With lots of testing, feedback, fixing, and fine-tuning, we are excited to announce the highly anticipated arrival of update 1.41 for American Truck Simulator.
We'd like to thank all those who took part in the 1.41 Open Beta, made bug reports, and provided general feedback on this new version. We hope you can now begin to fully enjoy the various new features which are included within this update.
So, what can you find in the 1.41 update for ATS? Let's take a closer look! [previewyoutube="q3bnRn9pKc8;full"] Convoy Multiplayer
Convoy is a new multiplayer game mode, where players can set up and host their own private sessions (password optional) to drive with their friends or other fellow truckers. There is currently support for synchronized AI traffic, time and weather, and the ability to take the same job as other players.
Convoy allows you to create and host an online session with up to 8 players. We plan to eventually raise the player limit in the future, however, we are keeping it small at this time due to its work-in-progress nature. Session hosts will automatically be made admins of these sessions, allowing them to ultimately control what kind of environment they want to have online, as well as having the ability to kick any trouble-makers from the session.
You can also see, filter, browse and eventually join any of the available sessions that have already been created by your friends or other truckers.
So what options and features will players be able to use and experience in Convoy?
We know how many players are eager to try out this new feature; however, there are some things you will need to know before joining your friends on the road! Notable issues / not yet implemented:
Worried about your profile progress? In case of trouble-makers or other circumstances out of your control, players will have the option to revert their savefile to one made previously before joining the session. From friends to VTC's, we are excited to see how you will enjoy Convoy and we look forward to hearing your constructive feedback on this new online feature.
California Reskin
During our special Christmas 2020 live stream, we announced that we would be revisiting California in American Truck Simulator to give our starting state a reskin! Today, we bring the first iteration of this reskin, carrying a major road layout rework, agriculture stations, and more!
One of the most noticeable changes drivers will experience when arriving in California are the new agriculture border control stations! All drivers hauling goods into the state will have to undergo special checks from the control station where vehicles are inspected for commodities that may be infested with invasive species, and for the correct documentation. In-game, we will mimic these scenarios with a new feature, which will work very similarly to the current weigh stations. Upon your arrival at the border, depending on what you are hauling, drivers will be notified to pull over for an inspection at one of the control stations before they are given the green light to enter the state.
Our world design tools have been considerably improved during the years since ATS was released as well, and we plan to take advantage of the new power. For example, our map designers can now pay attention to details like the proper roll of the road surface in a curve. We are also trying to make sure we get our research right when it comes to unique road signage elements, proper road markings, or the use of cat's eyes. We hope to achieve a completely new look and feel when driving across the State. Read more here.
We know how much our players love to take photos in-game and spend a lot of time creating that perfect shot, and for many, this also includes finding the right lighting conditions and weather. So to help create that perfect trucking memory, we have implemented a new feature that may save you quite a bit of time when it comes to using console commands!
Introducing the new Time and Weather options! Players will now be able to choose the conditions of their liking, to create the perfect trucking snap just by simply adjusting a new slider to change the time, or clicking on two buttons to control the lighting/weather, all of which will appear in the updated in-game photo studio. We can't wait to see how drivers will use this new feature in the future and we look forward to seeing your snaps!
Changelog:
Gameplay:
Map
UI
Convoy on the Horizon, Get Ready to Join!
An interesting couple of weeks full of testing is behind us and we have been making great improvements largely thanks to your feedback, our #BestCommunityEver. The time to switch gears and drive forward into the future is almost here and we believe now is the right time for another teaser!
In case you have missed our coverage of experimental and open betas and want to learn more about our upcoming Convoy gameplay mode, you can read more about it in the 1.41 Update Open Beta blog articles (ETS2, ATS). Apart from celebrating your fellow truckers on International Friendship Day, which is this month (how convenient, right?), you will also have a chance to join them on the road, taking the same job and delivering cargo together, navigating through synchronized traffic, braving the weather along the route and much more!
But before all this will come with the 1.41 release, let us put you in the right mood with this video:
[previewyoutube="Md8F1ZPRyIw;full"] The full release of the 1.41 update is coming soon, hopefully in a matter of days. So now is the best time to let your friends know what’s happening so everyone is ready for its arrival. We hope to see you doing some deliveries on the roads of ETS2 and ATS together!
Interesting News from Idaho
We have received some interesting images today, in which you can see that a CCTV camera located at an unspecified place, that seems to be a farm, has captured a really cool-looking trailer and truck. The search for further information is still ongoing, so for now all we can do is wait for more details to be released.
Until more concrete news emerges, keep an eye out on our social media profiles for any possible updates. Everyone is rooting for additional hints and we’ll let you know as soon as they arrive!
Wyoming - Cities along I-80
You may have noticed a certain pattern evolving when we are talking about the upcoming Wyoming expansion. Every once in a while there is a mention of the Interstate 80 (or simply I-80) and there is a proper reason for that. Today we will describe to you the importance of this transcontinental freeway and show you which cities you will be able to visit on your journey along this historic road.
I-80 is the second-longest Interstate highway in the United States and it runs from downtown San Francisco all the way to the New York City Metropolitan Area. Not only that, the I-80 has existed since 1956, and its route resembles the historic Lincoln Highway, which was the first road across the United States. More importantly, what makes Wyoming so significant in the I-80’s 2,899.59 mi (4,666.44 km) distance journey, is the fact that the road reaches its maximum elevation of 8,640 feet (2,630 m) above sea level at Sherman Summit.
Since we are already in the area of the Laramie Mountains, we might as well mention one of the cities that you will be able to visit in the new map expansion. Laramie is situated on the high plains in southeastern Wyoming and its population makes it the third-largest city in the state. The rich history is apparent at every corner and the feeling of a growing local culture is inescapable.
Moving a bit to the west, the city of Rawlins has definitely progressed from being just a place for a short drink for General John A. Rawlins, who proclaimed the local water as the most refreshing drink he ever had. After this, the area was named Rawlins Springs and the name was eventually shortened to what we are calling it today.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] Speaking of springs, apart from historical importance, Rock Springs is the most industrialized county in Wyoming, with over half of the workforce being employed by industry, mining, power generation and related services. The city’s rich cultural heritage is underlined mainly by the architecture of the City Hall, which you will be able to see as well.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] And finally, Evanston is the last city we’re going to mention today. This town was founded during the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1868 and back then, a saloon/restaurant was built in a tent near what is now Front Street. The area was an important trading location for over a hundred years, with massive growth arriving during an oil boom in the 1980s.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td][/tr][/table] Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the capital city of Wyoming - Cheyenne. It will be a part of a special future blog instead! For now, we hope we have done the importance of I-80 and its Wyoming cities justice. Whether you fancy the beautiful architecture or the general feel of rich history, make sure to add Wyoming DLC to your Steam Wishlist and stay in touch with the latest news.
Good news everyone! After releasing several articles related to the Wyoming map expansion and teasing you with a lot of beautiful images, we figured that in order to keep things moving, today may be the right time to bring out an actual gameplay video and add more fuel to the fire in the engine of the speeding hype train. Please sit down, get some snacks and enjoy this short ride-along in the upcoming Wyoming DLC, covering a drive from Riverton to Jackson, WY.
[previewyoutube="R0VUfbMuiB0;full"] If you're still holding on to the hype train and not planning on falling off yet, be sure to add Wyoming DLC to your Steam Wishlist, and eventually you will all be able to drive through the same route on your own. Until then, we have much more to show you, so keep an eye out for any possible news in the near future!
Just like great movies always deserve a sequel, content updates with a large amount of beautiful screenshots deserve a second part as well. That is why today we are bringing to you a second collection of images from the upcoming Wyoming DLC and its road network. The feedback for the first set of pictures involved a lot of praise (such as - great, nice, wonderful, superb and... crazy) so we’ll see how this one will fare.
In the previous post we mentioned the fact that Wyoming will certainly have no shortage of colorful bridges, that’s why it is only fair to give a mention to a particularly unique style here. And no, this isn’t a quick trip over to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, these are just expertly-crafted multi-level bridge bases that you can directly pass by while driving on the road in this brand new map expansion. Don’t worry, if "stairs" are not your thing, we’ve thrown some of the more usual bridge constructions into the mix.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td][/tr][/table] One of the signs of fresh things coming your way are also, well... signs! The roads are always changing, they expand and evolve, and their companions made of metal (usually) have to keep up with this trend.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] [table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] And last but not least, we have more images of gantries to share. These are traffic signs assemblies in which signs are mounted on and they are usually built on high traffic roads with several lanes, in order to avoid drivers having difficulties seeing the signals/signs at the side of the route.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td][/tr][/table] We hope you have enjoyed the additional peek at the road network in the upcoming Wyoming DLC and if you cannot wait to experience all the new additions on your own, add the expansion to your Steam Wishlist and you’ll always stay in touch with the latest news!
It is a generally known fact that about seventy-one percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, and that is why it would be unimaginable to talk about the upcoming Wyoming DLC without ever mentioning the local water bodies! Without any hesitation, let’s dive into what you can expect.
Even though the local environment of Wyoming may not consist of the same proportion of water as Earth itself, passing by some of the reservoirs may in fact create such an illusion. The Glendo, Boysen and Palisades reservoirs are not mere ponds; they are vast water-filled areas, which are capable of creating extraordinary scenery in conjunction with the surrounding hillsides and mountains. Palisades Reservoir is also located along Snake River, which has one of the oldest place names in the area - reportedly derived from the S-shaped hand sign made by a Native American tribe.
Man-made reservoirs cannot exist without their dams. You will have the opportunity to witness the Boysen Dam, which has a unique look to it, being a rockfill dam. Additionally, not only will the Flaming George Dam be a part of the game, but you will also be able to drive on the road built across the top of it and there will be a viewpoint included as well! Trust us, despite the dam’s name, there’s still plenty of water around.
Furthermore, there’s also going to be a chance to pass by a couple of lakes. These are namely Bear Lake and Wind River Lake. Bear Lake (actual bears not guaranteed) is a popular destination for tourists and it is no wonder, that you will be able to enjoy this beautiful scenery with an included viewpoint. Wind River Lake is an alpine lake found at a high altitude, and even though you will not be able to visit its frequently visited picnic area, you can always take that one perfect screenshot and enjoy a snack or two looking at it afterwards!
If you are excited for the release of Wyoming DLC, do not forget to bring your swimming trunks and add Wyoming to your Steam Wishlist. Well... You will not be able to swim in the water bodies so just focus on delivering goods and basking in the glory of Wyoming’s natural beauty.
We love to bring you new game updates, especially when they contain features that have been requested for a long time! Those who are familiar with our forum probably already heard about our quietly released Experimental Open Beta for 1.41 update, which we have decided to release without extra promotion so we could closely and carefully monitor the first wave of community feedback. Convoy is, for sure, the most anticipated content coming to ATS with this update. Today, we are happy to share with you that Update 1.41 Open Beta for American Truck Simulator is now ready to be tested fully and publicly by our community!
However, please keep in mind that this is still an open beta, which remains in a very much work-in-progress state. If you want to take it for a spin, you can help contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section of our official forum. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out.
Please bear in mind that this update will likely render many community MODs incompatible. MOD authors may need to adjust and update their mods to work with this update. We strongly recommend that you use a profile without any third-party modifications if you wish to participate in the 1.41 Open Beta.
So, let's take a look at what the 1.41 update has in store!
Convoy Multiplayer Open Beta
Convoy is a new multiplayer game mode, where players can set up and host their own private sessions (password optional) to drive with their friends or other fellow truckers. There is currently support for synchronized AI traffic, time and weather, and the ability to take the same job as other players.
During this open beta phase, Convoy will allow you to create and host an online session with up to 8 players. We plan to eventually raise the player limit in the future, however, we are keeping it small at this time due to its work-in-progress nature. Session hosts will automatically be made admins of these sessions, allowing them to ultimately control what kind of environment they want to have online, as well as having the ability to kick any trouble-makers from the session.
You can also see, filter, browse and eventually join any of the available sessions that have been already created by your friends or other truckers.
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So what options and features will players be able to use and experience in the open beta of Convoy?
[table][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] We know how many players are eager to try out this new feature; however, there are some things you will need to know before joining your friends on the road! Convoy is in a beta phase, which means you may potentially run into some bugs, imperfections, or unexpected problems whilst driving.
Notable issues / not yet implemented:
Worried about your profile progress? In case of trouble-makers or other circumstances out of your control, players will have the option to revert their save to one made previously before joining the session. From friends to VTC's, we are excited to see how you will enjoy Convoy and we look forward to hearing your constructive feedback on this new online feature.
California Reskin
During our special Christmas 2020 live stream, we announced that we would be revisiting California in American Truck Simulator to give our starting state a reskin! Today, we bring the first iteration of this reskin, carrying a major road layout rework, agriculture stations, and more!
One of the most noticeable changes drivers will experience when arriving in California are the new agriculture border control stations! All drivers hauling goods into the state will have to undergo special checks from the control station where vehicles are inspected for commodities that may be infested with invasive species, and for the correct documentation. In-game, we will mimic these scenarios with a new feature, which will work very similarly to the current weigh stations. Upon your arrival at the border, depending on what you are hauling, drivers will be notified to pull over for an inspection at one of the control stations before they are given the green light to enter the state.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] Our world design tools have been considerably improved during the years since ATS was released as well, and we plan to take advantage of the new power. For example, our map designers can now pay attention to details like the proper roll of the road surface in a curve. We are also trying to make sure we get our research right when it comes to unique road signage elements, proper road markings, or the use of cat's eyes. We hope to achieve a completely new look and feel when driving across the State. Read more here.
[table][tr][td][/td] [td][/td][/tr][/table] Photo Mode: Time & Weather options
We know how much our players love to take photos in-game and spend a lot of time creating that perfect shot, and for many, this also includes finding the right lighting conditions and weather. So to help create that perfect trucking memory, we have implemented a new feature that may save you quite a bit of time when it comes to using console commands!
Introducing the new Time and Weather options! Players will now be able to choose the conditions of their liking, to create the perfect trucking snap just by simply adjusting a new slider to change the time, or clicking on two buttons to control the lighting/weather, all of which will appear in the updated in-game photo studio. We can't wait to see how drivers will use this new feature in the future and we look forward to seeing your snaps!
Changelog
Gameplay:
Map
UI
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 → 1.41. No password required.
Wyoming - Devils Tower
If you’ve seen the title and now you are terrified that instead of delivering the usual goods, you’re now going to become the ferryman Charon himself, transporting souls by the river Styx, or perhaps that this is going to be some sort of spooky horror blog post, then have no fear, we are going to talk about a major landmark of Wyoming instead! You have seen many legendary places during your driving adventures, but the opportunity to witness the Devils Tower in the distance while you are sitting behind the wheel is a chance unlike any other. And it looks breathtaking in all situations, no matter the hour or weather, right?
Devils Tower is a famous butte with hundreds of vertical cracks and a total height of 5,112 ft (1,558 m), which makes it an extremely distinctive feature in the area full of prairies. The name’s origin can be traced all the way back to the year 1875 and the expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge (not to be mistaken with Doge). The name "Devils Tower" was reportedly a misinterpretation of a native title "Bad God’s Tower", which does not really sound that bad but still has a quite dangerous ring to it nonetheless.
As much as it would’ve been entertaining to see the trucks climb up the mountain, the sight of this natural wonder is much better experienced by seeing the "bigger" picture with everything around; therefore the closest possible point will be the visitor’s center and in front of the gate at the entrance to the park. But do not weep, because there will be a nearby farm and an interactive viewpoint below the tower, in which the most attentive may find something very interesting.
They say that picture is worth more than a thousand words. You'll be able to easily create similar shots with the upcoming 1.41 Update which brings the revisited in-game photo mode. And if you cannot wait to experience driving through Wyoming DLC, remember to add Wyoming to your Steam Wishlist and you can be one of the first to admire the Devils Tower and much more! And if you are still a little bit worried about the name, just remember, "the Devil went down to Georgia" some time ago anyway.
Howdy, truckers! We don't talk very often about Texas DLC on our blog, as there is still a ton of work ahead of us to start hyping it too much. But we have assembled the largest team ever to work on an ATS DLC for this project, and they keep producing great stuff. Today we are delighted to share some of the landmarks and prefabs that you will eventually be able to spot while on the road in this massive state. Get your cowboy hats ready and let's jump right into it!
What comes to people's minds when you ask them to imagine driving through Texas? For many, it's the oil wells and oil processing facilities. The state is the leading oil producer in the USA; the new map expansion would not feel complete if we did not focus on oil processing and related transport when portraying it. Your future journeys may frequently bring you to various functional areas such as oil wells and oil service depots. In addition to the fractionation method we previously introduced in Idaho, Texas will also be using oil extraction by pressure. The service depots will be the source of oil well mechanical parts, which are a must-have since there are about 180,000 oil wells in Texas.
Apart from oil industry-related areas, there will also be an introduction of the first glass plant. Our inspiration is a state-of-the-art facility that boasts the latest inventions that redefine glass processing and prevent excessive pollution. You may also find it interesting to deliver to a warehouse used for transferring cargo between Mexico and the USA.
Texas is home to a great deal of charming architecture and there are many interesting structures that you will be able to spot while on your deliveries. Some of the structures have major historical importance, for example The Herring Hotel, which is the only one still standing of the three oil-boom era hotels built in the 1920s, or perhaps "A Tribute to Courage", a monument that is a statue of Sam Houston - army general and the first president of Texas.
These are of course just a few examples. There will also be a number of well-known courthouses, apartment buildings, arenas, university, a medieval castle (although not really an actual castle!) and... what’s that? Did you think we could forget about the legendary Texas Capitol? Never! You will definitely be able to see this landmark in the game as well.
We hope you have enjoyed an early look at what is coming in the upcoming Texas DLC. Trust us, there will be much more to show you in the future. If you cannot wait to pass by some of these buildings or feel the atmosphere of the ever-growing industry, don’t forget to add the expansion to your Steam Wishlist and stay in touch with all the upcoming news.
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