After years of watching, I've started playing... Why my hesitancy?

Ladders are learn by doing rather than learn by watching. Once you stop being a spectator and actually play for yourself you will find that the ladders work just fine. With all the alleged tens of thousands of product returns due to ladders it is interesting that yours is one of the only threads I've ever read at this level of boiling blood. You'd think there would be more to read on this subject unless....maybe just watching others play isn't giving you the full experience you can have with using ladders.

Also, broken leg remedies are not locked behind skill trees. You can craft a splint before you spend a single skill point and you are not required to climb out onto a ladder to check the horde. There are other ways to design a base.

Hopefully you will come to see this as you actually put some play time in rather than just watching others.

Originally posted by Spill Gates:
I'm sure I will learn some things, but just so we are clear? You think the ladders work well in this 10 year old game?

I do think they work well. Anything can be improved and ladder use could probably be improved although mostly just in aesthetics by adding proper 3rd person animations for when you see other things climbing the ladders.

But using them daily for gameplay purposes myself? I think they work very well. I wouldn't want anyone to stop working on new content to overhaul ladders.

Originally posted by Spill Gates: I don't need to see any numbers to know people have returned this game do to scuffed ladders, Of all the things I mentioned I can't believe you took exception to my ladder criticisms.

I guess I agree with you about the UI needing improvement and how new players don't understand how best to spend their points. I took exception to the thing you said that I disagree with the most.

As for your desire to save scum that's going to have to be something you learn to live with. This type of game just isn't going to allow you to save your game every time you attempt to mount a ladder and then go back and reload when you die. Same goes for the bloodmoon horde. You just have to wait another 7 days if you fail. Devs will never add a quick save/ quick load function. Sorry.

Originally posted by Spill Gates:

Originally posted by Trooper Bri: This is refreshing. Usually it's the lack of jars freaking the Greenhorns out.
Ladders would not have made my Top 5 on Family Feud.

Seriously, can we get the old animated emojis back on Steam? Who do I have to e-mail?

Ok, so there are no tips for the noob then? You just have to spin around and wait for the game to register it? At night I use a controller, ironically due of a ladder injury.

99% of the time when I want to go down a ladder I use a lot I place hay bales and simply jump instead because it is fastest. That's my tip. Don't descend ladders if you keep falling off of them. Place hay bales and just drop off the side and land on them.

If you do need to descend a ladder and you are worried due to using a controller then for sure turn around and descend facing the ladder. That always works for me and it mimics real life where you would descend a ladder facing it instead of just running forward and expect to run down the ladder without having to turn around and face it.

As for stopping midway and turning around and staying on it, I've never had an issue. If you get hit by spit, or a vulture, or a zombie you will fall off but that isn't a janky ladder, that's you sitting out in the open where things can get you.

I do play keyboard mouse so I can't speak to how the ladder works with a controller. Could be there's some jank with controller communication and ladders.

Originally posted by Spill Gates: You guys have taken this personally, I'm just a guy looking to traverse a ladder. Tell me what I'm doing wrong.

It sounds like you want to just run down the ladder without having to turn around. Am I right in understanding that you would like to just run forward and look down and keep running and stay glued to the ladder?

That isn't really how ladders work. Sounds like you want to build stairs.

I'm not taking anything personally. I'm not the one whose blood is boiling and typing all in caps.