Be Excellent To Each Other

Hullo all.



So I had this absurd temptation to buy American Truck Simulator because, well, there's noon bigger a fan than me of Americana and also... well... I got to admit, those good old days of MetalAngel giving us truck, bus and train-driving travelogues over a variety of sims - well, I did enjoy those tales so much and he did have me wondering what they would be like to play.

So I saw it was £15 on Steam, and I saw that it included Nevada as well as California, with Arizona shortly to come. And thus I figured, what the hell.

I've been playing it three hours so far. The first hour was primarily spent with genuine tears of laughter as the in-game live stream local radio played genuine, terrible American country music, as I struggled with absurdly over-sensitive joystick controls and had hilarious calamity after calamity. After an hour I spent a good bit of time tinkering with the controls and I now reckon I've got it just how I like it. I'm doing a lot better too, I even managed a shortish route with only one traffic violation. Bascially you start by taking freelance short-route trucking jobs, no strings attached, and build up your skills and explore the map. Gradually you earn enough to buy your own truck and found a business around it. You can take on more drivers, open up more truck shops across the various towns and cities and watch the cash (and traffic violation slips) roll in.

I have to doff my cap to the developers, it is a hugely atmospheric game. The lighting is beautiful and there's a refreshing amount of detail to the world. Of course, distances are horribly compressed and I am a little disappointed that I couldn't find the painted three urban project towerblocks I remember photographing in Reno - though I did find the breast of Gamblor. But yes, it really looks like it does out there, and as a primary motive for this was a nostalgia kick I'm more than happy. The buildings and bars and donut stands and roads and salt flats look just like they do out there. My only disappointment is in the woods so far, they don't look nearly deep and enclosing enough. Hopefully mods will fix that one day though. Sometimes it does look slightly ropey, mainly because it uses the same engine apparently as the older European Truck SImulator 2. An instance of this is aforementioned meh trees, and some occassional shonky AA. But man - the light! During the golden hour and night this game looks beautiful... almost real at times. It's probably no where near GTA V, but it does cast a magical illusion.

I'm playing it in mostly simple mode, natch, with automatic transmission whilst I pick up the controls. I do reverse park, though! And I have to admit, I'm having a very relaxing, pleasant, fun time with it. Especially since I completed my first successful mission to Bowie's Life on Mars.

I'm really hoping they release Oregon next as DLC. Then I can drive from Reno to Bend, and Bend to Portland - trips I've done in real physics-based life!

Early impressions:

Pros:

Looks really nice.

Real live streaming radio stations are a lot of fun.

Good driving engine.

Sense of accomplishment.

Gorgeous and detailed map.

Cons:

Doesn't explain things very well at the start. Took me ages to spot the indicator as to what speed you SHOULD be driving. Plus I swear I made a couple of lights it dinged me on - but then I guess everyone says that.

Trees a bit ropey.

You can't get out of the truck. Blub.

Half and half:


Map could be found to be a little smaller than hoped for, but I understand why. This is a small studio and a big, big, big country. I'm astonished that some gamers are whining that the entirety of America isn't in there. "OMG JUST TWOSTATES DIDNT EVEN MAKE AMAERICA THEY MAKE YOU PAY $$4MORE!!!!" Dudes. Do you know how big America is? How long it would take? I'd rather superbly detailed states released bit by bit, than a rubbish parody of a continent.

So. I'm pondering doing a full little travelogue story like Meaty used to do, maybe on an idle weekend. True, my trucker Leo Johnson isn't doing too great at the moment, and neither is his currently one man company, 'LEO NEEDS NEW SHOES INC.', but I have high hopes for the future.

Laters!

I will fite u

Does the truck go really fast if you put it in reverse?

I've missed these threads. Thanks for this Pete - happy truckin'.

It's basically a re skinned Euro Truck Simulator 2... but ETS2 was awesome...

Not really on topic but if you have an interest in Americana then I can recommend "A Renegade History of the United States" written by the marvelously named Thaddeus Russell (a History Professor at Columbia University). It's a splendid read that tries to unravel some of the mythology surrounding the founding and development of the United States. It stirred up some controversy initially and some of his conclusions can be argued with (especially regarding Slavery) but it is a hoot to read.

Cheers

I am still playing this. I now have my own truck and have painted it red and have attached fancy new mirrors. Being your own man in the trucking industry is excellent. Somehow Leo Johnson has fallen into sleeping through the day in his cab in motels and awaking at night to run shipments. I've been driving a lot around San Francisco. I love the Golden Gate bridge, but the terrible speed limits around the hilly streets of SF can get to fuck. I have seen many wonderful things on my scenic drives. Shooting stars. Misty mornings on the coast. Fighter jets practising out over the Nevada flats. I have a big fat $100k loan to repay but my shiny red truck is awesome and it was worth every penny.

I now almost understand American traffic lights.

And ta for the book recommendation, Morte!