Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

Optional Features
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#41 Post by Optional Features » 06 Mar 2022 22:44

Yeah, TMP is doing a special event where drivers haul stuff to a place, and over time a building appears. It's a similar idea, and proves this is doable.
Optional Features
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#42 Post by Optional Features » 10 May 2022 00:27

I need to do this more often, but just one example of how this could work. This is just one oil rig in Vernal, Utah. I count at least 38 physical loads that could be sourced from one location. That's not counting loose items (probably 5 more loads), at least one or two tanker loads to unload that pond, and a handful of cars that might go on a stepdeck as well. There's probably 50 trips worth of cargo in one place, all consisting of models that are already in the game.

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All we need is a freight system that supports them (company triggers that show all the physical loads in a place, rather than just trailers), a node-based load system (that allows the player to put these loads in cargo slots), and dynamic prefabs where objects are generated as loads (and can be interacted with) while disappearing as map prefabs (this could mean they are translated down under the map or have visibility/collision toggled off).

Physically loading cargo with a forklift, crane, or winch would be a plus, but just being able to click a pallet into a slot (like a tire or light), hit enter, and watch a pallet on the prefab disappear is way more than what we have ever had.

It doesn't always have to involve the whole prefab disappearing, either. Dynamic companies could be enabled for something like a car dealership.

Here's a car trailer that I assume is freight market. It holds three F150s. It could hold four imo, but let's go with three for now.

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There are 18 loads of cars at this dealership in Price, Utah.

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So over time, groups of three cars (or maybe other numbers) could disappear from the lot (visibility/collision off or translated under the map). Then, the player would see a contract come to take groups of cars to this lot. Drive to port, factory, or appropriately configured railyard.

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Park over trigger. Select three cars from list of all cars in the lot (in this case, a contract could list out maybe vin numbers of cars to be hauled). Select cargo nodes to hold these three vehicles. Hit enter. Three cars disappear from pickup spot and appear on trailer. Player drives to dropoff spot. Stops on trigger; clicks deliver; three cars disappear from trailer and appear in yard.

Now, the player has the option of becoming a dedicated car hauler, taking contracts to haul cars from one pick up spot to dealerships around the map (and seeing those lots change over time).
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ASDF
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#43 Post by ASDF » 13 May 2022 15:26

I looked up your statement and I think your idea is to hope that scs software will make Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator similar to Construction Simulator 2.
Hopefully in the future America Truck Simulator will add these trucks: Freightliner 122SD/Century/Columbia/FLD/Cascadia/Coronado, Kenworth T800/T880/W990,Volvo VNX740, International HX520/ ProStar, and MACK Pinnacle, MACK Titan.
Optional Features
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#44 Post by Optional Features » 13 May 2022 15:31

ASDF wrote: 13 May 2022 15:26 I looked up your statement and I think your idea is to hope that scs software will make Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator similar to Construction Simulator 2.
I'm barely familiar with that game, but I'm looking for something that combines many concepts. Some from snowrunner, cities skylines, farming sim, etc.

More interactivity and the satisfaction of seeing one's work turn into physical objects on the ground.
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Axel Slingerland
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#45 Post by Axel Slingerland » 23 Sep 2022 18:11

From a game developers point of view, SCS has to make decisions based on a few important factors. Some of the more important things they have to consider would be will something that a few people want be technically possible, and will it give anything substantial to the game, to make it worth the man hours and expense to make it happen. And of course, whether something will be good for sales. After all, if your game doesn't sell and you make no money, what's the point in making it? If people like what you do, sales will improve. If they don't like what you do, sales could fall flat. That's why ETS2 and ATS have a little arcade feel and a little sim feel. They're trying to maintain a balance between two groups of players. But by allowing mods, people who want to get rid of that arcade stuff (which I call the "bouncing greenies"), and make the game seem like more of a truck sim.

But while I agree with some of your ideas (read my post in your thread about garage reform), some of them just aren't going to give the game anything worth the time, effort and cost it would take to make them happen. A friend of mine told me years ago that if you can make a mod of something, then the game developer can easily add your ideas into the game. If you can't then they will have to do it, and whether they will try to do it is based on the three things. Possibility, Practicality and Profitability. In other words, can it be done, should it be done and how well will it sell. Because that determines a lot in all kinds of businesses. But make no mistake about it, SCS started small and became a very profitable company by doing what they have been doing.
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Optional Features
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#46 Post by Optional Features » 23 Sep 2022 21:01

Axel Slingerland wrote: 23 Sep 2022 18:11 But while I agree with some of your ideas (read my post in your thread about garage reform), some of them just aren't going to give the game anything worth the time, effort and cost it would take to make them happen. A friend of mine told me years ago that if you can make a mod of something, then the game developer can easily add your ideas into the game. If you can't then they will have to do it, and whether they will try to do it is based on the three things. Possibility, Practicality and Profitability. In other words, can it be done, should it be done and how well will it sell. Because that determines a lot in all kinds of businesses. But make no mistake about it, SCS started small and became a very profitable company by doing what they have been doing.
A dynamic prefab as I describe would require the time and effort necessary to make an object appear and disappear when a trigger was interacted with. That doesn't seem like much.

The ATS playerbase has been stagnant for quite a while: one of the biggest issues with the game is once a player has passed by a place once, he has seen all it offers. Nothing changes from game day to game day.

Toggling visibility on lights, cranes, cars in parking lots, ships, and other things can do a ton to make the game world much more alive.
jab98
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#47 Post by jab98 » 23 Sep 2022 22:52

seriousmods wrote: 23 Sep 2022 21:01
Axel Slingerland wrote: 23 Sep 2022 18:11 But while I agree with some of your ideas (read my post in your thread about garage reform), some of them just aren't going to give the game anything worth the time, effort and cost it would take to make them happen. A friend of mine told me years ago that if you can make a mod of something, then the game developer can easily add your ideas into the game. If you can't then they will have to do it, and whether they will try to do it is based on the three things. Possibility, Practicality and Profitability. In other words, can it be done, should it be done and how well will it sell. Because that determines a lot in all kinds of businesses. But make no mistake about it, SCS started small and became a very profitable company by doing what they have been doing.
A dynamic prefab as I describe would require the time and effort necessary to make an object appear and disappear when a trigger was interacted with. That doesn't seem like much.
Just curious what modding and or coding experience do you have to make assumption that doing something “doesn’t seem like much”? It would require making multiple models of the same prefab. Redoing the coding of the economy such that the game recognizes and counts the number of loads hauled to and from a company. And likely other things I haven’t mentioned. You’re probably looking at around 150 man hours minimum for such an implementation. Your ideas aren’t terrible but you fail to take into consideration the complexity of some of your ideas and just act like scs is lazy and doesn’t want to do anything to improve gameplay.
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GT182
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Re: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact

#48 Post by GT182 » 07 Dec 2022 01:17

seriousmods wrote: 25 Jan 2022 20:09 I want to deliver to a car dealer and drive by a week later to see a few cars gone. I also want to drive the cars on and off the truck and strap them down, but that's never going to happen.
LOL I did that for 14.1 years in real life. I too would love to see it in ATS. Not just anyone can do it in real life. It takes a special mind set and nerves of steel. Snow, ice, and rain can really ruin your day. Think of loading and unloading cars and/or trucks at -40 in the dead of winter, the hottest days of the year, in 2 feet of water or pouring rain, 2 foot of snow, or the decks covered with ice and snow. Or better yet... having to unload cars to get vans off the top decks to deliver at a dealer. The reload the cars. Coming up to an under pass that says 12' 9"s when your load height is 13' 2"s. Solid loads were the best over dropping off 1 car at a time. I know, this wouldn't be in ATS but..... ;)

BTW, it was far and few times we even went to the same dealer in a month's time. We just wanted to get em on and get em off as fast as we could and get back for another load. which could mean going in the opposite directions.

Serious, in the photos you show there are maybe 3 loads. What is there are just from "partial" loads as the truck with 3 or 4 vehicles on the trailer. A full load would be more than what is shown. And combination loads with different load orders.
Gary - CB code name: CW
Formerly from Northern NY on the Ontario/Quebec borders.
I've hauled ass down the road to deliver new cars and trucks, fuel, freight, and produce. Now I'm addicted to ATS doing the same thing in a simulation. :roll:
Optional Features
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Re: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact

#49 Post by Optional Features » 07 Dec 2022 04:17

GT182 wrote: 07 Dec 2022 01:17 LOL I did that for 14.1 years in real life. I too would love to see it in ATS. Not just anyone can do it in real life. It takes a special mind set and nerves of steel. Snow, ice, and rain can really ruin your day. Think of loading and unloading cars and/or trucks at -40 in the dead of winter, the hottest days of the year, in 2 feet of water or pouring rain, 2 foot of snow, or the decks covered with ice and snow. Or better yet... having to unload cars to get vans off the top decks to deliver at a dealer. The reload the cars. Coming up to an under pass that says 12' 9"s when your load height is 13' 2"s. Solid loads were the best over dropping off 1 car at a time. I know, this wouldn't be in ATS but..... ;)
If there's any part of the game where we absolutely should be able to load our cargo, it's car haulers.
Serious, in the photos you show there are maybe 3 loads. What is there are just from "partial" loads as the truck with 3 or 4 vehicles on the trailer. A full load would be more than what is shown. And combination loads with different load orders.
Please share reference pics. The more, the merrier.
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GT182
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Re: Dynamic Companies: Virtual Truckers Should Make a Visible Impact on the Game World

#50 Post by GT182 » 07 Dec 2022 16:28

Do you want pics of what I drove? Here's a website that shows a lot of them... loaded and unloaded. Here's a photo of the last rig I drove for Anchor Mtr Frt with 10 Camaros and Firebirds on it in 1992. Here's a link that shows car haulers loaded and unloaded....https://www.bing.com/search?q=Car%20hau ... &form=QBRE

My Stinger as they were and are still called. It's actually a truck-trailer combination. And could be a bitch to load and unload. But I still miss it and the money. LOL

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If you need any more help don't be afraid to ask. I'll give all the help I can to you guys for a mod that really works in ATS. I'm not worried about ETS2 as they do it totally different than we do here in the USA. ;) LOL
Gary - CB code name: CW
Formerly from Northern NY on the Ontario/Quebec borders.
I've hauled ass down the road to deliver new cars and trucks, fuel, freight, and produce. Now I'm addicted to ATS doing the same thing in a simulation. :roll:
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