Why did Rogues never get pick pocket?

[sapientNode]

One of my favorite characters to play is the Rogue.

I always liked the pick pocketing aspect of the Rogue class.

 

Was there a reason this mechanic was never implemented in PoE?

Edited September 25, 2015 by sapientNode

[MunoValente]

Has any game ever successfully implemented pick pocketing that wasn't driven by lame save scum mechanics?  I remember one of my disappointments with New Vegas was that they got rid of most save scum mechanics, with the notable exception of pick pocketing and on top that you needed to do lame tricks like reverse pickpocket armor and weapons onto to people to get some of the unique items.

[jsaving]

I think there are several reasons why they didn't implement it in this game.  First, it strongly encourages cheating, either by using a spreadsheet to game who has which items at which times (like people do now to rig their random loot) or by reloading until your pickpocketing attempts are successful.  Second, characters who pickpocket end up unambiguously more powerful than those who don't, which means players are rewarded or punished based solely on their character having a belief that stealing is/isn't acceptable.  Finally, because pickpocketing success has nothing to do with player skill and really depends more on how quickly you learn to reload the game, having it in PoE would cut against the devs' professed desire to reward game progress rather than metagame/reloading prowess.   

[qwert_44643]

  Ive played a thief since the 80s -90s...now myself i never pick pocketed..i dont know why my character is just not that type of thief...but as far as getting to powerfull than the other classes,i dont buy that....its a perk of being a shady thief......things come to those quicker that walk the thieve's highway than those who are law abiding...just my thoughts on the subject.

 

If people chose to reload all the time thats them but im sure there are those with strong will power that wont do that.

Edited September 26, 2015 by qwert_44643

[Gilker]

pick pocket could have been introduced quite easily into the game. to prevent save scumming (which didn't bothered me on IE games), they could have introduced a few text events, triggered when you have a rogue in your team, succes being based on stealth and dext/perception.

 

i did not miss pick pocket that mutch, PoE is a good game without it.

[sapientNode]

First off people are going to reload if they are going to reload.  And the more RNG the game is the more incentive there is to save scum.

It is after all a game.  The point is to win and become powerful.

Role Players or those who stick to the guide rails are also going to usually continue to stick to the guide rails or Role Playing.

 

Pick pocketing doesn't necessarily have to even be dealing with high end loot except for perhaps a few bits here and there.

The main thing is pocketing coins for me so earlier game I can buy more loot.

 

As it is even having mechanics creates greater power because even if you do not steal from the chest unlocking it nets some pretty worthwhile exp during the early game.

Lock picking and trap removal has been a long standing mechanic.  So too has pick pocketing been so.

I think the greatest issue is that no one has ever really worked out interesting consequences beyond the everyone becomes hostile scenario and you have to reload or kill the tavern.

Rep damage and diplomatic speech could be helpful in alleviating some of the save scumming.

 

Since we are dealing with a lot of RNG compared to the predecessors save scumming is happening regardless.

 

I recall an actual description of the Rogue itself speaking about sleight of hand but there is none.  I have not even found a conversation or scripted event that did a check on such a thing.

 

I know its difficult with Rogues and has been forever in RPG land because they are massively useful in utility and they pretty much own on the damage front.

I miss being able to run around the rich parts of town though and pick pocket people for their coins and jewels though.

[Christopholis]

A % chance to take no reputation hit when shoplifting would be nice if that loot were better. Maybe package deal it with a +coin on loot chance or something else thievy and make it a rogue class pick.

[FlintlockJazz]

If they did put pickpocketing in I doubt it would (and shouldn't) be Rogue specific, it would (and should) be either a new skill or added to an existing skill, like Stealth.  

[qwert_44643]

If they did put pickpocketing in I doubt it would (and shouldn't) be Rogue specific, it would (and should) be either a new skill or added to an existing skill, like Stealth.  

  thieve's should start with a bonus to it.

[FlintlockJazz]

 

If they did put pickpocketing in I doubt it would (and shouldn't) be Rogue specific, it would (and should) be either a new skill or added to an existing skill, like Stealth.  

  thieve's should start with a bonus to it.

 

There isn't a thief class though, it's Rogue which doesn't necessarily have to be a thief.  As I said, it could perhaps be included in stealth, in which case Rogue's would still get a bonus to as part of their bonus to Stealth (as would Rangers and Ciphers and other classes with a bonus to stealth, but then there isn't any reason why they can't be thieves).

[gkathellar]

Because the only CRPGs that have ever been meaningfully improved by pickpocketing mechanics were Fallout 1&2, and those were in a totally different style from PoE.

 

I could totally see text-adventure minigames for particular pickpocketing targets, as part of quest lines, or as conversation options - using Stealth, in either case. But pickpocketing mechanics almost never add anything to a game except hassle and problems.