If you were the developer, what scale would you make the map?

[Trakaplex]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me there are some who are under the delusion that if they got or get a new scale they would get or get more roads and cities. In fact, if instead of 1:20 the scale was 1:15 or 1:10, then we would have received or will receive the same number of cities, roads for the same period of time.
What I mean.
If we had a scale of 1:15, we would have the same number of roads and cities like now, only within not 11 states, but 6 states. For a scale of 1:10 within the limit of 3 states.

What would we have for a scale of 1:15 vs 1:20 at best?
2016 - ATS (CA, NV) release in 1:35 scale - scale complaints - selected and rebuilt in 1:15 scale by the end of 2016 in very poor quality.
2017 - first half Arizona DLC.
2018 - second half Arizona DLC.
2019 - first half New-Mexico DLC, second half New-Mexico DLC.
2020 - first half Oregon DLC, second half Oregon DLC.
2021 - first half Washington DLC.
2022 - second half Washington DLC.
at the moment we would have exactly the same density of roads and cities like now - the only thing we would not have Utah, we would not have Idaho, we would not have Colorado, we would not have Wyoming, we would not have Montana. shape of the map would be terrible at the moment.
So my question is would we get a bigger increase in players with this DLC release, or vice versa, we will lose players?
everyone just started complaining about too much monotony (desert states for the first three years, green states for the second three years), the slow release of DLCs would be many times more noticeable, and there would be thousands of times more complaints about the lack of new companies and much more time was spent on their development. like in the same Texas.
yes, speaking of Texas, at best, we would have received Texas DLC only by the end of 2027, and not like now, at the end of 2022 (12 years vs 7 years
after as you bought ATS). about the scale of 1:10 is not even worth considering based on all this.

When after ATS release , for several years, 3000 players playing at the same time in ATS on Steam. with the release of Colorado DLC we got stable 6-8000 players playing at the same time. with the release of Wyoming DLC we got stable 8-10.000 players playing at the same time. with the release of Montana DLC, taking into account the summer holidays and the fact that the least plays in the summer, in spite of everything, there was still a peak, I saw it at the weekend - 14.500 players playing at the same time in ATS.

I think 1:20 is a very good compromise to get to the East Coast as quickly as possible. so that the gap in quality, the picture of the East vs West states would not be huge in the end. so that the feeling and sensation of a whole and unified world would be preserved. to make Canada and Mexico possible too.

But like I said, when they reach the East Coast, lots of issues with scale/road density would lurk. They might have to either release a brand new game with 1:10, or lift the whole map to 1:10. A 1:15 wouldn't help. 120 miles irl would change from 6 to 8 miles in game, but that still wouldn't put full benefit. Let's say Connecticut, or I-95 in NJ. In C2C 1:20, there are lots of roads ridiculously omitted not because of quality, they just simply didn't fit. If we had 12, that would help a lot. We would sense the rural areas of NJ or CT, instead of everything crammed. The older areas, even Florida may be lower quality then, so it'd be worth it. After all, Texas is SCS's largest team yet, and their devving team is growing. I agree that there would more of a gap between releases, which would make people complain. If the SCS team doubles by 2027, just give an avg 100,000 square mile state 20 map builders, and it will still be the same time increments in a 1:10.

[Optional Features]

I would look at I-5 on the West Coast, the southeast corner of Utah, or Wyoming I-80. SCS has no problem compressing/omitting large parts of things to make an area fit the scale. I wouldn't expect an East Coast scale change (if the game is still actively being developed in 2030). I would expect essentially one giant city with a lot of reused prefabs and blocked off roads. And incredibly low fps if the current performance is any hint.

[plykkegaard]

When ATS transferred from 1:35 to 1:20 all they did was to move the assets of the cities and add more terrain in between

The rescale from 1:35 was needed to avoid a sudden death of the ATS
SCS had no option but to rescale

Please note: You can't scale further due to render distance
Far way objects are already a problem with visibles popping in too late

[Sovereign 89]

I guess some people forget some things when we are talking about possible future rescales, or new game/s in larger scale. First and foremost, by the time ATS and ETS2 maps are complete, technology may advance in such a level that what would now take a year, in the future would take half of that time, or even less. Second, the number of people working on game/s will grow exponentially and that number might increase to a thousand of people. Take this two things combined and new states' DLCs may come every month, so instead of developers requiring 10+ years to complete whole of USA in that case it would take less than half amount of time.
It is true that much less would be made if they started with bigger scale when ATS was released, or during that rescale from 1:35, but I don't see that happening in let's say 5 years, and definitely not in 2030's.

[VTXcnME]

I think the scale size and scale conversions are lost on very few people. I think most understand why the scale of the game is what it is.

Only way to really upscale the size of the game is if there were major advancements in AI ability to translate maps into accurate 3D models with appropriate buildings/foliage/traffic devices present.

[SouthernMan]

Considering that maps for SCS games are made by hand, unfortunately there is no technology to make them grow in size, other than the traditional way of making maps: manually. Thinking logically, there is no other way.

[angrybirdseller]

1:20 scale and beyond would require more man power and less content would get released. Very doubtful will see map beyond 1:20 if map has to be built by hand.

[flight50]

The East coast of this map at 1:20 scale look perfectly fine to me. viewtopic.php?p=1187772#p1187772 There won't be any trouble what so ever. Leaving things out is not trouble....its called 1:20 scale. Anything less than 1:1 will have things missing and not be enough for some people no matter what. Give an inch and some will take a mile.

If SCS went to 1:15, tomorrow. People would be yelling for 1:10 next week. Give 1:10 next week and people will be hollering for 1:5 next month. People will always want more. For this version of ATS, I hope SCS doesn't bother attempting another rescale. Complete the current map first before even thinking about a larger scale.

[55sixxx]

The East coast of this map at 1:20 scale look perfectly fine to me. viewtopic.php?p=1187772#p1187772 There won't be any trouble what so ever. Leaving things out is not trouble....its called 1:20 scale. Anything less than 1:1 will have things missing and not be enough for some people no matter what. Give an inch and some will take a mile.

If SCS went to 1:15, tomorrow. People would be yelling for 1:10 next week. Give 1:10 next week and people will be hollering for 1:5 next month. People will always want more. For this version of ATS, I hope SCS doesn't bother attempting another rescale. Complete the current map first before even thinking about a larger scale.

Maaan, just looked at the map you posted the link of and I have to say I can't wait to see the US map completed like that... What set's me off tho is the fact that I'll probably be 30 by the time SCS finishes the continental US, IF it actually happens. But it's nice to think about it.

[flight50]

@55sixxx I hope that is not the first time you've seen that. Ads678 started that lil project a tad over 3 years ago. It was very interesting watching him build it out. For the most part, he has been about 85% or better accurate. His map is a great guideline. What he has, fits 100%. Its a matter of if he got the exact roads and cities that SCS does. But that map is what everyone in this thread should have seen already honestly. There is a ton of mapping left to do and a larger scale.........we won't see that happen. At least not all of us. If the entire NA map gets developed, I'll be well into my 60s. That's easily a 20 year project.

SCS can't hire in a much larger mass because ATS really isn't generating the same type of funds a ETS2. That's a lot of payroll. Not to mention, get done to fast and what will all those people do if they doubled their company size. Australia? Perhaps if the ETS2 doesn't move there. But that project won't take too long as the smallest continent. South America or Asia. Perhaps but good luck getting help from Google maps for all countries. How would SCS build those out. I'm sure SCS would hate to lay off people.

If they are building such a map, they can more than likely reuse it for several other games. Their map is their biggest asset to keeping it polished and updated can go a lonnnnng ways into the future. Porting...new game....engine change, etc. Their maps are a huge investment.