I dig this Game (tentative title) development thread

[Gors]

Ladders only support the block that is above them, so this way they can't be crushed. However, it can't be used as a column. Think on it as a special type of 'air block' that can't be occupied by anything else than ladder itself.

Columns act like a trespassable dirt block: you can walk on top of it, through it and it supports another blocks normally.

Rope acts exactly like ladder when it comes into climbing. The player can stop in the middle of it, and can climb downwards. I completely forgot about it being able to be used as a bridge, but then the best solution is to create two different entities for it: rope used as ladder and rope used as bridge.

Rope used as ladder is already explained; rope used as bridge, though, will act as follows:

*The rope-bridge can only be placed if the gap is only 1-block wide. You can't make longer bridges.
*You can't make a platform (a bridge with only one side conencted to the dirt) with rope-bridges.
*The rope is destroyed if you destroy any of the blocks between it.
*falling objects (player included) will destroy the rope-bridge, and they'll pass through.
*Rope bridges can be connected to any type of blocks, including wooden bridges.

And I agree with you on the ladder-placing. Make it so the ladders are placed exactly on the player's position.

I added more info about boulders in my last post.