Ability to use ladders to climb on platforms

[Godot]

As the title says.

Lets assume we have a ladder (bei it retractable or not) and it ends at a platform (for example the top of en engine).

In Real Life, the Astronaut would (most probably) be able to climb to the highest rung of the lasser and then crawl atop the platform.

In KSP however this isn´t possible ... if the Kerbonaut climbs to the upmost rung, he falls down (and has no chance of climbing atop the platform).

There are workaround, but usually they require to have a higher structure next to the platform (so the ladder is on the higher structure and the Kerbonaut sidesteps atop the platform).

So, well, it would be nice if Kerbonauts could use ladders that end at the rim of a platform in order to climb atop the platform

[vexx32]

You can in face place ladder rungs up to and over the edge in order to achieve this kind of effect already, though it can take a little tricky rung placement.

[Sirine]

Have you try Shift+Jump? (To the platform direction)

[Godot]

Thanks for the tips ... just tested both techniques

Shift+Jump doesn´t work on the setups I would like to use

using fixed ladders at an angle looks a little bit ugly, but it works

For your amusement here the test setup (the modular girders as platforms ois exactly the setup I like to use ... the rest of the landers isn´t representative of actual or future landers [just had to add this ])

http://imgur.com/rl7Qshg,10DkQPz,CCx7LFh#0

With the angled ladders workaround:

http://imgur.com/rl7Qshg,10DkQPz,CCx7LFh#1

http://imgur.com/rl7Qshg,10DkQPz,CCx7LFh#2

Being able to climb platforms without the angled ladders workaround would still be a nice to have at some point in the future (but at least now I have a workaround I can use till this time )

[Boomerang]

Yeah, ladders and aesthetics really aren't compatible as it is. The small fixed ladders are so much deeper than the two collapsible ones and while you can usually twist and jockey them about to get the behavior you want, it'll look like a junkyard took a dump on what might be an otherwise good-looking craft. The ability to move forward onto platforms that you described would be helpful, as would more flush fixed ladders

[Sirine]

@Godot Here is how it works. You just need to climb to the top edge of the ladder, press space, to let go, and your Kerbal will have a brief moment 'standing on' the ladder, and you can just press forward (direction of the platform) and jump (shift+jump).

Tested, and it works. If you need video proof, just let me know.

[Kasuha]

On a ladder, the Kerbal follows certain path and that allows him to traverse from one ladder to another. To be able to climb up a ledge, the ladder would need its path extended by a curved bit at the end and that might interfere with matching the ladder to another ladder.

But with tweakables it could be done that there would be an option if you want to use the ladder to climb up a ledge or not.

[Godot]

@Godot Here is how it works. You just need to climb to the top edge of the ladder, press space, to let go, and your Kerbal will have a brief moment 'standing on' the ladder, and you can just press forward (direction of the platform) and jump (shift+jump).

Tested, and it works. If you need video proof, just let me know.

Just tested it with the more detailed istructions you gave (and a test setup similarly to the one depicted in my 2nd posting (with other words, Telus-LV Bay Mobility Enhancer that is connected to a modular girder as the platform upon which to climb) and still doesn´t work for me ... after climbing to the top (well, as much as to the top as it is allowed before falling down) and pressing space, Jeb immediately follows the gravity gradient (i.e. falls down) instead of standing for a short moment atop the ladder.

Pressing Space followed immediately by W (as it is the modular girder to which the ladder is connected, which I want to climb) and Shift+Space like you said, doesn´t result in any changes of the final outcome (i.e. Jeb falling down)

So yes, a pic (of your setup) and/or vid may be helpful in order to find out why the technique works for you, but not for me.

...

But with tweakables it could be done that there would be an option if you want to use the ladder to climb up a ledge or not.

Tweakables sound like a good idea ... maybe a checkbox/toggle button in the right click menu in order to define a ladder as "end ladder" or as "connected to platform",

so that the Kerbonaut tries to climb the platform upon pressing space, instead of just letting go of the ladder

Edited September 11, 2014 by Godot

[Kasuha]

after climbing to the top (well, as much as to the top as it is allowed before falling down) and pressing space, Jeb immediately follows the gravity gradient (i.e. falls down) instead of standing for a short moment atop the ladder.

Pressing Space followed immediately by W (as it is the modular girder to which the ladder is connected, which I want to climb) and Shift+Space like you said, doesn´t result in any changes of the final outcome (i.e. Jeb falling down)

If you put your Kerbal on a ladder, adjust your camera to look at him closely, and press shift, you may notice he changes his pose. If you press W/A/S/D while still holding shift, he changes his poses further, looking in the direction of the key. And if you press Space while holding shift+W/A/S/D, he will jump off the ladder in that direction. I found it quite fun to play with. But I also did not succeed in making the Kerbal to climb up the ledge using that.

I too use the angled ladder segments workaround and I agree with you it is ugly. There used to be a mod with some ladders that allowed climbing a ledge but I don't know if it's still around.

Edit: Forums do not allow me to visit the thread.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Master Tao

[Murph]

Hmm, this thread reminds me of something. There's a series of stairs then ladders up the side of the VAB, leading to the helipads. They are climbable by Kerbals, and certainly look like they are intended to be useable, but it seems impossible to go from the top of each ladder onto the flat surface above it, despite the ladder apparently curving over the edge, unless there's some magic technique that I have yet to discover. I tried various combinations of shift+w+space, but couldn't get it to work.

Did they ever work, has a bug crept in?

[Sirine]

Here you go, video proof on how to stand on ladder. (Hits: if you go slow enough, you can stand on the ladder as long as you like.)

http://www./download/3q4w89pcudurusk/Cut2.avi

Note: Above are 24 seconds of video recording, with only 1.6MB of file size and acceptable quality of video. (Try to promote video compression, save bandwidth)

Edited September 15, 2014 by Sirine

[GoSlash27]

I'll definitely second this suggestion.

One of the most frustrating things about KSP is getting Kerbals to cleanly climb a ladder and step onto a ledge.

I'd love to see an in- game fix for this.

Best,

-Slashy

[LABHOUSE]

I usually just make them let go and then use their jetpack to go there (works on kerbin, I don't thrust them up just thrust them sideways). But this defiantly needs to have a better solution.

[CaptainKipard]

Yes, despite the necro, I agree as well.

I used to mod for Half-Life 1 & 2 and the way Valve did it was make the ladder system out of two objects. One defined the start and end of a latter, the other was an object that would pull the player towards it once they reached the end of the ladder. Very simple. The dismount animation doesn't need to exist, although it would be nice.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Cpt. Kipard

[worir4]

It's okay guys. In a squad cast about a month back we got told that they will implement a limited climbing ability for Kerbals. He wasn't clear exactly what it was but it sounds like something like this.

[Red Iron Crown]

Ladders are 100x more frustrating and tedious than they should be. There is something wrong when I have to do more testing and reworking of the ladder system than of the propulsion, fuel flow, and staging systems combined.

If it were up to me, the three rung ladder part would be made tweakable for number of rungs (say 1-100), some mechanism or separate part for turning corners would be implemented which doesn't require precise angle and placement, and the editor would be able to calculate and display valid ladder paths.

[cicatrix]

Actually, I reasoned that I only need ladders on Kerbin and Eve (never tested it on Tylo though). On any other body I can simply fly in using jetpacks.

[Kruleworld]

then crawl atop the platform

Step-off at top of ladder.

Devs please work on this. we need it now.

To be able to climb up a ledge, the ladder would need its path extended by a curved bit at the end

it need not be that complex. if he reaches another ladder, he continues, if not, he stops, push again and he steps forward onto the top of the extendable ladder. (unlikely to need to step in any other direction).

[klgraham1013]

Here you go, video proof on how to stand on ladder. (Hits: if you go slow enough, you can stand on the ladder as long as you like.)

http://www./download/3q4w89pcudurusk/Cut2.avi

Note: Above are 24 seconds of video recording, with only 1.6MB of file size and acceptable quality of video. (Try to promote video compression, save bandwidth)

This is glitching the system which is not a solution we should accept. The developers need to allow Kerbals to climb over top of a ladder and onto a ledge. It's a primary use of a ladder in everyday use that would be much appreciated in the game.

[bdito]

Hear, hear!

I would love to see this fixed as well.

[Mister Kerman]

I always found it funny how much trouble video game developers have making ladders that aren't totally worthless. I could probably count the number of games I've seen in my entire life that didn't mess up ladders on one hand.

Make a mount, climbing, then dismount animation. :|

[Wallygator]

The bottom line here is the ladders are still a bit kludgey. If takes a half dozen posts to explain how get a kerbal off the top of a ladder onto a horizontal platform then there is something missing in the game. It's not a bug persay, but rather a bit that still needs to be developed properly.