[REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

User avatar
flight50
Posts: 30156
Joined: 20 May 2017 03:33
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx - USA

[REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#1 Post by flight50 » 06 Nov 2020 12:11

Well since no one has started up a reworks thread for Idaho, I figure it will happen eventually. It might be better if we separated them by year with each new set of dlc's that come. That way its easier to track. So for the 2020 maps, we have Idaho that was released already back in July and Colorado soon to be released this November at some point.

So to start, we have Idaho since this map is released already. A few things to point out. Idaho's shape in general creates a challenging road layout as is. But imho, I think SCS could have provided a little more with Idaho without compromising other states. Not getting US-93 to US-12 is understandable, however 2 of the 3 dead endends below could have been eliminated if they were included day one with Idaho. If the below reworks can come before Montana, that would create a few more route options and relief some of the frustrations drivers have. The scenery is beautiful and worth the dead end travels, but once you have done them 20-30 times, it becomes frustrating without the aid of Montana. So until Montana comes, we can get a boost to Idaho. No ID-21. Its restricted according to Rand McNally. So SCS did right not including it. No US-12 to US-93. That will have to wait until Montana.

Red = add these new roads
Yellow = scenic town (if space allows)
Magenta = new depot
[ external image ]

Northern Idaho. I'm not sure why the connection to Washington was made. Coleville and Spokane could have tied to Sandpoint. I have not analyzed the game map to see what landscape model may complicate things but anything from Omak and Coleville that may need to go to Sandpoint or even Kalispell, MT once it comes, it would be nice to have a continuous US-2 if we wanted to travel my scenic route. Not everyone wants to take the fastest route which is the Interstate. The fastest route just may not be the preferred route by many.

edit: Nov 15, 2020. I finally got around to looking at the game map. Tying Spokane to Sandpoint might be fairly difficult to connect. Colville is a little more on the feasible size but it too is tight. We might just be sol. But I'm sure Kalispell would connection to Sandpoint. There is more space there.

[ external image ]

Something that really bothered me on Idaho was White Bird Hill. It has a summit, yet it doesn't feel like it. Two misses. 1) elevation and 2) the real life road is 3 lanes, not two. Up step grades here in the US, there are typically 2 lanes up the grade. Slow traffic to the right. Outside of that, the road is beautifully done.

Northeastern Idaho. Idaho decent forestry industry. Imho, its not so pronounced in the dlc. There is space that SCS could have used to create more forest depots to substitute for the states lack of roads. The game doesn't have to be 100% as to where to pull lumber from but a little more helps. The forest in the Nez Perce and an abundance of space. In fact its about the size of New Jersey. In turn, this gives us more US-12 that would have to come once Montana comes anyways. If we dead end to forest roads, its not so critical. Once US-12 connects to US-93 it gets even easier but extending this road now and showing some artist creativity for forest roads can provide more joy for Idaho than what we currently have.

Cyan = the state of New Jersey. It pretty much covers an entire forest region of the state
[ external image ]

Extend US-12 to allow for a larger roll for Idaho to play in the Lumber industry.
[ external image ]

Create unique forest paths to multi small logging camps to make one larger complex. 2-3 of these along US-12 utilizes unused space.
[ external image ]
[ external image ]
[ external image ]


Southern Idaho. ID-28 could provide relief to Salmon asap. It wouldn't be much of a dead end anymore with more road development provide in the area. It also provides a better loop for Idaho Falls. The area will also benefit from Montana but that is quite a distance away in the future.

[ external image ]

Southeastern Idaho. US-89 could be something that continues with Wyoming but imho, it could have come with Idaho as well. The portion of US-89 doesn't connect into Wyoming to affect much. It very similar to US-95 that came with Oregon that went thru Idaho. Not only does US-89 and US-26 provide a scenic drive but it sets up the roads for Wyoming. With more of US-89 and US-20 from above, this added a portion of road that gives more options. It also makes a loop for Logan. These roads will come into play even more with Wyoming if these routes come.

[ external image ]
Last edited by flight50 on 15 Nov 2020 22:21, edited 4 times in total.
User avatar
flight50
Posts: 30156
Joined: 20 May 2017 03:33
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx - USA

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#2 Post by flight50 » 06 Nov 2020 12:14

Colorado

Now that Colorado has released, I am thinking it can open up the more in the East to get a little more density in the Great Plains. I do think SCS nailed Eastern Colorado. If feels so open and country like. The Great Plains will be a lot like this. Its actually a tad bit better than I expected in the East. But, I would have thought a little more emphasis would have come for Agriculture.

[ external image ]

Denver add chemical plant

[ external image ]


Burlington add another Agricultural depot
[ external image ]

Lamar add another Agriculture depot and wind farm perhaps

[ external image ]

[ external image ]


Durango add 1-2 oil/gas depots. This area appears to have numerous sites. The area in blue highlights oil fields.
[ external image ]
Last edited by flight50 on 06 Mar 2021 07:57, edited 1 time in total.
Optional Features
Posts: 4784
Joined: 26 Sep 2019 20:14

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#3 Post by Optional Features » 04 Mar 2021 16:57

Honestly, we need a thread like this for Washington and Oregon. Being a native of the West Coast, both of these states are in major need of rework.

There are places where they are close, and there are places where they are really far from reality. But the latter parts are way more noticeable.
User avatar
flight50
Posts: 30156
Joined: 20 May 2017 03:33
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx - USA

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#4 Post by flight50 » 04 Mar 2021 17:51

@seriousmods They already exist. They just got buried which is exactly why I titled this as 2020 Map dlc's. Keep them together, split them and they get lost much easier.
viewtopic.php?p=1025732#p1025732
viewtopic.php?p=1098723#p1098723
User avatar
Xaagon
Posts: 990
Joined: 07 May 2016 02:35
Location: Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#6 Post by Xaagon » 21 Apr 2021 16:48

flight50 wrote: 06 Nov 2020 12:14 [ external image ]
Yes, these roads here. I would also add US-40 between Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells for completeness (maybe makes more sense once Kansas is added).

Other roads to consider are CO-71 from US-350 to at least I-76 & CO-14 between Fort Collins and Sterling. Both of these have stubs in place at the ends, just need to connect them and add farm/ranch destinations along them.

It would be nice to get US-24 west to I-70 & CO-14 west to US-40, but I understand if the mountains don't allow for this.
User avatar
flight50
Posts: 30156
Joined: 20 May 2017 03:33
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx - USA

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#7 Post by flight50 » 08 Sep 2021 21:00

For Idaho, looks like all the Southeastern part we got with the Wyoming dlc. Perhaps the Central Eastern part comes with Montana. More than likely no depots will get added to either Idaho nor Colorado though so no biggie.
User avatar
oldmanclippy
Posts: 5380
Joined: 15 Jul 2020 02:23
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Contact:

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#8 Post by oldmanclippy » 16 Sep 2021 14:36

Idaho, I think we're stuck waiting until Montana for new roads, but that is max 15 months away so we will survive at this point I think.

Colorado, I think the one road that would most improve my enjoyment of that state would be US-24 between Colorado Springs and Limon. That suddenly opens up south-central Colorado to eastern Colorado in a much more direct way and makes Colorado Springs/Pueblo to Burlington much more palatable. It's a really short segment of road too so it'd be easy to add. That and US-24 between CO-67 and US-285, but that miss is more understandable due to scaling.
blog screenshot IRL maps: Greece | Nordic Horizons | see profile for link to Germany cities and Switzerland rework maps
prediction maps: Greece | ATS 2024-2025 DLCs
research map: Upper Midwest (work in progress)
User avatar
flight50
Posts: 30156
Joined: 20 May 2017 03:33
Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx - USA

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#9 Post by flight50 » 16 Sep 2021 14:44

For me, both US-24 and US-160 are almost mandatory once Kansas comes. US-160 could come with Oklahoma though. I expect US-385 to connect Lamar to Amarillo and then US-160 connects to US-385. It won't do much for Texas nor Oklahoma but once Kansas comes, that is less they will have to map. US-160 should connect to US-83 in Oklahoma.
User avatar
oldmanclippy
Posts: 5380
Joined: 15 Jul 2020 02:23
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Contact:

Re: [REWORK] 2020 Map dlc's - Idaho & Colorado

#10 Post by oldmanclippy » 16 Sep 2021 16:34

I'm not so certain that we'll get US-160 extended in Colorado. Sure, US-83 is a road I'd like to get unbroken between Minot ND and Liberal KS, but in Oklahoma and Texas? I think we get it as part of the Laredo<->Del Rio route, and Abilene<->Wichita Falls (i.e. wherever it is concurrent with US-277), but other than that I don't really see how it's useful. So then we have to question the usefulness of US-160 in CO:

From Raton, we'll likely use US-87 to US-412 to get to Guymon in OK. I think that US-412 will be the main west-east route in OK, as it connects Guymon, Woodward, Enid, and Tulsa.
From Pueblo, we can take US-50 to US-385 to to US-412 to get to Guymon.

I am not even sure US-160 is a guarantee for southern Kansas. US-54 takes us from Guymon to Liberal to concurrency with US-400, which takes us to Wichita. Whereas US-160 is kind of a nowhere to nowhere road, with nothing major between Trinidad CO and Springfield MO, and SCS doesn't tend to use those very often.

I would like to see US-160 because a dense Kansas would be great, but I think we can get a dense Kansas without it.

For west/east roads we can get:
US-54 from Guymon to concurrency with US-400
US-400 from US-385 to US-75 (eventually to MO border)
US-50 from US-385 to Overland Park/Kansas City via I-35 (later to MO border)
I-70 (obviously)
The north of the state is trickier, but some combination of US-24 and/or US-36 would get the job done. All depends on what marked cities they choose, and marked cities north of I-70 in Kansas are kind of a toss-up besides Colby and Manhattan. Options are Concordia, Belleville, Marysville, Phillipsburg, Hiawatha, the list goes on and on. Lots of options for a small city with some ag and/or rail depots.
I'd like to see a state route used in between US-400/US-50 and I-70. Maybe KS-96 and then Great Bend could be marked.

Moral of the story, I don't think we need US-160 in KS, nor do I think it's guaranteed that SCS will put it in.
blog screenshot IRL maps: Greece | Nordic Horizons | see profile for link to Germany cities and Switzerland rework maps
prediction maps: Greece | ATS 2024-2025 DLCs
research map: Upper Midwest (work in progress)
Post Reply

Return to “American Truck Simulator”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests