Montana Discussion Thread

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oldmanclippy
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1331 Post by oldmanclippy » 19 May 2022 14:40

flight50 wrote: 19 May 2022 00:47 Oh I wasn't asking you to go thru it my friend.....I'm going to take the time to research myself.

Now this new microsite..........I see Glacier National Park on it. Hmmmm. I am not sure if that means US-2 and US-89 only to see it, orrrr if that means we get "Going to the Sun Rd as a scenic route which connects US-2 West Glacier to US-89 St. Mary. Its only 50 miles so in ATS that could be 3-4 miles. That would be cool. Yellowstone is on there again so that more than likely solidifies US-89 coming out of Wyoming. I hope Gardiner is a scenic town and we get that cool North Entrance gate.
Oh don't worry I dove in out of my own insanity volition :lol:

Going-to-the-Sun Rd would be super cool and after seeing how the ETS2 team handled the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Austria I'm certain SCS would be able to do it justice. That being said, I would really only want it if the state is going to be packed to the brim anyways. If we miss out on density in the east-central part of the state to get it, that wouldn't be worth it IMO.

I'm thinking we just might get it, if SCS is of the mindset that they want to avoid any backlash for simply skirting Glacier with US-2 rather than actually getting us through it with a road.

This situation is much different than Yellowstone, however. Going-to-the-Sun Rd is, to use a freeway analogy, a beltway. It starts and ends on US-2 (via US-89 I suppose but still same idea). US-191 and US-20 through Yellowstone were actual throughways, although not legally without special permit. So their usefulness in the road network is quite significant, whereas GttSR doesn't really add any utility. But what it does add, is immense scenery value. So if it comes, that's super cool. I just hope it doesn't come at the cost of utility elsewhere in the state.
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flight50
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1332 Post by flight50 » 19 May 2022 17:37

If my instinct is right, I think SCS will try to provide at least once very scenic route in a state if possible. These adds to the new hidden road feature. We shouldn't be on some of these roads but don't limit your mappers creativity either. Some want these roads, some don't. Better to have them and let the player decided how to us them. With a much larger team, I'd definitely love to see Montana packed just like Texas. After these two are released, pack out California. Go back and add Chico and make California denser. Going thru the rest of the base map, make it denser. No reason to not refresh the West.

States are about to get smaller after Texas and Montana and ATS has capacity now so this can be a very very good thing for ATS.
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1333 Post by rbsanford » 19 May 2022 18:54

Beartooth Highway would be another option for a scenic road, and I think it's more likely than Going to the Sun. Going to the Sun is more obscure and has some really tight switchbacks (there are some very narrow tunnels too, IIRC, but I can't find them), but the scenery is really something else. It actually looks Scandinavian!

As for scenic roads not having any utility, that's only in the real world. Once I was moving a trailer of sand up I-25, and I felt like bringing it through the Garden of the Gods. There's no reason to do that IRL, so I made an excuse: Luxury Sand. It's sand sourced from rare, interesting, or historically significant rocks from around the world, made on the Isle of Capri using 3000 year old artisanal methods, and blessed by the pope. It's used in the highest of high-end spas, the pools of Saudi yachts, and the glass for the queen's glasses, among other things. When being transported from its source to Capri, the sand is given the star treatment, and it's required that it be carried through scenic areas, such as national parks. So whether it'll be the Beartooth Highway, the Going to the Sun Road, or both, I hope there'll be new routes for moving Luxury Sand.
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1334 Post by flight50 » 19 May 2022 19:15

Could be both roads actually, I agree. Glacier National Park and Yellowstone are not listed for no reason. The Montana micro site will get revealed at a faster pace than Texas. Montana is already in that 2 week blog period. Once 1.45 open starts, we should very well see Montana get highlighted.
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1335 Post by oldmanclippy » 19 May 2022 19:24

rbsanford wrote: 19 May 2022 18:54 As for scenic roads not having any utility, that's only in the real world. Once I was moving a trailer of sand up I-25, and I felt like bringing it through the Garden of the Gods. There's no reason to do that IRL, so I made an excuse: Luxury Sand. It's sand sourced from rare, interesting, or historically significant rocks from around the world, made on the Isle of Capri using 3000 year old artisanal methods, and blessed by the pope. It's used in the highest of high-end spas, the pools of Saudi yachts, and the glass for the queen's glasses, among other things. When being transported from its source to Capri, the sand is given the star treatment, and it's required that it be carried through scenic areas, such as national parks. So whether it'll be the Beartooth Highway, the Going to the Sun Road, or both, I hope there'll be new routes for moving Luxury Sand.
I recant my assertion that there is no utility in scenic routes :lol: That's a pretty neat way of thinking about it actually. Maybe there's a "market" for luxury sand from Badlands NP, Mount Rushmore, and Theodore Roosevelt NP too :D
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1336 Post by Bedavd » 19 May 2022 22:12

It’s actually really interesting that we’re getting US 54 from Alamogordo to El Paso since it looks exactly the same in 1.44 as it did in 1.43. Makes me Hopeful that ID/MT 200 will come from Ponderay given it and US 12 seem to be in very rough shape compared to the other connecting routes that were added in this latest update.
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1337 Post by angrybirdseller » 19 May 2022 22:42

Mt.Rushmore at least you can deliver TNT and explosives to create new face for president.
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1338 Post by rbsanford » 19 May 2022 23:14

@oldmanclippy, they do make a luxury sand from shavings off George Washington's nose. It's been used in the concrete for renovations to the Capital Building. Your tax dollars at work!

@angrybirdseller, Mt. Rushmore will probably be left alone, but Crazy Horse is pretty much an artistic quarry at the moment, so that could work as a jobsite.
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Re: Montana Discussion Thread

#1340 Post by oldmanclippy » 24 May 2022 15:26

As far as I know there isn't a major named pass on ID-200/MT-200 so I don't think this blog rules it out.

Good to see that more attention is being paid to mountain passes. Not sure I love how Lolo Pass looks, specifically pic 9, but Lookout Pass and Lost Trail Pass look great.

Also glad that the last 3 Montana/Texas blogs have been of much better utility and far less concerning than that much-derided Texas Logging blog.
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