California has some of the most iconic bridges in history and known around the world; from the Golden Gate Bridge to the The Bay Bridge. But, did you know that the state has over 25,0000 road bridges?
In our California Rework project for American Truck Simulator, bridges will be receiving a rework, to bring them up to a more realistic standard when compared to their real-life counterparts. Let's take a look at some pictures, shall we? The suspension is killing me.
One major addition to the California rework is the introduction of the Carquinez bridge. Constructed in 1958, it is an important link that connects the Bay area to Sacramento and northern cali and one that we could not miss in adding into the rework. Previously, we had thought it would not fit due to the scale of the map, however thanks to the hard work of the team (and the remaking an entire part of California) players will have the pleasure of driving on this essential connection of the states road network.
Another major bridge landmark that has been reworked in this phase of the project is the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. When it opened in 1956, it was one of the world's longest bridges; today however, another bridge holds that title! Officially named the John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge, it crosses the San Francisco Bay along Interstate 580.
But that is not all, Truckstops and Tollgates will also be receiving a rework along some new additions too! Previously, tollgates in the state were generic when compared to their real life counterparts. In this phase of the rework, drivers will see the addition of 1 new tollgate along with 1 reworked tollgate, both which come new assets and made to match their real life counterparts on a 1:1 scale. While these tollgates come at a cost to the drivers, California is only state in ATS that features them!
So whether you are going over them or just taking a selfie with them, we are sure you will enjoy going over these important connections over and over again.
SCS Software Statement
On February 24, 2022, Russian military forces attacked the free country of Ukraine, which is located very close to the country of the Czech Republic, where our studio and team are based. We have all been left shocked and with very deep pain in our hearts since that day. All our thoughts are with those people and their families suffering the terrible effects of all that is happening over Ukraine during the past days. We would like to announce our company statement: we stand against the invasion of Ukraine. We deeply condemn this act of aggression for which there is no reason, nor excuse.
Even though our teams are multinational, the core of the company has its roots in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. The history of our country carries a memory of sad happenings that resonate in very similar ways with what has been happening in Ukraine in the recent days, weeks, and months. We see a very close parallel with what happened here back in 1938 and 1968, and it leaves us deeply concerned and full of emotions and pain that the modern world has to witness such horrific times again.
As soon as we learnt about this disastrous news, the whole company has immediately turned 100% of its focus and energy into finding ways in which we can provide help and support to those in need, towards those affected the most by the sad impacts of war.
We are in close touch with multiple charities to which we have already sent over 20,000€, and more of such direct financial help from our side will come in the upcoming days and weeks. We have also relocated a part of our team to immediately start working on a much needed DLC - the Ukrainian Paint Jobs Pack, which we are racing to bring to the Steam Store as soon as possible and from which we are going to donate 100% of the income towards those in need.
Besides all this, we are also doing our best to support our team members in any way we can. Several of our colleagues are from Ukraine. We have bound ourselves to give them and their families all the support we can, whether it is financial support for any extra costs they might have during these hard times; early salaries; mental health support; extra days off, or special and flexible working times; or even providing them the company spaces and facilities for accommodation. We are not only doing this as a company, as we are getting multiple messages from almost all of our team members, that they are joining and supporting charities, providing blankets, clothes, hygiene, medical supplies, and other items to charity collections, and more.
Dark and difficult times are here and we know that now is the time for all of us to stick together and help in any way we can, no matter if as a single person, or as a collective, team, or company. The world responded and there are multiple avenues in which every single one of us can join in and support those affected by this terrible war. We, as the SCS Software team, plan to keep on supporting and providing help in the upcoming future too, whether it would be a direct financial donation from the sales of our games or any other way we will discover.
Our prayers and hopes are with you, Ukraine.
Gamepads & Steam Deck Support
We are just one day away from the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, which means that this is the perfect time to bring you up to speed in regards to the support of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator on this new gaming system.
Our developers were extremely excited to work on this interesting project and they have done everything it takes for players to enjoy the smoothest possible experience. In addition to making some tweaks necessary to support this handheld gaming PC, our games will include several special bindings, along with a basic version of touchscreen support (clicking on the screen to select menu buttons). Moreover, we’d like to point out that by choosing to play on Steam Deck you will not be left behind when you will want to drive along with your friend in the Convoy mode, as "cross-platform" gameplay will be supported.
The development of the Steam Deck support went hand in hand with overall gamepad support, which, apart from resulting in general small improvements, adds a new mini-feature into our games - the description of gamepad mapping. Simply put, this means you will have a bindings legend on the screen to always be sure which button has what purpose. This addition represents another step-up in our continuous support of gamepads and steering wheels, and we hope we will be able to push it further in the future.
We hope you will enjoy playing ETS2 or ATS on the Steam Deck and we can’t wait for your feedback on your experience. If you get your hands on this device, make sure to let us know about how your trucking journeys went by tagging our social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). And if you find something that still needs a bit of a tweak, leave us a report over at our forum. Finally, if you will enjoy playing with a gamepad much more after this update, leave us a positive review on the ETS2 or ATS Steam page.
Montana - Truck Stops
While Montana is home to marvelous nature and interesting history, it also features numerous practical facilities which are extremely important for the truckers themselves. So, whether you will just need to quickly refill gas, or the time to take a break has arrived, truck stops will provide you with both. Today, we’ll present to you the gas stations and rest stops featured in the upcoming Montana DLC for American Truck Simulator.
Gas stations in Montana have a history dating back to the early 1940s and there are still tons of available vintage screenshots that depict a rather small building with one or two filling stations. However, these facilities have seen an incredible development over the years, and nowadays they are usually in a more convenient location with a much more open area. And since this progress went hand in hand with an increased amount of visitors, these areas became rather crowded.
The alternative for those who prefer a bit more silence, with the area being quite often surrounded by beautiful nature, are rest stations. These are much bigger facilities with enough space for the main service that is being provided - the all-important resting.
We hope you have enjoyed this early look into the Truck Stops of Montana DLC. While what we have shown you today is still very much a work-in-progress, make sure to add the map expansion to your Steam Wishlist and you will always be in touch with every piece of the puzzle, which will eventually lead to a magnificent full picture, that you will be able to get your hands on!
California Rework - Truckee & Agricultural Inspection
Nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California, you'll find the charming town of Truckee, a large town which attracts visitors from all over the world, thanks to its abundance in natural beauty and ski resorts.
As an already existing city in American Truck Simulator, you may have travelled here a few times before. However, with the California rework project in full swing, our team have been working hard on bringing true to life assets, textures and layouts to its surrounding road networks and industries.
Truckee is a town that proudly retains its historic charm with its well preserved old western style architecture, which serves as a backdrop to the surrounding snow capped mountains. In the historic downtown area, you will find a variety of shops, art galleries, restaurants and more. As you can imagine for most drivers, it is a nice change of scenery when coming from the hustle and bustle of the west coast!
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] With the rework of Truckee, you'll find many new industries to support the local economy; including a sawmill and local market, you'll find no shortage of jobs when you are in town. The local road network and surrounding highways have also been reworked, with a realistic junction layout which better represents its real life counterpart.
Locals who are knowledgeable about the area already know about the Donner pass, which offers winding roads, beautiful scenic vistas and plenty of natural beauty. Whilst this road is usually off-limits to truckers, it is one road you do not want to miss out on exploring!
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Drivers leaving Truckee or arriving from Nevada will be subject to a stop at an Agricultural Inspection Station. Whilst these stations have been included since the first California rework phase, Truckee features a unique looking stop. Even though these stops are mandatory, we recommend taking a moment to appreciate the size and style of this station.
[td][/td][td][/td] [table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] We can't wait for you to check out Truckee for yourself and take advantage of its 4 roundabouts to admire the details over and over again. We look forward to sharing more developments updates to the road networks and more in upcoming blog posts!
Texas - Truck Stops
Time and time again we somehow manage to reach the unavoidable conclusion of everything indeed being bigger in Texas. Today, this famous saying will be applied on Truck Stops featured in the upcoming Texas DLC for American Truck Simulator!
It probably goes without saying that the local truck stops in Texas will be much bigger than the ones in any other state. However, in addition to that, the number of available gas stations and rest stops will be much higher as well. While driving through some of the previously released map expansions you can usually find one truck stop near every city. But now, in Texas, we are aiming to have a much higher rate of truck stops - near almost every city and junction that you will drive through so you will be able to take a break from your journey!
An important thing to note is also the fact that quantity does not mean less quality. Numerous of these truck stops will have a landmark main building and you will also have the unique opportunity to check out the biggest gas station in the world, which is located near San Antonio.
We hope you have enjoyed a "tiny" (needs more quotes) peek into what these important trucking facilities hold in store for you in the new Texas DLC. Please mind that everything you have seen is still very much a work-in-progress, but if it still managed to get you excited, make sure to add the expansion to your Steam Wishlist, and eventually you can be one of the first players to explore all these locations in full glory.
And finally, we are glad to let you know we have created a microsite dedicated to Texas map expansion. This site will serve as a hub consisting of all the critical information about the content of the DLC, and it will be a place where all the images and videos we produce will be able to be easily found by all the fans of this new addition to ATS. We hope it will be a perfect way through which the players who don’t follow us anywhere else will not miss out on any important information.
We also plan to include some exclusive content on the microsite, such as notes from the development, concept arts, and more! Therefore all of you who are extremely hyped about the Texas DLC should definitely add the website to their bookmarks and check it out from time to time.
From oversized cargo to challenging routes, the Special Transport DLC offers players a unique trucking experience; and today we are happy to share that 8 new routes will be arriving to the roads American Truck Simulator in the 1.44 update.
Much like our previous addition of new Special Transport routes to Euro Truck Simulator 2, our team wanted to bring new additional content for our drivers in ATS too! These new routes will be found across the states of Arizona/Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho and Colorado.
So where exactly do these new routes head to and from? You can find these new contracts between:
Lewiston to Sandpoint
Burlington to Lamar
Salina to Cedar City
Omak to Yakima
Dalles to Salem
Santa Fe to Socorro
Cheyenne to Rock Springs
Winnemucca to Carson City
Think you got what it takes? Keep in mind that these unique missions will be without a doubt a real challenge. Therefore, until the 1.44 update is here, we recommend keeping your skills fresh by taking some current Special Transport contracts, so you can be ready for anything once these challenging additions arrive.
As previously mentioned in our California Dreamin' development insight blog, road networks are a large focus in the California rework. Most of the roads are are being rebuilt from the ground up. Today's blog will give you a first look into the work being undertaken by the California Rework team on roads, highways, junctions and to come in the next phase of the project.
A major focus of this part of the rework is going back to areas where roads may have not been geographically correct or represent the current standards which we are now able to achieve. With more tools to create more complex and realistic road networks based on real life references; we can bring more true to life assets to the road. This includes new junctions, crossroads, bridges, agriculture stations, rest areas and more. Between major economy cities, drivers will now also come across settlements, which will become a common sight for players.
One particular area which our community may take interest to, is the changes to the surrounding road network in the San Pablo Bay Area. With the removal of San Rafael in this rework phase, our team have made some major changes to the road layout, junctions and location of highways in this area. These changes are also being made in preparation for the new city which will replace San Rafael in a future rework phase. Here are just a handful of the changes made:
All junctions reconstructed from the ground up
US-37 Crossroad lead to Napa Valley rebuilt
A completely new Carquinez Bridge area
Correct merging of I-80 & I-580 based on real life references
Richmond Bridge Landmark reworked
and more!
As you can see, the team have been hard at work! We are sure you will enjoy the updates that will be coming to California in the future. We look forward to sharing more developments updates to the road networks and more in upcoming blog posts!
Montana - Guess the location!
When it comes to detective work, we think our community is unrivalled. Within a short amount of time (sometimes minutes) members from our official forums along with our followers on our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) can accurately pinpoint the real life locations of where our in-game screenshots were captured.
Today, we are calling on you again, our #BestCommunityEver, to find the locations from our in-development DLC for American Truck Simulator, Montana. Are you up for the challenge? If so, let's get started!
Think you got them? Post your answers on our official forums, social media channels or in the comments below here on our blog. We may even reward a few users who got it close or spot on with a key!
PLUS American Truck Simulator will be celebrating it's 6th anniversary on Wednesday and we would love to celebrate with you! Join us for a live-stream where we will be trucking and giving away ATS related gifts along the way! Don't miss out from 6pm CET live on Twitch and YouTube channels.
If you like what you see in Montana, then be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist. Your additions supports us here at SCS Software and also notifies you close to the time of its release; thank you!
It’s time to reveal another new industry arriving in the upcoming Texas DLC for American Truck Simulator. And once again, as is often the case with this state, it’s going to be something big! Let’s take a look at the Cotton Industry and explore what makes the local production unique.
Texas produces more cotton than any other state in the entire U.S., with roughly 40% of the country’s total production. The fields are located mostly northwest and southeast, covering more than nine million acres, which is an area equivalent of approximately 14,000 square miles (36,259 square kilometers). Thanks to this, you will have an opportunity to drive past these fields, which will offer a characteristic view of oil extraction machines or wind turbines being surrounded by an incredible amount of white cotton plants.
The beginnings of cotton production can be traced all the way back to 5500 BC and it is amazing to see how far it has come in the modern age. This progress has mostly been achieved by the development of the cotton gin, which is a machine used for processing cotton. The final material has a large variety of uses, for example in the textile industry. It is perhaps thanks to its flexible utilization, that cotton is the second-highest ranked commodity based on the market value in Texas.
It seems that the cotton industry is truly an important part of the overall economy of The Lonestar State. And if you cannot wait to drive past the vast and iconic fields, make sure to add the Texas map expansion to your Steam Wishlist, so you can show us how excited you truly are. Also, make sure to stay in touch with all the latest news, as we still have a lot of information to share with you in regards to this massive state!
