Texas Discussion Thread

[Sora]

I'm hoping for at least 3. Beaumont/Port Arthur, Houston/Galveston and Corpus Christi.

I could potentially see 5-6. Houston should get a unique one. Beaumont and Corpus Christi should have something, even if it's just a generic one (like the 'Container Port' company in ETS2), and I could maybe see Brownsville (Port of Brownsville & Port Isabel) and Victoria (Port of Victoria & Port Lavaca) getting one as well.

Galveston could get one, but what I'd be interested in seeing with Galveston is deliveries to cruise liners. It'd make it a bit different from the other ports, and it's something you can definitely reuse elsewhere on the east coast (and maybe California too.) Could maybe do a normal port alongside it too if you want.

Although if by 'seaports' they meant ferry boats, we're probably not getting any of those. Not until Michigan, at least.

[flight50]

Yeahhhh I thought about Brownville and Victoria. But that is why I said at least 3. Those 3 I mentioned can't be missed. I combined 2 just in case SCS runs into space issues and SCS can only do one in those locations. I hope Houston can be a fairly large port though so I agree. I'm hoping for a real port....a 2-3 terminal type port. At 1:20 scale 2-3 would work. The water in ATS is useless, lets use it. Push those ports out and make some complex ports please. These 1 terminal ports doesn't capture the right vibe. ETS2 ports are huge. At least Iberia looks that way. I can feel the port atmosphere in that one. If we got a complex port...for example 3 terminals, I think each terminal should represent a different type of cargo. Lets say:
Terminal A - equipment/auto for one terminal
Terminal B - grains/fruits/vegetables
Terminal C - oil/gas

If Texas can step outside the box a little, I think that can elevated the game and do a domino affect. I think Annie could set Texas off with some of the things she can do. For a dlc that should cost the same as an ETS2 map, SCS has to get people throwing money at Texas. Iberia had 600k+ wishlist Iberia. Texas won't get remotely close to that due to ATS's smaller fan base. But if its to be this behemoth of a dlc for ATS, there should be no reason why Texas can't get at least 100k or more wishlist it. Since I started playing ATS day one, the most people I've seen play ATS was after Washington and the Mack Anthem released. There should be certain parts about Texas that everyone should find attractive. Well unless you are no fan of flatter open road states. For the past several months, I've seen quite a few of you that are ready for flatter lands. I misjudged some of you guys, lol. After Colorado, a lot of you said you can't wait to get Kansas and Nebraska. Two of the definite wide open flatter states that many first called fly-over states. But after seeing Eastern Colorado, its seems like the Great Plains had a more positive affect on some of you. The Dakotas are in the same boat sort of. Seems like people want some good ole straight flat roads that are wide open. If you like high speeds, the Great Plains is going to be the place where you can put the petal to the metal. Whether you are hauling Agricultural product in the GPs or not, you will be on open roads where you can see fields and fields of vegetation and not worry about deserts if you don't like them. But guess what, you have to buy the dlc find out. Don't knock the Great Plains until SCS provides it.

[Xaagon]

I meant seaports for cargo - I don't expect to see ferries here.

I'm looking forward to Texas. It will be the first ATS DLC state that I haven't really been to in real life. Other than a couple trips to El Paso, I haven't really experienced Texas so you guys will have to tell me how close to reality they make it feel.

[flight50]

Texas as a whole isn't too bad. West of Abilene and Junction, you may feel even more isolated. But East of those, the further you go, the lands definitely don't look and feel like the Western parts of the state. You'll find that it interesting how busy it can be without mountains and pretty terrains of the West if the devs capture it just right. Its a large dlc but its still limited to scale. Its going to be some fun runs from El Paso to anywhere in the Texas Triangle though. No matter which way you take, you are crossing New Mexico and half of Arizona. If you go from El Paso to Houston, you will be crossing New Mexico and Arizona. Venture over into East Texas into the boonies and you will definitely exceed your time limit for the day. If you want to drive for hrs and never leave a state and have several routes to take and forced to sleep eventually, Texas is your state. Texas is basically California both North to South and East to West. It can take you all day to go North to South in California from the border of Mexico, to the border of Oregon.

I just want to see how Texas can tie into the rest of the map. Will Texas bring some stuff that can replace other things in older maps? Will Wyoming start it off? Will Texas make older parts of the map even worse? I'm look forward to Texas to see what it brings. Not because its my home. I'd rather see a new approach to ATS's economy with Texas than to continue getting the same economy we are getting still. Wyoming may or may be too late to start something new but we'll see. I think the more blogs we see about Texas, the more hype can be generated. Go all out for the this $17.99 type map. I just want people to invest in the map and keep ATS's player base growing. Its strange that outside of this forum, ATS isn't really mentioned all that much.

ATS just needs more exposure and I hope with Texas and Colorado in, that helps. It will be a tremendous help getting California rebuilt. That should open some eyes to the people playing the demo. If California is rebuilt to the quality of Colorado, Utah, Idaho....there is little doubt that people won't be able to help themselves buy more dlc's. By the time Texas releases, Wyoming and California could be most finished or completed. This time around, there is a much larger truck roster as well. So if ATS can add another 2-3 trucks by the time Texas releases, the odds of more fan support goes up. ProMods should have a tad larger map as well and that too will help. 2022 should be a great map year for ATS. I still think there is a shot at 3 maps in 2022.

[Vinnie Terranova]

They never said they were just focusing on Interstates only. They said they are avoiding cities for now. As in not the right manpower. They are stretched thin for mapping power with Texas in the works and Wyoming. Jakub even stated more will join when he reveal the rebuild on the xmas stream. You'll have to watch the stream. More as in new hires or once other map dlc's end is when more California will come. Its takes an experienced city builder to do California. So that is more than likely why cities are being avoided. I am sure SCS has received enough complaints on California cities and roads so it all need updating. They lack the manpower for a full 4th map team for the rebuild so they have to do what they can. California will more than likely get at least an 80% rebuild if not 100%. LAX and the ports would be big mistakes to not do with ATS being were it is now. I don't see them skipping either.

Never say never. What I mean is this: if you look at the Germany rebuild, it was mainly about the highways/autobahns. Most of the German cities didn't get an overhaul like Las Vegas got. For the first iteration of the California rebuild I'm quite sure that Californian cities are avoided. I'm not talking about a possible second iteration, as I don't expect a second iteration very soon. We might have to wait for several years: we still have a covid pandemie and after Wyoming and Texas there are a lot of other states waiting to be created.
But who knows... Los Angeles needs an experienced city builder. With the Texas cities I think there will be quite some city builder experience. The question is: can the new map teams for the states after Texas miss an experienced city builder, so that he/she can revamp Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc? Time will tell.
I'm hopeful, but at the same time doubtful: we did a Las Vegas revamp, but without KLAS. So why should we get a Los Angeles revamp, but unlike Las Vegas, with KLAX included?

[Tristman]

Well if we look at the Germany rebuild, wasn’t there also Stuttgart that had an airport added? Most German cities were reskinned, but there is the exception that got an addition to it. So I think it is possible that the same would happen to LA eventually.

[flight50]

@Vinnie Terranova Well I partially agree with ya. Germany was Germany. MandelSoft started that as a side project. It wasn't meant to have a dedicated team until he later go help after realizing the huge task at hand. But once MandelSoft left, they couldn't just leave it hanging so they had to work it when time permitted. The ATS rebuild team is purposely dedicated to ATS's rebuild. Not to mention zero associations with the ETS2 team. Agreed to never say never and only time will tell. But the cities in California...........I honestly think the ATS map team in more passionate and cares a lot more. The issue is, what does Pavel want. If he says no, there is little the map team can do. I also agree that the Texas city builders.....at least 1-2 will go to California once Texas (a paid dlc) is out the door. That is why I think cities can still get revamped. Not to mention needing 1-2 asset people to make new models. California just isn't accurate at all. Imho, if you are going to rebuild California, do it right. Add alllll the missing things that makes California the no. 1 economic state in the US. We are 5+ years in with ATS and sooo much has changed that benefits it.

Covid........is a non factor. You guys keep bringing it up. We are well over a year now and SCS is still thriving. Pavel mentioned they hired like 50 people or so since 365+ days ago. There is a pandemic yes, but its of now factor anymore. People have learned to adjust. Heck, my company has been thriving working from home. At home is not for everyone but you make the best of it and SCS has done just that. I think Texas cities will put a huge stamp on cities in the game. There are 6 huge cities to build out like Portland/Seattle/Denver. Those dlc's have 1 huge city in their perspective dlc's. Texas has 6, not to mention the 15-20 Boise like cities that we should get to drive thru to some degree. So they need the city builders for Texas for sure. There are perhaps 1-2 decent sized cities in Wyoming. But once Texas and Wyoming are done, you free up people. I suspect Oklahoma and Montana follow. Oklahoma City and Tulsa are your largest there. Montana, will basically be Wyoming/Idaho sized type cities. The huge city builders can go to California. San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and mayyyyyybe add San Jose. Those cities imo can't really stay with the current asset models. California was built with Europe in mind and they must revamp it. At least Germany, they have European culture there. The US back in the day, there were just too naive and California will basically require that a huge portion of it is redone.

[SmokeyWolf]

Far as Galveston goes we need Del Monte more so than a cruise ship port.

[flight50]

Del Monte is a nice one. I'll take Pier 39 - looks like wind turbine parts, Del Monte - fresh produce and I'll take Pier 10 - looks like they have vehicles and machinery. Galveston is one of those strips of land that SCS could push out into the water to gain space for sure. It would make I-45 run into TX-87 nicely to meet some of those ports.

[supersobes]

Today my routine of randomly scouring Google Maps for cool trucks and intersections brought me to JCT I-35E & I-30 in Dallas, Texas. I knew this was a complex interchange, but I didn't realize just how crazy is actually is. This interchange is huge! It makes me really curious to see how SCS will depict it in ATS. I know that some of these ramps and bridges are HOV only and won't be drivable as the player, but I wonder if they'll still be in the game as scenery. I don't expect there to be a lot of drivable roads in downtown Dallas proper as most of the industries in the game will likely be on the outskirts of the city, so I'm thinking that there could be enough space downtown to depict this interchange in its full glory.

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