Problem with cracking locks

[The Sociologist]

We are currently experiencing a problem cracking a lock. About four people are working on it each time and they have to repeat again and again.....and again. This happened the last time we cracked a lock too. It went on for day after day after day, numerous attempts per day.

Now I just need to clarify why this is happening and why there seems to be such a problem. Questions. Is cracking a lock in any way related to the skills system? Does strength come into play? Is anything involved in the code which might make attempts undertaken by four people actually worse? Is it purely luck and, if so, is the chance 50% (ie heads or tails)? Or is it some other number? If 50%, are you sure your RNG is working correctly?

Finally might I suggest that it might be helpful somewhere down the line if you enhanced the chances of cracking the lock where so many people are working on the project. What we are experiencing right now is frankly getting to be ridiculous. Thanks!

[Chris Johnson]

The chance is of success is a fixed percentage and not effected by skills. The number of people working on the project decreases the time each attempt takes but the probability of success is the same regardless of number of workers. Some locks will therefore break the first attempt, some locks conceivably (though extremely unlikely) will never break.

[N-Aldwitch]

some locks conceivably (though extremely unlikely) will never break.

That's a scary truth...

[SekoETC]

I'd like to hear the odds, seriously. In this case of seven failed attempts in a row I told elsewhere, someone else got more lucky, someone else broke into both my ship and the cabin in there. Not that I was complaining, I'm happy that my character is alive and free and got some of the stole stuff back, but what are the odds of something like that happening?

[Chris Johnson]

The probabilty of success of any attempt is 1/3.
The probability of requiring more than 7 attempts is 0.059 - not large but being higher than 1 in 20 times its certainly not zero.

[SekoETC]

Thank you.

[The Sociologist]

Thanks for the info, Chris. We did eventually get the lock cracked, but it took way too long.

This is perhaps one of those combat-related functions where chance of success should depend on number of participants. Bear in mind that an entire army of people could be defeated for five days or more by a lone dragger and his single key. Something to bear in mind, surely?