@thebigbadonion
At level 30 we open each and every possible skill, and, given recent fuel simulation option added, we can decrease that value to level 24, because game won’t take EcoDriving into consideration anymore. I’d even say that after you got all 6 points in ADR, 1 in Long Distance, High Value, Fragile, and 2 points in Just-in-time deliveries, leveling up is already meaningless. Because you have access to all types of jobs and adding skillpoints to those skills merely increase your salary. So we’ll need to reach level 11 to take away big chunk of game and make it blend and tasteless? I doubt anyone would agree with that statement.
Because that’s where game only starts – and you have access to each and every job possible.
As for jobs, I guess it depends on country and types of jobs. I think, excluding paperwork (no, thanks, I have a lot of it at my IRL job, I do not want to do that in game too), conversation with local dispatch service (replaced with nice “job offer” screen), waiting period till your trailer (if you have your own) will be loaded, or loading dock will be freed, etc, game “simulates” self-employed driver work just fine, right between being easy and interesting, and not being realistically boring (how about looking for latrine on highway, because food in last canteen was horrible and awoken not-flame-breathing beast inside your belly?
) . After all, you can always leave your truck at loading dock, to “simulate” exiting it and going to local office for paperwork (you can solve some crosswords). Metagaming at best.
Of course, I agree, game does not offer you any more or less fixed types of deliveries, say, you regularly (if not constantly) ship certain type of goods from one company to another through loop of very small selection of cities. For example Berlin>Frankfurt>Linz>Bratislava>Berlin.
I wouldn’t mind if we had chance to organize proper “shuttle” runs for our hired drivers. They could bring less money, but at least they’ll never return empty in return. It would be nice if we could organize supply chains with them. But for simplicity purposes, I see no problems with system we have now.
Simulating different cabs will be meaningless as well. First, because we are different, and what can be irritating for me, could be fine for you, and vice-versa. Small, short guy may won’t have problems within Renault Premium (what so “premium” there?) cab, while tall hefty guy will curse even for Scania or Volvo cabs, asking for higher and bigger cab of MAN, Magnum or DAF. One person may fell in love with Mercedes’ controls’ layout, another may call it cluttered and ask for something for something simpler. Even Isri seats installed in different trucks could receive different reception.
We are different, trucks are different, and the only way you could squeeze into common lowest denominator is to remove any leveling requirement whatsoever. What’s the point – DAF SuperSpace cab available at level 8, while Space cab plus available later, IIRC level 12, don’t remember really.
So no, I don’t think putting old Volvos out of reach will be “fair”, “honest” or "balancing". Even adding lower displacement engines wouldn’t change the point much. Especially if you remove higher displacement engines from earlier levels. Because currently Volvo is one and only way to pull heavy cargo (and early cargos are all heavy) on early levels with less strain. Game should be fun first, and if someone doesn’t want to grind his teeth trying to pull that gravel out of quarry in weakest Iveco – why not give him such an option? Maybe later player will find Zen driving less powerful truck, who knows. But limiting him to a point where “all trucks should be equal”… Nuh-uh. It will remove whole point of adding different trucks with different properties.
For example, I like old Volvo display, it is best in game, big and easily readable. Yet I don’t like side mirrors, they are partially cut off by field of view, plus passenger’s side mirror is partially closed by virtual mirror (I’d welcome their relocation a bit higher). And despite Volvo being most powerful truck out there, it’s a bit uncomfortable to drive it. New Volvo, to some extent, suffers less from cut-off mirrors, but it falls into most massive category of trucks – trucks with displays too small and not that easy to read.
So I’ll pass. Scania is almost second best, but wide angle mirror is cut off, I don’t understand parts’ progression and pricing, and I can’t’ get rid of feeling that till level 12 Scania feels underpowered. Moreover, even the most powerful Scania in my test-drives shawed results which were closer to less powerful Majestic and MAN, not Volvo. So I’ll pass again.
That leveling-up distribution, actually, is one of few pet peeves I have with ETS2. My main requirement for games – they shouldn’t be irritating or annoying. Because if they are, I’ll stop playing them. Not being able to buy certain truck till certain level is one of few things that irritate me. Why I should wait till level 12 to be able to buy new Iveco, or Magnum, or wait till level 9 to buy new Volvo? I could live with less powerful version, yes, but if I want to buy certain truck from very start, I don’t want to have those “3 necessary jobs” to get “mail of happiness” from Bank, telling me they can give me loan, and from main dealership, telling me they have widest selection of models.
If memory serves, those vehicle manufacturers who have their own banks, sell more, because they can offer proper package to their customers. And if I want to buy Scania with retarder at day 1, I don’t want to remove mirrors and sun visor to afford it. I doubt 2 grands in loan would make that difference for a bank, no? They just gave you 100K more.
tl;dr
I don’t mind if they keep some sort of tracking our progress and tie it distance covered, for example, and it would be a bit more logical than some virtual experience point (I hauled ammo in army, I can’t say I gained more experience in haulage from it, in comparison to experience I gained when I hauled water, fuel, or food stuffs
). However, I’d welcome, and with open arms, reworked ability to purchase any truck, at least in basic configuration, at day one, job 0.
As for “Work towards”. This game isn’t about destination, it’s about journey. So I don’t exactly understand why would someone need incentives in form of “achievements” or “skills” or “most powerful engine” (which it isn’t :p ) to move further. To each his own, I guess.
@n4gix
Yes, start and finish are about as funny and rewarding as smoothless driving for hours. In this game - especially. Strange we forced to distribute skillpoints to have higher rating in exchange for lack of shorter-distance jobs.