Texas Discussion Thread

[flight50]

Just saw the Texas ICC news. Popping open an imaginary champagne bottle right now!

This is so exciting, guys! Texas delivers. Big props to @flight50 and everyone else here for keeping on the good fight for a better economy.

Think we can say without a doubt now that Texas is going to be the best DLC ATS has ever had. A perfect start to a Season 2 of sorts, starting off the agricultural heartland of the US!

Lol. I like that. I need to go home a have a real glass of wine. Long day of work and I couldn't say on here as much as I wanted to celebrate. I only take credit of not letting ICCs die but it is you all that joined in to help. Like I mentioned, me alone, I'm not loud enough. I can't speak for the entire community. There are some people that just don't care about ICCs but luckily, enough of you started realizes why I fought for so long. So props to you all for joining the fight.

In Dallas, there is not only DFW airport, but also Love Field. The main road that serves that airport is Mockingbird Lane. When I visited Dallas in 1999, there were already skyscrapers being built right and left. Las Colinas is one of the many business parks in Dallas. I rode the DART light rail and just about 90& of the stops has a business park serving it. Even Oscar heard me talking about underground loading docks. There is one at Cityplace. I am not sure how tall the building at City Place is but it's a monster! With the tons of condos built there, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if SCS even starts adding residential furniture moving. And that would require the Kentucky Road drop-deck trailer. My uncle who lived in Dallas lived not too far from Jim Miller Road and I-30. I wouldn't mind taking a drive down Mockingbird Lane.

We can only have one airport in DFW at 1:20. Lovefield is passenger only for the most part. DFW makes a lot more sense. Lovefield is pushed off the main highway so it doesn't make sense for ATS. DFW is the right choice. It even has a highway running thru it. Cityplace Tower is 42 stories by the way. I use to work there. Started Jan 2007 and I actually just left Jan of this year to join a spin off company. We all use to work for the same guy and we all wanted change. If we get US-75, no doubt Cityplace could make the game. Its the tallest building outside of downtown Dallas and yes Dart rail does run other it but its irrelevant for this Texas dlc. I don't live to far from Jim Miller. I'm off I-30 going toward Lake Ray Hubbard and man is the new construction work going to be something once they finish. It'll take another 2-3 years I bet so SCS will have to update the area at some point. Even Lake Ray Hubbard is getting a massive construction project.

Texas being added makes the World Map so much more exciting now, too. You can now see as far east as Florida and Michigan! It's the first time on unmodded ATS I've been able to see my home state of Michigan, and it's exciting to see. It'll be a while until I can drive there in game, but we've got a lot of cool stuff coming in the mean time.

Define long, lol. Per Pavel on the Montana stream, SCS is changing course and heading to the Great Lakes. I wouldn't be too surprised if Michigan is hit in the next 7-8 years. That is much sooner than a lot of us were thinking considering Pavel wanted to get to Florida asap. The recent hurricane will allow them to rebuild bigger and better so I'm sure Google Maps will get updated and we'd never know a hurricane came by time Florida does come.

[flight50]

Based on what's been posted so far, I think the more intriguing thing is what isn't there.

Specifically, anything northeast of Dallas that would otherwise be along US 75 (most notably Sherman/Denison), US 82 (most notably Paris), or I-30 (most notably Texarkana). Missing Nacogdoches and Carthage probably means that US 59 does not exist between Lufkin and Marshall. Which then begs the question: why is Marshall here, if neither adjacent section of US 59 exists yet? Probably just as an empty reference for I-20.

There's a lot that's missing so we can't take that at face value. Nothing in the far southern tip is there, along with stuff along the gulf coast, both of which we know are coming. Northeast could be missing but it also could be just not in that file yet.

Agreed. I was looking for Brownsville and McAllen specifically and I know they are too big to miss. So that list can be taken with a grain of salt. One thing for sure is that Texas will be loaded with content. Its day one of open beta. What's to say more won't come before Texas releases. But I still think Texarkana could get pushed to Arkansas. Getting the entire state of Texas would be worth the money for sure but they'll have to leave some extension roads to something. Maybe they ran out of time as its probably critical to get Texas out for 2022 no matter what.

This is going to be one red button party I won't miss. I want to hear the dev talk on making it, I want to feel part of this massive celebration to finally get this beast released. As soon as the release date is announced, I'm putting in 2 days pto this time. I dare someone try to explore all of Texas in one day, lol. I know its gonna take me 2 full months at the pace I like to do it. I'll finish the cruising Texas event and the xmas event and I'll still have a lot to finish. I still haven't finish Northeastern Montana either.

I'm still planning on Helena to Austin when Texas drops. If I can't get a direct trip, I'll aim for cities along the way. I'll be in Texas for awhile though but I'll try mixing in some New Mexico jobs just so that I can travel out the state.

[Gormanbros]

Just saw the Texas ICC news. Popping open an imaginary champagne bottle right now!

This is so exciting, guys! Texas delivers. Big props to @flight50 and everyone else here for keeping on the good fight for a better economy.

Think we can say without a doubt now that Texas is going to be the best DLC ATS has ever had. A perfect start to a Season 2 of sorts, starting off the agricultural heartland of the US!

Lol. I like that. I need to go home a have a real glass of wine. Long day of work and I couldn't say on here as much as I wanted to celebrate. I only take credit of not letting ICCs die but it is you all that joined in to help. Like I mentioned, me alone, I'm not loud enough. I can't speak for the entire community. There are some people that just don't care about ICCs but luckily, enough of you started realizes why I fought for so long. So props to you all for joining the fight.

In Dallas, there is not only DFW airport, but also Love Field. The main road that serves that airport is Mockingbird Lane. When I visited Dallas in 1999, there were already skyscrapers being built right and left. Las Colinas is one of the many business parks in Dallas. I rode the DART light rail and just about 90& of the stops has a business park serving it. Even Oscar heard me talking about underground loading docks. There is one at Cityplace. I am not sure how tall the building at City Place is but it's a monster! With the tons of condos built there, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if SCS even starts adding residential furniture moving. And that would require the Kentucky Road drop-deck trailer. My uncle who lived in Dallas lived not too far from Jim Miller Road and I-30. I wouldn't mind taking a drive down Mockingbird Lane.

We can only have one airport in DFW at 1:20. Lovefield is passenger only for the most part. DFW makes a lot more sense. Lovefield is pushed off the main highway so it doesn't make sense for ATS. DFW is the right choice. It even has a highway running thru it. Cityplace Tower is 42 stories by the way. I use to work there. Started Jan 2007 and I actually just left Jan of this year to join a spin off company. We all use to work for the same guy and we all wanted change. If we get US-75, no doubt Cityplace could make the game. Its the tallest building outside of downtown Dallas and yes Dart rail does run other it but its irrelevant for this Texas dlc. I don't live to far from Jim Miller. I'm off I-30 going toward Lake Ray Hubbard and man is the new construction work going to be something once they finish. It'll take another 2-3 years I bet so SCS will have to update the area at some point. Even Lake Ray Hubbard is getting a massive construction project.

Texas being added makes the World Map so much more exciting now, too. You can now see as far east as Florida and Michigan! It's the first time on unmodded ATS I've been able to see my home state of Michigan, and it's exciting to see. It'll be a while until I can drive there in game, but we've got a lot of cool stuff coming in the mean time.

Define long, lol. Per Pavel on the Montana stream, SCS is changing course and heading to the Great Lakes. I wouldn't be too surprised if Michigan is hit in the next 7-8 years. That is much sooner than a lot of us were thinking considering Pavel wanted to get to Florida asap. The recent hurricane will allow them to rebuild bigger and better so I'm sure Google Maps will get updated and we'd never know a hurricane came by time Florida does come.

Very true. I'm fine with them taking their time on Michigan, honestly. It's like Florida and Maine in that it doesn't actually help connections between other states. It's a little isolated in that way.

The only reason you'll ever drive through Michigan in ATS will be to go there, that is, until Ontario comes at some point. No interstate "passes through" Michigan from one state to another. Just to Canada. So SCS doesn't need to worry about getting MI as quickly as some other states

[oldmanclippy]

Very true. I'm fine with them taking their time on Michigan, honestly. It's like Florida and Maine in that it doesn't actually help connections between other states. It's a little isolated in that way.

The only reason you'll ever drive through Michigan in ATS will be to go there, that is, until Ontario comes at some point. No interstate "passes through" Michigan from one state to another. Just to Canada. So SCS doesn't need to worry about getting MI as quickly as some other states

Something like Ashland WI to Toledo OH might pass through Michigan to avoid Chicago but that's about it lol. IDK if that's how it'd work in real life but the route is shorter

[Bedavd]

I was also really excited to finally see Michigan on the map, even if it’s just the west side. But I’m not holding out for it to come too fast. It’ll be some time before I can finally see my home state, but I’ll just keep driving around my adoptive home state until then.

[flight50]

We'll get to you guys area soon enough. Remember that the longer it takes to get there, the more new will come. The more chances of better methods/technology. Seasons..hint hint. We'll get more of the MidWest than we do of the South after Texas and Oklahoma. I'm quite interested in the Great Lakes region though. I bet its even cooler if it reflected quite well. I hope the research team is on it.

But getting Texas done, out and in the rear view mirror is going to be a HUGE relief. I just hope they build off Texas. Texas definitely built off Montana and then some. I still have the image up that SuchManor posted with all the new companies trying to populate them across Texas in my head, lol. I'm trying to figure how what cities get what and how cool will it be to get 2 competitors in the same city finally. I'm so ready to see the game map..............all of it, lol. I want to know how much of the old companies did SCS mix in. Are there new prefabs or just recycled. With 30+ new companies, I kinda don't care now. There's enough coming that the old prefabs/companies made after 2016 would still fit in fine. Just nothing before NM.

I want to see how many cities in Texas repeat the same company in the same city. Do we get 2-3 Wallberts. 2 Plaster & Sons, 2-3 Gallons, 2-3 NAMIQ/Coastline Mining anywhere. If......Ifffff that answer turns out to be zero repeated companies...... OMG. That ladies and gentlemen is gold. That is getting your cake and eating it too. That is the next big thing SCS can get me licking my ears on.

All these new companies is great to see but how are they implemented is what's to be revealed at some point. Part one is over. Making them and creating designs for them is the hard part. Part 2 is implementing them into the environment, how can we interact with them. As much of a pain as it is/was to create Texas, I hope they gained some very valuable experience. The cities made are milestones, templates for larger cities to come, encouraging for the ATS map teams because to date, no dlc has been so time consuming between both games. Lots of lessons learned but its almost over. Its the home stretch to the red button.

[Trakaplex]

It seemed SCS was planning to reach Florida first. That seemed to be Pavel's first ambition. But I guess the Dakotas will be more needed, since you can't have Dakota with Montana pretty outdated. If I am hypothesizing correctly, if the Texas team split and OK/NE/KS is a bundle, SCS is working on the Dakotas.

Both Brownsville and McAllen have to be marked. One of the interchanges in the last blog was I-2/I-69E in Harlingen. Texarkana can wait, I mean many of us have been waiting for this forever. If we get DFW Airport, will we get TX-114 or TX-183? Airport Fwy would not make sense concerning we already have I-30 and I-20. That would be a difficult one. Maybe we could get I-635 instead, in which I think will not fully make it due to scale problems. And International Pkwy is a toll road, we might get more toll plazas in ATS... I'm certain toll plazas in ATS didn't exist before the Carquinez Bridge in 1.44. On the odd side, we have been getting unexpected confirmations. Originally, I thought Corsicana wouldn't make it. If Corsicana to Dallas is about 50 miles, would we get McKinney?

Honestly, who knows if we get Cityplace (could be scenic). We will have Medieval Times, and it's great because I've been in both lol.

[flight50]

SCS has to get me something, lol. One of the buildings I've worked in could make the game. Both are immediately off the US-75 service road. Either Cityplace or my current location right at the High 5. Give me something to brag about visiting in real life making a game I love, lol. I have been in the AAC, Reunion Tower(the Ball) and Medieval Times though. I wanna see how many bldg. models SCS makes that I have seen the insides of. Worse case I can always cheat. Once the dlc is out, I can just go to the ones they did model, lol.

[oldmanclippy]

And International Pkwy is a toll road, we might get more toll plazas in ATS... I'm certain toll plazas in ATS didn't exist before the Carquinez Bridge in 1.44. On the odd side, we have been getting unexpected confirmations. Originally, I thought Corsicana wouldn't make it.

San Francisco has had tolls since the beginning. There's still a toll plaza after the Golden Gate Bridge.

As for Corsicana, we got a blog screenshot for that back in January:

[ external image ]

[flight50]

If we get to drive thru Corsicana, that could mean one of 2 things. 1) there's at least one depot there or 2) TX-31B is drivable to connect up other cities. There is Navarro Pecan at exit 231 in Corsicana. We do know we get Saimon's Pecans as a depot. Either Corsicana goes marked or its remote to Dallas. Corsicana is just under an hr away from towncenter Dallas so its within reach for remote imho. Of course this is just speculation but its possible. I'm hoping DFW could feature about 20-22 depots alone. So spreading it around DFW would be good to represent the US's 4th largest metropolitan area behind only NYC, LA and Chicago. 20-22 isn't exactly too many. Not when there's a base map city with like 14 depots.