I have briefly made comments when talking about map mods for both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. The words I’ve used to express my own opinion of map mods is quality over quantity. At the present time (according to the SCS forums for ATS map mods) there are about ten different ATS map mod projects underway in various forms of competition. With ten or so being actively discussed in the SCS Forums I linked to above, how many are currently in various forms of development that we may not know about? Who knows right. In all honesty, the only expansion may I’m truly interested in is the map of Arizona which SCS Software is currently working on. But that of course is a different story.
The ATS Map Mods actively being discussed in the SCS forums include the following: Coast to Coast Map, Hawaii, MHAPro map ATS – by Heavy Alex, Alaska, Project Australia, USA Offroad Map, Project Utah, Republic of China, DFW Metroplex, Project Idaho and Oregon. Whew….what a list!
I’m going to re-group the above list into a few different categories. The first being, “I Get That”, “I don’t know what this is about” and “Why?” This will be fun, let’s go!
I Get That
Coast to Coast – This map project started as a personal project of a modder named Mantrid. I’ve talked about the Coast to Coast map before as well as another helpful ATS mod titled Speed Limit Fixes. Mantrid created this map for his own use in order to be able to drive longer distances than what we currently have access to in ATS. When he shared this map he indicated it was a work in progress and for the most part, the map consisted of a route taking truckers from California through Arizona and out to the furthest point of Boston. The cities included along the way were pretty sparse and the scenery was really just a duplicating cut and paste from that of the base California and Nevada map. That is why on the first release or so of this Coast to Coast map you’ll see palm trees around New York City. This map (current release is 1.4.1) has been much improved and Mantrid has plans to further develop it based on feedback received in the forums. One of the next major editions to the map will feature Interstate 10. I-10 runs from Los Angeles all the way to Jacksonville, Florida. The route will take virtual truckers through Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, Tallahassee. At least this is the real world route. It’s unclear just how far Mantrid is planning to develop this map. While I drove the distance to Boston once, I’ll likely drive the I-10 route when this version is released at least once.
USA Offroad and Alaska – This is really a combined project from what I understand. While I attempted to install, I had issues and quickly backed out. But the concept is worthy of me classifying it in the “I Get That” category. With Alaska, every one has probably seen the History Channel program titled Ice Road Truckers. I’m not sure why this is on the History Channel, but that is a completely different discussion. The program showcases life as a trucker driver moving goods across the the dangerous roads in Canada and Alaska. Unfortunately, to get to Alaska you sort of drive north to the California border and the next thing you know you are in Fairbanks Alaska. I’m not sure what happened to Oregon, Washington and much of British Columbia. I think I would almost prefer this map to just be a stand-alone map, not tied to California.
DFW Metroplex – Perhaps the only reason why I’m not placing this into the “Why” category is based on what I’ve read about this map mod in the SCS Forums. The mod developer is planning to create new prefabs, roads and road signs which better meet those seen in this area. He has created this YouTube video showcasing the prefabs for his new DFW map. I grew up and lived many years in the DFW area and this is one map that I’m looking forward to playing. However, the discussion thread has gone quiet with the last posting being from me back on the 19 of February.
I Don’t Know What This Is About
MHAPro Map ATS by Heavy Alex – For the life of me I can’t figure out what this map is about. I’ve read the three pages in the SCS Forums and I’ve read a portion of his blog site but I’ve yet to see a image of the map or a detailed description of what his map mod does. Best I can tell is this is just a modified map to cover the already existing California and Nevada region. I’m currently watching a YouTube video titled ATS Gameplay Jackpot Elko MHA map. But there is no narration and it’s hard to tell what really has been changed with this map mod. While I could try it to find out. Nope, not without a better description into what the map mod does and what it covers. I’ll pass….
Why?
Of course, anyone is free to develop and distribute any mod they are capable of creating. Just like anyone is free to download, install and play these map mods. I also completely understand that based on the length of time it has taken SCS (from release of ATS) to still not release Arizona…that we’re talking several years before all of the lower 48 US states are available. The last update from SCS Software regarding the release of the Arizona DLC was back on 1 March and here’s the direct quote from SCS Software “We don’t have a release date to announce yet, but there should not be more than a couple of months of solid work ahead of us, plus the final testing and polishing stage.” So a couple of months? That could be two, it could be three…it could be even more. I say this only because if my wife asks me to do something, my response might be…Yes Dear! She may ask when I’ll do it, and my response might be “I’ll do it in a couple of minutes”. In most situations, my definition of “A Couple of Minutes” is more than TWO. So having said that, let me start with the Utah, Oregon and Idaho.
Utah, Oregon and Idaho – History often repeats itself. For whatever reason SCS chose to start in California and Nevada they will likely move East and North as they develop and release DLC maps. Depending on whatever direction SCS decides to go AFTER Arizona, the states of Utah, Idaho and Oregon are bordering states to California and Nevada. Most likely (at the very least) chance are pretty good that Utah “might” be coming after Arizona. Of course, I could be complete wrong and SCS could continue their eastward expansion across New Mexico, Texas etc. But my gut is telling me they will work their way north and east as they expand across the lower US 48. So in time these map mods will be obsolete.
Finally, with regards to Hawaii, Australia and Republic of China map projects. Just why?
In closing, here’s my recommendation to all who want to create ATS map mods. Please visit the ProMods forum and read this thread. ProMods is recruiting developers who want to be part of a team in creating quality map mods similar to those we see from ProMods for ETS2. For me, quality is always better than quantity.
I just love all the various eye candy we’ve been given in ATS and ETS2. I’ve seen several chatters in various Twitch ATS Streams ask what these yellow tubes are hanging down at some truck stop parking areas in the American Truck Simulator. While there are different brands, they essentially depict technology similar to that of the IdleAir systems. The IdleAir technology allows truckers to have comfort of air conditioning or heating without the need to idle their truck during rest periods. These are great in helping to save on fuel costs and just as importantly, helping to keep the environment just a bit cleaner.
In addition to the AC/Heat these systems provide to the relaxing trucker. They also provide 120V AC power for various appliances, basic satellite cable TV service connection, Telephone, and high-speed internet access. (see below)
A similar system to the IdleAir connected
Close-up view
I hope SCS Software will continue to provide these great looking pieces of eye candy as they continue to expand the USA map.
I purchased the Milviz 737-200C about two years ago before I cut ties with FSX. At the time I was primarily running FSX and slowly starting to get my feet wet into P3D. This was circa P3D v2.4 timeframe. When I made the move to P3D v3, I also took the time to completely rebuild my system and in doing so I forever cut ties to FSX. The Milviz 737-200C was one aircraft that I was prepared to just say goodbye to forever. Remember I also made the decision to only install flight sim add-ons that had P3D v3.x installers in an effort to keep my system running top-notch. I think the only thing I made an exception to was EZDok. Unfortunately, once you use Ezdok…there just is no going back. But I’m getting off subject now….back to the Milviz.
If you are a registered owner of the Milviz 737-200C, you should have received an email this week regarding the immediate availability of the –200C for P3D v2.x and v3.x. This means Milviz have complete installers for all all variants of flight sim including FSX Classic, FSX Steam and Prepar3D. This is very cool. Best of all, the updated –200C for P3D is available at no additional charge. Thank you Milviz.
If you currently do not own the Milvix 737-200C, then check it out on the Milviz website. This is a great alternative or addition to the PMDG 737.
I truly loved the –200C and now with this awesome news, I will love it once again in P3D v3.
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.
If you are a fan of Farming Simulator 15, then you’ve probably already heard about the new DLC which was released on Thursday, 10 March for PC. I had mixed feelings about this new DLC when I heard about it. First, while I love the JCB DLC pack that came out last year. I was really disappointed in the IT Runner DLC. So much so, I initially passed on the New Holland DLC pack (I still need to review them here) but did finally purchase as I felt I could/would use them on my farms. But as I began hearing about the Holmer DLC and seeing pictures of them I did jump to conclusions and in my mind immediately compared it to the IT Runner and sort of decided I would give it a pass. After all, I really didn’t need another DLC pack of equipment collecting dust. Plus with FS2017 coming later this year….well, you get the point.
This morning as I was getting my Thursday morning off to a roaring start in the office, I decided to quickly check YouTube and see if any of my favorite farming YouTuber’s had released a video review of the new Holmer DLC. Low and behold, BradM73 had released a fantastic review showcasing the new DLC. As I enjoy harvesting sugar beets and also want to better utilize the massive amount of liquid manure my farm has accumulated, I decided to purchase the Holmer DLC. I’ll give it a proper test this evening and will certainly provide an update on my overall experience in the coming days.
Until then….please enjoy this wonderful video review from BradM73 and you can decide if the Holmer DLC is something you’ll add to your collection.
In a similar theme to last weeks mod review, this cool mod brings about some excellent weather effects such as fog and dust storms in the desert.
What is the Featured Mod and what does it do?
This mod is the Foggy Weather 1.6.3 update. It produces fog/smog effects along the west coast, sand storm effects in the desert and cloudy/light rainy weather near west coast and desert areas.
How can I get this mod?
The Default Weather Update mod for American Truck Simulator is available here.
Bus Simulator 16 was released via Steam one week ago today. I wrote my usual “My First Look” blog post last Friday after 5 hours of game play. As of today, one week after release, I have 18 hours of game play and have reached level 21, own 8 buses and employ 8 drivers and working towards completing the Tourist City Objective. I wanted to break away from playing the game to make a few comments.
In that “My First Look” blog post from last week, I indicated several things I Liked about the game and a much longer list of things I didn’t like about it. The “Things I Dislike” list was mostly a list of bugs I had encountered during the first 5 hours of play. Again, with almost 20 hours logged in the game…I’ve come up with a “Top Issues List”. Some of these issues I had pointed out last week and some I didn’t. By the way, the development team from Stillalive studios were super quick to push out an update last week to address poor performance issues in the game. They have also been awesome in providing support through the Steam Discussion page. I remain confident additional patches and fixes will be released in the coming days/weeks to address problems. Additionally, Stillalive Studios have been actively pursuing feedback and suggestions from the user community on what they would like to see added to the game. This is a fantastic game and I’m really looking forward to watching it grow. Now for my top issues list…
GPS Map Rotation
This one was at the top of my list last week and it is where it remains today. While this is just my theory, but this has to be a complete failure of the development and/or testing team. Regardless if I use my Garmin or my GPS enabled smartphone for SatNav purposes, the maps in these devices auto center and keep the arrow or vehicle icon always pointing up. The same applies in my friends expensive SatNav built into his high end SUV. Same goes for the SatNav in both ETS2 and ATS. So it’s not hard to connect the dots and place this issue as a mistake in coding and/or testing. As I’m not a software developer, I don’t immediately know what level of effort it will take to correct this issue. But I would think it would be a simple fix and I hope one that comes sooner rather than later.
Steering Wheel Support
Let me just state for the record that most of what I outlined with issues I had experienced with Steering Wheel Support have been resolved. Remember, I had mentioned that no matter what I did, my Logitech G27 wheel was very hard to turn as if the force feedback was set to max. I had tried everything suggested in the Steam discussion group. I had both sets of Logitech drivers installed and had tweaked a variety of settings in both the game and in the Logitech Profiler. What did I do to resolve my tight wheel issues? I really don’t know. But I think it had to do with me uninstalling and reinstalling the Logitech drivers for their new line of controllers. Understand, these drivers don’t have anything directly to do with the G27. These drivers won’t recognize the G27. But according to the Bus Simulator 16 developers, the Logitech wheel support they developed into the game requires at least part (probably a .dll somewhere) of this new Logitech driver package. I had installed it before, but after removing it and reinstalling it again, magically my G27 loosened up on me.
AI Traffic Brake Lights and Turn Signals
Neither exist in the game play. I also find this a bit ironic considering we as game play bus drivers are rewarded with using our turn signals. It would really help to have the AI vehicles also use their turn signals. Brake lights is also one seems to have been overlooked.
Yes there are many other areas which I hope in time will be addressed. Things like TrackIR support, other AI Bus Traffic etc. I hope will come in time. But I’m also hopeful and perhaps optimistic that at the very least the GPS map rotation issue will be address in the next patch. I would hope we would see the next patch in the next few days.
Until next time…
Happy Simming!!!
J
P.S. Bus Sim 16 Developers, please…please fix the GPS map rotation soon. Thank you for all your hard work to bring us what I believe will become a fantastic bus simulator.
Our Trucker’s Logbook #3 has me returning to Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) for some long-haul trucking. Even before the release of American Truck Simulator (ATS), it had been a few months since I spent any amount of time in ETS2. I did attempt to launch it over the Christmas holiday but it wouldn’t start and gave me an error about a mod issue with a previous game save. Come to find out this was because I hadn’t updated ProMods after an update to ETS2 was made available. After realizing the error of my ways, I have ETS2 working once again. As you can see from the map below, I haven’t spent as much time trying to discover more of the map. Actually, much of the map is new territory with the ProMods expansion into Romania etc.
While ATS is obviously my favorite, I do enjoy ETS2. My wife is from Belgium and we visit about every 18 months or so. We spend time in Belgium and England when we visit and I have really enjoyed exploring the ETS2 map.
Our job today is driving 22 tons of Canned Beef for Euro Goodies in Lille, France to Transinet in Pyce (Ruse), Bulgaria. Just to familiarize you with the truck I drive in ETS2. I own the Volvo FH with the Globetrotter XL Cabin and the 6×3 chassis. The rig has the massive 750 HP engine installed. She performs really well. The job is expected to pay €73,510 or €34.65/km. The trip distance is 2,104 km (1,307 mi) and should take approx.. 34 hours.
Our route will take us from France through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and then into Bulgaria.
We’re picking up the trailer just after 11 AM on Wednesday. We are due to delivery in Pyce no later than 01:04 on Saturday morning. We are fully rested and ready to go.
Day 1, it’s a beautiful day as we drive through France towards Belgium.
Taking an opportunity to stretch our legs, freshen up our coffee while we fill up.
I love how SCS Software gives us so much to look at as we drive. In the background an airplane is on final into Brussels EBBR.
Day 1 comes to an end as we pull over for a rest just outside of Nurnberg, Germany.
Day 2 starts early with a wet start. Rain is the general theme for much of the day. We do leave the rain behind in the afternoon and spend our second night on the road just outside of Budapest. However, we did have a minor fender-bender when a car hit our trailer. I blame it on the rain.
Day 3 starts well before the sun rises but we arrive at our destination on Friday afternoon.
Unfortunately the accident penalized use some XP and cash. But we will live to drive another day.
I then headed back to Bucharest, Romania to meet with a realtor and purchased a new garage.
I believe with our new Bucharest garage, this makes about 6 or 7 that we have in ETS2. All our ETS2 garages are just the small version and filled with three trucks and three drivers.
As we have just about covered all there is to cover in California and Nevada in the awesome American Truck Simulator, I’m probably going to spend more time trucking around in Europe and try to discover more cities. I’m also looking into adding RusMap which should provide 30 cities in Russia and 12 cities in Belarus. I’ll make sure to tell you all about it here.
I know some have been anxiously awaiting the next version of Farming Simulator from sometime shortly after FS2015 was released in the fall of 2014. As a matter of fact, I began seeing postings in the forums asking this very question within only months after the release. Yea, it’s safe to say that Giants Software really has a hit on their hands with this franchise. I would even go as far to say the popularity and success of Farming Simulator very closely rivals that of what Microsoft had with Flight Simulator. Time will only tell if Giants repeats the mistakes Microsoft made. But that is a different story for a different article.
Am I looking forward to the new version? You betcha! Farming Simulator 15 was really my first experience with a simulation style game that WASN’T Flight Sim based. So this will be my first experience with making the transition from an older version to a new version and all the pains that may be part of that process. Like in the example of Flight Sim, when moving from Microsoft FS9 to FSX, nothing really worked initially. It took some time for the add-on community to begin to make the transition and I’m sure the same will apply for Farming Simulator. I wouldn’t necessarily expect many of the FS2015 mods to immediately work in FS2017. I suppose DLC might be a different story. But then again, I’m really not sure. The only FS15 DLC I currently own is the JCB pack. But I find it somewhat interesting that we are perhaps less than 6 months away from the release of FS2017 and Giants is taking pre-order purchases for their Holmer DLC. Will the Holmer DLC purchased in March 2016 be usable in FS2017 when it is released later this fall?
Yes, you’ll most likely find me purchasing FS2017 the day it is available to download via Steam. Yes, you’ll also most likely hear from me via this blog (and perhaps via Twitch) regarding my first opportunity to play FS2017. Of course, we are still several months away from all this. But the good news of course is Farming Simulator 17 is coming….
While I’ve known about “other” farming base simulation games such as Pro Farmer and Farm Expert…and I’ve watched YouTube videos showcasing these games…I didn’t see them as competition for Giants and their Farming Simulator franchise. But competition (real competition) is about to come to the virtual farming world.
In addition to the news from Giants regarding FS2017, we are also learning about a brand new entry into the “all things farming simulation” genre with a new simulation game titled Cattle and Crops. You can visit their website here. They also have a Facebook page here. Cattle and Crops is due to be released sometime this calendar year (2016) and boasts the following (and I must say impressive) list of features:
Simulation – Detailed machinery and realistic harvesting techniques.
Management – Your employees will help you take care of your farm, your animals and your estate.
Vegetation – Plant growth and health depending on multiple ground conditions.
Weather – Advanced weather system influencing your farming strategies.
Brands – Supported by our license partners in the industry.
Multiplayer – Join your friends in conquering the maps.
Modding Support – Enhance the game with your own vehicles and maps.
Made with Passion – By Gamers – For Gamers
You can view a short “pre-alpha” video which was released a few weeks ago below
In closing, like me…I’m sure you have many questions regarding the new release of Farming Simulator 2017 and of course, questions about the new Cattle and Crops simulation game. With FS2017, I think we sort of know what we can expect from them. With Cattle and Crops, well…this truly excites me. While the jury is still out, my opinion is that the folks behind Cattle and Crops have been listening to many Farming Simulator users and have taken many of the requested enhancements which Giants may have been slow to implement (or not wanting to implement at all) and are planning to provide what we all want into the new game. But again, the jury is still out. But I say competition is good…and competition will help bring us forward.
I’ve been doing a lot of auction rebuilds in recent days. I’ve even streamed a few of these on Twitch and have made available the recorded video/audio if you care to watch the play-by-play action. You can view that video at the bottom or go directly to YouTube and watch. I’ll try to make this a normal feature with these rebuilds. But I’ll tell you upfront that the video is not going to be heavily edited. I just don’t have the time.
I’ve lost count on the actual number of cars I’ve purchased at auction, rebuilt and sold. However, this is my first Ford Mustang and it was a lot of fun. As I explain in the video, one of my best friends from high school rebuilt a 1960 something Ford Mustang. I did the same with a 1964 Chevy Step side Pickup. Hopefully the 64’ style Chevy pickup will be made available at some date in the future for CMS2015. That would be an awesome build.
The overall condition of the car was not quite as bas as shown below. I began stripping the body panels before I remembered I wanted a “before” picture. I just couldn’t be bothered to put all the panels back on the car.
Again, I was mostly lucky in the fact that so many parts were repairable. Big ticket items like the engine block, crankcase, rear end etc. were all repaired to 100%. This helped keep my cost of parts down. But I did splurge on a custom paint job and custom rims ($900 each). The yellow paint color was a suggestion from one of my Twitch viewers. I think it turned out great.
As with all my auction rebuilds, I tear down all parts and restore the car to 100% condition on both parts and body. That is just how I roll….
I know some have been anxiously awaiting the next version of Farming Simulator from sometime shortly after FS2015 was released in the fall of 2014. As a matter of fact, I began seeing postings in the forums asking this very question within only months after the release. Yea, it’s safe to say that Giants Software really has a hit on their hands with this franchise. I would even go as far to say the popularity and success of Farming Simulator very closely rivals that of what Microsoft had with Flight Simulator. Time will only tell if Giants repeats the mistakes Microsoft made. But that is a different story for a different article.
