Wyoming Discussion Thread

[Quark]

Seattle to Denver is actually faster to do I-90 -> I-82 -> I-84 -> I-80 -> I-25, even once Montana comes (although I-90->I-25 isn't much slower). Everything else in the Pacific Northwest (except NE Washington and northern Idaho) and Northern California/Nevada/Utah as far south as San Fransisco will similarly route through Cheyenne (or Laramie if the US-287 is added between it and Fort Collins, but you get the idea) to Denver.

And that's exactly one reason why i don't think Montana ( before Texas) is really as badly needed as some people think. For the most of the Pacific North West, Wyoming is enough, Montana is not necessarily needed for now. The so called "L-shape" problem is more of an optical kind than a practical one in this particular case. When Montana comes before Texas, there would be no real benefit except indeed for northern Idaho and north east Washington. And this is neither a large nor a particularly important region. I personally don't care much about what comes first, Texas >>> Montana or vice versa, just saying that in principle it makes
little difference in my eyes (in this context at least).

[flight50]

Idaho needs Montana more than ATS needs Texas from a route perspective. Finance, content-wise, popularity...sure Texas winds hands down. But Texas before Wyoming doesn't go over too well without Wyoming coming first. Montana can't come without Wyoming. I see Wyoming kinda like I saw Utah. Wyoming does close the gap which means if it at least comes next, then Montana could indeed come after Texas or before Texas. Doesn't matter much to me either as long as Wyoming comes first.

[Quark]

Yep, naturally Wyoming first, then Texas or Montana. But i'm not worried about it. Don't forget Pavel's words: "and a smaller one that will fill in the time before the big major release". He certainly does not mean Oklahoma, and if he does, well, that would be a monumental screw up by SCS indeed. Hardly imaginable.

[Onagerlinn]

@Quark Those are good points. The only thing with Montana is, with Wyoming released, there's now a big I-90 gap. It won't be *quite* as pressing as I-84 through Idaho was, but it's still a pretty sizable hole in the Interstate system.

But on the other hand, something I just realized: I think by then we'll have plenty of other areas of the map to play with and drive around where gaps in the map aren't as pressing as they were back when Washington had just released, and the map was one big corridor. We were very limited in where we could go. Now, we have Utah, Idaho, and soon Colorado to *greatly* alleviate that, and if we have Wyoming and Texas in the mix, we'll have plenty of other places we can go.

And the more open area we have to play with going forward, the less these map gaps will bother us.

[flight50]

I can't wait til Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Texas are all in place. I really hope that Winter 2022, all that can happen. Its very possible that Oklahoma is in place by then as well. The completed West and Texas at least which starts Chapter 2 for ATS. Over that hump and its on. At that point, I am cool with waiting on whatever. That is a tad more than 1/3 of the country.

[oldmanclippy]

Yes the more I think about it the more I think that Texas before Montana really isn't the end of the world. Yes Northern Idaho and Salmon will suffer in the meanwhile, but Wyoming is really the more important state to add. And as the map gets bigger and bigger then gaps in it will matter less and less because the overall size of the map is so large that we can just go and drive elsewhere until it's finished, unlike with the L shape we had as recently as pre-Idaho, but more extreme pre-Utah.

[flight50]

Yeah before last year's xmas stream, I was on board with Tx and Wy next for ATS. After listening to Pavel on how unsure he was about Texas I switched to being on board with Wy and Mt. Especially once Idaho dropped for the roads we got. Back then, I was thinking Texas from a business point of view and a what it brings to the table point of view. Montana before Texas is only for boxing up the map and getting more Great Plains for an easier state to map. Texas just can't be rushed is my thing. But in between all that, Wyoming is a key component imo. It boxes up the map and gives us more North/South as well as more East/West. Texas just pretty much gives us more East/West no matter when it comes.

I'd just rather finish I-15 and I-25 before starting I-35 and Wyoming adds to this cause. Either way though, I'll buy the maps. I just know Texas can't come before Wyoming and Texas shouldn't be the only state we get in a year. I understand its large and very demanding. No need to explain that. At the same time if the devs extend the development time and continue to work it in the background instead of thinking money, then at 1-2 states could come before it and overall, gives us more land faster.

[interstate trav]

I’m always going to be Wyoming Montana then Texas, I really don’t want that not square map, I would really like to have the 15 finished the 25 also extending the 90 the 80 the start of he 94.

Then when Texas comes we also get the 20, so basically every East and west corridor will have started. Not to mention starting the 35.

Oh and the Los Angeles rebuild. Had to say it.

[averyc2506]

if we got wyoming + montana after colorado, that would mean two very sparse states back to back with no large cities which some people may not be inclined to buy. so i could see why they would go for texas in between the two so we have some new urban development.

personally, i dont mind much, yes i love cities but the country is cool too

[flight50]

Agreed but at the same time, you hurt Texas if it requires rushing it and a huge portion of content is kick out. Whatever they are planning if even 25% is cut out, that is a ton. Now we don't know where they are now in development so its impossible to say Texas for Fall 2021 or Spring/Summer 2022. All I know is that getting two back to back states that are easier and allows more dev time to Texas is better than trying to worry about urban development and large cities. But that's just me. No matter when Texas or Montana comes, if you planned to buy it, you would buy it no matter when it comes. We all wait at the same rate. Even if people held off for a state, they'd buy it eventually anyways because the quality in ATS maps are night and day and well worth any wait to me.

I have my preferences just like everyone does for what can follow Wyoming. But first we must get it started. Wyoming is a small market state. But it can be great. Montana is larger but its still small market. Colorado and Texas will be our big market states for awhile til we get further East. So no matter what, after Colorado and Texas, we will get market states than those two states for a few more years after the release. If Wyoming has the right stuff in it, I think people can over look that its a flyover state. I recommend people to learn the geography of Wyoming now so that you can't blame SCS for what it lacks.

If the devs miss roads or cities that is one thing. But if the devs can jam pack Wyoming for all its great points to a high level like Colorado, that is all we can really ask for. Wyoming can make up for its lack of urban development with a pure natural appearance and effort. The Wyoming team will have to go outside the box. Get rid of the linear thinking. Wyoming has great aspects to it. If NM made a good name for itself (at its time of entry), there is no excuse for Wyoming not to do the same. Wyoming WILL NOT out do Colorado so everyone can get rid of thinking that. That ain't happening. Quality wise, Wyoming is very capable of a good dlc. Its what you put in it that will make the difference. Every detail on the landscape, the mountain passes, the signage, the terrain, the towns etc, make it count. If Wyoming lacks big cities, soooo what. That means you get to now make tons of scenic towns. Or how about making lots of Pioche, Tonopah, Ely, Clifton, Omak type towns. Why give Wyoming 10-11 of the largest possible cities when you can add an additional 6 small towns. Turn that 10-11 marked cities into 15-16 marked cities and towns. Find industry like Clifton, Ar. 1-2 depots can go along ways in small towns than just a scenic town with nothing more than just a pass thru.