Better and more realistic ferry (maybe a dlc)

[JariJunior]

Let me say this first: I reaaaallly don't mind paying for DLCs, I have all of them in both ATS and ETS2... however I would like to suggest SCS to re-evaluate some things and try to add different dlcs. All we have are paints, trailers and maps... and I think is the time to add real game-changing DLCs for those who want more realism.

Ok, the ferry system is pretty, PRETTY basic for a game like ETS2. There are a lot of common sense problems regarding the way its working. Just a recap:

Now we enter a ship from the back and exit from the back. Miraculously "they" will turn your truck 180 degrees so you can exit the ship from the same place you entered, which makes no sense at all. Also a good idea is add the OPTION (see what I did here, the OPTION (because I know people will complain about that idea)) to not only DISEMBARK from the other way, also have the OPTION to have a more realistic procedure regarding that, with lines of trucks in front of you exiting the ship aswell. Your position on the line will be the position your entered on the ship. Also maybe ships with different floors... like the example below.

(03:50)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ3Eh9KcUuQ

[eurotrucker12]

I agree, I also find the ferry system pretty basic and missing a lot of a realistic ferry feeling. I also noticed that parking on the same spot on the ferry each time with somebody miraculously turning around your truck during the ferry ride does not make a lot of sense and is very boring.

Basically, I would like to see some more life, variety and realism at ports, e.g. actual boarding procedures, other vehicles using the ferries, port workers, different ferry and ramp designs. Another example of a very complicated ferry procedure can be found between Calais and Dover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBk1lFx8E1A .

A more realistic, challenging and interesting ferry procedure could maybe be implemented similar to the border crossing and trailer parking system (Some of the steps can of course be simplified or optional depending on e.g. available space or for smoother gameplay):

1. At the entrance to the ferry port there's a gate (similar to a toll or border crossing gate) where you have to stop and choose your ferry route, the departure time* and the parking difficulty (Difficult, easy and skip with different prices or extra xp points). If you choose "skip", the truck will be automatically parked on the ferry and you will find yourself at your destination port (-> Step 6, similar behavior as current system).
2. Then you will get your waiting lane number and the ferry departure gate. The route advisor will guide you through the port.
3. Depending on the chosen ferry route, the port and your load you might have to go through additional steps like e.g. customs, passport control, security inspection, sniffer dogs or x-ray.
4. You arrive at your waiting position. If there's some waiting time* you turn off the engine and press enter and the time is advanced until boarding starts. Otherwise the game directly starts the next step.
5. The traffic lights at your lane goes green and you follow the trucks in front of you or you are guided by the route advisor and port workers on the route into the ferry. Depending on the chosen parking difficulty you get assigned a parking position marked by the white parking marker similar to the ones at the depots. Difficult parking can e.g. be on a second level via a narrow ramp and/or where you have to reverse to reach it. After parking on the correct spot you apply the parking brake, turn off the engine and press Enter.
6. While loading the new location, you can watch a cut scene where the ferry gates are closed and the ferry leaves the port.
7. You arrive at the port parked at exactly the same spot and leave the ferry together with the other vehicles on the ferry.
8. Depending on your origin, the port and your load you might have to go through additional steps like e.g. customs, passport control, vehicle inspection, sniffer dogs or x-ray.
9. You leave the port.

* About timetables:
I am a bit unsure how much timetables would fit into the game play, but it might be possible to include them as an optional feature. The frequency could be something between 30 min for busy connections and 6-12 hours for less frequent services, maybe even depending on day and time.
Advantages:

• Adds to the realism in the game
• Adds a new challenge to route planning, as you have to take the timetable into account and you might have to hurry to get to the ferry on time
• The waiting time at the port can be used as additional break time and with some planning you can avoid having to take another break after the ferry

Disadvantages:

• The timetable system might be difficult to understand for new players. It's also difficult to visualize in the current map, route planning and the route advisor.
• At the moment, timetables or opening hours do not really play any role in the game, so it might not fit very well with current game play.

The new improved system could be implemented in a new map DLC first and then the old ports (and the Eurotunnel) can be reworked one after the other. Not sure whether it makes sense to have it as an extra "feature DLC", the port and ferry design probably still needs to be more or less the same with and without the DLC, and it could be seen as a money rip-off by some players, when you have to pay extra to unlock the full realistic procedure.

I also found some similar topics on this forum, but none of them really went into any details how it could actually work:

• Ferry time tables viewtopic.php?p=1768327
• More life at ferries viewtopic.php?p=1613714
• Wishlist Megathread e.g. viewtopic.php?p=1734047&hilit=ferry#p1734047 and viewtopic.php?p=1559798#p1559798

[David Paterson]

I'd love to see timetabling for the ferry. It's a bit unrealistic that the ferry is always ready and waiting just for us and leave as soon as we board...

[JariJunior]

A more realistic, challenging and interesting ferry procedure could maybe be implemented similar to the border crossing and trailer parking system (Some of the steps can of course be simplified or optional depending on e.g. available space or for smoother gameplay):

1. At the entrance to the ferry port there's a gate (similar to a toll or border crossing gate) where you have to stop and choose your ferry route, the departure time* and the parking difficulty (Difficult, easy and skip with different prices or extra xp points). If you choose "skip", the truck will be automatically parked on the ferry and you will find yourself at your destination port (-> Step 6, similar behavior as current system).
2. Then you will get your waiting lane number and the ferry departure gate. The route advisor will guide you through the port.
3. Depending on the chosen ferry route, the port and your load you might have to go through additional steps like e.g. customs, passport control, security inspection, sniffer dogs or x-ray.
4. You arrive at your waiting position. If there's some waiting time* you turn off the engine and press enter and the time is advanced until boarding starts. Otherwise the game directly starts the next step.
5. The traffic lights at your lane goes green and you follow the trucks in front of you or you are guided by the route advisor and port workers on the route into the ferry. Depending on the chosen parking difficulty you get assigned a parking position marked by the white parking marker similar to the ones at the depots. Difficult parking can e.g. be on a second level via a narrow ramp and/or where you have to reverse to reach it. After parking on the correct spot you apply the parking brake, turn off the engine and press Enter.
6. While loading the new location, you can watch a cut scene where the ferry gates are closed and the ferry leaves the port.
7. You arrive at the port parked at exactly the same spot and leave the ferry together with the other vehicles on the ferry.
8. Depending on your origin, the port and your load you might have to go through additional steps like e.g. customs, passport control, vehicle inspection, sniffer dogs or x-ray.
9. You leave the port.

The new improved system could be implemented in a new map DLC first and then the old ports (and the Eurotunnel) can be reworked one after the other. Not sure whether it makes sense to have it as an extra "feature DLC", the port and ferry design probably still needs to be more or less the same with and without the DLC, and it could be seen as a money rip-off by some players, when you have to pay extra to unlock the full realistic procedure.

This is really interesting indeed. And "we" all know it's not an easy task, for this reason I fully agree they should start adding some QoL DLC's, not only paints, trailers and maps. We players will continue supporting the SCS all the way, but they should leave their confort zone and innovate.

[Frednl]

I have spent many years travelling by ship, and I have long been interested in such a feature. I completely agree with eurotrucker12's reply and with his proposed changes. The point is... how can such a complex thing be forwarded to implementation? With a mass fanbase mobilisation? Any idea on that?

[eurotrucker12]

In the reworked ports of Rostock and Travemünde they have added a security check point* and a scanner portal at the entrance and exit of the ports. There's also AI traffic going in and out of the port, but going to different ferries. There's still some signage missing to guide you through the process and to the correct ferry terminal, hopefully they will add that during the beta.

So, it's going into the right direction, looking forward to the rework of the other ports especially the ones in and towards the UK, hopefully with border check facilities.

The thing I would like to see the most now, is a rework of the ships itself, have different ship models, more difficult parking spaces and a more narrow and realistic ramps to enter them.

*As far as I'm aware it's impossible to fail the security check point. It would be more realistic if you had to buy a ferry ticket at the check point or have a job from/to a company in the ferry port area in order to pass the security check, see point 1 above.