The main issue is that right now, there is no mechanic in place for the game to identify that a player is near the top of a ladder and that it's interactive. Whether Earl jumps down or climbs down is trivial as far as the code is concerned, it just a matter of what animation plays. My main concern was whether I wanted to go ahead and code a completely absent mechanic for going down ladders when it isn't at all necessary. In the end, I've decided to bite the bullet and stop being lazy about it. The player can now easily climb down ladders if they wish! :)