[REWORK] Utah rework tips (originally pre-research)

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Kraake
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[REWORK] Utah rework tips (originally pre-research)

#1 Post by Kraake » 12 Nov 2018 18:21

Hello everybody!

As we're doing some pre-research for ATS, we'd like to know your opinion on some of the things which we shouldn't miss in the game in our future planned DLCs - in this case for the UTAH state.

Unfortunately it can be very easy to miss some key spots when planning a future road network. We can judge only from what we read or see, while those who live there, have driven there or visited there, can point us towards some famous truck stops, interesting landmark, points of interest etc.

So we'd appreciate any tips which could be helpful for us and that could easily work with in-game mechanics. Try to keep in mind that we're interested in places connected with trucks and roads. So if you have some tips, we'd be grateful. Don't be shy to add photos / videos of said locations (in better quality, so our graphics can use them as pattern).

For example :arrow: THIS was a really great job.

In case you would like to also help us with other states check the list bellow:

COLORADO | IDAHO | MONTANA | OKLAHOMA | TEXAS | WASHINGTON | WYOMING

Please be aware, that states listed here mean absolutely no promise of what's the next DLC or what states will come first. Also we can't guarantee that we'll use the research you give us - it depends on many aspects (which can't be all written here).

Cheers!

_____________________________________

[ external image ] Utah researches done so far:

:arrow: Utah research thread by RocknrollDaVE
Last edited by Kraake on 28 Nov 2018 13:45, edited 3 times in total.
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supersobes
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#2 Post by supersobes » 12 Nov 2018 20:18

rocknrollDaVE has this thread about Utah research going already with lots of information.
snopas48
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#3 Post by snopas48 » 12 Nov 2018 22:31

There are some pretty cool rock formations on I-70 like this one (it's called Locomotive Point):
Screenshot_2018-11-12 Google Maps.jpg
Or this one (The Salt Wash):
[ external image ]

Or this 'Ghost Rock'
[ external image ]

Devil's Canyon:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8478538 ... 312!8i6656
Screenshot_2018-11-12 Google Maps.jpg
Spotted Wolf Canyon is one of those landmarks that needs to be included:
[ external image ]

Hopefully most of these can get included and get viewpoints for picture taking
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Mike_F
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#4 Post by Mike_F » 13 Nov 2018 04:02

Some of the temples built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints are very impressive and are considered landmarks, such as the Salt Lake City temple. You can find a list of all of the temples they have built world-wide here.
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Capito
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#5 Post by Capito » 13 Nov 2018 16:16

Here are a few major landmarks, key routes, and the like from someone that grew up and spent most my life in Utah. Some may be slightly distant from a road but should be connected. Know that Utah is well known for their mountains and national parks. Much of the state revenue is pulled from the state parks. Many cities and towns rely heavily on these parks and their tourism. So any way you can include them, within reason of course, would rely show off Utah in it's glory. I know for a fact that many ATS fans have been looking forward to some challenging routes, steep slopes, and change of scenery, so a lot of roads that go through the rocky Mountains would be key.

1) Devil's Slide https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_ ... _Utah.html
2) Garden City, UT and Bear Lake State Park
3) Salt flats (lots of movies were made in this area)
4) Moab, UT (major tourist area and is near a couple national parks including Arches that includes the State Arch "Delicate Arch" seen on signs and license plates, Not necessarily accessible for through truck traffic, but maybe some deliveries to these would be good Utah is well known for their state parks and it's where they receive much of their state revenue and thrive)
5) St. George, joins Salt Lake City as one of the oldest cities in Utah and is a gorgeous city right off of I-15.
6) Cars can drive through Zion's National Park, I doubt trucks are but if you were to put that in the game it is contains gorgeous red cliffs and green trees, waterfalls (though these I believe are far off the main road). It could be used as a means to drive through like what you did with the Yosemite National Park in California.
7) Any road going through the Rocky Mountain Range needs to show a good slope. Especially on I-80 between Salt Lake City and Park City. There's a few areas in there that are pretty steep! Still accessible by trucks but steep.
8) Park City was used during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games from the freeway (I-80) heading west you can still see the Ski Jumps (https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7256195 ... 312!8i6656) The location is referred to as "Olympic Park"
9) Heber City, UT has an historic Railroad
10) Speaking of Railroads, Promontory Point is out of the way a bit but is a huge site for the US. It is the location where the first railroad that stretched from east coast to west coast met. In the summer time they actually reenact the two locomotives coming together. This is some history for the US not just UT.
11) Dugway, UT is in close proximity to a US Army Air base.
12) Heading east out of Orem , UT is Highway 189 or Provo Canyon Road goes through Provo Canyon which is another beautiful drive and used heavily during the fall season to see the trees as they change colors.
13) As mentioned already the Salt Lake Temple from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a landmark as are many other temples in Utah, including the St. George Temple in St. George, UT and Logan Temple in Logan, UT.
https://www.visitutah.com/things-to-do/ ... le-square/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_ ... _Utah.html
https://www.heraldextra.com/vernal-utah ... b1ba2.html
14) Logan, UT is another beautiful city that is in the mountains.
15) Vernal, UT is another beautiful city.
16) Within Salt Lake City there's several free way interchanges that would be great to see, the most well known and confusing that would be great to see in the game is the junction where I-80, I-15, and Highway 201 come together. It's a tall and iconic engineering structure in Salt Lake City
17) Since you have Arizona, New Mexico, and, with this research, Utah, you can successfully do "Four Corners" it's a historical site at the border of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado with a little plaque and lines painted on the ground showing the borders. It's the only location in the United states where four states come together at a their corners. https://utah.com/four-corners
18) There is an island within the Great Salt Lake that has a road leading to it. The island is a state park and has no services, but it would be pretty neat to have something like that in the game. Also something to be of note, the Great Salt Lake is farmed for salt, there are industries on the south side of the lake along I-80 that facilitate in the farming.
19) I can't believe I almost forgot this one and it would be great for Special Transport, Heavy Haul, and general industries. Probably an absolute must. The Kennecott Copper Mine is a large active mind, said to be seen from space, using heavy machinary to mine copper, gold, silver, molybdenum. https://utah.com/kennecott

As for roads, here are some key major roads to help in your selection/research as well (starting with the obvious):
1) I-15
2) I-80
3) I-84
4) I-70
5) Highway 50
6) Highway 191 (from Vernal to Bluff)
7) Highway 9
8) Highway 189
9) Highway 40
10) Highway 30
11) Highway 89
12) Highway 191 would be a good one as well. This route takes you to many of the popular ski slopes that could be used for deliveries and possibly a back route from Salt Lake City to Heber City and Park City. This would be a great one that would provide some challenge going through the mountains off of a freeway which tend to have less switchbacks. The highway that goes through that point goes through the others states (not Utah) but one to keep in if not for Utah, then for Colorado when it comes around.

Key Cities to think about and provide variety to the Utah landscape:
1) Salt Lake City
2) Orem/Provo
3) Ogden
4) Logan
5) Garden City
6) Park City
7) Vernal
8) Heber
9) Dugway or Delta separate but similar landscape
10) Tooele/Granstville
11) Echo/Coalville
12) Green River
13) Moab
14) Filmore
15) Beaver
16) Cedar City
17) Orderville or Kanab are well known and visited small towns.
19) Monticello

That's pretty much it, trying to keep it short but broad so you have lots to go off of and help make decisions easier.
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MadCat3D
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#6 Post by MadCat3D » 14 Nov 2018 02:40

Well looks like y'all beet me to making a UTAH MEGATHREAD. But that's probably for the best, I feel more comfortable spamming info about my state knowing that it is actually supported by SCS software. So ya, i'm from Utah and so will probably be spamming all kinds of crap on this thread.

Alright, this is great, ill start with some general info on the state itself. Utah is the Beehive state, the beehive being our symbol, though naturally Utah is also known as the Mormon state or Deseret (Deseret being a proposed state by the Latter Day Saints (LDS) that would have been larger than Texas, supposedly the word Deseret means honey bee). our motto is Industry. And it makes some sense as we have lots of natural resources and do a lot of manufacturing.
Flag.png
Flag of the state of Utah ( a boring blue flag with state seal on it )

Seal.png
Seal of the state of Utah

uhive.png
Shirt logo with the beehive

beehivestat.png
Statue in front of the Capital building

UHP.png
UHP.png (54.96 KiB) Viewed 5680 times
The Utah Highway Patrol logo
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MadCat3D
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#7 Post by MadCat3D » 14 Nov 2018 02:58

Another symbol the state has is the Delicate Arch, Utah has a lot of natural wonders and has many natural arches, one of the most famous is Delicate Arch.
Delicatearch2.png
This would make a nice truck paint job, maybe on the new Cascadia? hint hint nudge nudge :D


Delicatearch3.png



That's all for today, ill keep posting more until I run out of material, or until i'm told to shut up :lol:
tat85
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#8 Post by tat85 » 14 Nov 2018 03:17

lake powell glen canyon
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rbsanford
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#9 Post by rbsanford » 14 Nov 2018 04:32

Delicate Arch is certainly an icon, but it's not visible from any main road. SCS could provide access into Arches National Park via a spur like they did with Crater Lake. Canyonlands and Zion would also make for some beautiful national parks in the game, the former represented with a spur to Grandview Point, the latter a road like Tioga Pass, just a bit of scenery between other roads for bobtailing.

You could fill pages with posts about the natural wonders of Utah, but to start with I would recommend reading "Desert Solitaire" and "The Monkey Wrench Gang," both by Edward Abbey, books that mostly take place in SE Utah and describe the land in detail. The latter I would especially recommend, since it also touches upon the industry of the region and the building of roads, specifically UT 95, which is marked on the dev map, so it may be of interest.

Powell's accounts of his expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers is also a must-read, but I don't think it would be necessary. There could be a "Powell's Trail: Part 2" achievement where you have to discover Hite Overlook, Zion, and cross the rivers at Moab and Green River. Maybe Flaming Gorge Dam and power plant could be included as a job site and point of interest at the end of a spur of the 191 north of Vernal, the gorge also going towards the achievement.
The Journeys of Zephyr of the American West

Handy maps and diagrams.

Furthermore, I consider that I-80 across Nevada must be redone next.
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TomDooley
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Re: Utah pre-research tips

#10 Post by TomDooley » 14 Nov 2018 06:39

I've only been in Southern Utah, but the Virgin River Canyon through which I-15 leads is breathtaking. Also, Red Canyon (West of Bryce on UT-12 is very scenic).
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