After watching and anolyzing the trailer 1078341038794103 times, I think I caught evidence that Ladders will finally be done right in Skyrim!

I say that because Todd Howard was lamenting in one of the podcasts how Ladders had always been such a huge challenge for BGS, and in a funny way they had tried and failed in multiple games to get it right - so they weren't added in a realistic way (Fallout3 just uses teleporting to simulate going up/down).

However in the Trailer we see clear evidence (unlike in Oblivion) of a ladder, prominently taking lots of space in the Bar scene where the thief/assassin backstabs the NPC. If you look to the left of the player/NPC, there is a big, well-defined ladder against the wall.

Something tells me that if they didn't get ladders right, we wouldn't be seeing them prominently displayed like that. I could be seeing things (I have Skyrim-colored glasses super-glued to my face), but I'd be willing to bet lunch that we'll see Real ladders this time.

There were ladders in Oblivion.

I agree, but not working ones!

teleporting ladders...

Why do people care about ladders so much?

I agree this is total speculation on my part (I put half a dozen caviats in the post), and again this could be wishful thinking...

But Todd went out of his way to specifically talk about this, if even in a funny way, made a possible correlation.

We'll have to wait and see of course, the ladder in that scene just "looks" right.

@evol gamer54:

Well, you can Run and you can Jump in Oblivion, I think Climbing would be cool.

We also know that BGS has "cracked" the animation issue around climbing from Operation Anchorage in Fallout3, as your companion scales a cliff wall in the beginning - with minor modification that would work with a ladder too..

I think it was already confirmed that there won't be working ladders in Skyrim, either on twitter or in an interview.

They were able to animate a scripted sequence of an NPC climbing a cliff, perhaps, but that doesn't mean they can allow players to climb whenever they want to, even if only for specific surfaces, we'll just have to wait and see on this subject. Sure, we might have seen a ladder in the trailer, but that doesn't prove it works realistically, only time will tell.

Though personally, I don't consider it a big deal. It would be nice if we could have working ladders, certainly, but if we don't, I won't consider it a big loss.

You're right, because the ladder, while fairly short, does not appear to be connected to a door, but to an opening, which probably means same cell. They would need 2 ladders to connect it in the same cell because you need 2 doors to havea teleport between them.

I wouldn't mind having to climb ladders yourself, it makes it seem more realistic than magically teleporting up from it.

This was pointed out soon as the trailer was released. Pete already said properly functioning ladders isn't likely.

Ok so, how do you know these aren't the same?

As the post said, I don't. Like so much right now, it's speculation based on bits and pieces of evidence.

Faulgor indicated that there was confirmation that they did Not work, but I havn't seen that (and I follow them on twitter, read all the articles/podcasts) - though I could have certainly missed it, I would like a link.

What we do know:

1. Doing ladders right has been a goal for Todd in the last 2 (if not more) TES games and Fo3, as he himself said. They failed in those past attempts.

2. We have seen evidence that they Can now animate the climbing sequences, but as another poster mentions, this is Not confirmation that NPCs and monsters, etc, can climb ladders. They do have the animation tech to do it.

3. A very prominent ladder in the trailer, which does not look like the standard teleport model.

That's it - a very long reach I admit, but it's all we have for now...

Because loading on objects svcks
Because other open world games (Gothic) had fully functional ladders like in...2001?

Because it is the only thing BGS has not been able to do properly yet, all assassins creeds have ladder climbing, demon's souls has ladder climbing, the list goes on and on. They should be able to nail it this time!

I am inclined to agree. It looks like there is an open space atop the ladder.

The reason they have no ladders has nothing to do with the player. Its when the A.I has any chance of falling and dieing they take it. Anyone can make ladders for player use,its when npcs get mixed up they cant figure out how to use them without dieing or getting stuck. String,now thats a bigger beast of burden,just ask rockstar how hard flowing rope that you can interact with is to deal with.

Edit:Also demons souls is not a game and none of npc's in AC have schedules that load on the fly.I.E wait 24's near a ladder watch people pop in mid-air and die.

If that ladder is functional it probably acts like any other loading door, I'm not expecting climbing from NPCs. I admire your optimism though.

Um, I do believe it is? Quite a good one as well.

You weird person.

Anyway, ladders would be really nice to have this time around, but if it really is that impossible to get them working right, then screw it.

It seems to me that that ladder in the trailer doesn't lead to anywhere. It looks like it is just leaned to the wall.
But I may be wrong...

This is not donkey kong,so Its not like they are an integral part of the game. They don't add much to game play and if Todd never had said anything you would not have noticed in the first place I bet.

It would be cool if my thief character could pick up a ladder from in a barn, and lean it against a wall and climb onto the top of the wall and walk to a window to enter the second floor of a mansion.

Because they are "immersive".

TES is in desperate need of some hot ladder action.

...wait, what?