Why can't I climb down a ladder I can't see that I just took up to reach the screen I'm at??!?!

[Shamanik]

So if you climb up and end up stuck in an area, why can't I climb down? Geez, that isn't difficult, that's just a broken game if a ladder that just worked stops working for technical reasons. I can't get down and nice job not even putting in a restart option.

Fun game but it feels broken if ladders stop working just because they're only visible on the screen below me. I press down everywhere where it was but he won't go. What gives?!

[Shamanik]

Well, found the way out of it, so guess I wasn't stuck, but it is a glitch that ladders don't work that should if they happen to only be visible on the screen below you. I just took it. Ladders don't by nature just disappear.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

I think this was intentional, not a glitch.

The idea itself, though, may be an artifact of its source material, since the game takes its basic design elements from the MSX game Maze of Galious, which did indeed do this.

[GeminiSaint]

Not a glitch. This is simply how ladders work in this game. It's 100% intentional, and it's consistent with Maze of Galious (the old MSX game that inspired La-Mulana). Ladders are only usable if you can see them. That said, have you gotten the Holy Grail yet? With that item, you won't be stuck anywhere, ever. It's somewhere in Gate of Guidance. Go no further until you find it.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

I think the Grail tops the list of most important items to surviving La-Mulana. Next after that is probably the Hermes Boots, available in the second area. Then there's the Shurikens in the first area and the Knife in the third area.

Well, that's not including the Hand Scanner and the Glyph Reader. Those two probably top the Grail, since you need them to use the Grail points.

Together the make life SOOOO much easier.

[Shamanik]

Well, it's inconsistent with reality and it's going to make me not want to take ladders upwards off the screen now. But alright, thanks for the information.

[GeminiSaint]

This is a game where you can teleport all over the place, double jump, swim on lava, fight unholy monsters of all sorts and sizes, use magic relics, and much, much more. I don't think any of those things are consistent with reality either...

[Shamanik]

Uh, hello there are certain things that are fiction and have detailed explanations behind them. As everyone clearly just pointed out, this isn't one of them, it's based on a technical limitation and has nothing to do with any suspension of disbelief. There are reasons for teleporting, double jump, swim on lava, etc. There are no explanations or reasons why a ladder would just disappear.

I hope this has helped clear the distinction for you.

[GeminiSaint]

The ladder doesn't disappear. If you find your way back to the room below (which most of the time shouln't take you even one minute), you'll see that the ladder is still there. It just works as a one-way door. Because that's pretty much what they are: one-way doors, in the form of ladders. There are lots of regular one-way doors too. You are, after all, navigating a rather complex maze that works under its own rules.

[Vil]

Well, there is that one ladder in Temple of the Sun that disappears... as part of a miniature puzzle/trap.

[GeminiSaint]

We are only discussing ladders that take you to the room above, which you cannot climb back down.

[Shamanik]

Gemini: Yeah, I guess you're right. But the one-way doors least have an arrow letting you know when you cross it you aren't going back. I haven't seen it mess anything up in the game either but I'm pretty early into it.

[Vil]

It's more just something you get used to. I agree that in real-world physics terms it doesn't make sense, so it's best to accept it as either a. gameplay concession or b. the ruins are really damn weird.

If you take a ladder up to the top of a screen, assume that you won't be able to take it back down. Similarly if you jump/fall down a hole at the bottom of the screen, assume that you won't be able to jump back up.

[Don Volta]

ITs part of the gameplay and its not a mechanical limitation, the game is designed so you paly it without the ability of going back those stairs. So man up and play it

[Pink]

Ok how about we say there's a hidden trap door to these ladders?
The game is already riddled with traps, so it wouldn't be so strange.

Besides, this game isn't for everyone, so it is a hit or miss. You don't like the design? that's fine, it's not for you.
I actually had an issue with the jumping mechanics and left this gem sitting in my to do list for over an year. Came back to it recently and felt like the biggest fool on earth.

[SrMandril]

You must be pretty new to this gaming thing if it's the first time you find this game mechanic.