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StaceyPowers

Why do so few games feature climbable ladders?

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Why do so few games feature climbable ladders? Is it because they tend to be especially buggy or something? (I know this was a problem in The Outer Worlds, a rare game with climbable ladders—companions would climb them out into space during dialogue with other followers, and then promptly die) Or is there some other issue with them? It does not seem like it should be a difficult thing to include in games, and yet apparently it is.

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10 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

Why do so few games feature climbable ladders? Is it because they tend to be especially buggy or something? (I know this was a problem in The Outer Worlds, a rare game with climbable ladders—companions would climb them out into space during dialogue with other followers, and then promptly die) Or is there some other issue with them? It does not seem like it should be a difficult thing to include in games, and yet apparently it is.

What do you mean exactly by climbable ladders because I'm kind of lost completely on the subject?

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A similar question to this was posted on r/truegaming and I can't for the life of me find my answer, but it was essentially asking what are the differences between ladders and stairs in the context of video game design. With ladders, they typically require an action command to commence climbing, or the game to register the fact you're humping this particular surface for a reason, and you need to be able to climb it. So it could be a code issue, especially when you mention - and this will happen in any game - NPC reluctance or fetish for climbing ladders.

Another possibility is for tactical purposes. A flat vertical surface that you can't use a weapon on (or have limited choice with) is one consideration, but also games where in order to climb a ladder you simply look in the direction you want to go, you've got different visibility and cover than if you were ascending/descending a staircase or ramp.

I'd like to be able to give a much more detailed answer to this question, but I suppose it varies from game to game. I'd say it's different levels of budget, time, and ultimately being arsed.

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10 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

Maybe they've got PTSD about this:

 

 

What!!! Are you seriously kidding me right now with this? I'd definitely get PTSD from climbing that much. It's too much and I actually felt like it's a bug or glitches at one time. 

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