Are you satisfied with the direction in which the game is developing

[xXCARL1992Xx]

all those things can be done by the community also, there is just none willing to delve into it in a constantly developing game that changes with every patch, GTA V is the best example, everything created is done by the community from tools, to mods, to whole new scripts to run, R* doesnt even lift a finger to add anything other then when it benefits them, or they take modders work and implement it if they see it is successful

[Optional Features]

SCS models are quality, but they are often featureless. Across the whole map, there is not a single openable door outside the player garages. Not one company requires waiting for a door to open to drive inside or load. There are only a handful of animations as well, and by now, we have seen them all (sweeping guy, endlessly rocking security guy, crane going back and forth, forestry machine repeatedly harvesting the same spot, etc).

Across all trucks and trailers, there is not a single exterior animation either. No cab suspension (in ats). No opening doors or hatches, no opening tarps, no swinging flaps, no physically moving mirrors, no moving antennas, no nothing. Even tires are hard discs. They have no give, no bulge, no nothing. Just a perfectly round cylinder that always maintains traction with the road.

Even inside the interior of a truck, there is little to no movement. The steering wheel turns, a couple buttons move, and the turn signal and wiper stalks toggle position, but there are no opening cabinets, no folding beds (where applicable), no animated sunvisors, no shifters whatsoever in most trucks (and no shifter anim obviously), and the list goes on.

Essentially everything is a brick.

[JoeAlex23]

I've been trying to avoid this thread for quite some time, since it's always the same thing as other similar threads, and i gotta say i'm not surprised to see the same things again being requested like a broken record, just casual stuff on this forum.

For the main question? Yes, i'm satisfied with the direction SCS is taking with their games, and i know they have big plans for the future that sadly many will never get to see because they have 0 patience and just don't understand the way SCS works, i'm already happy with new trucks, trailers and maps, anything else SCS does as a free update the games is just extra, as someone i respect very much on this forum usually says, "you bought the game as it was, any new content you get for free on the base game is just extra".

As for others thing some people have said, not pointing any fingers here, i have noticed that a lot of people here (and in other similar threads) want a VERY different game that is not ATS/ETS2 and it will never be, simple as that, SCS has already stablished what their games are about and i don't see that changing at all (and if you don't know the answer to that, why are you even playing at all?), but if you're expecting stuff that can only stress you while playing, it will never happen, things like the weather/seasons or your truck breaking down/blowing up a tire and affecting the ability to deliver a cargo will just not happen, or things like loading your own trailer and strapping your own cargo with the "risk" of losing it if you don't do it well will just not happen, simple as that, SCS will never implement anything related to "risking" your cargo.

Some might say "but just make it optional", no, that will not work because most casual players, which are the majority, will always without a doubt turn it off because they just want to drive a virtual truck and not worry about any of those things, and that would just be a massive waste of development time for just a few hardcore players to "feel" like they are real truckers and that time can be better invested into more important things that the games need.

Some might also say "but WoT already cancels your job if you teleport to a service or if you flip your truck and get stuck in an impossible situation you have to cancel the job", that's something completely different and is basically your own fault, i've been there many times, but the games actually putting up a situation that might make you NOT being able of doing your delivery or the receiver "rejecting" it? No, that's not the point at all of ATS/ETS2.

The only thing SCS can and will do is keep improving what we already have, graphics needs some work to allow the games to take advantage of modern hardware, the cargo system needs a complete overhaul to include multidrop and more realistic drop off/pick up spots, the AI needs some work to increase density based on locations and time, the truck/trailer physics need some work, seasons will get implemented at some point, trucks getting dirty will come someday, just focus and expect on those features and you will not get disappointed, personally i'm very easy to please with any of those things, anything extra that make the game seem like a chore or a real job i'm not interested, there are other games out there for stuff like that (most not related to trucks at all).

With that said, i will always be a strong believer that people should be allowed to express and request whatever they want to see in their favorite game, but they also have to learn to be realistic on what can actually have development time invested into, remember, SCS doesn't earn a single cent from current players when they work on a base game feature or rebuild the old map, there are some great ideas on this thread but many things will never happen and the sooner people accept that the less disappointed and angry at SCS they will be.

[plykkegaard]

SCS can take a trip down their memory lane
They have a ton of trucking game play in their portefolio but not implemented in the latest releases

[harishw8r]

Me trying to write an answer without trying to read the previous replies: Yes, I am satisfied with the direction in which the games are developing.

[55sixxx]

I'm quite satisfied or else I wouldn't be taking 2000 miles long contracts, one after the other, day after day and then dreaming along the way of the day we'll see the "Welcome to Maine" signs in a border.

There's only three things I'd like to see and I think are missing: Multi Drops (Ex: Ability to pick up 3 different cargos along the way and drop them off at three different destinations), Winter (Quite straight forward honestly, SCS doesn't even need to add the other two) and OOP trucks.

I would also like better and more realistic places for loading and unloading my flatbed but I can live without this.

[plykkegaard]

As simple as pickup a trailer and drop the cargo along the way, many possibilities only imagination sets the limit
Or collect at different spots eg recyling material to drop off at a processing plant

[flight50]

@JoeAlex23 Pretty good post. I totally agree that people have to be realistic. One of the biggest disappointments I see day in and day out is people expecting a different game. Sure SCS is upgrading their game engine to do more, so people just need to be patient in order to find out. Lots to come but expecting the world just because other games have this or that feature will always leave people trashing SCS. That’s the unfair part because SCS hasn’t promised anything. Just because they may talk about this or that......that does not indicate a promise. It means it’s on their list.

We talk about a ton of stuff on this forum. Not everything will make it. Lots of things require this upcoming engine upgrade. We’ll see then what SCS is made of. Does improvements need to come? Sure of course they do. But those improvements are to the current game structure we play now. Anything new added in the future is just that....new. New gameplay is needed but it must remain relevant and resource smart. In other words, focus on things that directly affect the current gameplay FIRST. After that, it’s really a matter of, SCS thinking it’s a good add.

@55sixxx As far as seasons, I have to say it would be a huge mistake to skip Spring and Fall in ATS. I have no clue about seasons in Europe but I’d imagine the same happens there. In North America there are regions that actually do go thru all 4 season. Skipping Spring removes bloom-age and the transition of melting snows. Trees going from bare branches to leafy again. Many plants start to bloom flowers it not in the Summer. Water and the rains brings dormant vegetation back to full color with more rain and water from Winter.

For Fall it’s the opposite of Spring. You get the dying off of some plants. You get the dormant transition. This season can be quite colorful. If SCS improves or make a more broad particle system, leaves as debris can be all over the place. Piles of leaves along the curbs, in yards...new animations of lawn services can give the game some life with people task. Leaves can indicate wind nicely. There are other things a good particle system can add for fine detail things.

Lots of random event idea can spur off of having all seasons in though. Now I do think when or if seasons come, I think there should be 2 options. Static and dynamic. Static should be a pull down menu. You probably also loose your calendar for the game. No point of having winter and get all 12 months. You should be stuck with a particular date set just like we play now. Now dynamic, obviously a calendar must come and we get a rolling year. Seasons is a huge task to implement and its one of the best additions SCS can add. Weather and some form of physics
Improvements must come with seasons.

[55sixxx]

I mentioned before that a system similar to what R* does would go a long way currently, since as of now seasons are not possible.

SCS would simply add an option on the menu called "Dynamic Season" and whenever the Xmas event started, the game would load the winter environment (IF the player has that option ticked in the menu, because forcing everyone to drive in winter mode wouldn't work). This would go on for the entirety of the event and would turn to summer again after the even has ended.

[flight50]

What about people that don't play WoT? How do they get winter?You say it's okay to force people into winter for the Xmas event, but its not okay for dynamic? That doesn't make much sense. For those that don't want winter, that is what the pull down static menu I mention comes into play. No one should be forced into a season, event or not.

I think the idea of winter for events is cool but it's still forcing people. Winter isn't everywhere in North America so they might as well do dynamic.