March 12, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments
Can you believe American Truck Simulator (ATS) has been out for over two years? If you are a fan of ATS, then you know in the vanilla state of the game you have the opportunity to drive in the US States of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. SCS announced a few weeks ago the next State DLC will be Oregon. I’m looking forward to the release of Oregon and I’m hopeful SCS will truly capture not only the beauty of the Beaver State, but also the unique geology, terrain and industry specifically forestry. I’m sure the Oregon DLC will be awesome.
Just hypothetically speaking, if the Oregon DLC is released sometime between now and end of June (2018), that release will come approx. 7 months after the release of New Mexico. Arizona came to us as a free DLC which was released in the June timeframe of 2016 and while it’s true much work has been done on ATS in the past two years including Arizona, New Mexico along with a Heavy Cargo Pack, Wheel Tuning Pack and a few paint jobs packs….the math doesn’t lie. If SCS continues releasing state DLC packs at their current rate, we could still be a couple of years before one can drive from the left coast to the right coast.
I first blogged about the Coast to Coast map mod way back in February 2016 (over two years ago). The Coast to Coast (C2C) map mod was the brainchild of an individual who is known as Mantrid. He simply created C2C for his own enjoyment as he wanted to be able to drive from coast to coast in ATS and he wanted to do it in a much faster timeframe than SCS could make it happen. Mantrid shared his idea/plan with a few folks who obviously wanted to be able to do the same thing and in the very early stages of this map. In the very early days of the C2C map mod it included Arizona and New Mexico (which are now both officially in ATS) with a route along I-40, I-44, I-70 etc. At that time the C2C Map Mod was very basic and scenery was pretty much a copy/paste from California and Nevada.
Over the past two years I’ve been an “on again/off again” user of the C2C map mod. Perhaps the most recent stint of my actively using it was over 6-8 months ago. But I had the bug to try it again and wow…what a difference a little time makes.
For those who have been active readers of my blog and also viewers of my YouTube Channel, you know I often praise the ProMods team who create freeware map mods for Euro Truck Simulator 2. They’ve managed to create some truly awe-inspiring work which rivals the work SCS provides to us. Just about anytime I’ve discussed the C2C project, I often tell folks that if you are thinking it is ProMods quality, you might be disappointed. But this is slowly changing….
The most recently released version of the Coast to Coast map is 2.4.1 and is fully compatible with ATS v1.30 and is available via link on the SCS Forums. Installing it is pretty easy. Just download the .rar file, unzip that and locate the .scs file. Place that in your mods folder and activate. If you are running other modded maps, you’ll want to review the loading order here.
Since the C2C Project was born it has evolved from a one-man effort into a larger team effort. Individuals have stepped forward to assist Mantrid develop the map and turn it into what it is today. While there may still be some areas of C2C which simply are a copy/paste from scenery in CA, NV and AZ….other areas are really starting to take shape and look/feel more like their real world counterparts.
I’m extremely impressed with what the team has done with my home state of Colorado. Specifically Denver. Driving around Denver, various landmarks appear where I expect to find them. The downtown skyline includes Mile High Stadium, Elitch Gardens (amusement park) and as you proceed south on I-25 you’ll find Ikea located very near where it is in real life. It’s really cool.
Over the weekend I installed the updated C2C map and picked up a load from Denver to Fort Worth. It has long been my desire to be able to drive the same route in ATS that I drive when I go to visit my family in Texas. Thanks to Mantrid and his team of very talented and skilled modders, I was able to do just that. This includes driving I-25 south to Raton, NM then across to Clayton, NM….Dalhart, Texas….Amarillo, Texas, Wichita Falls, Texas and then into the DFW metroplex. This exact route is included in the C2C map thanks to these talented individuals.
Leaving Colorado and headed to Texas for another load of my favorite ice cream. (see image below)
Just about to cross the state line into Texas. This is along highway 87 which connects from Raton, NM to Dalhart (via Texline, Texas). (see image below)
Last November my wife and I drove down to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We stopped in this same spot for a quick picnic lunch.
I took this photo in November and posted to my Facebook page. (see image below)
In closing, is the Coast to Coast map perfect? No…it’s still very much a work-in-progress. But if you really would like to get out of the CA, NV, AZ and NM area and let the hammer down, then give C2C a try. You might be surprised.
Until next time….
Happy Trucking!
JT
June 13, 2017 / admin / 2 Comments
I recently picked up a new toy called the Razer Orbweaver. Now I must admit, I have been looking at these types of programmable keypads/gameboards for sometime. I had been seriously looking at the Logitech G13, but eventually decided on the Razer Orbweaver as I felt it gave me the greatest flexibility.
Essentially this is a USB enabled game pad which gives you 30 fully programmable keys and an 8-way thumb pad. The primary use (for now) is with flight sim to control my camera views via the add-on Chaseplane. Chaseplane is a great add-on which allows me to control my camera angles and create cinematic shots while I’m flying in Prepar3D. But I do have plans to add a few extra key commands for Farming Simulator 17 and both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.
While there are many alternatives in the form of button boxes and other programmable controls, I felt this would serve me best for my intended use. Of course your mileage may vary.
Until next time…
Happy Simming!!!
Jerry
June 10, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments
What’s up recently with all these bad, rotten attitudes coming out of our hobbies in recent time? I realize for the most part these situations are not new, for the past several months I’ve been somewhat focused on the Farming Simulator side of the simulation gaming hobby and haven’t spent a great deal of time reading content from the other areas. However, in just the past few weeks I’ve been reading up on topics related to the flight sim hobby and just truly amazed at the rotten attitudes I’m seeing and hearing.
In the past several weeks, we’ve heard from one after another mod developers dropping out from the Farm Sim mod community due to a variety of reasons. But mainly these reasons can be categorized under mod theft and abuse. I’ve discussed this ad nauseam both in written form (on this blog) and in verbal form on the GrizzlyBearSims YouTube Channel. I really don’t know what else to say regarding these topics other than we (those of us who truly care) need to do our best effort to help the newcomers to our hobbies. The more we demonstrate good behavior, positive attitudes etc. the better our communities will become. But unfortunately…not all communities are created equal.
I’ve been involved in the flight sim community even before the internet age. But just about as far back as I can remember, there’s been a cancer brewing inside and this cancer comes down to ego and attitude towards newcomers to the hobby. It’s somewhat funny in a way, the flight sim community have been begging for more modern versions of our platforms to be developed. Just as I blogged about on Saturday, history will claim “2017 A Great Year for Flight Simulation”. With new versions of both Prepar3D and X-Plane, plus the much anticipated entry from Dovetail Games….you can’t argue that there is no better time to become involved in Flight Sim than the here and now. But with all these new entries, the saying of “If you build it, they will come” will prove to be very true. But what will these newcomers think of us old curmudgeons?
Bad Attitudes, Bad Communities
As is the case in all the general simulation gaming communities I’m involved with, there are some good ones, but there are a ton of rotten ones where the cancer of individual bad attitudes is just boiling over. The truly sad thing is for the most part the admins and moderators of these various communities in many ways are the major source of the cancer as they either refuse to do their job or even worse, they contribute to the overall sense of negativity.
Whether you want it or not, updated releases of our popular simulation based games will generate brand new interest in these hobbies. In addition, for those of us who produce content on YouTube, Twitch etc. we are also very much a contributing factor of this revolution. After all, that’s one of the main reasons I created my YouTube Channel.
It’s always been my policy to not use my blog or YT channel for negative purposes, so with that said…I’m not going to “Call Out” by name or slander the communities I consider to be negative. But later in this article I will mention one very good community which I not only belong to, but I also serve as an admin.
Pet Peeve
Want to know one of my biggest pet peeves with the various communities attempting to support these simulation game interests??? Well, I’m going to tell you. My biggest pet peeve is when someone (anyone) asks a question in a forum or community and the response they get is to berate (scold/criticize) them for not taking the time to search or Google for the answer themselves.
When I run into these types of situations I truly feel like asking the owner of the community specifically why they even bother running their forum/community? After all, isn’t this the reason why we have forums?
I realize there are certain individual types out there that simply expect everything be handed to them. These are the types of people that instead of trying to learn something on their own, they simply want (and expect) others to do the hard work for them. These types are easily identified and should be handled on a individual basis. But this is a small issue overall. I truly believe that most individuals do try to search first before asking, but sometimes (actually more times than not), the search results can create more confusion for the new person.
Things Change
In just the past week some news broke in the flight sim community regarding a piece of software which had historically been distributed as freeware or donation ware. However, due to real world issues the original developer of this software either didn’t have an interest to develop it further, didn’t have the time or perhaps some other reasons. In any event, the software was going to essentially die the slow death.
The software in question is called Prepar3D Tweak Assistance (PTA). Basically it is a software tool to allow flight simmers to automate the tweaking and fine tuning of different configuration parameters in P3D. As previously mentioned, the developer of PTA made the decision not to further develop PTA for the brand new 64 bit Prepar3D version 4 flight simulator.
However, another interested party stepped forward an offered his expertise and even offered a dollar figure to purchase the original source code of PTA with the idea this individual would carry the torch forward to keep this tool alive and well for years to come. With his original offer, this individual planned to continue to leave it as donation ware…but to bring a long-story somewhat shorter, the offer was rejected and after some time the parties agreed on a new offer. But with this new offer being a larger investment, the decision was made that it would change from freeware/donation ware to a payware product.
OMG! You would think some how this decision was going to end the world as we know it. This decision would also lead to catastrophic flooding, the return of the plague etc. etc. The reaction this news should have received was “Thank You” for stepping up to save an extremely valuable tool.
Folks, stuff happens. Plans change….it’s part of life. While I often think back to the days in the flight simulation hobby where awesome things (aircraft, scenery, utilities etc.) were created/developed and openly shared with everyone…many times these things always died the slow death because the original developer simply lost interest or life simply took over.
While I had never used PTA, I did purchase it when I came out and WOW…Just absolutely WOW! It has truly been worth the small investment and I’m extremely thankful to Matt for rescuing this wonderful tool and making it available. If you are a P3D v4 user and interested in the PTA tool, learn more here.
Please and Thank You
While I’ve discussed some things that I feel the leaders within our communities could do a better job controlling, we’re not all innocent. We all need to remember the manners we were taught in our young age. Please and Thank You are two of the most important words we can say and if you’re going to say them….you need to mean it.
PC-SG Community
Earlier in this article, I discussed some of the issues concerning many of the various communities designed to support a particular simulation interest. A community which I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of and also serve as an administrator and moderator is PC-SG. PC-SG was launched just over two years ago and has become an extremely popular community supporting various PC simulation gaming subjects including Farming Simulator, Truck Simulator (ATS/ETS2) and even Flight Simulator. Our team of moderators/admins are the best in the business and we’ll never criticize for asking questions. While much of the conversation in recent weeks has been related to farming, I’d really like to invite those who may be new to Flight Simulation over to PC-SG and help us build up the interest.
Final Thought
The title of this blog post ends with the word “Hobbies”. Hobbies are meant to be fun, relaxing, entertaining etc. etc. While I enjoy the ultimate realism these hobbies provide to us, we all need to relax and understand that most involved have lives outside of the gaming hobby (myself included). Our individual lives including our work, school, family, health etc. SHOULD ALWAYS come first.
Until next time…
Happy Simming and be cool….
Jerry
March 4, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments
So we now officially know the next US State DLC for American Truck Simulator will be the state of New Mexico. While this news has been out for over a month, I’ve been checking my crystal ball to see if I could determine what SCS’s next move might be. Of course, if I really had a working crystal ball…I would be doing more things with it other than attempting to learn what is in the minds of SCS. Think lottery! If I could win the lottery, I could retire and that would give me more time to spend playing all the wonderful simulation based games I love and of course blogging about them and creating YouTube content on my channel. But nonetheless, I think the direction SCS chose for their USA map expansion was absolutely brilliant and makes 100% perfect sense and here’s why.
First, American Truck Simulator is of course an American based truck simulator. Everything you need to know about this game is right there in the title. One of the things that keeps America running is the trucking industry and the one thing that allows this to run as efficiently as it does is our interstate highway system. Our US interstate highway system is truly a thing of beauty. In the image below you can see the criss-crossing US Interstate Highway System and it is this image that hopefully provides direction to SCS for where to go next after New Mexico. More about this in a minute.
Again, American Truck Simulator is about American based trucking. While trucks transport cargo in local areas for short distances, in my opinion this game is really more about moving goods over longer distances. Thankfully, SCS did the right thing by halting all future state DLC projects until the original map rescale was completed. While many complained about this, it was the right decision and we are all so much the better for it. Driving up and down I-5 in California or east along I-10 into Arizona really gives you the emersion of being a long-haul trucker.
It’s hard to judge just what the future holds for ATS. Some speculate if SCS were to actually release each of the lower 48 US States that the project would be completed sometime before 2030 based on the current speed at which we’ve seen states being released. Perhaps some of this task could be done by the modding community. Actually a large portion of the US, Canada and Mexico has already been produced. Unfortunately, it’s not always in the same level of detail as we expect from SCS. I truly love what Promods have done in the ETS2 world and I wish they would get more involved in ATS. I’ve driven Coast-to-Coast in ATS, but after the second or third time, seeing palm trees in non-coastal areas and some of the same cut and paste scenery is just a little boring. But I digress…
If I were a betting man…I would say we will continue to see a more easterly movement with upcoming DLC releases (after NM of course). I’ve read some comments on forums asking/pleading/demanding that SCS move north out of California to include Oregon and Washington. While I think those states may be included at a future date, I don’t see this as a smart thing for SCS to do. The decision for the state of New Mexico to be released after Arizona tells me that SCS will do one of two things and either of these two really excite me.
Option One
SCS could connect my birth state, The Lone Star State of Texas into the game after NM. This plan would introduce a really HUGE area connecting interstates I-20, I-40, I-30, I-35, I-45 and most importantly continues the Route 66 journey. The journey from El Paso to Orange, Texas along I-10 is a whopping 762 miles. How’s that for long-haul trucking? From LA to Orange along I-10 is a whopping 1,659 miles. Again….can you say long-haul trucking?
Option Two
Another exciting option would be to drop in Utah and Colorado. This could be done as either separate DLC state releases or perhaps a bundle and would really begin to fill in the southwest portion of the US map. While the Texas option would be great for those looking to see how long it takes for their bottom to fall asleep, the UT and CO options could really introduce some challenging driving along I-70. With the map expansion, driving along I-70 from UT, through Colorado to Denver will give virtual truckers a little “white knuckle” action. Colorado will also connect to New Mexico and offer the I-25 route which can also be a nice challenging drive.
Either way, I see the best direction for SCS to take the ATS map is mostly east and north and fill in the necessary states along the way to continue utilizing the interstate highway system to its maximum potential. I feel this is what excites most ATS users. So if I were in charge at SCS this is how I would lay out the expansion after New Mexico.
Texas, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and continue moving east and north until you reach the east coast. Of course, time will tell how all this pans out. Until then…we just keep plugging away with CA, NV and AZ and loving every minute of it.
Until next time…
Happy Trucking!!!
Jerry
September 26, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments
About a week ago SCS communicated via their blog regarding an opportunity to win one of 30,000 activation keys being given away for a brand new DLC pack. This new DLC pack is the Schwarzmuller Trailer Pack. Unfortunately, all 30k keys were awarded within 24 hours, but the great news is, for much less than a cup of fancy coffee…this brand new DLC for ETS2 can be yours. In US money the brand new Schwarzmuller Trailer Pack DLC will set you back $2.99 and is available from the Steam Store. This trailer DLC expansion pack includes FIVE trailer types including a Food Cistern, Curtain Sider, Refrigerated Trailer, Slidepost Logging Trailer and a Low Bed Trailer.
Do we need more trailer choices in ETS2? Well…perhaps not and I know through mods the sky is the limit. But as I’ve said before, the cost of this DLC is affordable (for most) and most importantly, it helps support SCS Software to further develop our favorite trucking games of ETS2 and ATS. Of course, I know this statement is often subject to ridicule. You’ve already purchased the game so hasn’t that fact alone already funded SCS Software forever and a day? Actually…NO! This is not an SCS Software issue, it is just the nature of the software business and one that I’m very familiar with. But this blog post isn’t about all that, so I’ll get back on subject.
Of course, the other major benefit of this DLC is having more choice of equipment in the multiplayer environment. While these trailers are not currently available in the TruckersMP Multiplayer environment, they should be added in the next release. THIS is great news for those of us who enjoy multiplayer action and of course unable to use mods.
The photos below are property of SCS Software and obtained from the Steam Store for the purpose of this review.
Unfortunately I was not one of the 30,000 lucky winners. By the time I read the blog article all had been awarded. But I did purchase this DLC and managed to do a few jobs in recent days with these trailers. Just in recent weeks, SCS Software has conducted two DLC giveaways via their blog site. I’m not sure if more are coming, but it’s probably worth checking often.
Until next time…
Happy Trucking!
Jerry
September 19, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments
I guess this could be classified as a mod review. But then again I’ve already reviewed this mod some time ago. While there are many outstanding mods available for both ATS and ETS2, it is my opinion that the Peterbilt 389 by Viper2 is the VERY BEST! Just to be clear, I’m not saying his Peterbilt 389 is the best truck mod. I’m actually saying this Peterbilt 389 is the BEST MOD PERIOD! At least it is my favorite.
I spent a long, long time playing ATS on the multiplayer servers where mods like this are not allowed. I really…really….I mean I really missed playing ATS with mods. As with other simulation based games I enjoy, the mods really make the experience.
The Peterbilt 389 by Viper2 not only looks fantastic…it performs very well.
Why haul for Walbert when you can haul for Snap-On Tools?
The sun may be setting on this game day, but the Peterbilt 389 by Viper2 will see many sunrises and sunsets.
If you are a fan of American Truck Simulator and you have not tried this Peterbilt 389 by Viper2, what are you waiting for? You’ll find it in the Steam Workshop.
Enjoy!
Happy Trucking!!!
Jerry
September 7, 2016 / admin / 1 Comment
On Monday, 5 September SCS Software released brand new screenshots for the much anticipated ATS map rescale project. While the screenshots are certainly welcome, the better news from SCS is they are “finishing work faster than initially anticipated”. The info went on to state that they believe internal testing could begin in several weeks and after (only after) will the open beta be made available.
I truly must say that SCS Software is perhaps the best at keeping its users informed of changes and projects for the simulation based games I enjoy. You can read more about the ATS rescale project and view the screenshots here.
As I’ve previously mentioned in an earlier blog posting, my summer has been extremely busy. What little time I’ve had for game play I’ve spent farming. ATS and ETS2 are certainly sim based games I still enjoy and I’ll return to them when time permits.
Until next time…
Happy Trucking!!!
Jerry
July 20, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments
I’m slowly starting to explore more and more of the new Arizona expansion map for American Truck Simulator. While Arizona has been available for several weeks, between my work schedule and a much needed long vacation, and even spending a little more time in Euro Truck Simulator 2, Farming Simulator 15 and Flight Sim….I’ve only recently discovered something that I really enjoyed.
This past Sunday, I delivered a load of Yoghurt from Bushnell Farms in Holbrook to Tidbit in Kayenta. The drop point is shown below in the captured screenshot.
SCS Software, Please, Please, Please….more like this! This delivery point was a slight challenge (not super hard, but also not super easy). But the important element I’m wanting to make here is this delivery point really pushes the Realism through Simulation element that I strive for. I’d really love to see more delivery points just like this as SCS Software expands ATS into future states.
Finally, I realize my blogging efforts have slowed to a mere trickle in recent weeks. Again, this is mostly due to my work schedule and a recent European family vacation. As I get caught up at work, as I get over both a cold and jetlag…and as I spend more time with all my favorite simulation games….THERE WILL BE more blog postings. So please stay tuned…
Until next time…
Happy Trucking!
Jerry
June 7, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments
The very highly anticipated map update to include the US State of Arizona was officially made available yesterday (Monday, 6 June) for American Truck Simulator. In addition to this new US State, several features and enhancements were also included for both ATS and ETS2.
I’ve had a really busy last couple of weeks and my blogging efforts have suffered. I did not participate in the Arizona beta as I was busy and two, well…I just typically steer clear of beta projects. It simply reminds me too much of my real world job. Anyway, I did manage to take a short drive from Las Vegas, NV to Page, AZ. I would have spent more time exploring Arizona, but I spent about an hour tinkering with my Logitech G27 as it seemed to have forgotten it was a steering wheel controller.
Thankfully the issue with the G27 WAS NOT due to the Arizona update but was an issue caused by a recent Microsoft Windows 10 update. Many other users who have the G27 and run Windows 10 are reporting the same issue. I think this update must have dropped about a week or so ago as I began noticing some really odd behavior from my G27 at that time. Simply, normally when I boot up my sim PC my Logitech G27 will make a few movements as the software identifies the device and calibrates it. But about a week ago, the G27 wheel would turn and pause, turn and pause…over and over and over. It seemed possessed. But I was spending time flying and just eventually unplugged the G27 until last night.
The fix for me was simply to uninstall the Logitech Profiler software (for the G27 it is version 5.10) and re-install. This corrected the issue and I was 100% back in business. However, as I’ve been reading on the Steam forums this morning, other users haven’t been so lucky.
If a simple uninstall and reinstall of the Logitech Profiler software does not fully resolve your issue, then you may consider following the steps below. These were posted on the Steam ATS Discussion Group page. Please note that I’ve not tested the below steps, so your mileage may vary.
*******************************************************************************
**** ALL CREDIT TO USER AGENTZ86 ON LOGITECH FORUMS FOR THE FIX *****
Re: G25/G27 is detected as Driving Force – FIXED – SOLVED [ Edited ]
Here is my fix: – Works on Windows 10 too
Turn off / exit the GS 5.xx software
•Go to – Control Panel / Hardware Sound / Device Manager
•At the bottom of the device list you will probably see a item shown as (Universal Serial Bus Device) This will show you USB devices
•One of them will be the G27 (it might be in another location on that list but usually in (Universal Serial Bus Device)
•Right click on the G27
•Select (update driver software)
•Select (Browse my computer for driver software)
•Select (Let me pick from the list of device drivers on my computer)
•There will be a list of a few things perhaps G27 or even some assistant thing showing up in there (just fyi)
•The one you want is (USB device). This will remove that assistant thing that is creating this paradox.
** NOTE: If there is no choice for a USB device then (uncheck the option for *show compatible devices)
This will show a huge list of manufacturers etc.
From here scroll to the top of the list and select (Standard system devices)
Then on the right you scroll down to select (USB input device)
This will cause the Driving Force which gets selected by the assistant device to be removed and all association with it.
Now the G27 will show up under the (Human Interface Devices) Instead and will work perfectly without forgetting who it is.
Turn on your GS 5.xxx profiler and BOOM all should be well no rebooting and no reloading anything at all.
*******************************************************************************
Well that is all I have time for at this time. Of course, multiplayer will not currently work with the ATS update. TruckersMP are working hard to update their multiplayer servers and software to accommodate all these changes (including Arizona). No timeframe has been given on when the update will be made available. I think the last major update (custom wheels) took TruckersMP about a week. So just be patient….enjoy Arizona in offline mode and multiplayer will be ready when it is ready!
In closing, I’m sure the Steam Discussion groups will soon begin to fill up with questions regarding what the next state will be. While I have no official knowledge, I think we can be assured the next state to be released for ATS will be one of the following: Oregon, Utah or New Mexico.
Until next time…
Happy Trucking!!!
J
May 23, 2016 / admin / 3 Comments
The Eagle has landed…the good ole, and reliable United States Postal Service (USPS) “We Deliver” did their job just as the tracking number I received indicated and delivered my CSIO’s SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter on Saturday. You may remember from a piece I wrote in April that I backed their Kickstarter program and as part of being an official backer would receive a shifter sometime in May. I’ll admit, the wait has had elements of my childhood in the days leading up to Christmas and wondering what would be under the tree when I awoke on Christmas morning. Ahhhhhhh Ok…let me get back to reality now.
If you’ve had your head buried in the sand over the past several months AND not been paying attention to the recent ATS and ETS2 trucking news, then perhaps you’re completely out of the loop regarding what a CSIO SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter is, what it does, how you can get one and most importantly IF and WHY you should own one for yourself. Well…I’m going to break these things down for you in what I hope will be an easy to understand read. Here goes….
What is this thing?
The CSIO SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter started out as an idea (and a rather good one at that) by the CSIO Technologies team. These guys wanted to bring to market a piece of hardware which would truly place us behind the wheel, or better yet behind the gear shift of a semi truck. And remarkably they did just that! But trust in the fact they just didn’t crank out a replica shifter from a 3D printer. Oh heck no! These guys have used the genuine article. The shifter housing is 100% the real deal and what you would find if you crawled into the cab of a semi running an 18 speed Eaton Fuller transmission. Sounds easy right?
Unfortunately for us simmers, the real deal found in a semi truck uses pneumatic hoses and not electric cables. So the talented folks at CSIO Technologies designed a small USB interface which would be fully contained inside the shifter housing. Their goal was to provide us something we’d all be proud to own and use and they certainly got this right!
The CSIO SKRS shifter mounts snugly and securely onto a Logitech G25/G27/G29 or Thrustmaster TH8RS/TH8A shifter. One small USB cable (provided) then connects into an available USB port on your PC and after making a few changes in either ATS or ETS2, you’ll soon find yourself manually shifting gears in the big rig of your choice as you truck down the open highway.
My First Impressions
My style of simulation game play has always been to enhance it as much as possible. I have hundreds of dollars invested in hardware to enhance my flight simulation experience. When flying the PMDG 737 or 777, I almost rarely need to use the keyboard and mouse. I have hardware modules to control my NAV and COM radios, I have hardware modules to control the autopilot and flight navigation systems and of course I use a flight yoke and rudder pedals. Likewise, I have the Logitech G27 wheel, pedals and shifter to enhance my “Realism through Simulation” efforts with American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2 and Farming Simulator 15. Driving or flying using only mouse and keyboard is just simply not an option for me. Each of the games I play are SIMULATORS. So having said that, it’s no wonder I would find the CSIO SKRS shifter a must have for my setup.
While it’s been a long time since I held a Class A CDL (issued in the Great State of Texas), the CSIO SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter felt comfortable in my hand. Of course it should. As previously stated…this is the real deal! But I must almost admit that I pretty much drove my ATS and ETS2 trucks with automatic transmissions. The reason for this was because I just found the process of shifting gears (especially simulating an 18 speed transmission) to be un-natural. I tried setting up buttons on my G27 shifter to emulate the high/low and splitter functionality. But it just didn’t feel right. So I gave up and returned my truck to an automatic transmission.
The Setup
In the coming weeks (perhaps month or so) the initial setup will be much easier and actually almost plug and play. SCS has officially backed the shifter and have plans to add the necessary adaptions to make the setup easier. Until this happens, you will need to make a few edits to the profile controls.sii files. But everything is explained in the very well produced CSIO YouTube videos found here. The changes required on my system mirrored 100% of what was discussed in the video and everything functioned as described.
My Use
As you can see from the image below, I’ve installed the shifter onto my Logitech G27 shifter as described. I spent about two hours over the weekend driving in ATS multiplayer both learning the correct shifting methods and having a lot of fun. As those of us who already use a wheel, pedals and shifter setup know just how much these items immerse us into the simulation….this shifter knob takes it even higher. Yes absolutely, you can enjoy ATS or even ETS2 just using a mouse and keyboard. You can improve on that slightly by using a game controller such as an XBox type controller. But throw this CSIO SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter onto a Logitech shifter (with wheel and pedals) and just about the only thing missing is that sweet smell of diesel exhaust. In other words, this setup takes ATS from being a video game into a hard core American Truck SIMULATOR.
Unfortunately, I realized I would need to change my setup just slightly in time. I’ve got to get rid of the rolling chair I currently use or place a carpet under it. Trying to stay coordinated while using clutch, brake, accelerator (plus shifting gears) all while trying to keep my chair from rolling backwards is a real pain. Not to mention it seriously breaks my sense of realism. The other thing is I plan to mount the Logitech shifter on a lower table or platform of some kind so my shifter is a little lower than it currently is. Mounting this at the same height as the steering wheel makes the overall height of the knob much higher than the default shifter knob and I’d rather it be just a little lower.
Am I satisfied?
Heck yea….
Do you need the CSIO SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter?
Heck yea…Especially if you already have either the Logitech or Thrustmaster hardware. This will allow you to take the simulation to the next level. This is truly an awesome hardware addition and I’m happy to have had the opportunity to back such an amazing product. I can’t wait to learn what other items the CSIO team will come up with next. As a matter of fact, the CSIO.tech team posted a new YouTube video showing an EasyJake addon for the SKRS. Yes Please!!!!!
Want to learn more about the CSIO SKRS Eaton Fuller Style USB Shifter? Just visit the CSIO.Tech website.
As always thank you for reading my blog. You can follow me on Twitter and also check out my mature virtual trucking company, Grizzly Bear Trucking. We pride ourselves in realistic simulation operations on multiplayer and single player. We are a relaxed group of enthusiasts who enjoy following the rules of the open road and would welcome others who share this same desire.
Until next time…
Happy Trucking!
JT
