What do you think are the most important lockpicking/hacking checkpoints?

[Coaxl]

I'm never quite sure how far to raise these two skills - I always want to pump 5 points into them every level until the very end of the game just because of how frustrating it is to miss a locked container by just a couple of points, and because I never quite know what treasures might be in those containers. At the same time, I recognize that I could save a lot of points by not pouring more points into those two skills after a certain points. Anyway, I've played the game through a few times (sort of... I'm yet to defeat the final boss, none of my builds ever managed to kill it), so there is no need to be careful about spoilers here as far as I'm concerned. What I'm looking for are some opinions: what are some important lockpicking/hacking checks that help out significantly with quests or help get unique items/something more than just sellable loot, and aside from that, is there some level of lockpicking/hacking beyond which you don't see investing in these skills worthwhile at all? (Basically - beyond which there are few containers and nothing that has anything extraordinary?)

[Tygrende]

What I'm looking for are some opinions: what are some important lockpicking/hacking checks that help out significantly with quests or help get unique items/something more than just sellable loot

There is not many of those, only ones that come to my mind are 85 hacking in Protectorate embassy during Abram bug quest and 90 (if I recall correctly) lockpicking to free Maura in the follow up quest.

is there some level of lockpicking/hacking beyond which you don't see investing in these skills worthwhile at all? (Basically - beyond which there are few containers and nothing that has anything extraordinary?)

The highest checks in the game are 135 hacking and 130 lockpicking, but there are only like 2 containers that require so much and they don't really have anything interesting in them. Most containers don't require more than 100, some require 110, a handful may require 120. You will also need 120 base hacking to gain level 3 access to the console in Oculus. I still like to get them to 135/130 because it doesn't cost that many points.

My rule of a thumb is to increase effective hacking/lockpicking by 5 every level. If you start with 15 effective skill in both, you will end up with exactly 135 by the end of the game. But considering Huxkey increases both by 15, you only need 120 effective hacking and 115 effective lockpicking by the end of the game, 108 lockpicking if you have Jackknife.

[TrueNeutralEvGenius]

You don't need more hacking and lockpicking than 140. 100 natural in hacking and lockpicking must be enough. With bonuses from synergy & items and it will give you ~140.

[Ramen_os]

You don't need more hacking and lockpicking than 140. 100 natural in hacking and lockpicking must be enough. With bonuses from synergy & items and it will give you ~140.

Yes, I remember you have some locker & boxes which require 140 hacking/lockpicking but there are only a few... And the treasure is not always really interesting

[Coaxl]

Cheers! What are the relevant skillchecks in Arke, does anyone know? I don't do the whole Oculus questline with every one of my characters so that's not so critical, but having shortcuts in Arke might be pretty important. (Speaking of which - are any of the Deep Caverns mutagen reagents behind hacking/lockpicking checks, whether avoidable or not? That's perhaps the most important possible skill check I could think of.)

[TrueNeutralEvGenius]

Just same as I said.

[Coaxl]

I see. That kinda makes me want to get more hacking for DC on my current character - can you, or anyone else, say with high certainty what the exact number of the skillcheck you are talking about is?