Base Map Rebuild (CA, NV, AZ) General Discussion Thread

[Neoba]

Given how much is being reworked (Northern Arizona+I-40 in New Mexico), I'd say this is pretty exciting. This'll make drives on I-40 so much easier. It's huge that they're reworking parts of New Mexico, hopefully they'll rework the entire that in the future.

Now for a critique, the rocks in pic 7 definitely don't look as red as they should be. The distinct color of terrain in northern Arizona is extremely important to get right, so this is slightly concerning. Hopefully it gets adjusted later in development.

[Kistk3]

I agree that there's a number of mountain ranges in game that desperate need some love, but it's wild to me that you called out Mt Shasta and the Tetons, but not the Sierra Nevadas at all. The Front Range in Colorado and the Laramie Mountains need some serious love as well, but the Sierra Nevada's south of I-80 are criminally bad as is, and that's post rework.

I haven't drove to that area of Sierra Nevada, but I believe that the mountains there it left a lot to be desired. I could mention a whole list here, but it would be a lot. And is related to other states as well. But I know SCS can do something about it later. Because the PRT will benefit from it as well.

[Shiva]

"While this phase focuses on areas tied to Route 66, our teams have multiple rework projects across the map up their sleeves. So don't worry, there's more on the horizon!"

THIS!

Wellll SCS did mention that PRT has its own mappers.

Wait, where? I have missed that.

[oldmanclippy]

I think it was that PRT has its own team, but I don't think they mentioned if there were mappers dedicated to it or not.

[rbsanford]

Wow, time for me to catch up.

Possibly Pic 7?: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.6348108 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Big if true; this, plus the inclusion of Camp Verde and the Grand Canyon (which now looks amazing, by the way), implies that this is a rework of all of northern Arizona instead of just the Beale Corridor. In that case, just calling it a Route 66 Rework is really underselling it. If that is Antelope Pass, though, I hope that isn't the final rock color, because these rocks need to be much more red, and also more vertical. Something like the cliffs you can see north of Moab in the game is much more accurate.

My first thought for a location was somewhere around Sitgreaves Pass, but the curve and openness of the road does make it look more like Antelope. The Sitgreaves Pass segment of the 66 would be amazing, and since the 66 is the focus, I wonder if that or any other new segment of the highway might be in play.

The addition of Winslow is interesting; I hope it doesn't eat up too much space on the 40, so there can still be room for both Canyon Padre and Canyon Diablo (and Meteor Crater to the south).

@oldmanclippy, since the Lincoln Highway never had as much celebrity as Route 66, I can see why it was ignored; even IRL, much of its original route across the Great Basin that hasn't been taken over by US 50 is either a backcountry road or simply abandoned. There's still some potential, though: the segment just east of Ely, which splits from the 50 near County Road 3, would make for a nice hidden access road for the Ruth Mine. The segment between Ely and Salt Lake City would be even better: you break from the 93 near Schellbourne, then follow CR 31 and 32 into Utah, go through Ibapah and Gold Hill, then skirt the southern edge of the Great Salt Lake Desert (along the route of the Pony Express), then hook up with I-80 via the 196 (there's one hiccup with this route: today it runs through the Dugway Proving Ground, where civilian traffic is restricted; I think I read somewhere that you can pass through if you get permission from the Army, but still; an alternative would be getting the rest of the Pony Express Road from Black Rock Station to I-15 north of Provo, but this could conflict with Herriman and the Kennecott Mine).

[Brothergun]

Wow, time for me to catch up.

Possibly Pic 7?: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.6348108 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Big if true; this, plus the inclusion of Camp Verde and the Grand Canyon (which now looks amazing, by the way), implies that this is a rework of all of northern Arizona instead of just the Beale Corridor. In that case, just calling it a Route 66 Rework is really underselling it. If that is Antelope Pass, though, I hope that isn't the final rock color, because these rocks need to be much more red, and also more vertical. Something like the cliffs you can see north of Moab in the game is much more accurate.

In the 1.54/55 OB, they had assets relating to Monument Valley, so it does seem like at least everything north of I-40 in Arizona is getting reworked

[ external image ]

[oldmanclippy]

@rbsanford Yeah those would be cool additions they could add for NV and UT; I was more so commenting on the lack of Lincoln Highway sights in Nebraska and (presumably) Iowa in particular, since those could have been built with PRT in the back of their heads. I assume Wyoming was pre-PRT-conception but who knows. But yeah, definitely not as iconic for foreigners or even the majority of Americans compared to Route 66.

[Xefjord]

I had to google what Lincoln Highway was, never heard of it before Oldmanclippy brought it up.

[LeGod7]

I'm guessing it's not, but pic 7 reminded me of the Oatman Highway which I drove on IRL a few years ago.
Also, as a Brit, I've never heard of the Lincoln Highway, but Rt 66 is very famous!
Would have preferred Nevada first but these screenshots look great, and I'm just happy to see any of the older areas being reworked tbh.

[rbsanford]

It's too bad the Lincoln Highway doesn't get more attention, seeing as how it was the first transcontinental highway. There was also a southern counterpart, the Lee Highway; when we get to New York City, there should be a special job where we have to transport live giraffes along that to San Diego. There were a lot more Auto Trails back then, which were the precursors to the US Numbered Highway System, but that's all been forgotten by now.

This is veering off-topic now, but one thing PRT could do is have the player follow historic routes like these, maybe with little blurbs here and there pointing out landmarks, facts, historical context, etc. Back to Arizona, these could include Route 66, the Lee Highway, and the Beale Camel Expedition (Edward Fitzgerald Beale was the one who blazed the route that would be followed by the ATSF, Route 66, and I-40, and yes, he did it with camels to see how they would handle the Southwest; they performed very well, but they never caught on), and more.