Zen and the Art of Scavenging

[Miloch]

I would like to make scavenging itself a bit more interesting. I still feel that item spawning should be based on containers (IE spawn on tiles with containers based on room and container) with only a little bit of scatter, but that’s something I’ve already mentioned and may be in works already. But this is not directly about that. When scavenging through a house I see myself rifling through all the assorted junk that is of no true use to me. I’m wondering if maybe we should have an actual scavenging skill. Items could be lost in a pile of junk or in the corner of a cabinet and only those experienced scavengers will know to look in those little hideaway spots. This should definitely tie in with perception. When examining a container, such as a cabinet or even a bed, items may be somewhat hidden (either on purpose of by accident). Remembering to look between the mattresses when searching a bed. Looking for the nook in a cabinet. Checking between the cushions of a couch or loveseat.
If the skill is named searching as apposed to scavening, then it could be used for searching for hidden/not obvious rooms. A good scavenging skill plus a good construction skill might let you build your own hidden doors.
I know people have mentioned lockpicking skill, but I say how about a locksmithing skill. This ties into the above. I’ve found a gun safe in a house, now I just gotta get it open. This skill should eventually let you make locks. This would be much later on as NPCs should eventually be able to rob you. This skill could also be used with the mechanics skill to break into cars and hotwire them.
Vehicles should spawn with some stuff in them. A redneck’s pickup my have a gun rack with a shotgun, but some cars would simply have a bunch of aluminum cans and paper wrappers. Maybe some clothes in the trunk.
Just some stuff for thought. I’ve been busy and haven’t been able to read the forums much. They are blocking the new URL at work.

[Otaku]

There are some good point for consideration here. The one that I like best is the idea of prestocked cars. It would be great for cars to have stuff inside of them, but would they always be in the trunk? If not, would it be possible to drive the car a few meters and forget that your shotgun fell through the floor of your truck?
Locksmithing skill. Interesting idea, but plausible? To make a regular key lock you would have to have a lot of technical knowhow and the proper materials, (how is a lock really made?). But I agree that renaming it to locksmithing is good. Maybe even crafting lockpicking kits out of scrap metal and hacksaws.
Searching skill. It would be both mean and nice to have this skill. I mean that it would be great in a late game situation when you are looking for just that tiny ingredient, but early in the game you should be able to grab everything. As for hidden doors, how would that be different from me looking at a house and saying “Here is a square house, but there is this corner with no doors leading to it, it must be a hidden room”. What I am saying is that it would be more user guided to see hidden rooms than avatar guided.

[Miloch]

Don’t forget about hidden trap doors (aka doors in the floor). They are more what I was thinking about. Since we do special cellars anyway.