American Truck Simulator 1.43 Update - 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia
Today, we are happy to share with you some news about the Freightliner® Cascadia, which we are sure avid drivers of this truck will love! In the 1.43 update for American Truck Simulator, we will be introducing new parts and customization options that will allow you to upgrade your current Cascadia to the current production version of the 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia.
[previewyoutube="ZtgXUwJrG_U;full"] The 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia will feature new interior options, as well as exterior changes that further improve fuel economy. Let's go into more details on what changes you can find in this update for the Cascadia!
Interior
The Cascadia will come with a new interior, the most noticeable change being a brand new digital dashboard. This modern and state-of-the-art dashboard allows the driver to view important information easily and clearly with just the click of a button on the new steering wheels.
Exterior
The updated exterior includes a new lower and even more streamlined front bumper, updated drive wheel fairings, and new aero deflectors on the A-pillar for improved aerodynamics. These new exterior parts have been specially designed to keep the Cascadia on the road for longer by improving its fuel economy. These updated parts also bring a fresh and futuristic look to an already modern truck.
The 2022 Freightliner® Cascadia will be made available at the in-game Freightliner® dealership or as an upgrade at your nearest repair shop. Be sure to share with us your pictures of when you take it for a drive for the first time.
We look forward to sharing more news with you in the future about the 1.43 update and other future updates and content in the works too.
Steam Awards 2021 Nominations
The nominations for the annual Steam Awards are opening, along with the start of the Steam Autumn Sale. Our games are once again featured in these special events. You may remember (we definitely do, thank you!) that our Euro Truck Simulator 2 managed to win in two categories during the first year of Steam Awards in 2016.
Since then, we have continuously supported our games with multiple updates that brought tons of new content and our developers are always passionately doing their best to bring our #BestCommunityEver all that it likes to see. Apart from having multiple big and smaller features in development, we are working on multiple map DLCs and several vehicles, and we are curious to see how happy the community will be once all of these features are released for ETS2 or ATS.
Like years previous, you will be able to nominate us for the Labor of Love category, which is dedicated to games that constantly receive updates and new content even years after their initial launch. This category will be crowded and there will be some tough competition, but if you feel like either Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator deserves this award, you can cast your vote over on the Steam Awards Nominations Page.
No matter the result, we want to once again let you know that we appreciate your support, and your happiness will always be our measuring scale when developing new updates. Until we have some more news to share about that, we’ll see you on the road!
ATS & ETS2 1.43: Ownable Dumpers
We are working hard on the 1.43 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, as it is shaping up to be a fairly big update. There are many additions that require further information and while we have already announced it in our previously released ETS2 and ATS Open Beta blog posts, today we’ll take a more detailed look at one of the new features arriving with this update - purchasable dumper trailers!
This type of trailer in ETS2 will be used for materials such as barley, coal, excavated soil, granite cubes, gravel, ore, rye, sand, metal scrap, stone dust, wheat, wood bark, and wood shavings. In addition to having 2 different customizable body types (aluminum and steel) and 2 different lengths (9m and 10m), here is a detailed list of everything you will be able to customize:
Chassis type
Paint jobs
Front ladder
Markers
Side protection plates/boxes
Rear fender
Rear bumper
Rear mudflaps
Rear banners
In American Truck Simulator, these trailers will be used for soil, gravel, limestone, sand, metal scrap, stones, and wood shavings. You will be able to choose from 3 customizable body types - end dumpers, side dumpers, and bottom dumpers.
Each of them is available in different lengths, and in two or three-axle configurations. Side dumpers are available as b-double, turnpike, or single trailers; bottom dumpers can be used in double, rocky mountain double, turnpike double, and single configurations, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.
Apart from the mentioned above, here comes an exact list of the customizable parts:
Body type
Chassis type
Front fenders
Front mudflaps
Markers
Trailer rear types
Rear bumpers
Rear mudflaps
We are extremely eager to see you hauling these new dumper trailers in your company and how you will customize them! Be sure to share with us your photos of your newly owned trailers on our Social Media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) once you will get your hands on them.
Introducing Montana
After uploading a cryptic video trailer in which our 2D artist Annie painted a beautiful scene featuring mountains and flora, today we are excited to announce to you exactly what state this artwork was based on...
Introducing Montana for American Truck Simulator
Montana is untamed, wild, and natural. No matter where you look, you’ll find unspoiled nature, charming small towns, and spectacular views. Explore National Parks, then hit the road to discover more natural wonders. You can drive through rugged mountain roads, pass by crystal clear lakes, or spend your day exploring the historic town and cities.
We are happy to share with you these very early work in progress screenshots from Montana! However, please keep in mind that everything shown is still being worked on and may not represent the final product.
We look forward to sharing more development news about upcoming state in the future; and the beautiful landscapes and new road networks that will arrive with it. If you are looking for more Montana content, then head over to our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page where you'll find a short video teaser from this upcoming DLC!
It has only been a short time since we last released an update for our truck simulator titles, however we are happy to share with you that a new testing cycle for the Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator has started.
This first iteration of the Open Beta only has a few of the handful of updates we wanted to bring with 1.43. Because of busy production schedule before Christmas, quite a few of the other features and/or updates did not make it in time for this first release. However, we plan on bringing these later on during the Open Beta. We will be sure to let you know when they do arrive.
Please keep in mind that this Open Beta is a work-in-progress build. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, you can contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at what the first iteration of the 1.43 Open Beta has in store!
Ownable Dumpers
We are happy to announce that Dumpers Trailers are now ownable and fully customizable! These trailers are used for transporting bulk materials such as coal, soil, gravel, stone, sand and much more.
In American Truck Simulator, Dumper Trailers will have 3 customizable body types. These are End Dumpers, Side Dumpers and Livefloor Dumpers. Each of them are available in different lengths (30ft or 36ft) and in two or three axel configurations. Side Dumpers are available as a B-double, Turnpike or Single trailers, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table]
Want to customize your Dumper Trailer? You will be able to add and modify some of the accessories on them, including, markers, rear bumpers, front and rear mudflaps, front and rear fenders, and paint jobs.
We can't wait to see you hauling these new Dumper Trailers in your company and how you will customize them! Be sure to share with us your photos of your newly owned trailers on our Social Media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
Interior Cabin Sound Update
In this update, we have also implemented a new sound effect which simulates sound attenuation from surrounding environment noises, as well as the sound of the truck engine and wheels. Since each truck has a different sound insulation, our sound team has simulated this with the use of sound equalization and reverb effects.
Put simply, interior truck cab sounds have been updated to better simulate how engine, wheel and other exterior sounds are dampened when driving from a first person view.
This is just the first iteration of this update, as in the future we plan to bring more accurate attenuation simulation by the size of the truck cab. This update has been applied to all trucks in both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.
New SDF Fonts
Another new feature coming along with 1.43 is the use of SDF (Signed Distance Fields) fonts in-game. So how exactly does this affect the game? This font technique allows texts and fonts to be displayed perfectly in any resolution, scale, or from any distance.
Instead of fonts being displayed like a picture, which can become distorted when on a smaller resolution or zoomed in on from a far distance, SDF fonts can be adjusted to any size and remain perfectly clear and sharp for the user.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] In the first iteration of this update, we are bringing this new font technique to the game's UI, Convoy name tags, GPS, License Plates and Truck Dashboards. We hope you can clearly see the difference when you see them.
Changelog:
Map:
General Bugfixes
Vehicles:
Ownable Dump Trailers
Other:
Implemented Sound Attenuation <*> MSDF Font Implementation
So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in this section.
Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.
If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → public_beta → 1.43. No password is required. You may need to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.
Texas - Offshore Shipyard
Since the state of Texas is so enormous, it is only logical that in this upcoming map expansion we are going to bring quite a few new industries to the player to work with. One of these is the Offshore Shipyard industry, which is going to involve some of the biggest industrial complexes. Let’s take a look at why you should really be excited about this great addition!
The offshore service near Corpus Christi has completed some of the biggest projects in the world. Its specialization includes the design and deconstruction of offshore oil rigs, working with shipwrecks, and construction of other subsea and offshore structures. Additionally, this facility features some of the largest cranes ever built.
Located in Brownsville, the other facility presents the foremost offshore shipyard in the Gulf of Mexico, and its experienced workforce is focused more on the oil rigs. With the up-to-date technological innovation, players who will find themselves inside this area will definitely have a huge story to tell!
This is just a small glimpse into the new industries that are arriving in the Texas DLC. After all, it would be unreasonable to leave them out, given the massive size of the state and the local economy. And if you are still safely outside the mentality of "information overload", don’t forget to add the map expansion to your Steam Wishlist!
The month of October is now behind us and so is #Pinktober2021. As we mentioned in our previous blog post, this time we are here to inform you about the amount that has been raised over the past year.
Thanks to the continuous support from the #BestCommunityEver, the total amount is 60,000 USD! That sum is truly exceptional and we thank each and every single one of you. This final sum will be evenly split into 15,000 USD and donated to the following 4 charities:
Keep in mind, you are free to support these, or any other organizations throughout the whole year. However, during this entire period donating money is not the primary way that you can join the fight! Spreading awareness, or making sure that those you hold dear will get their regular doctor and self-checks done is what matters the most! If you or anyone around you feels that something is not right, not being shy and seeking help is always strongly suggested!
[previewyoutube="4Q3O5wDau0g;full"] And finally, we greatly appreciate the collective effort to raise awareness for this issue. Apart from the support on our special #Pinktober2021 live stream, we have also noticed numerous social media posts that were spreading the word about the fight against Breast Cancer, and about health overall. Thank you very much!
We are excited to announce the arrival of update 1.42 for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator!
We'd like to thank all those who took part in the 1.42 Open Beta, made bug reports, and provided general feedback on this new version. Whilst our updates usually feature many new changes, this update is focused more on introducing a new and substantial feature to our Convoy online multiplayer mode alongside some smaller updates and general fixes.
So without further ado, let's take a look at what the 1.42 update has in store!
Convoy MOD Support
Support for third-party modifications in Convoy was a very frequent request from our community when we first released our multiplayer mode. Since then, our teams have made it a high priority on their list to support the use of MODs.
However, this was not an easy task for our team, especially when it came to the challenge of profile recovery when a crucial MOD is removed or changed, and visualizing what MODs are missing from the Steam Workshop when players join a server that contains modifications. We have done our best to overcome these hurdles; however, there may be a few things that might need tweaking and changing before we are fully satisfied with the results.
We have also created a completely new UI to accommodate MOD support. When you enter the session browser, you will see a new section on the right side listing the MOD compatibility requirements for the server. We have also included new icons for servers to let you know which servers have MODs enabled and which do not.
Session names in screenshots are blurred for privacy reasons.
Previously, next to the server session, we indicated if you could or could not join the server using a red or green icon depending on if the session was full or due to problems with map compatibility or even with different game version numbers. We have now introduced an orange icon, which indicates you cannot join the server now, but via the new MOD synchronization UI, you can download the missing modifications and join then!
If a modification is missing and it is available via the Steam Workshop, you will be able to download it via the Steam browser which will be overlaid in-game, so you do not need to exit the game to subscribe to it. This will be accessible via a new window that opens when you try to join a session where you have some missing MODs. This window will show you all your currently active modifications on the left side and all the modifications the server is using on the right side.
Session names in screenshots are blurred for privacy reasons.
If the server is using a modification that is NOT available on the Steam Workshop and downloaded via a third-party site, then you will need to source the modification yourself. Unfortunately, our system will not be able to check what version of the modification the server has or where it is sourced. Once you have everything required by the server, the confirm button will become available and you will be able to join the session.
We expect a majority of popular modifications to work from the get-go with this update, however, there may be some compatibility issues with others.
At this time, a convoy session will only allow for a maximum of 70 modifications during a session. We understand that a smaller percentage of our community may use more than this number and we will continue to monitor feedback made across our social media channels to tweak and make adjustments in the future if we see it necessary.
MOD authors please be aware that some modifications will require some adjustments to work properly in Convoy. Sound modifications will be heard locally by the user, but other players will not hear them as remote trucks use a simpler soundbank (or they may just hear default truck sounds) if the modification is not configured to do so. Vehicles, Trailers, and Cargo modifications must also include proper traffic models for other players to see and interact with.
Our teams will continue working hard to overcome the difficulties that may come with using third-party modifications in the convoy mode. Your help and contributions during the Open Beta have been extremely valuable to our teams, so please continue to submit your bug reports and feedback onto the appropriate sections of our forums (ETS2/ATS).
We look forward to seeing the many wonderful and creative MODs that will be used whilst convoying together with friends! We also plan to release a new FAQ in the future with more up-to-date information as we continue to work on the Convoy feature. You can find our first Convoy FAQ blog here, which answers the community's most popular questions!
Third-party modifications were used to create illustrative screenshots for this blog article. By choosing these publicly available MODs to make such screenshots we make no claim or endorsement of any kind that these MODs or their authors are officially supported, recognized, preferred, or recommended by SCS Software.
Force Feedback Update
1.42 also brings an update to our Force Feedback profiles for steering wheels and controllers which are compatible with Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.
The new FFB has been written from scratch and utilizes a 120 Hz refresh rate, independent from the main game loop. It combines some of the old artificial effects with the new centering and tire friction force feedback, which is based on real calculations from forces on the first steering axle and simulates the behavior of a hydraulic steering gear system used in most of today's trucks. This brings a more realistic and immersive feedback experience for our players!
We highly recommended resetting your Force Feedback settings to their new defaults.
We recently released a detailed FAQ blog about this update which answers some of your most asked questions about this update and goes more into depth about the topic of this update. If you missed that, you can take a read of that here!
Changelog
Gameplay
UI
Other
#Pinktober2021
Each October, many charities around the world organize various events in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Due to the support and consequential impact of these activities, "Pinktober" has become an immensely important tradition. This idea is usually represented by the Pink Ribbon, which has become a symbol of hope and a reminder to promote and share the necessary health information.
Throughout the whole year, we have been collecting the income from these DLCs and now we are getting everything ready to donate the final amount to some of the Breast Cancer charities, just like we did last year and the year before.
At the end of the month, we will release another blog post, in which we will announce how much money has been collected. This amount will be donated to the following 4 charities:
Rest assured, we are always looking for the right opportunities to extend this list in the future! Until then, if you’d like to support a good cause and obtain some new paint jobs for your trucks, now is the perfect opportunity to get these two DLCs or gift them to a friend and contribute to the battle against Breast Cancer. And in case you and your friends already own these DLCs, you can spread awareness by decorating your trucks in these paint jobs, and haul with pride while letting others know about this good cause by flooding social media with screenshots of your trucks under #Pinktober2021.
Additionally, don’t forget to actively do everything you can to remain healthy and to keep regular medical checks in mind. Apart from not feeling shy to visit the doctor if something doesn’t feel right, make sure your loved ones are having regular checks, and most importantly, there are numerous health checks you can do by yourself, to help you stay safe. After all, health always comes first and it is definitely one of the most important aspects of human lives that should not simply be ignored!
And finally, you can catch us live on Thursday 14th of October on our Twitch and Youtube for a special stream dedicated to #Pinktober2021. Come hang out with us in the chat and help us spread the word!
Texas - Nature #1 (Plains, Fields, Meadows)
Due to the vastness and diversity of Texas, it is virtually impossible to wrap up and put all the information about the local nature in only one blog post. That's why we decided to divide this topic into multiple dedicated blog posts. In today's, we start our presentation with the seemingly infinite plains, fields, and meadows, that stretch across most of this massive state.
The land of Texas consists of numerous enormous regions, from which some are more fertile than the others, but in the end, all are home to different flora and wildlife. When driving through these areas you may be able to recognize animals you have passed by on your previous journeys - such as deer, cows, or horses. However, this time you will also have a chance to spot numerous new road signs that warn about snakes! And while the actual snakes are not guaranteed to be seen, the signs are definitely one of the reasons why this state feels so unique.
The local plains are historically a part of many myths and legends, and you can be sure to feel their magic as well while driving on the roads that are surrounded by these lands. After all, Texas boasts a size of 268,596 square miles (695,662 sq km), so you will certainly have a lot of natural beauty to look forward to.
Whether you fancy meadows full of wildlife or empty fields with a view far into the distance, you can experience all this and more in the upcoming Texas DLC. And if you cannot wait for more information regarding the nature of the Lone Star State, make sure to add the map expansion to your Steam Wishlist and you will stay in touch with all the latest news!
