Idaho Discussion Thread

[SirVirgoTheMess]

@KnuteOle nice one

[plykkegaard]

A series of modular prefabs is used to create a unique and complex structure of buildings, you can call it a postfab

[flight50]

Sold, lol. Plykkegaard just defined the word postfab. Webster......write this down.

[Vinnie Terranova]

About prefab/postfab/pastfab/whateverfab: in the Idaho: Check Your Log-blog SCS wrote:

Idaho will also see the introduction of a new prefab that will bring a new overall feel to the timber harvesting industry.

Does anybody know what prefab is meant? I think it might be the big DeepGrove prefab northwest of Grangeville, but I'm not sure: it also could be a combination of some of the DeepGrove prefabs, including the DeepGrove prefabs at Boise and Sandpoint, which also show the processing of wood.

[supersobes]

If a prefab is already in the game, isn't that a postfab?

Prefab is short for "prefabricated," which means something was fabricated or made before. In the context of ATS, prefabs are pieces of the map that were created by the asset team beforehand and are simply placed on the map by the map designers without requiring them to create the entire scene of that particular area from scratch.

[harishw8r]

Does anybody know what prefab is meant?

I think they meant Grangeville, CDA and Sandpoint. Taking Sandpoint for instance, it's not a typical rectangular (or whatever shaped) area that functions as a depot, instead just a small loop of road that is driveable. But a large area around the accessible region is active where we could see logging activities, and that could be considered as the prefab here. Hence the depot isn't limited to the accessible region alone (like the Bellingham cliff for example).

Earlier there used to be a small area, then they moved on building a similar environment around that area to make it look even bigger (Cedar City quarry for instance), Now there's no such specific accessible area but just a road network. This is the new approach.

[flight50]

@supersobes he was joking about the before and after context of the word pre and post. Basically if we already have (x) prefab in the game files and SCS didn't actually make new prefabs for Idaho, they reused old prefabs. They just tweaked old prefabs to look like its new by giving them new layouts surrounding them. That is how they fooled me, lol. So in theory, postfab means refreshed and recycled. Idaho uses a lot of recycled prefabs to make them appear new. I'd be very very concerned if Colorado did too much of this. It time to branch out for new companies.

[Vinnie Terranova]

But a large area around the accessible region is active where we could see logging activities, and that could be considered as the prefab here.

So we actually need a new definition of prefab. Well, I do like the new approach: it will bring the prefabs to life. I hope SCS will do that with other prefabs as well. It will raise the immersion enormously.

[flight50]

I completely agree with Vinnie. If they are going to recycle prefabs, definitely use them like Idaho has done. This saves time and copy pasting isn't so bad when the effort is there to make it fee new. But still, Idaho should have gotten at least 2-3 new companies mixed in. I am all for the blending of prefabs to reuse. Texas and Montana will definitely need this. They have massive areas to cover and the asset team can't create 75% new content for those states. That's too much work. Create what you need and try reusing existing content to speed up. As we get more into the Great Plains, recycling could be easier because its mostly open plains. Please copy paste and at least give a new name though. I am fine with that.

One example I like the devs did in Idaho is the Coastline Mining in Salmon if memory serves me right. Its up on a hill and on approach, I had no clue what to expect. I love the way they worked it into the land. Once I got in the prefab, I was like, oh, I remember this prefabs, its actually not new. Up in Sandpoint around the garage, I love how they made that area small and junky like. It felt like I was a one truck shop owner. That was cool. I like immersion for sure. My thing is, just put effort into making things not seem so repetitive. This is the main reason why I never got into C2C or Canad Dreams. They cover wayyyy to much land and to populate it, they have to use the 1/4 of ATS that we do have for all of ATS. It would be much better if at least 1/2 the US was in to make such as large map.

I see why ProMods v1.0 doesn't require Idaho though. Nothing new in it. But the one connection that Idaho doesn't have with Canada will hopefully come once Montana comes. This is when SCS will more than likely route us thru Bonner's Ferry in route to Kalispell, MT. That is where ProMods can come back in and make that connection.

[plykkegaard]

It is not something new to embed the prefab in the landscape
It is widely used at harbours, mining industries, logging sites, farming ss mentioned, almost everywhere