The Dakotas (North and South) Discussion Thread

[Spooks]

#1: Not enough landmarks to have any true confidence but I'd guess somewhere on US-385 between Custer and Hill City

#2: The weigh station near Sturgis on I-90 W
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.317398, ... N0gBUAM%3D

#7: I-90 over the James River (east of Mitchell)
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6936443 ... N0gBUAM%3D

#8: Leaving the Chamberlain Rest Area
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7832794 ... N0gBUAM%3D

#9: I-90 W in Mitchell
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6916591 ... N0gBUAM%3D

[ASUSTechSupport]

Some Video Locations



#1- US-385/SD-87 - https://www.google.com/maps/@43.8899317 ... OUgBUAM%3D

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#2- I 90 Bus/ I 90 in Rapid City - https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0993249 ... OUgBUAM%3D


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[Kistk3]

East of Gillette Wyoming

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[Marcello Julio]

https://blog.scssoft.com/2026/03/south- ... epots.html

[oldmanclippy]

I am ecstatic that they included the Concrete Materials quarry in Sioux Falls Should be one of the coolest depot locations in the game!

Here's some more info on it:

https://pigeon605.com/into-the-pit-take ... ls-quarry/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNX3v7Dq5fM

[interstate trav]

Flight I have to ask does he scenery for South Dakota give you more hope for the 80 in Nevada?

Also wow Im excited to get this state. So far they have made each state feel fun in its own way and I feel like North Dakota will have a special feel as well.

[SuchManor]

Honestly… yawn. Where is the commercial stuff? New grocery stores, distribution centers, restaurants, convenience stores, discount stores, pharmacies, etc.

The biggest industry for trucks is missing just about everything in this game.

It’s just the same stuff every DLC. Rarely ever any innovation.

[flight50]

One thing I can say........is thank goodness for custom depots. The game feels so much more alive and diverse. Its a lot of work but it pays off. I can't imagine consoles and PRT coming and ATS still be massively repetitive with depots/assets. That would get old wayyy to fast just like it did for us PC players. Now ATS has a great fighting chance with the new found diversity. Its a sacrifice on time and development but we get a much better product. Glad custom is here and hopefully it sticks around. Places like BC can start with them from the jump. We still have maps before Kansas (excluding the base map reworks) that still have repetitive depots. But over time as things get refreshed, they to will be minimized and go custom with some of them.

interstatetrav, nah not really. I can't visually relate SD with I-80 Nevada. Totally different type of landscaping. Now the Route 66 reworks, yesssss. I have lots of hope for Nevada based on the Route 66 reworks.

I totally agree on SCS making each state feel fun and unique it their own way. ESPECIALLY, these great plain states, aka flyover states. Its still a great call to stop the GP states at Nebraska and develop the next column. I talked about that a lot. Get more diversity/heavy green in the game. AR, MO, IA and LA did just that too. Nowwww its a great time to go back and fill in with SD and ND. After Texas we would have gotten 6 GP states in a row. Can't do that. People will get burned out on GP states. So Nebraska was a great stopping point. SD gets to pick back up 2 years later after Nebraska. Not bad at all. Not too long of a wait imo. I-90 will come in handle nicely. SD brings more I-29 so that I-90 @ I-29 will be very effective at getting to the PNW. We should get ND next year hopefully and that brings in I-94. That of course paves the way to Minnesota. I don't think SCS should attempt MN without both Dakotas in place. That gap would bring a lot of criticism. Like I say all the time with the base map, the longer it takes to get it reworked, the more technology and new stuff can get added. So why rush to get something when newer things come in due time. SD and ND are perfect to fill in gaps as possible new tech comes into play. MN is busier than the Dakota and more than likely a more intriguing state, but can't get there with SD & ND in place.

[oldmanclippy]

Honestly… yawn. Where is the commercial stuff? New grocery stores, distribution centers, restaurants, convenience stores, discount stores, pharmacies, etc.

Yeah idk why they don't seem interested in retail. You don't even need custom depots for them really, because in real life they often follow either the same or similar templates. But I guess that would be why, even if they did expand retail in the game, it wouldn't be in this type of blog.

[Atsmods.5]

I'm a bit confused. I can tell that major changes have taken place with depots for a while now, but isn't the core (where you actually load/unload) for many depots still repeated several times? For example, the same types of distribution centers have been used, and are still being used repeatedly in every dlc for companies like Venture, Starbridge, Enterpriser, etc, or places like MWM and 18 Wheels Garage that still use the same base. For the most part, I think of custom depots as unique yards but the same base building, with the exception of mines or river ports.