Starfield exploration isn’t just about discovering new planets or engaging with alien species. It’s also about unlocking the many secrets hidden behind locked doors, cases, and chests. Enter the world of digipicking, Starfield’s unique take on the traditional lockpicking mechanism. Whether you’re on a desolate moon base or a bustling spaceport, mastering the art of digipicking in Starfield is essential. With digipicks at your disposal, you’ll navigate intricate digital locks, ensuring that no treasure or secret remains out of your reach. This guide delves deep into the mechanics of Starfield lockpicking, offering players insights and strategies to become adept at this crucial skill.
How To Pick Locks In Starfield
Each digipicking attempt in Starfield requires a tool – the digipick. Containers and doors come with varying difficulty levels, starting from Novice and likely progressing through Advanced, Expert, and Master. To unlock higher-level locks, you’ll need to enhance your corresponding skill, Security.
Unlike the familiar keyhole and lockpick system from games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls, Starfield introduces a more intricate mechanism. Digipicking is essentially a matching puzzle. Each digital lock (digilock) features a series of rings and notches. Your task is to align the correct notches on your digipick with the gaps in the lock, rotating them to complete the ring. Successfully align all rings, and the lock will open, granting you access and some experience points (XP) as a bonus.
As you progress in the game, you’ll encounter more challenging digilocks. The Security skill, especially at Rank 4, offers insights into this increased complexity. This rank allows players to use a digipick to eliminate unnecessary keys from the puzzle and bank up to 5 auto attempts. This suggests that some notches might hinder your progress, making the puzzle-solving aspect even more challenging.
Here’s a video guide on how to pick a lock in Starfield:
Best Skill For Digipicking
As we discussed earlier, Security is the best skill for digipicks. It falls under the Tech Skills tree and allows you to hack and pick locks on doors, chests, and cases. Here’s a breakdown of the Security skill:
| Tier | Type | Effect | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novice | Ability to unlock Advanced, Expert, and Master locks and eliminate keys. | Rank 1: Advanced locks are now hackable, and you can store up to 2 automatic attempts. Rank 2: Expert locks become accessible for hacking, with a capacity to bank 3 automatic tries. When a pick fits, rings will turn blue. Rank 3: You’re now equipped to hack locks of Master caliber, and you can accumulate 4 automatic attempts. Rank 4: Use a digipick to discard unnecessary keys for puzzle-solving. You can also stockpile up to 5 automatic tries. |
How to Get More Digipicks in Starfield
Digipicks are essential tools for any aspiring locksmith in Starfield. While you’ll start with a basic set, you’ll soon find the need to replenish or expand your collection. One straightforward way to acquire more digipicks is by purchasing them from vendors and shops across the galaxy. Always keep an eye out for vendors when exploring new areas or space stations. Additionally, as you venture through Starfield, you might come across digipicks while looting containers or after defeating enemies. By staying vigilant and exploring thoroughly, you can ensure you always have a healthy stock of digipicks on hand.
How Auto-digipicking Works
For players who’d rather skip the digipick mini-game, Starfield offers an Auto-Slot option. As you advance your Security skill, you can store more automatic digipicking attempts. The exact mechanism to earn these auto attempts remains a mystery, but it’s plausible that players might accumulate them through successful digipicking or by acquiring specific items.