The other morning I was farming along when one of the Steam users I follow messaged me. He was asking questions about Farming Simulator 15 and the level of realism it offers to the virtual farmer. During the back and forth exchange, he was asking if things like season, climate, weather and other regional challenges were factored into the game. Of course I had to regretfully explain that none of these elements are factored into default game play. I did elaborate slightly about how mods like the awesome SoilMod do go a long way in helping to achieve a slightly deeper level of immersion. However, I believe he was really seeking even more depth than what is available through the mods I’m aware of. He went on to throw out ideas such as seasons with the idea that during certain seasons the virtual farmer would be forced to do other tasks on the farm. Take certain aspects of the farming life indoors through the use of greenhouse facilities. In addition, many of us would love to see more realism with regards to ground physics, vehicle mechanics (maintenance, damage, dirt) and perhaps even player fatigue come into play. Of course, there are mods which try to simulate mechanical reliability (the damage mod comes to mind). But there really is no penalty if we choose to never wash our vehicles. Try that in the real world and see where that gets you.
While it would be safe to say the majority of individuals who will read this blog post either directly from GrizzlyBearSims.com, PC-SG Forums or anywhere else it’s being distributed do truly want a more “As Real As It Gets” level of realism from our favorite simulation based games (myself included). But unfortunately, our numbers are very small and for many reasons. First, cost! But more about these things in just a minute.
Of the simulation based games I enjoy (think Planes, Trains and Automobiles – and Farming Too!) Flight Sim (Prepar3D, FSX or X-Plane) is truly the best at delivering the most “As Real As It Gets” experience. Actually, the term “As Real As It Gets” has been the Microsoft motto for their flight sim franchise for as long as I can remember. But if you break it all down, flight sim (again via Prepar3D, FSX or X-Plane) offers the enthusiast a 100% global experience. Want to fly from Denver to London? Want to experience real world weather conditions both on the ground and in the air? Want to experience the effects of windshere or what happens when you mis-calculate the amount of fuel required to complete a flight? Yep….it can be done in flight sim. Take the level of immersion up a few notches with complex payware add-on aircraft which simulate how the real aircraft equivalent performs from a cold & dark flight deck experience all the way to engine shutdown. It can be done! Of course much of what I’ve described is only available through add-ons (or mods). But it is available and they do a really good job of full immersion. But the downside, it costs a lot of money to reach this level of immersion.
A company like Giants is in business to make money and it is my opinion that at the present date and time, they are the best at what they do. Yes, competition is certainly on the horizon. The fourth quarter of 2016 and early 2017 is shaping up to be the year of all things Farming Simulation. Some titles are already here with others to come. While it’s true all appear to offer a little more realism, much of what we may want may never come. Especially at the price point of $19 – 29 USD. But just as important, the audience numbers are also relatively small. Most are just not interested in the full immersion. In the example of farm sim, most just want to plant, fertilize, harvest then rinse and repeat. Factoring in the need to make important decisions such as do I have enough hay, straw, silage to last the winter months…is it too early (or too late) to plant X crop or another number of any of the many other factors which go into running a real world farming empire.
Of course, these are just my opinions. What do you think?
I play a lot of simulation based video games. Actually…if the game doesn’t have the word “simulation” in the title, I’m very much liable to pass it by. I also have an extremely narrow definition of the word “simulation” and there are some very popular game titles using the word “simulation” in their name. Some of these titles have absolutely earned the right to be called “simulators” and some have not. In addition to playing simulation based games, I also enjoy watching others via Twitch and YouTube. There are a lot of really good gamers out there and likewise there are a lot of not-so-great gamers. It may surprise you to know that my views of what makes a great simulation gamer versus a not-so-great simulation gamer may have little to do with regards to controlling an aircraft, backing up a truck, seeding a field or driving a train. The reason? We’re all a noob at some point. The majority of the great simulation based gamers don’t have a pilots license, they’ve never driven a vehicle larger than a car and the closest thing they come to running a farm is when they walk through the produce aisle at their local grocery store. For the most part, what makes them great is how much they strive for realism in their gaming style.
Realism through Simulation
I’m not sure if the tagline “Realism through Simulation” has been adopted by anyone. I did Google it and I searched using that phrase on YouTube and nothing really relating to video game play or video gamers popped up, so I’m adopting it for my blog. Realism through Simulation will become my goal as I not only play the various simulation based games I enjoy, but it will also become the threshold for what I write about and how I write about it here on GrizzlyBearSims.com.
Mods, Mods, Mods – The root of all that is evil?
One pitfall I see many gamers fall into with regards to realism has to do with mods. Before I go any further, let me say this. I absolutely love and support the modding community. While you may disagree with what I’m going to say next, I truly believe the modding community has been instrumental in the success of many of the simulation based games I play. Said another way, many of these game titles would have been dead a long time ago without a strong modding community supporting them. Imagine what it would be like to play ETS2, ATS, FS15 etc. without mods?
But some mods are perhaps the root of all that is evil…or certainly go along ways towards breaking realism. Again, before I go further….let me just say that I’m NOT writing this article to instruct anyone how they should play their simulation based games. If you want to haul in the wheat crop pulling a loooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggg train of tippers that is your choice. Likewise, if you want to cultivate a field with a cultivator measuring almost 150 feet, again that is your choice.
Perhaps the reason why I’ve been thinking about my own game play style and choosing to write about it has to do with a Twitch channel I watched recently. I’ll keep the identity of the streamer to myself, but he was clearly struggling and I (and many other viewers) were trying to coach him on a few things. Most of the issues he had were caused by some of the mods he was using. But towards the end of his broadcast he mentioned that he was bored with Farming Simulator 15 because it was too easy. Yes, he was cultivating his field with a 150 foot cultivator.
As I try to wrap this up, no I certainly don’t count the rivets or bolts and I don’t compare color swatches. But for me and how I choose to play these simulation based games…I do strive for authencity. I believe playing simulation based games as authentic as possible, goes a long way towards keeping the level of play from becoming boring. It’s one of the reasons why I will routinely plow AND cultivate a field before harvest. It’s also the reason why I don’t use a 150’ cultivator.
Realisim thorugh Simulation works for me.
Until next time…
Best of luck with your simulation adventures….regardless how you play the game.
If you’re like me, you desire to participate in internet forums or communities along with likeminded individuals for the sole purpose of learning, sharing knowledge or for just good ole camaraderie with good people. While there are communities just for the farming folks, or for the truckers…there are very few which are geared towards all things simulation gaming. And let’s be honest, if you truly enjoy simulation based gaming…you more than likely are farming, you are trucking, you may also be flying, driving a train, a bus…etc. Of course, another issue with some online communities has to do with their heavy handed moderation tactics which in my opinion just says “UNFRIENDLY”. As I’ve become older, I’ve found I have very little time for these types of places and tend to avoid them like the plague. But…there is a place that is different.
Please allow me a few minutes to share with all my readers of the GrizzlyBearSims Blog, a wonderful community which is dedicated to all things simulation. The community is called PC-SG. The PC-SG site is managed by a wonderful individual named Stuart who is based in the UK. I first learned about PC-SG last summer as Stuart was launching the community. Stuart asked me if I would be interested in joining and helping him with some moderation duties and writing content. I gladly accepted and really enjoyed my time assisting. Unfortunately, I had to take a few months away due to personal reasons…but returned to PC-SG and have also resumed my staff duties as well. I’m truly honored Stuart kept my seat warm during my absence.
I truly believe PC-SG is a different kind of community, built and designed for a different breed of gamer. Stuart himself is an avid simulation gamer and passionate about helping others. After all, he created PC-SG just for the sole purpose of bringing like minded individuals together who enjoy simulation based gaming and want an online place to call home. At PC-SG you’ll find others who share your enthusiasm and interest in simulation games including Flight Simulator, Train Simulator, Farming Simulator, Truck Simulator and more. At PC-SG you’ll also find extremely talented individuals who have taken their love of simulation games and combined it with their creativity to produce some of the best mods on the internet.
I think I can speak for Stuart when I say, we want and need others who share our level of passion and enthusiasm. If you enjoy PC Simulation Gaming and looking for others who also share your same interests, then head over to PC-SG and register for an account. Then…stop by the forums and introduce yourself.
Thank you for your time and I’ll see you at PC-SG.
Has anyone been watching the Twitch Live Streams or YouTube videos regarding the newly released Bus Simulator 16? What are your thoughts? What are your opinions? I had been thinking about adding OMSI 2 for several months. With Aerosoft behind the development of the game I felt like it would be a good purchase. However, it was released in late 2013 and from watching videos and reading reviews, the graphics are rather lacking, the overall game performance is mediocre and I keep hearing how difficult it is to setup. Finally the price. OMSI 2 sells for $34.99 in the Steam Store and various add-on DLC starts at $9.99 with some commanding up to $34.99 for what appears to be an unfinished map.
Yesterday, Wednesday 2 March a brand new Bus Simulator was released via the Steam Store simply called Bus Simulator 16. At the current moment, Bus Simulator 16 is on sale at 10% off (ends 9 March) and will cost you $22.49 USD (Reg. price $24.99). You can also visit the external website for Bus Simulator 16 here. The game is available for both PC and Mac.
As I stated, I watched several excellent Twitch Streamers on Wednesday who played the game for several hours. Most had very positive feedback for the game but pretty much everyone agrees that it does need some work. The great news about the game is it does offer mod support. While I’m sure the game developers will address the important issues with the game, mod support will also help make this a very successful game.
Take about 5 minutes of your time and watch TheNorthernAlex provide an “Everything You Need To Know” overview of Bus Simulator 16. This is a brand new feature on his channel and he is kicking it off with Bus Simulator 16.
Finally, you may also want to read the player reviews on the Bus Simulator 16 Steam Store Page. But I would encourage you to read these with an open mind. I’m certainly not attempting to convince you to purchase (or not purchase) this game…I’m simply saying that many of the negative reviews were posted with little actual playing time.
Will I purchase this game? Yes…I am planning to purchase Bus Simulator 16 today (Thursday). I may even live stream my experience from the very beginning. So please check out my Twitch channel and go ahead and follow me so you’ll receive the notification when I go live.
When I first built my current gaming machine, I purchased and installed the GTX 780Ti (3GB) GPU. At the time I believe more powerful GPU’s were available, but they were also well over $1,000. Two years ago, the 780Ti was approx. $600. My previous gaming machine had the GTX 460 (1GB) model, so I felt the 3GB model would be fine. At the time I was only using my gaming machine for Flight Sim. Both FSX (and P3D) are more CPU intensive programs and really anything over 3GB would be overkill.
But then I began to play other simulation based games such as Farming Sim 2015, Euro Truck 2 and in the past few weeks I’ve been burning up the highways in California and Nevada playing American Truck Simulator. My 780Ti began to show its age with both ETS2 and the new ATS. I really had to dial down the graphics settings to keep my frame rates high enough for the games to be playable. Things seemed to get worse with a recent update to ATS when they introduced the new Kenworth W900 DLC. I’m not the only one that noticed the loss of FPS.
Now having spent so many years flying FSX and now P3D, FPS rates in flight sim just aren’t the same thing as it relates to other games. Gamers may demand FPS rates well above 60 FPS (or even into the 100+ range) with many games. We’ve just never been able to experience that in FSX/P3D. Especially when flying the more complex, payware aircraft (like PMDG) and using add-on scenery, weather etc. etc. etc. But at times when I would drive through the city areas (like LA, SF etc.) my FPS rates would drop into the teens. It was especially noticeable when turning. It was like watching a bad slideshow.
I was able to keep FPS rates in the low 20’s with some tweaks using the Nvidia Inspector. This of course is an old trick we would need to do to get more from FSX. But it still wasn’t to my liking. Plus, when monitoring my GPU, the GPU was running constantly at 99%. The more I thought about it, the more I was leaning towards upgrading my GPU.
Well…I finally pulled the trigger and purchased the GTX 980Ti SC+. This beast of a GPU offers me 3x the performance and 3x the memory of my old 780Ti and it really shows when playing both ATS and ETS2. With max graphic settings, the GTX 980Ti SC+ works at less than 50% capacity. My FPS rates are steady at 60 FPS (even in cities). I’m very pleased.
At the moment I know I’m mostly playing ATS, ETS2 and FS2015. I will return to P3D and I’m hoping for even better performance and visuals with that application.
American Truck Simulator – My First Look
Yes, the very much anticipated American Truck Simulator hit the Steam Store on Tuesday, 2 February. This was an entire day earlier than expected and it certainly looks like American Truck Simulator (ATS) will be everything that Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) is and in my opinion, a whole lot more. Here in the US of A, American Truck Simulator can be purchased from the Steam Store for a whopping $19.99. I’m not sure if this is a limited “introductory price” or if this will be the price going forward. But in my opinion, this game is worth every red cent. Like ETS2, ATS is developed by SCS Software, based in Prague, Czech Republic.
I must admit, I’m relatively new on the scene of these types of games. Oh I’ve been flying computer sims for over 30 years (got my start on the Commodore 64) and you can find a lot more about my involvement in the Flight Simulation Community by reading my Flight Sim Blog. However, while I’ve certainly known about “other” simulation type games…I really didn’t get the point. I mean, who wants to just drive a truck around or plow some fields? Holy Moly have I been wrong.
My foray into these “other” type of simulation games came at a time in my life where I was doing an intense amount of traveling. I spent the better part of 2014 and half of 2015 in hotel rooms. To better pass the time, I brought along a high-end gaming laptop but playing Flight Simulator just wasn’t appealing without all my external hardware. Plus, FSX (and even P3D) just requires a lot more horsepower for me to be satisfied with the experience. So I was in a hotel room back in the fall of 2014 watching Twitch. I noticed one of the usual flight sim streamers was playing Farming Simulator 2015. Again, my first reaction was….Gosh this must be a boring game. But honestly, the longer I watched….the more interesting it became. So I decided to give it a go. I was hooked on FS2015. Plus it was a game that performed really well on my gaming laptop and I could play it while traveling. It saved me from boring “hotel television”.
Some time later, I saw that same Twitch streamer playing Euro Truck Simulator 2. Again, spending so much time away from home…this looked like something that could help pass the time. It did! I became hooked on ETS2, then soon after I began hearing about and seeing preview videos regarding American Truck Simulator. Oh…I wanted ATS. As a matter of fact, just learning about ATS sort of caused me to lose interest in ETS2. Perhaps being an American, living in America and truly understanding just how important trucking is to this country…well, I just wanted ATS. Oh…I actually used to drive a truck (tractor/trailer). Back in the early 1990’s I worked for the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company. I drove a tractor/trailer rig and delivered Dr. Pepper products. Anyway, ATS just couldn’t come soon enough for me.
While the new year is only one month in, it’s been a busy time for me and my wife. One, we have both been sick and it seems like we’ve been sick most of 2016. I guess this fact is true as we are both still not 100%. But every day is a new day. Anyway, I had almost forgotten about the release of ATS until I received the email from the Steam Store letting me know a product on my wish list had just been released. I was at work, but I logged into Steam and made the purchase right then and there. The hours were dragging by until I could get home and install on my gaming PC. Between Tuesday afternoon/evening and today (written on Thursday morning 4 February) I’ve accumulated 8 hours playing ATS. I know this is certainly no record, but I feel I have enough hours logged in game to provide a few initial thoughts (or opinions). These won’t all be 100% positive, but give it a read and let me know what you think.
Initial Thoughts
WOW….As Tim McGraw would sing, “I like it, I love it…I want some more of it”. Basically it is ETS2, but with American Trucks (Kenworth and Peterbilt) with trucking routes currently in California and Nevada. The state of Arizona will be released as a free expansion pack in the very near future. Again, the current price in US Dollars is $19.99 via the Steam Store. Like ETS2, ATS (at this time) is only available for the PC. No console versions (to my knowledge) are planned.
Thoughts about Console Games
I just want to quickly throw this out there. I don’t own a game console. So the only games I’m really experienced with are PC based programs. While I have friends who rave about various console game titles, a game title like American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2 (and even Farming Simulator 2015) would be extremely limited on a console game. Of course, I’m aware Farming Simulator 2015 is available for the console platform, but it is EXTREMELY limited in game play from the experience one gets on the PC game platform. Games like ATS, ETS2 and FS2015 are enhanced by all the various game mods (game modifications) made available. While I’ve played almost the full 8 hours on ATS without adding any Mods, in the coming days, weeks and months….so many great mods will be made available that (in my opinion) will just make the experience better. For those familiar with Flight Sim (FSX or P3D). Just think of only flying the default aircraft, default textures, default weather etc. BORING!!!!
Things I like about ATS
#1 is the fact that ATS is about AMERICAN TRUCKS. Trucks and Trucking, is who we are as Americans. Truck drivers (and the trucks they drive) are as important as the Cowboy was back in the 1800’s. You can’t drive down any US Highway without seeing a tractor/trailer rig hauling the goods that make our country so awesome. As ATS continues its eastern expansion, the game and game play will continue to offer hours and hours and even more hours of fun and excitement.
In the short 8 hours I’ve had with ATS, I’ve explored Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Las Vegas (plus a lot in between). SCS Software has done an outstanding job modeling these American cities. Of course, unlike the Flight Sim world where a city like LA is full size and flying from LAX to SFO (without acceleration) takes the same amount of time it does in real life…the world in American Truck Simulator is condensed. Driving a semi from Los Angeles to San Francisco in real life would probably take 8-9 hours (perhaps longer with California traffic). But in ATS, this can be done in about 30 minutes. So keeping this in mind, (and back to my thoughts on the cities I’ve explored) SCS Software have done a great job in adding in the major landmarks you expect to see while driving through these great US cities.
I play in career mode, which just simply means that I start out with nothing and work my way up to a point where I can purchase my first truck, then slowly save and grow my trucking company by adding more trucks and hire drivers to drive those trucks. I don’t use mods which add any extra $$$ or XP (Experience Points). While I’m not going to climb up on my ivory tower and say it is evil to use these types of mods, I’ll just say that with many things in life, the personal satisfaction gained by hard work will make you appreciate each and every dollar you earn. But it is your game…you can play it any way you like.
I also like the weigh station concept which has been added into ATS. This is very true to life and is something that American Truckers must put up with. It’s done nicely in ATS. While driving, you may receive an alert to pull into the next weigh/inspection station. Failure to do so will result in a fine. Just exit at the next station and drive onto the scales and stop. It only takes a few seconds.
Finally, perhaps some may be wishing more of the US of A was represented in ATS. I think the current setup of California and Nevada (and the soon to be free expansion of Arizona) will be enough to keep this game interesting for some time. Of course, I truly hope in time we will see new states added. While I’m sure the expansion states will come with an extra cost…it will serve to help keep the game fresh and new. Driving a truck in California, Nevada and Arizona will be completely different from Colorado, Texas and beyond.
Things I dislike about ATS
As I stated earlier, this blog post is not going to be 100% positive. I believe there are some serious issues with how they set a few things up in ATS which I didn’t really notice in ETS2.
Police
The police in ATS are truly a pain in the backside. Unlike the lack of police cars in ETS2, (handled via speed cameras) police cars are part of the AI in American Truck Simulator. You’ll spot police cars cruising the streets, highways and even parked on the side of the road. The police cars don’t actually pull you over, but instead will hit you with a speeding ticket of $1000.00. Now in ETS2, I believe the variance was about 5 mph. Meaning if the speed limit was 55, you could safely set your cruise control to 60 and be OK. Plus the red light cameras in ETS2 only seem to be near the city areas. But in ATS, the police are everywhere.
Now, I realize just a few minutes ago I said I didn’t use any mods to cheat the natural play of the game. But I seriously believe there is a programming issue with the behavior of the police and because of this, I’ve installed a mod to remove the fines. Now this doesn’t mean that I am speeding everywhere I go.
Speed Limits
As you traverse between California and Nevada, you’ll notice a big difference with speed limits on the highways. In California, on all highways and interstates I’ve driven on, this speed limit in the game is 55. You’ll notice as you drive in Nevada the speed limit increases up to 65, 70 and I think even 80 in some areas. But the issue I have with the speed limits in the game is two-fold.
First, the speed limit signs just aren’t very visible in the game. Perhaps this is just me, but I’ve heard a few Twitch streamers mention the same thing. Before I installed the mod which disabled the police fines, the speed limit would be 55, then change to 30 and almost always there would be a cop and if you didn’t immediately slow from 55 to 30, he would ding you $1000. In the real world, it is easier to spot the speed limit signs and in many cases you’ll see a sign informing you that a slower speed limit is approaching.
Second, most city speed limits in the game is 30 mph. This is fine. But what I’ve noticed several times is as you are driving through the city at 30 mph, you’ll see the speed limit increase to 55 mph then less than a minute later it drops down to 45 or 30 mph. Then a few moments later it is back up to 55. I don’t feel this is realistic. YES, most US cities will have a reduced speed limit, but as you near the city limits they speed limits will begin to increase to say 45 mph, then to 55 mph etc. Unless it is a construction zone, you won’t really see the speed limit increase and then be almost immediately reduced as you are still leaving the city limits.
AI Traffic
The AI Traffic is absolutely nuts in both ATS and ETS2. Of course, I’ve also noted really odd behavior with the AI in Farming Simulator 2015 and for years the AI in Flight Sim has also been symptomatic. I fully understand this is just how it is. But if you play ATS (or ETS2 for that matter) long enough you’ll learn to hate the AI traffic. I’ve yet to take the measures to turn it off. But here are my top pet peeves with the AI traffic
First, while I know in real life someone may pass you then immediately slow down…but in ATS (and ETS2) it seems to happen more and more. Second, here in the US…trucks (and cars too) will often merge to the left when vehicles are merging onto the interstate. This doesn’t really happen in the game. Third, most highways (especially interstates) will have a much longer acceleration lane while merging onto the highway. This allows the vehicles to gain speed before merging left. This might also help with the crazy behavior of the AI drivers.
Finally, with regards to AI traffic behavior. There are a few situations where you must cross or turn onto a highway with no ramp or stop light. The AI traffic just keeps coming and coming and coming. Really the only thing that you can do is to slowly start driving into the intersection and eventually the traffic will stop. But this is not very realistic in real life.
Trains
Ugh…while I realize this is American TRUCK Simulator and not a Train Simulation game, the trains depicted in the game are weak sauce. In America, what isn’t transported via truck is done so via rail. LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG freight trains hauling tanker cars, box cars, intermodal etc. etc. need to be added to give us more eye candy.
My Wish List for ATS
While I realize there will always be some limitations of what can be done in a game application versus real life, I feel (and certainly hope) some of these wish list items can be incorporated into American Truck Simulator to better match up with real life experience.
Police
Hopefully the points I made above (in the Things I dislike about ATS) section can be addressed.
AI Traffic
Hopefully the AI engine technology can be further developed to ease some of the headaches.
Real World Brands
I know this is a licensing issue. But hopefully mod developers will soon release real world branding to the game. I’m ready to see Fed Ex instead of Post Ed trucks.
Double/Triple Trailers
Would love to see ATS incorporate the opportunity to haul double and triple trailers. Man, that would be cool!
Livestock
This is really self explanatory. I’d love the opportunity to haul some beef.
Rest Areas/Truck Stops/More Places to Sleep
Again, I fully understand the fact that the world inside of ATS is downsized. I’m not sure ATS would have the same appeal if it took 50+ hours to drive coast to coast. But just as trucking is such a big part of the American culture…so are the truck stops and rest areas. I’d like to see larger fuel stops (truck stops) along the interstate highway. In addition to fuel, these big truck stops offer plenty of parking for rest breaks. Along the US Interstate Highway System you’ll find large rest areas designed for both the trucks and passenger vehicles. I’d like to see these incorporated into the game.
Thoughts about Mods
Remember what I stated near the beginning of this posting about console gaming and the lack of mod functionality. There are some really terrific mods available for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and in time I have no doubt that the mods for ATS will be just as amazing. Everything from mods to enhance the game play to different types of trucks, trailers and cargo types will be made available via mods. I have a feeling that many (if not most) of the wish list items will eventually be addressed via mods. If you search “American Truck Simulator Mods” in Google, you’ll likely find several different websites listing available mods. The site I’ve used before (and the one I downloaded the police mod) is ATSMOD.net Less than 48 hours into the release of ATS, this site already has many pages of available mods. Some useful and some not so much. In time, more and more (and higher quality mods) will be made available via these mod download sites.
Final Thoughts
I’ll repeat what I said earlier regarding my initial thoughts, again as Tim McGraw sings, “I like it, I love it…I want some more of it”. While I have listed some negative experiences I’ve had with the game in my 8 hours of play, the game itself is stable and I’ve experienced no bugs. It performs beautifully on my system (follow that link to see my system specs) and I run ATS at max settings. Actually, this is really what I enjoy about ATS, ETS2 and Farming Simulator 2015…you don’t have to spend hours and hours and hours tweaking to get max enjoyment like you need to do with FSX or P3D. As an example, if I rebuild my system, it will take me many hours to install all the add-on scenery, textures, aircraft etc. Not the case with these other titles.
I think I’ll close and upload this blog post then head downstairs and fire up my Peterbilt in American Truck Simulator.
I recently pulled the trigger on a new Logitech G27 racing wheel and TrackIR setup to enhance my all-around game play. While I realize only a few days ago I blogged about and discussed the possibility of ordering the new Saitek Farming Simulator Hardware, I thought about it….I thought about it some more and in the mean time I also started to really enjoy Euro Truck Simulator 2 (and am looking forward to the release of American Truck Simulator) so I believe my best interest is served in going with the Logitech G27 which can be used for multiple game titles. The Saitek Farming Sim hardware only will function with Farming Simulator.
In addition to the G27 steering wheel setup, I also purchased a TrackIR. To be honest I’ve never really felt the need to purchase the TrackIR head tracking hardware. While I’ve played FSX/P3D extensively over the years, I could always get by using they top-hat button on my yoke to move my camera view around the virtual cockpit. I figured that was good enough. However, as I spend more time playing ETS2 and look forward to ATS, I figure it is time I give the TrackIR a try.
Both the Logitech G27 and TrackIR will arrive sometime tomorrow. I will most likely get the G27 setup first and see how that goes. Once I get it configured to work with ETS2 and Farming Simulator 2015, I’ll proceed to setting up the TrackIR for ETS2. While there is a mod available which allows for TrackIR to function with Farming Simulator 2015, I am not sure I’ll even try it. While I have no issue driving a truck in ETS2 from inside the cab (first person view) I can’t for the life of me do it in FS2015. I blame it on the poor mirror setup in FS2015. They really need to work on that.
Anyway…I’ll be sure to return to my blog site and tell you all about my experiences (good/bad and in-between) with my new toys.
Hello to all viewing my brand new blog site. Welcome to GrizzlyBearSims.com. While the site is new, I’m certainly not new to blogging and certainly not new to game simulations. My name is JT and I’ve been blogging about various simulation games for many years. I started a flight sim blog back in 2010 and a few months ago started blogging about my adventures in Farming Simulator 2015. While I kept these two blog sites independent of each other, I think it is now time to make an effort to bring everything together under one virtual roof. In addition, I’ve also started playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 and occasionally also play Train Simulator. I guess I’m hooked on simulation based games and want to have an opportunity to blog from time to time about my activities and do it all under one blog site.
Now before I proceed, allow me to provide some explanation on the site name, GrizzlyBearSims.com. In an effort to provide some level of internet anonymity and to pay homage to my favorite animal, I decided to use GrizzlyBearSims to identify myself. Of course, this is not a direct copycat of other media content producers who use animal names. This is just my way of doing things.
So…what will you eventually see here? As previously mentioned, I do enjoy simulation based PC video games. Yes, I understand flight simulation is more than a game and I fully agree. But for the sake of defining its genre…let’s just call it a game for this post. So you will from time to time see content from my Flight Sim activities as well as Euro Truck Simulator 2, Train Simulator 2015 and yes even my activities from “down on the farm” when I play Farming Simulator 2015. While I have never been the type of blogger to post news items, you may from time to time see information pertaining to upcoming releases or breaking news on the games I tend to play. Also I plan to document all my mods/add-ons and will post links soon.
Finally, I’ve researched and researched and even researched some more and can’t find a clean, reliable way of merging all my WordPress blogs together. Without going into a lot of detail, while I can bring the posts over…anything with images would be more time consuming to migrate so for now I’m going to just provide you the links to each of the older sites. I will begin slowly bringing all the old content over, but this will take time.
