American Truck Simulator is heading to Iowa in a future DLC
American Truck Simulator already has in-development DLCs which will see its 18-wheelers head to Arkansas and Missouri, but SCS Software have also commenced building a third: Iowa.
American Truck Simulator News
Introducing Iowa!
Without further ado, it's time we reveal our next U.S. State for American Truck Simulator! From bustling cities to the Mississippi River, today we are excited to announce that our team are hard at work creating...
[h3]Iowa for American Truck Simulator[/h3]
Located in the upper Midwestern region of the United States, Iowa forms a bridge between the forests of the east and the grasslands of the prairie plains to the west. Also known as 'The Hawkeye State', Iowa invites truckers to explore its road networks, cities and local industries.
Des Moines, the state capital, is a vibrant city that you won't want to miss! As the largest city in Iowa, it is a hub of cultural and economic activity. Its skyline features the impressive Iowa State Capitol building, a must-see landmark featuring 5 domes, with the most prominent being covered with 23-karat gold!
However the Capitol building isn't the only thing that shines in Iowa. Drivers can find scenic views abound, especially when exploring small towns and cities along the famous Mississippi River. As the second-longest river in the United States spanning over 2,000 miles, this impressive waterway flows through 10 different States.
While Iowa isn't the biggest State in the USA, it is certainly home to a lot of 'The World's Biggest...' you'll find plenty of interesting landmarks on your journey. Don't forget to stop by some of them for a screenshot or two!
There are plenty of local industries around, but one which stands out above the rest is the Agriculture Industry, especially when it comes to growing corn! Iowa has rightfully earned the nickname King of Corn for more than 2 decades. In 2023, the State produced just over 2.5 billion bushels of corn, many of which ended up on dinner plates across the United States.
Please keep in mind that everything you see here is still under work in progress and may not represent the final product. However, we are excited to highlight more of what is to come with the Iowa DLC in the future.
Until then, be sure to follow us on Social Media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for all the latest news, and to add the Iowa DLC to your Steam Wishlist if you like what you see! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025440/American_Truck_Simulator__Iowa/
[h3]Iowa for American Truck Simulator[/h3]
Located in the upper Midwestern region of the United States, Iowa forms a bridge between the forests of the east and the grasslands of the prairie plains to the west. Also known as 'The Hawkeye State', Iowa invites truckers to explore its road networks, cities and local industries.
Des Moines, the state capital, is a vibrant city that you won't want to miss! As the largest city in Iowa, it is a hub of cultural and economic activity. Its skyline features the impressive Iowa State Capitol building, a must-see landmark featuring 5 domes, with the most prominent being covered with 23-karat gold!
However the Capitol building isn't the only thing that shines in Iowa. Drivers can find scenic views abound, especially when exploring small towns and cities along the famous Mississippi River. As the second-longest river in the United States spanning over 2,000 miles, this impressive waterway flows through 10 different States.
While Iowa isn't the biggest State in the USA, it is certainly home to a lot of 'The World's Biggest...' you'll find plenty of interesting landmarks on your journey. Don't forget to stop by some of them for a screenshot or two!
There are plenty of local industries around, but one which stands out above the rest is the Agriculture Industry, especially when it comes to growing corn! Iowa has rightfully earned the nickname King of Corn for more than 2 decades. In 2023, the State produced just over 2.5 billion bushels of corn, many of which ended up on dinner plates across the United States.
Please keep in mind that everything you see here is still under work in progress and may not represent the final product. However, we are excited to highlight more of what is to come with the Iowa DLC in the future.
Until then, be sure to follow us on Social Media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for all the latest news, and to add the Iowa DLC to your Steam Wishlist if you like what you see! Until next time, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025440/American_Truck_Simulator__Iowa/
American Truck Simulator: Farm Machinery Booklet
Today, we bring to our #BestCommunityEver a special blog! At the end of last year, we released the Farm Machinery DLC for American Truck Simulator along with the Kansas map expansion. And now for the first time in our history, following the positive feedback we received, our colleagues have put together a booklet for you with an in-depth look at how the Farm Machinery DLC was made!
This farming-related cargo pack was released on November 30th for ATS and features two in-game agricultural equipment brands, Owl & Greenler. Truckers received nine new farming machinery cargos from tractors to spreaders as well as five cabin accessories such as a barn-themed lunch kit or an autonomous tractor plush. You can take a look at what this cargo pack has to offer here, or you can get it straight on Steam!
A few weeks after, we took you behind the scenes of how this DLC was made with the Under The Hood blog with our colleague Stanislav, one of our 2D/3D Graphic Designers who helped bring the DLC to life.
Now, he and his colleagues have gone the extra mile after they saw the positive reactions to the booklet teaser at the end of the Under The Hood blog, and put together a beautiful booklet that truckers can read and enjoy for free in digital form here! At this time, we do not plan to release a printed form of the booklet; everyone can enjoy it online for free.
We hope you will appreciate and enjoy another peek behind the scenes of this DLC. If you would like to haul this cargo and decorate your cabin with those awesome accessories, get the Farm Machinery DLC on Steam! And don't forget to stay tuned for more updates by following us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638630/American_Truck_Simulator__Farm_Machinery/
This farming-related cargo pack was released on November 30th for ATS and features two in-game agricultural equipment brands, Owl & Greenler. Truckers received nine new farming machinery cargos from tractors to spreaders as well as five cabin accessories such as a barn-themed lunch kit or an autonomous tractor plush. You can take a look at what this cargo pack has to offer here, or you can get it straight on Steam!
A few weeks after, we took you behind the scenes of how this DLC was made with the Under The Hood blog with our colleague Stanislav, one of our 2D/3D Graphic Designers who helped bring the DLC to life.
Now, he and his colleagues have gone the extra mile after they saw the positive reactions to the booklet teaser at the end of the Under The Hood blog, and put together a beautiful booklet that truckers can read and enjoy for free in digital form here! At this time, we do not plan to release a printed form of the booklet; everyone can enjoy it online for free.
We hope you will appreciate and enjoy another peek behind the scenes of this DLC. If you would like to haul this cargo and decorate your cabin with those awesome accessories, get the Farm Machinery DLC on Steam! And don't forget to stay tuned for more updates by following us on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638630/American_Truck_Simulator__Farm_Machinery/
Under the Hood: JCB Equipment Pack
With the recent release of the JCB Equipment Pack for Euro Truck Simulator 2 & American Truck Simulator we wanted to take the opportunity to talk with one of the driving forces behind the new and unique addition. In today's 'Under The Hood' blog, we spoke with George, Art Leader of Vehicles, who helped bring this DLC to life.
Renowned for their innovation and reliability, The JCB Equipment Pack includes 10 different branded construction and agricultural machinery from JCB's machinery line-up for drivers to haul and deliver across the virtual roads of Europe and America. So what was the inspiration behind creating this DLC?
"At the time, the project was entrusted to me, as I had the most experience in our party. I accepted the offer with enthusiasm and humility, and now in retrospect I have to say that working with everyone involved was a daily joy that continues. We are no longer just a bunch of enthusiasts, but also, above all, one big family that works as a team to care for this baby that we created together".
So what was your role in creating the JCB Equipment Pack? We asked George to find out. "In the middle of 2023, after a three-year break, I returned to SCS as a senior 3D artist. I spent over 7 years at SCS before leaving, so there was no need to familiarize myself with work processes and technology from scratch. The guys at SCS have come a long way in that time and have done a lot of work to improve the output quality, tools and workflows. My first assigned task was the JCB FASTRAC 4220 Icon cargo asset. I immediately fell in love with it because it is a racer among tractors".
So how many people were involved in the creation of this DLC? "At the time, 2 artists were working on JCB and gradually others, including me, joined. In total, our team of 3D graphic artists consisted of asset creators Dino Čičak, Luboš Gregor, and Serhii Trystan, and for cabin accessories, Wolfka. And of course many others were involved too, from production to research, QA and marketing. Over time, the project swelled and thus the need for greater control and optimization of production grew".
So how long did it take to create this DLC, and which cargoes were the most fun and/or most challenging to create? "After almost a year of hard work, nurturing, tuning and optimizing every single machine or toy, we got the green light. The final product was approved at all levels! We are delighted that there is huge interest for JCB content in both our game".
With such an extensive catalogue, how did you decide which JCB equipment and machinery to include? "Reference materials cannot be neglected, the quality of which reflects the result. These were delivered in the form of CAD models directly from JCB, which also set a preferred selection of machines that we mutually agreed upon".
George goes on to explain further "Our game also requires balanced and interesting content in this regard. As for the CAD files, they are mainly intended for the production of real machines, containing millions of polygons and are useless for the game itself. In our case, they only served as a template. These detailed templates had to be supplemented with photogrammetry, in simple terms a technology for processing several hundred walkaround photos, from which a 3D model is subsequently created using specialized software. Compared to a CAD template, such a model offers an additional level of information, such as the real surface and colors of materials. And you can easily check how a real object really looks in a real environment. This package of references was a pleasure to work with".
Did you or any of the team get to see any of the machinery for yourself in person? "Thanks to this, we were able to get to know the beautiful and in some cases giant machines face to face. In this case, huge thanks go out to the Czech companies TERRAMET and PEKASS (construction and agricultural machinery), who made this photogrammetry process possible for us".
Were there any challenges and what did you do to overcome them? "JCB is a globally recognized, leading manufacturer of construction and agricultural machinery. Therefore, much more effort had to be made to meet JCB's strict requirements, as well as a greater focus on detail and quality of workmanship. Fortunately, SCS already has extensive experience with this".
"We love how much detail was put into each of the machinery and cabin accessories too, was that an important aspect for the team?" SCS Software is a game studio with more than 25 years of experience in the field of game development. In that time, it has built up a reputation proven by a strong fan base. Therefore, our priority in this effort is to persevere and still offer interesting content regardless of the complexity of this process. But as always, everything is about people, and I can say with a clear conscience that I have always been able to fully rely on every member of the team, regardless of their previous experience". George goes onto explain more "The team members either already have the experience or just want to achieve them. Both variants are sufficient for success. The rest is just about a positive attitude, communication and team spirit. We each contributed equally and learnt from each other. Which, by the way, is the nice thing about our work, to be able to share ideas and tricks with each other and thus move forward professionally".
"In this case, it was necessary to set the imaginary bar a little higher and focus precisely on the realism of the design, while maintaining our optimization standards. Simply said, the models are at the same level as any other similar cargo assets in the game in terms of geometry complexity and texture size, with the only difference being that we spent more time on individual aspects - to get detail where it's justified, polishing individual curves or unifying texture details and colours as if all of these were the work of one individual. So there was a need to think more about sharing our workflow and know-how across the entire DLC".
"I believe that DLCs of this focus will open the way for us to other similar projects in the future. So there is definitely something to look forward to".
If you haven't already, be sure to check out the JCB Equipment Pack Bundle, which offers drivers looking to haul in both ETS2 & ATS at a discounted price! Click here for the dedicated bundle Steam Store page. If you already own this great addition and you are enjoying it, consider leaving a positive review for us too. We hope you enjoyed this Under the Hood look for this DLC, let us know if you'd like to read about some specific subjects in the future! Until then, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2780800/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__JCB_Equipment_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2926440/American_Truck_Simulator__JCB_Equipment_Pack/
Renowned for their innovation and reliability, The JCB Equipment Pack includes 10 different branded construction and agricultural machinery from JCB's machinery line-up for drivers to haul and deliver across the virtual roads of Europe and America. So what was the inspiration behind creating this DLC?
"At the time, the project was entrusted to me, as I had the most experience in our party. I accepted the offer with enthusiasm and humility, and now in retrospect I have to say that working with everyone involved was a daily joy that continues. We are no longer just a bunch of enthusiasts, but also, above all, one big family that works as a team to care for this baby that we created together".
So what was your role in creating the JCB Equipment Pack? We asked George to find out. "In the middle of 2023, after a three-year break, I returned to SCS as a senior 3D artist. I spent over 7 years at SCS before leaving, so there was no need to familiarize myself with work processes and technology from scratch. The guys at SCS have come a long way in that time and have done a lot of work to improve the output quality, tools and workflows. My first assigned task was the JCB FASTRAC 4220 Icon cargo asset. I immediately fell in love with it because it is a racer among tractors".
So how many people were involved in the creation of this DLC? "At the time, 2 artists were working on JCB and gradually others, including me, joined. In total, our team of 3D graphic artists consisted of asset creators Dino Čičak, Luboš Gregor, and Serhii Trystan, and for cabin accessories, Wolfka. And of course many others were involved too, from production to research, QA and marketing. Over time, the project swelled and thus the need for greater control and optimization of production grew".
So how long did it take to create this DLC, and which cargoes were the most fun and/or most challenging to create? "After almost a year of hard work, nurturing, tuning and optimizing every single machine or toy, we got the green light. The final product was approved at all levels! We are delighted that there is huge interest for JCB content in both our game".
With such an extensive catalogue, how did you decide which JCB equipment and machinery to include? "Reference materials cannot be neglected, the quality of which reflects the result. These were delivered in the form of CAD models directly from JCB, which also set a preferred selection of machines that we mutually agreed upon".
George goes on to explain further "Our game also requires balanced and interesting content in this regard. As for the CAD files, they are mainly intended for the production of real machines, containing millions of polygons and are useless for the game itself. In our case, they only served as a template. These detailed templates had to be supplemented with photogrammetry, in simple terms a technology for processing several hundred walkaround photos, from which a 3D model is subsequently created using specialized software. Compared to a CAD template, such a model offers an additional level of information, such as the real surface and colors of materials. And you can easily check how a real object really looks in a real environment. This package of references was a pleasure to work with".
Did you or any of the team get to see any of the machinery for yourself in person? "Thanks to this, we were able to get to know the beautiful and in some cases giant machines face to face. In this case, huge thanks go out to the Czech companies TERRAMET and PEKASS (construction and agricultural machinery), who made this photogrammetry process possible for us".
Were there any challenges and what did you do to overcome them? "JCB is a globally recognized, leading manufacturer of construction and agricultural machinery. Therefore, much more effort had to be made to meet JCB's strict requirements, as well as a greater focus on detail and quality of workmanship. Fortunately, SCS already has extensive experience with this".
"We love how much detail was put into each of the machinery and cabin accessories too, was that an important aspect for the team?" SCS Software is a game studio with more than 25 years of experience in the field of game development. In that time, it has built up a reputation proven by a strong fan base. Therefore, our priority in this effort is to persevere and still offer interesting content regardless of the complexity of this process. But as always, everything is about people, and I can say with a clear conscience that I have always been able to fully rely on every member of the team, regardless of their previous experience". George goes onto explain more "The team members either already have the experience or just want to achieve them. Both variants are sufficient for success. The rest is just about a positive attitude, communication and team spirit. We each contributed equally and learnt from each other. Which, by the way, is the nice thing about our work, to be able to share ideas and tricks with each other and thus move forward professionally".
"In this case, it was necessary to set the imaginary bar a little higher and focus precisely on the realism of the design, while maintaining our optimization standards. Simply said, the models are at the same level as any other similar cargo assets in the game in terms of geometry complexity and texture size, with the only difference being that we spent more time on individual aspects - to get detail where it's justified, polishing individual curves or unifying texture details and colours as if all of these were the work of one individual. So there was a need to think more about sharing our workflow and know-how across the entire DLC".
"I believe that DLCs of this focus will open the way for us to other similar projects in the future. So there is definitely something to look forward to".
If you haven't already, be sure to check out the JCB Equipment Pack Bundle, which offers drivers looking to haul in both ETS2 & ATS at a discounted price! Click here for the dedicated bundle Steam Store page. If you already own this great addition and you are enjoying it, consider leaving a positive review for us too. We hope you enjoyed this Under the Hood look for this DLC, let us know if you'd like to read about some specific subjects in the future! Until then, keep on truckin'.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2780800/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__JCB_Equipment_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2926440/American_Truck_Simulator__JCB_Equipment_Pack/
ATS - Guess Where We're Heading Next
We're not slowing down on our journey across the United States, and today we are excited to share with you a very very early work-in-progress image from a yet-to-be-announced map expansion for American Truck Simulator. Can you guess where we're headed next?
Whilst we'd love to share more about this project, its early stages of development mean we are unable to even provide an estimate of when this state may be on the horizon for truckers. When the time is right, we look forward to sharing more news on what you can expect when traveling to this part of the U.S. Until then, keep on truckin'!
Whilst we'd love to share more about this project, its early stages of development mean we are unable to even provide an estimate of when this state may be on the horizon for truckers. When the time is right, we look forward to sharing more news on what you can expect when traveling to this part of the U.S. Until then, keep on truckin'!