I totally agree with this, but there are limits to game balance smirk In this case, it's more of a question: Should mechanical balance precede RP value, or should RP value precede mechanical balance?
Most times, I'm of the former group. In this case, I lean more towards the later cause I don't like the idea of abusing bashing things. Just like how I don't like the idea of abusing CC cause of the new armor system 100% chance after armor is gone.
How about if they included more fragile but powerful unique items in the loot around the game? Such as the stone sword from game one, but not as bad as 1/1 Durability.
Example: A glass, elven long sword with mystical enchantments? Some flavor fluff in the description could could be: "Made more as a piece of art to challenge their skills, than for any practical purpose, this weapon is a true masterwork of the ages. It's fragile nature does not diminish it's sharp edge or the abilities it was granted, however."
Furthermore, items like that would require more upkeep and thus a much closer watch on durability and repairing. The exchange would be for the power inherent in the item.
This means players could be rewarded for increasing crafting skills so they can maintain such a weapon and that they'd have to choose if the cost of maintaining such a weapon was worth it (1) & whether or not the risk of bashing open a box and loosing out on such a unique item was worth it (2).
It's a more nuanced approach than the whole sale 'break some of the loot inside' thing and it can be fit in using RP smoothly. It'd also be rare enough to make some players blame themselves without missing too much or make those who invest in lockpicking feel rewarded for their efforts with special stuff.
If there's a chest in a house you want you're either going to have to lock-pick it or find some clever way to sneak it out and break it somewhere else, otherwise you're going to have to deal with the people around that chest who don't want you going in it.
And speaking of the carrying out thing, NPCs should be stopping you from just pocketing something and walking away. Like if you put a chest from an empty house in your pocket and start leaving the house, if the owner sees you with the chest in your inventory or they see the chest not where it belongs, they should take it and put it back and possibly get the guards if they found it on the player.
The game just needs to make it harder to get away with smashing something as opposed to lock-picking it. If a player succeeds in smashing the thing they shouldn't be punished at that point, they should be rewarded for finding their own way to play the game.
I'm sorry but I don't think weapons that are inside a chest should ever be broken from bashing it. If a game had a glass sword that you could permanently break by smashing the chest it was in, with no indication it was in there, it would just feel like the game was going out of it's way to find arbitrary ways to punish you.
There could be some very unique weapons that might break faster but this shouldn't be a regular thing.
Uh, oops. Meant I value RP over mechanical balance, but yes they should go hand in hand.
I wasn't implying that the glass sword thing would be common. It'd be rare occurrence. Just something a bit special to reward not bashing every box. I don't think it'd be that punishing if it was kept to being rare event.
Making things harder to get away with would also be a good solution.
EDIT: Also the forum messiness is why I made the long post quoting everyone <- Thought it might help
<- Thought it might help 
