So considering that info and from inspiration from another thread, here is that “Texas Discussion” thread. I feel that its appropriate that I as a local Texan, get this party started. There are many of us from Texas that are part of this community. I am sure you all see more than just myself always mention Texas. Not only Texans, but many from the community from all over seem to have a high anticipation for Texas. Its size and what it will bring to ATS will be a huge weight off SCS's shoulders and a joy to have in our ATS world once it arrives. The day Texas gets blogged, will perhaps send a ripple thru the community.
Texas could be on the menu as soon as late 2021 imo. Most of us would rather see it on the menu for 2022 though for various reasons. Summer or Winter works for 2022 but if 2021, Winter seems like the best fit. If it was started in early Jan/Feb 2019, it really depends on when it can get a full production team behind it. That is what could determine its release year. There is a lot riding on Texas so the more development time, the better which is why many of us would rather have a boxed up map now with Wyoming/Montana (based on the current ATS poll in my signature) and provide that extra time for the devs for Texas coming 2022. I don't expect all to agree and that's fine but lets face it, Texas could be 2021 or 2022 at the latest if they are currently working it.
So, what does Texas have:
US largest cities by population (by top 25 rank)
4) Houston
7) San Antonio
9) Dallas
11) Austin
13) Fort Worth
22) El Paso
Texas as a whole has 41 cities with a population of more than 100k. (6) are in the top 25 that have more than 650k alone. (13) are in the top 100 that have more than 235k. This kind of roster will make a nightmare of a state to map. Imagine the assets required Texas is the largest of the lower 48 in the US so there is tons of room right.....not exactly. At 1:20, scale will put its limits on Texas just like any other state. There is a huge road network that Texas will add to the game as well as a huge city count. So the devs will definitely have their work cut out for them. I got to meet a few of the devs at GATS 2019. Very cool group of guys. I enjoyed hanging out with them for 3 days. I am sure they took in as much information as they could but Texas is impossible to cover in a few days. Its just too large as a whole. The main population for Texas is part of what I like to call the "Texas Triangle". That is the area that covers I-35E, I-35W, I-45 to I-10. That's the DFW, Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas. Those are 5 of the 6 largest city's in the state. El Paso is the only remote city of the top 25 I mentioned.
Largest US Metropolitan Area by population (by top 30 rank)
4) Dallas/Fort Worth
5) Houston/The Woodlands/Sugar Land
29) Austin/Round Rock
DFW and the Houston area will be nightmares alone. These areas are HUGE. There are only 3 areas in the US that are larger. (2) of those are not even close to being in the game. If we are lucky, the no.2 rank will get a massive rework to make it feel its size. I am sure our Los Angles community members here would love that one, lol. Anywho, if you zoom into Google Maps or any map, you will notice the huge amount of interstates and junctions in DFW and Hoston areas alone. The devs can't do it all.....or can they
. I think they can get somewhat close. But to do this, I think they have to cheat these huge metro areas a bit. What I'd like to see is the outer limits stretched out a bit. Its a game and hurts nothing. For example, DFW is 9,200 Square miles.
So to cheat this, add 15%-20% to this 9,200 sq miles (14,805.96km) . That gives us 1,380-1,840 extra square miles to play with (2,220.895-2,961.193km). That increases the real estate to allow more room for interchanges and highways. In expanding like this, cities that are large enough can get absorbed by either Dallas or Fort Worth. Prime examples are Denton, Texas and perhaps Waco Texas. Denton is the home of Peterbilt Trucks. Like Kenworth they are owned by Paccar. I am sure most of us would love to have Peterbilt join the ATS roster to be able to deliver trucks and cargo to and from this facility. But its no guarantee to make it. Below is the example I mean by adding 15%-20%
What else can Texas offer:
Fortune 500 Companies
Texas is home to 54 of the US's top 500 companies. At the top of the list are companies like Exxon, Phillips 66, Valero and Conoco with a huge presence in Oil & Gas. But there are other huge ones like Sysco, Halliburton, Flur Corporation, Kimberly Clark, Whole Foods, Waste Management, Dean Foods and D.R. Horton. These in my honest opinion could be factors not only in Texas, but around the US. Not to mention all the other top companies that exist thru out the US period. Companies that are not part of the 500 should not be excluded. Companies like Livestock Investors, Frito Lay, BNSF Railway, Texas Instruments, Dr. Pepper, Fossil Group and Academy all can play big rolls in bring their products and services to Texas and the rest of ATS. Now all these companies I list are just a few I name but by no means are they themselves guaranteed to come. I am big on industries, cargo and new companies and I just think Texas should be able to incorporate several from these list of companies.
This discussion thread along with the public research thread should be able to generate a ton of info the Texas dlc. Although Texas has not been announced, as I said above, its no secret to the community that its being developed. So while there is plenty of time left, there is a lot we the community can add to the mix. I always like to think that its better to have too much information than not enough information.
edit: 2020-10-10 - added proposed maps from page 8.
Option 1. The "Ideal DFW". This has all the major roads and all the major junctions. Note all the interchanges. Use the Legend to figure out what is what.
Option 2. This is has the inner rings of Dallas (Loop 12) and the inner ring of Ft.Worth (East Loop 820) removed. It also reconfigures TX-183 @ I-35 to make things a little easier
Option 3. This is the bare bones minimum I think SCS can get away with in DFW.
Below are the locations that are a possibility to come with the Texas DLC. I made one in the Public Research thread here, but that was back in 2018. This new one is current day thinking, lol
Green - Major Large mapped City. Definitely making the game. These are you Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Vegas, and Denver style cities.
Cyan - Mid-sized mapped City. Very Likely. These are your Boise, Grangeville, Ogden, Moab, Port Angeles, Las Cruces, Aberdeen, Coos Bay, Newport and Burns style cities.
Yellow - Small mapped towns. Probable/Questionable. These are your Picohe, Tonopah, Jackpot and Show Low
Magenta - These are the scenic towns. Probable cities (incomplete, I'll update later)
