Research info for fake companies

Some newbie driver
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Research info for fake companies

#1 Post by Some newbie driver » 21 Mar 2020 16:52

I was talking in another topic about the lack of realism in fake company's trailers in the game, because they doesn't show anything else but the company logo, never any other usual info seen on real life trailers, like contact phones or addresses. Then I realized that maybe SCS avoids to include that info to not to risk to put anything wrong or misleading due a coincidence with a real world existing information.

So, the purpose of this topic should be to gather knowledge about how could SCS include realistic info in the trailers but that could cause no problem. Like USA films and series where phone numbers always use 555 prefix due it isn't used (almost) at all in the whole country. Regarding Spain, where I live and with I will start this topic, it's usual the companies include in the back of the trailer the address and phone contact for the company.

Address format in Spain:

That's how an address is correctly written in Spain, including the use of spaces or coma.

[Type of street] [Name of street], [Number] [flat-floor in ordinals]
[Optional specific location]
[5 digits ZIP code] [City or town name], [Province name]

So, in order to fake it, SCS could choose any city (no matter if it's in the game) and search for an imaginary name for the street. Streets with names of people, even foreign ones, are very usual here; so any random names generator could be enough to find something realistic but non existent (easy to check that in GMaps). It's very realistic to include the name of an industrial park in the [Optional specific location]; because is where hauling companies use to be placed. In that case, often is used the abbreviation "Pol. Ind." that means industrial park (Polígono Industrial) before the name of the park itself.

For the [Type of street] part of the address, the most common are "C/" for a street (calle), "Av." for a boulevard (avenida) and "Ctra." for a road (carretera). If the address in on a road, the official code of the road is used as [Name of street] followed by the mileage instead of the [Number], written as "km. XXX"

The 2 first digits of the ZIP code must match the province where the city in the address is and the [Province name]. The list of those codes could be found in Wikipedia for example. The last 3 numbers of the ZIP code could be chosen "random"; but I suggest to use always 080 as they are reserved for post office boxes. So, as the trailer will show an address not a post office, the format will be realistic but the info would never match any real one.

Phone format in Spain:

Normal phone lines in Spain have always 9 digits, where the first 2 or 3 mark some information about the line.

Fixed lines start with 9 (in some places now also in 8 due lack of numbers, but use always 9 to be sure). If the next number is a 0, it's a line with special payment rules (for example, 900 lines are free phones). If it's any other number, then it's indicating (approx) the province where you are calling at. I suggest to depict phone numbers using 904 as three first numbers. It's similar as 902 kind of lines that companies often use; but 904 is a reserved prefix that it's not in use in any phone actually on Spain (and there's lower probability it will be used for lots of years).

For companies whose trailers travel outside Spain, it's usual they include the international prefix for the phone. Spanish one is 34 and it could appear written as +34, (34) or 0034.

Mobile lines start in Spain with 6 or (since 2011) with 71,72,73 or 74. So, a depiction of a mobile phone number could be done using a 9 digits number starting with 79. It will have the correct format but it's not expected to have to assign numbers starting with 79 for LOTS of years.

I hope this could help SCS and make them decide to include more realistic looking company trailers for the upcoming DLC.

Regards
Last edited by Some newbie driver on 21 Mar 2020 17:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Trucker_71
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#2 Post by Trucker_71 » 21 Mar 2020 17:07

American trailers don't normally have phone numbers and addresses on them.
Some newbie driver
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#3 Post by Some newbie driver » 21 Mar 2020 17:17

Well, that's an start at least. :lol:

I edited a bit my first message to notice that I don't mean that's the kind of info usual everywhere. Address and Phones are usual on Spanish trucks and that's why I added it; together with instructions to make it feel real but avoiding conflicts with real life. For other countries, the info that could be relevant for the purpose of this topic could be completely different. ;)
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Trucker_71
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#4 Post by Trucker_71 » 21 Mar 2020 17:19

Other than a company logo about the only other thing found on some American trailers is a web address.
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''umad''
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#5 Post by ''umad'' » 25 Mar 2020 06:10

Hanks Truck Pictures used to be a priceless resource for reference photos the world over. Some very old, impossible to find elsewhere period documentation etc back to the late 19th century if you can believe that. Unfortunately he did not make enough money from ads and the site was shuttered in 2019, even on Wayback machine. You can get an idea of what was available in this archived homepage from 2012. Ironically the only way to see 1/6th of what was available is to use the mirrors that got it shut down in the first place :?
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bobgrey1997
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#6 Post by bobgrey1997 » 25 Mar 2020 06:56

One thing to keep in mind for realism is DOT information and such.
It's been a while since I actually bothered looking at a trailer in ATS, but in reality they have numbers and designations written on them.
For example, toward the front on the lower corner of the sides would be a measurement showing the length of the trailer.
Depending on the types of cargo hauled in the trailer, there would be designations and symbols placed on it (such as for hazardous or toxic chemicals).

As for company information, I have seen plenty of trailers with addresses and/or phone numbers. It's never made much sense to me, as it just seems dangerous to encourage drivers to pay more attention to reading small letters and numbers on your trailer than the road.
However, plastering a big colorful logo and design on the side of a trailer is just as dangerous (if not more so).
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SmokeyWolf
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#7 Post by SmokeyWolf » 25 Mar 2020 15:00

Actually Hank's was also shut down due to people stealing pictures and claiming it was theirs. Sad! A lot of nostalgia with Hank's.
daniel_bel
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#8 Post by daniel_bel » 25 Mar 2020 19:10

A most important parameter to keep in the picture is that AI trailers have a very low definition texture.
What's the point of writing small text if we will never be able to read them?

And no, I don't want a frame rate lower due to illegible fake information that I won't read.

Just my own point of view.
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Some newbie driver
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#9 Post by Some newbie driver » 25 Mar 2020 19:44

With due respect @daniel_bel, that's not a discussion or opinion thread. I opened it here to gather information that maybe could be useful if maybe SCS decides to depict the trailers on a more realistic way. It's just a possibility between infinite others.

And there's lots of way that SCS could release such changes. They could include it only in the player's trailers, more detailed than AI ones. They could increase the texture resolution of AI vehicles (something that doesn't eat so many frames as you think, specially if done on a limited scope like that). Or they could even plan something like that not before a proper graphic overhaul (like the one in 1.38, just that I doubt this next one will be themed into textures and polygons); so, combined with the mean of hardware of that moment, means the players could keep the same performance that now but with improved graphics. Last but not least, as so many other things in the game, it could be tied to an option to enable it.

There's no point to discuss now if that's not good now for the actual state of the game and how it performs on any particular computer.

So, let the people put here whatever information they want regarding to the topic. We will have plenty of time and other places to discuss whatever changes would want SCS to do to its games.

Thanks
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Trucker_71
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Re: Research info for fake companies

#10 Post by Trucker_71 » 25 Mar 2020 19:54

"if maybe SCS decides to depict the trailers on a more realistic way. "

If SCS wanted to depict trailers in a more realistic way they could start by removing the 3 unrealistic reinforcement strips from the roof of ATS trailers. American trailers don't have those! :roll:
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