Are you satisfied with the direction in which the game is developing

[ChildSqueezingMonkey]

While this is certainly no excuse for SCS to be lazy, I think we would all do well to consider this. It has been brought up before that even if new immersive features are added, that people will eventually get bored of that. Which is essentially true - sure, you can moderate the amount you play which helps tremendously, but in theory, what would you do if you built every possible truck configuration you could ever want, driven every possible job with lots of immersion a gazillion times, etc? I know if I didn't have anything left to change/add within my profile (and no new podcasts to listen to while driving), the game could have as many trucks and features as possible, but I would probably get sick of it and only revisit it once in a while for the sake of nostalgia. Since we won't live remotely long enough to have to worry about that, I realize it sounds silly, but then I got to thinking of how the game was when I started playing in 2016 and 2017, and I put just as many hours in then as I do now. Three states with unrealistic rudimentary maps and almost all the same few copy-and-paste prefabs, four truck models, no owned trailers. Perhaps not in terms of hardcore type features, but consider how the game otherwise is leaps and bounds bigger and better than it was just a few years ago. Yet I would say I was just as content playing the game in 2017 as I am now. It's because I didn't know any different, and while we have more now, I notice I still spend about the same amount of time thinking about the future of the game and yearning for yet more maps and trucks and whatnot, as I was years ago when the game had much less, and would get old super quick if I had to go back to that.

All of this is to say, part of the problem here is that pesky part of human nature that is constantly seeking something more/new/different. I don't think we would know what to do with ourselves if we had nothing new whatsoever to look forward to, or nothing missing from the game to complain about. So while I don't think there is anything wrong with desiring new content, my point is that in the long term I don't think it's going to make as much difference in your enjoyment of the game as you think it will. You may as well enjoy what is there and be thankful you have it at all, and try not to drive yourself crazy over what you perceive to be missing. Of course that's easier said than done and I'm no exception, but I'm just trying to be positive and put things into perspective. Again, nothing wrong with wanting improvements but I suggest you don't work yourself up too much over any lack thereof.

Also, this is not me saying that I am perfectly content with the game as is - there are plenty of things I think SCS should do better on. Nor am I accusing anyone of being a perfectionist. I used it to illustrate my point that it's not healthy to focus too much on what isn't there.

If these new features were done right the first time and didn't require 14000 mods to fix such a mundane request then sure I'd be fine with it. But with SCS's track record of adding XYZ thing like a trailer it needs like 3 mods to add combinations to it, then it needs a skin to make it look pretty, then you need a cargo pack or 3 or 7 to make it worth using past a few hours of gameplay. Trucks I get they don't want to dip their toes in cold water over copyrights and trademarks, fine. But when the truck is so boring then why bother adding it after all? Take the 57x for example, I have 3 mods to add different cabs and chassis options... most I won't bother using, but nonetheless it's missing. Then I need a transmission pack added so folks who drive XYZ set up can use it (I'm not one of them, but again, it needed to be added) then I have what SCS should have done in the first place. But by now I have an unsupported copy of the game because of the mods. We still don't have proper sky boxes, nor do we have nice sounds for the rain and environment, then you need a sound pack so the trucks (not just the one the player (that's us)) drives don't sound like cats being strangled to death or vacuum cleaners (take your pick at what they sound like). Should I keep going so the SCS fanboys come out to play on the forums again? Sure will. I have 14 cargo mods in my current game so that I can get around hauling empty pallets 17 times in a row or lumber 29 times or.... Us players aren't being harsh for no reason, we're still here because of how much money we've invested to how much we're getting back in the form of the game and what's being added. Update 1.47 better have more then a new trailer type that'll yet need 23 mods to "fix" and a basic economy update so that I'm not hauling a chemical tanker full of HCl to a loading dock at a Wallbert's or dot dot dot (dot dot dot...) should I add that changing tires on the trucks and trailers don't do anything? How many years till that gets a update that also doesn't do much? I lost my last save profile because I changed which Xbox controller I was using. And because the game wouldn't allow me to properly change my keybinds in which it still won't as I do to bind LB and RB to something the game switches tabs on me because in the menu it's bound on those even though I'm in the middle of changing it. Also, maybe a slight update to how WoT logins are handled too would be nice, why when I make a new profile, do I have to re-type my login info?

[Optional Features]

@ChildSqueezingMonkey Yeah, I hear you on the need for mods. I have a basic profile I just started for a large scale map, and it has over 40 mods. I'm using a default truck and a default trailer and a default skin for both.

But I need an engine sound mod, environment sound mod, wheel mod, several traffic mods (to fix behavior and vehicles), a traffic lights mod, a better camera mod, a mod to remove the viewfinder from the screenshot tool, a skybox mod, a mod to improve the default truck, a mod to make the cargo heavier so it feels like I'm loaded, and the list goes on.

Of course many of these have to be updated constantly because of the patches that rarely add more than they take away. We could have a yearly patch for all of these small things, and the impact to gameplay would be just as minimal.

[Belan]

I'd like to see the game go in a more Easterly direction.

[flight50]

SCS maps might lose business if Snowrunner and Farming Sim start map building real areas.

No more than what they loose now. Those 2 games still focus on a different crowd of people. All three games have different audiences. They all involve trucks but in different ways. FS's main focus is not trucks though compared to SCS games. Its farm equipment and crops with a minor on trucking. Snowrunner, is about off roading and vocational truck task. Both offer much deeper simulation than SCS and some of their features would be nice to get an SCS version.

[Izmaragon]

Yes, all of those issues need addressing, AI would possibly be better/easier to fix with a game engine overhaul, but thats for the future...

As for picking cargo and trailer.... One can pick and choose to a certain extent... Pallets can be hauled in dry/insul/fridge box trailer... If not also flat/drop bed, but there's not too much wiggle room for cargo vs trailer choice...

Granted, one would not want a shipment of TVs on a flatbed... The only thing that limits lumber from being hauled in a box trailer is the arduous task of loading/unloading it from that sort of container..

But here again, one comes into a conflict of sorts with the cargo details...

FURNITURE could be broken down to several sublets; MATTRESSES, BED PLATFORMS, PILLOWS AND BLANKETS, DRESSERS, MIRRORS, COFFEE TABLES, DINING TABLES.

OFFICE FURNITURE could be broken into; FILE CABINETS, DESKS, OFFICE CHAIRS, OFFICE LIGHTING, OFFICE TABLES, STAPLERS, WRITING UTENSILS...

ELECTRONICS/COMPUTERS could be elaborated upon as well; LUXURY SPEAKERS, AMPLIFIERS, PHONES, PRINTERS, CUSTOM COMPUTERS, COMPUTERS, MONITORS, COMPUTER INPUT EQUIPMENT, LAPTOPS...

And thats just for the various box trailer cargo...

CARS could be bisected as well; PICKUPS, SMALL CARS, SUVS...

Oh, and lawn care equipment could join both box trailer and flatbed cargo...

But I think its a matter of deciding what kind of icon to represent cargo might be another problem that is limited by the engine, because I wouldn't mind it if several differently named cargos held the same/similar icon... Whereas perhaps the game engine itself limits a cargo to an icon...

That needs work to rectify, as several different cargos should be able to use the same icon.

I have to wonder how many of the aspects we've been discussing are or have been on the devs todo list for x amount of time....

[howey]

@flight50 it's far from it though. Their priority is to focus on gameplay functionality with what the game is about with the addition with new trucks and trailers unlike SCS where their external functionality at all. Yes you have lift axles, diff locks and airbag suspension (which took me 4 years pestering them occasionally to add it into the game......) but thats really it. The driveshaft torque feature is nothing like it should be especially on long bonnets where good flex comes into play.

SCS priority for awhile now is DLC's cause without them they won't survive so maps, tuning packs, paint jobs and trailer DLC's it is which I can understand but what there aren't doing it though is making them more functional to use such as manually hooking and unhooking, connecting and disconnecting airlines, raising and lowering the landing gear, being able to have some manual loading and unloading aspect etc.

Christ you know yourself how messed up the cargo to location destination are with cargo going to silly places that shouldn't go there to begin with. How long did we advocate for open deck cargo to have more of a priority for the game, how long have you been advocating for better ICC's as well as better functionality for weigh bridges yet still little to no effort.

The talk of rigids of been going on for a decade now then also the talk of seasons, multi-drops, contracts, job allocation etc all have these things have been talked about for years now enough time for them to acknowledge and do something about it cause some of these things mentioned above are achievable/doable without making drastic changes to just even simplify it to begin with.

Unfortunately the player base themselves are a big reason why SCS is in the situation their in, to many just want to simple truck driving game and are risk of losing them if they start getting more advanced of the gameplay while others have mid to low end PC's that would'nt be able to cope to the extra content hence they even said in past blogs with certain things they had to sacrifice certain things to cater to users with mid to low end PC's but then there basically downgrading the game itself in that case not using their full potential to make the game itself better as a whole.

FS is even more popular with the new aspect of logging and even mining to a certain degree but of the open possibilties it brings to the game. Pure farm simmers whinge about it but the thing it's optional though just like everything on the game which is why it's the best sim game on the market. With its interaction in gameplay to the countless opportunities it brings no wonder and also why Seriousmods refers to it alot and shows the pictures why it does so.

On another note at least with On The Road they pretty much stated that if players want to play the game it will be focused on mid to high end PC's and next gen console to get the best results as they want to make the game full to its potential like FS does pretty much.

I've said what I've needed to say about why SCS needs to sacrifice certain elements to advance their games into the next generation of sim gaming wether they do it or not upto them but their player base following them if they decided to do so I hope they do but have me doubts they will do so I've said what I needed to say and time for me the move on period. Was nice chatting to you's on here on a serious note and hope some of us cross paths again on other forums etc. Adio's amigos

[55sixxx]

Unfortunately the player base themselves are a big reason why SCS is in the situation their in, to many just want to simple truck driving game and are risk of losing them if they start getting more advanced of the gameplay while others have mid to low end PC's that would'nt be able to cope to the extra content hence they even said in past blogs with certain things they had to sacrifice certain things to cater to users with mid to low end PC's but then there basically downgrading the game itself in that case not using their full potential to make the game itself better as a whole.

That is always the excuse... Something graphical wise did not make it into the game or got cut?? We're cattering for the potato PC users; Features and more in-depth simulation did not make it into the game? We're cattering for arcade players.

Also a reason to why we still have that awful disgusting resolution on these horrendous paintjobs they seem to continuously release.

And that's also why SCS never really changes or add anything meaningful, they know they can just sit back, relax and just pump out only visual elements with a cheap functionality or like most of the times, no functionality at all. Because they know the, and I quote, "bestcommunityever" is just gonna treat whatever crap SCS just released like it is holy grail.

This is why the forum never changes, the games never changes, SCS never changes and we're still stuck with a game that belongs to 2015 at best.

[JeeF]

Those 2 games still focus on a different crowd of people.

I'd love to see a marriage here.
ATS's map size with FS functionality and Snowrunner's physics and graphics.
Preferably all built in Unreal Engine 5

[flight50]

@howey great post. I agree with all of it. I am most intrigued on the part that On the Road is targeting mid to high level nachines. That is what SCS should due as well. Its 2023.

Now with that, I am more optimistic that most here after this game engine update that is coming. Its taking awhile yes, but the potential it opens up, should be worth the wait. I see SCS like Polyphony Digital. They refused to change and adapt and got left behind after years and years on top. They eventually got with the program. But they opened the door for lots of other development to rise and that created healthy competition.

I think SCS has heard many loud and clear to enhance and advance the game. Otherwise, I don't see them going thru the effort to upgrade their engine. They don't have to say a word about it right now and thats what pisses some of you off. Just knowing its getting upated isn't good enough for some here. Whether they talk now or later, doen't matter to me one bit. Talking now does not give us access to the upgrade. I'm good just knowing til they are ready to discuss. I like keeping expectations and hype lower for this until they are more open about it.

There's tons of things I want to see just like everyone here. The game was not made to do what people want in this current era but I am optimistic that this upgrade will bring a lot of potential that SCS is getting credut for. I keep seeing SCS doen't care...they don't want to do this or that....they are closed minded. In general, I think people seriously in their feeling because they don't see results they pitch for. We all do it for things we seek most. Not everything will make tge games. But I certainly thing a lot more comes than what we currently deal with. Imho, whats being asked is for a complete overhaul. Over time, its possible but it won't happen over night.

[flight50]

Those 2 games still focus on a different crowd of people.

I'd love to see a marriage here.
ATS's map size with FS functionality and Snowrunner's physics and graphics.
Preferably all built in Unreal Engine 5

That would be sweet actually. I don't even need the Unreal engine part, just bring all the functionality is a HUGE upgrade. Not every function in FS or Snowrunner has to be liked by all. All options won't make SCS games anyways. But like you keep saying....optional. Its all about letting players choose vs hardcoded in. The more menu options, the more control a player has.