American Truck Simulator News

We are working hard on the 1.43 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, as it is shaping up to be a fairly big update. There are many additions that require further information and while we have already announced it in our previously released ETS2 and ATS Open Beta blog posts, today we’ll take a more detailed look at one of the new features arriving with this update - purchasable dumper trailers!



This type of trailer in ETS2 will be used for materials such as barley, coal, excavated soil, granite cubes, gravel, ore, rye, sand, metal scrap, stone dust, wheat, wood bark, and wood shavings. In addition to having 2 different customizable body types (aluminum and steel) and 2 different lengths (9m and 10m), here is a detailed list of everything you will be able to customize:

• Chassis type
  
• Paint jobs
  
• Front ladder
  
• Markers
  
• Side protection plates/boxes
  
• Rear fender
  
• Rear bumper
  
• Rear mudflaps
  
• Rear banners
  

In American Truck Simulator, these trailers will be used for soil, gravel, limestone, sand, metal scrap, stones, and wood shavings. You will be able to choose from 3 customizable body types - end dumpers, side dumpers, and bottom dumpers. 



Each of them is available in different lengths, and in two or three-axle configurations. Side dumpers are available as b-double, turnpike, or single trailers; bottom dumpers can be used in double, rocky mountain double, turnpike double, and single configurations, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.  

Apart from the mentioned above, here comes an exact list of the customizable parts:

• Body type
  
• Chassis type
  
• Front fenders
  
• Front mudflaps
  
• Markers
  
• Trailer rear types
  
• Rear bumpers
  
• Rear mudflaps
  

We are extremely eager to see you hauling these new dumper trailers in your company and how you will customize them! Be sure to share with us your photos of your newly owned trailers on our Social Media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) once you will get your hands on them.

After uploading a cryptic video trailer in which our 2D artist Annie painted a beautiful scene featuring mountains and flora, today we are excited to announce to you exactly what state this artwork was based on...

[h3] Introducing Montana for American Truck Simulator[/h3]



Montana is untamed, wild, and natural. No matter where you look, you’ll find unspoiled nature, charming small towns, and spectacular views. Explore National Parks, then hit the road to discover more natural wonders. You can drive through rugged mountain roads, pass by crystal clear lakes, or spend your day exploring the historic town and cities.



We are happy to share with you these very early work in progress screenshots from Montana! However, please keep in mind that everything shown is still being worked on and may not represent the final product.




We look forward to sharing more development news about upcoming state in the future; and the beautiful landscapes and new road networks that will arrive with it. If you are looking for more Montana content, then head over to our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page where you'll find a short video teaser from this upcoming DLC!



Be sure to check out the official Steam store page and if you wish to support us, be sure to add Montana to your Steam Wishlist.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1811080/American_Truck_Simulator__Montana/

It has only been a short time since we last released an update for our truck simulator titles, however we are happy to share with you that a new testing cycle for the Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator has started.

This first iteration of the Open Beta only has a few of the handful of updates we wanted to bring with 1.43. Because of busy production schedule before Christmas, quite a few of the other features and/or updates did not make it in time for this first release. However, we plan on bringing these later on during the Open Beta. We will be sure to let you know when they do arrive. 



Please keep in mind that this Open Beta is a work-in-progress build. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, you can contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out.

So, without further ado, let's take a look at what the first iteration of the 1.43 Open Beta has in store!

Ownable Dumpers

We are happy to announce that Dumpers Trailers are now ownable and fully customizable! These trailers are used for transporting bulk materials such as coal, soil, gravel, stone, sand and much more.



In American Truck Simulator, Dumper Trailers will have 3 customizable body types. These are End Dumpers, Side Dumpers and Livefloor Dumpers. Each of them are available in different lengths (30ft or 36ft) and in two or three axel configurations. Side Dumpers are available as a B-double, Turnpike or Single trailers, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.  



Want to customize your Dumper Trailer? You will be able to add and modify some of the accessories on them, including, markers, rear bumpers, front and rear mudflaps, front and rear fenders, and paint jobs.



We can't wait to see you hauling these new Dumper Trailers in your company and how you will customize them! Be sure to share with us your photos of your newly owned trailers on our Social Media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Interior Cabin Sound Update

In this update, we have also implemented a new sound effect which simulates sound attenuation from surrounding environment noises, as well as the sound of the truck engine and wheels. Since each truck has a different sound insulation, our sound team has simulated this with the use of sound equalization and reverb effects. 

Put simply, interior truck cab sounds have been updated to better simulate how engine, wheel and other exterior sounds are dampened when driving from a first person view.

This is just the first iteration of this update, as in the future we plan to bring more accurate attenuation simulation by the size of the truck cab. This update has been applied to all trucks in both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2. 

New SDF Fonts

Another new feature coming along with 1.43 is the use of SDF (Signed Distance Fields) fonts in-game. So how exactly does this affect the game? This font technique allows texts and fonts to be displayed perfectly in any resolution, scale, or from any distance. 



Instead of fonts being displayed like a picture, which can become distorted when on a smaller resolution or zoomed in on from a far distance, SDF fonts can be adjusted to any size and remain perfectly clear and sharp for the user. 


In the first iteration of this update, we are bringing this new font technique to the game's UI, Convoy name tags, GPS, License Plates and Truck Dashboards. We hope you can clearly see the difference when you see them. 

Changelog:

Map:

• General Bugfixes
  

Vehicles:

• Ownable Dump Trailers
  

Other:

• Implemented Sound Attenuation
  MSDF Font Implementation

So enjoy all the new additions, but please remember: It's only an open beta, not a stable public version - so you may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. It's completely okay if you want to wait for the final release. But if you're interested in helping us to get there faster, we'll appreciate all of your feedback on our forum and your bug reports in this section.

Please check our modding wiki to get details pertaining to mods for the game.

If you wish to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the public_beta branch on Steam. The way to access it is as follows: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → public_beta → 1.43. No password is required. You may need to restart your Steam client to see the correct branch name there.