Rope physics sounds like a fun mechanic, I've not really dug too deep into 2D physics yet. Most of the games I have made so far haven't needed complex physics systems yet.
I find jams are good for giving me focus to finish a project around normal life. My normal experiments outside of game jams haven't really lead to much yet. Some of it is lack of focus, and some of it is confidence in what I'm building.
Good luck with the jam, and I hope you get the ropes working.