All great suggestions. The stand off ladders are easier to use. You need the ladder to be deep enough in the water for the individuals boarding can get their weight on the bottom step and lift their behinds above the bottom step.
Rope ladders can be a challenge, in that as you step onto them in the water, your feet swing under the boat and your angle of ascent has your bottom below your feet. The challenge is similar to a climber trying to climb an over hanging rock face from underneath and upside down.
Rope ladders are better than nothing and they are easy to store. Fixed ladders are easier to climb but often use up a lot of limited boat space.
Another of those "Boat compromise" issues only the skipper and crew can decide what is best.
In fact, I was working with a rope ladder today. You are right, they are "different."
The key is to use your hamstrings to pull the ladder under your center of mass. The best rope ladders are narrow, so you can get them right up between your legs. Sometimes puting your heel in the rung from the reverse side works. I tend to alternate front-back.
But the KEY is get the ladder close and getting your feet UNDER you. If it is like an overhang, you are doing it wrong. You should have very little weight on your arms, and your top foot should be right back under your but cheek in the rest position.