American Truck Simulator News

Over the past weeks, our fan community has been abuzz with speculations about the arrival of a new truck brand in American Truck Simulator. You may have seen a few glimpses of this truck hidden across our social media channels; but today, we are happy to put these rumors to rest and present to you this American legend in its full glory.

[h3]Introducing the Mack Anthem® for American Truck Simulator[/h3]


The newest highway truck from Mack is built for your business and designed for the driver. With a bold design, tough engineering and a high-quality interior, the new Mack Anthem has been created with detail in mind.



So when will you be able to drive the Mack Anthem® for yourself? You can purchase one from your local in-game dealerships from the 28th of April.

By the way, here is a behind-the-scene photo of the main actor and his honorarium from the shooting of the teaser which sparked the speculations and hype for the Mack Anthem truck! This good boy did a wonderful job and sends his best regards to the #BestCommunityEver!



Be sure to follow Mack Trucks Twitter and Facebook as well as our social media channels for more screenshots and content before the release.

The MACK trademarks and designs are registered rights of the AB Volvo Group and are used pursuant to a license.

After much testing, feedback, fixing and fine tuning, we are excited to announce the arrival of update 1.37 for American Truck Simulator! 



We'd like to thank every single one of you for all your help with your bug reports, opinions and general feedback during the Open Beta. We hope you can now begin to fully enjoy the new features included within this update.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The main feature included with this update is the implementation of our new sound engine based on the powerful and flexible FMOD library; which radically redefines the way we mix vehicle and environment sounds. This update includes new sounds for most of the AIs (including trains) and the inclusion of a true Doppler effect for passing vehicles. This also brings an array of new sound options for users accessed from the main menu, that allows you to tweak many more individual sounds to your liking.



While there is still a lot of tweaking to do and more sounds to arrive, this is only the first phase. We will continue to improve on feedback and implement changes throughout the year to come.

As a benefit from the new sound mixing approach, we are happy to bring you truck windows that you can open! You can now enjoy the continuum of sound levels between a well-insulated cabin with windows closed and the roaring traffic coming from the outside when you roll the windows all the way down. Give it a try especially when you hit the rush hour on the road or at a big junction.



Another addition that arrives with this update is our "walk-around feature." Our game world is generally not designed for exploration on foot, but we figure that fans of trucks may welcome a new closer perspective to view their favorite machines and appreciate how impressive they look. Getting up close may also be of use when you need to tune up your rig and match the color of your rims with the cabin's paint just right. So here we are with a little bonus feature of 1.37, an alternate way to control the camera in the game's service and vehicle browser. We had to redesign the "garage" scene a little to make more space and way for the cameras, hopefully, you will appreciate it.



Hungry for more? Then get ready for some food tanks! And we mean literally food tanks because, with this update, a new type of trailer comes available to buy. Also, when we speak about trailers - bulk feed and hopper trailers can now be customized with multiple paint jobs (including the Classic Stripes and Halloween Paint Job packs).



Owners of the Steering Creations Pack DLC, will also find new content in the form of new steering wheels for their rig. Be sure to check them all out, as they offer a wide variety of colors and types to match any rig alike!



And last but not least, we're excited to announce the upcoming arrival of the official support for ASUS Aura for  American Truck Simulator. Products supported include ASUS keyboards, mice, RGB mousemats and more.This brings a new level of immersion to your trucking experience with the inclusion of RGB support. You can expect to see a blog post with more details on the integration and the features that come with it in the near future.



VEHICLES

• Food tank trailer (ownable)
• Paintjobs for bulk feed and hopper trailers (including the content of Classic Stripes Paint Jobs Pack and Halloween Paint Jobs Pack DLCs)

FEATURES

• FMOD implementation with all existing sounds and few improvements
• Openable windows on all trucks
• AI movement and sound behavior improved (featuring FMOD)
• Walking camera in truck or trailer configuration screen (plus new garage scene)
• Added technical inspection of vehicles on mandatory weigh stations (illegal trailer, damaged vehicle).
• Added progressive fines.
• Colour Feedback support for ASUS ROG Strix

TOBII EYE TRACKING

• Eye-tracking pause key function fixed
• Automatic eye-tracking pause while the game is paused/in UI
• Settings hotkey visibility in UI

MOD

• Ingame sounds completely reimplemented for FMOD
• Engine power range data (instead of boost value)
• Exhaust gas temp gauge animation
• AI data tweak (engine power instead of torque and gearbox, vehicle_mass override for trailers)

To enjoy the 1.37 update, make sure to OPT OUT of beta branches and your game will be automatically updated on Steam.

Some mods, however, may have not caught up yet - this update may effectively break them. So remember that you can always stay on 1.36 or an even older branch. The way to access and select them is: Steam client → LIBRARY → right-click on American Truck Simulator → Properties → Betas tab → select the version you want.

No matter where you are travelling in Idaho, you will be sure to agree that it is a beautiful state; with its mountain ranges, national parks and bustling towns. However you will find that there are some significant differences between the North and South regions of Idaho. So what are some of these differences?

The North 

In the north (also known at the Idaho Panhandle) you will find much of the state blanketed in dense forest, mountains and lots of lakes. Perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise to many, as it's next door neighbor is the evergreen state of Washington, which share many of its same natural traits.

Another big difference is population density. If you are looking to get away from it all, then north Idaho is for you. As of 2010, only 317,000 people live in the panhandle, which makes up for around 20% of the states total population. So you won't find any large cities in these parts.



The South

Southern Idaho is home to a completely different type of scenery, with its desert-like landscapes and dry mountain tops; which it shares with its neighboring states of Utah and Nevada. These areas have been sculpted and changed over millions of years because of it's historic volcanic activity which is prominent in the area. Expect to see wide open vistas, irrigated farm lands and vibrant cities when travelling south.

The south is also home to Idahos largest populated city and capital, Boise! With a population of 226,000 as of 2015, it may not seem like a very populated area when compared with other U.S cities. Boise has gained the nickname of being a 'big little city' simply because it has the feel of an urban city combined with a small town vibe.



The Technology

Forget Silicon Valley, Sun Valley is the summer camp for billionaires! Every July, the biggest names in technology and media (such as Apple's CEO, Tim Cook and Microsoft's Bill Gates) gather at Sun Valley Lodge in Southern Idaho for an exclusive conference and getaway hosted by investment bank Allen & Co.

The conference has taken place every year for one week in July since 1983, Surrounded by a stunning mountain range, home to the nations first destination ski resort and the worlds first chairlifts. No wonder it has been a hit with the worlds biggest names and celebrities.



Now we have travelled from North to South in text form, we hope you will in virtual form when we release Idaho for American Truck Simulator. Be sure to add Idaho to your Steam Wishlist, and to check out our Instagram and Twitter and ATS Facebook page for more exclusive photos.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209470/American_Truck_Simulator__Idaho/

The #TruckAtHome event has come to end, which has made way for the highly anticipated ETS2 1.37 Open Beta; nonetheless, we couldn't be more proud of our community. Players from around the world united in driving loads in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator to help spread this important message, to stay at home.



On March 30th we began the event, setting the rules very clear and simple with no goal to reach. Our aim? To get as many people involved, in any way they can, while remaining at home and to complete as many jobs as possible. Within the first 24 hours, you had already collectively driven 120 million kilometers and by the time we released our event progress blog, you had achieved 340 million kilometers.

These are not the only stats which impressed us though, this past weekend Euro Truck Simulator 2 continued to break its own player-count record and reached it's peak at 61,081 players! This really did prove the point that thousands of more players were indeed taking heed of our message to #TruckAtHome.



Many of you also took to our Social Media pages to share photos of how you were trucking at home with our paint-job modification, your supportive live streams, and videos that further help spread our message. In the end, truckers from around the world collectively drove an astounding 584,000,000kms! It's almost like going two times from Earth to Sun and back!



For each 20,000,000 milestone reached, we shared a mix of base game and map expansions Steam keys across our social media channels which resulted in us giving away over 1,200 keys! We also made donations to a variety of charities and projects which aid those working on the front line of fighting COVID-19. Over 400,000 CZK (15,000 EUR) was donated. Alongside those donations, our SCS on the road team made deliveries of essential items to many hospitals and key workers on several days.



Although the event may be over, we have made the commitment to continuing to promote this message to #TruckAtHome and to support the local community who help support those on the front line of fighting against COVID-19. We will continue to look at content shared with us using the hashtag (along with tagging our profiles, of course) and reward some of our home truckers with free Steam DLC keys.

The MODs containing #TruckAtHome paint jobs remain available in the Steam Workshop, so anyone can download and start using them and so joining the fleet of Home Truckers. Also, let us remind you that everyone who passed the personal goal requirements will get a nice in-game reward! This item is not ready yet, so you can imagine it as a gift coming your way for now. But we bet you'll like it!



Please continue to join us as we #TruckAtHome, as it is incredibly important to stay home to prevent further spread of the virus. We thank you for all your time, dedication and support, you truly are the #BestCommunityEver.

We really do have the #BestCommunityEver! In less than 24 hours of the #TruckAtHome event starting, drivers in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator taking part collectively drove 120 million kilometers (about 74 million miles) using our World of Trucks contracts and external market.



60 million of those first kilometers were driven in a 6 hour period (that's 10 million kms reached every hour). At the time of posting this blog, it is over 340 million kilometers (over 211 million miles) and we still have the weekend ahead of us.

As you have been actively reaching milestones by doing your part, we made sure to uphold our part of the deal to undertake positive action to help those who are combating COVID-19. At the time of writing this blog, we have donated over 260,000CZK (around €9,400) to various charities, like Covmask, who create much needed protective gear for medical personnel free of charge, to a team of very skilled and quite famous Czech chefs preparing, cooking and delivering food to paramedics, firefighters or policemen, and ADRA CZ who provide bringing food and medicines to the elderly who are unable to leave their homes. And we plan to support financially even more targets!



We also have made use of one of our SCS On the Road vehicles during this important time. 3 members of our team have been driving to various local hospitals delivering essential and requested items from the staff who are working on the front line every day. So far we have donated several pallets worth of food and liquids to help keep staff energized during this busy time; as well as some much-needed equipment such as two-way radio transmitters which assist doctors & nurses in communicating when working in segregated areas of the hospital.



We also wanted to share a thank you to you our community, who have been actively driving day and night, and sharing your kind and positive words throughout this whole event. You really have been keeping us on our toes when it comes to reaching milestones, as you seem to reach the next one quicker than the last. This was especially evident on the 2nd of April as Euro Truck Simulator 2 broke its all-time player record peaking at 55,322 players, wow!

Behind all these incredible stats and actions, there is an important message to why we have been asking you to #TruckAtHome. Staying home is the most important thing you can do prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your area, and by doing so you are saving lives. If you do need to leave the house, make sure to wash your hands regularly for 30 seconds at a time. You can find more important health advice to follow from the World health organization, or your local health services website.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Be sure to continue sharing your photos and videos as you #TruckAtHome with us on Twitter, Facebook and our Instagram using the hashtag. There is still time to join the event, you can find all the details at our blog post or at worldoftrucks.com.

The event will be concluded on Monday the 6th of April at 23:59 UTC.