Secondly I want to try adding some more refinements to the models and effects. I'm a total novice at this, so it could take a while.
Thirdly, I think there is a 'timed bomb setting' animation in Anchorage, which I might try to use for an animated set-up process. Would only be of value to people who own Anchorage and would be prepared to extract it themselves - no redistribution and all that.

In the Issues and Bugs section there is one small thing that is not my mod's fault, I don't think, but for which I will try to think of a workaround.


Install
===============================
!!ONLY INSTALL THE ARWEN PATCH IF YOU ARE USING ARWEN_NV_REALISM_CORE.ESP!!
The Arwen-Patch.esp simply adds Arwen's 'Blast' effect to my mod.

Use a mod manager - FOMM or Wrye Flash (I use Wrye)

OR

1. Extract the files to a temporary location.
2. Examine the folder structure and make corrections where necessary.
3. Copy files to (Apps Folder)\Steam\steamapps\common\fallout new vegas\Data\
4. Start Launcher, click 'Data Files', place a checkmark beside the .esp file(s).


Load-Order
===============================
There are no overrides in this mod, so putting it anywhere should work. Be sure to check the Incompatibility and Issues/Bugs sections.

ARWEN USERS:
Put the main EpF-Lock-Forcer.esp anywhere *after* all of Arwen's mods, and put EpF-Lock-Forcer-Arwen-Patch.esp directly after that.

Uninstall
===============================
Use a mod manager - FOMM or Wrye Flash (I use Wrye)

OR

Reverse the above instructions.


Incompatibility
===============================
VMods Suite's Container Sorter might conflict with the method used in this mod to activate containers. In my game it doesn't, but I've had that with other mods which use a similar process.

Mods which modify the Schoolhouse in Goodsprings *might* conflict with this mod. However Balok's Schoolhouse Tweaks does NOT. By the way, I recommend Balok's mod a lot - it'll give you a believeable place to hole up for a while - though I'm not sure it there would typically be an Ammo Bench in a school; though it is America! I made a little addon for it which adds the chemistry set from CHEMS to it, which really completes it. If anyone is interested, I'll upload it separately.

Otherwise, there are no overrides in this mod, so there shouldn't be many problems. As always, let me know if you find any.


Known Issues or Bugs
===============================
Occasionally when the Lock-Forcer gets dropped from the player's inventory by the script, it shows up at odd places. It can seem as though it has disappeared, but it is likely to be be somewhere else in the area. If this happens and you're indoors, try the entrance you used to get into the room you are currently in, or any other entrances. I don't think this is anything to do with me; I reckon it's the game engine being a little weird. Let me know if this is a serious issue.


History
===============================
04/02/11 Initial release


Contact
===============================
EpF on the official forums and on Nexus.


Credits
===============================
Thanks to Bethesda/Obsidian for creating Fallout: New Vegas.
Thanks to falloutnewvegas.com for the a one-stop-shop resource for authors and players.
Thanks to ElminsterAU for FONVEdit
Thanks to the following modders who directly influenced this mod because I had a look at how they did things:
Lap - Explosive Entry for FO3
Arwen - probably needs no intro!
Antistar - Weapon Mods Extended/Librarian of the Wastes
Imp of the Perverse - Powered Power Armor
Thanks to the Nifskope Team
Thanks to reinhart on FO3nexus for his Notepad++ highlighting script
Thanks to LHammonds for the Readme Generator this file was based on.


Tools Used
===============================
The GECK
FONVEdit
Nifskope
Notepad++
A graphics-editing programme
Readme Generator - http://lhammonds.game-host.org/obmm/tools_readme_generator1.asp


Licensing/Legal
===============================
Ask if you would like to do anything with this mod - I'll probably say yes. I would also like
to know what mods are including my work.