What is the point of this game?

[XLjedi]

Looks interesting, and was contemplating adding it to my collection, but I'm not exactly sure where the fun would be in game play?

Is it just driving in real time from point A to point B?

...or is there more of a resource management component?

Wondering how the driving works, do you get stuck driving for hours on interstates, or is there like a time-warp to the next significant driving event?

Is it just driving trucks, or is there loading and unloading with cranes and so forth?

Appreciate any feedback!

[Wolfgang]

There is a free demo on the Steam Store, you can try it and see if you like the concept.

But there is pretty much no resource management (you only need to manage your money at the start but that becomes needless pretty quickly).
You are hauling the cargo from place A to B. The time and map scale is 1:20 outside of cities and 1:3 inside of cities. No manual loading or unloading. The base game contains Nevada, California and Arizona. More states can be bought via DLC.

[Trucker_71]

t's about simulatting truck driving, there's no end game, nothing to win in the sense that you finished the game. If you have no interest in the big rigs, you won't like the game

[meatballs_21]

It is almost entirely driving A to B. It's real time to an extent: as others have said, the clock runs faster (1:20 outside cities, 1:3 in them) but from your perception, you're driving normally. The map is similarly scaled. You get the feel of a long distance drive without it taking eight hours.

There is no resource management apart from making sure you stop for fuel. You also need to repair your truck if you damage it, and you can optionally turn on fatigue, so you need to rest after 14 in-game hours of driving. There is a limited company management section, where you can buy garages on the maps to serve as fast travel points, and hire AI drivers and assign them trucks, though in practice this basically works as a passive income stream. There is an XP system but it is likewise limited - early on you will level up and can choose to unlock more cargo types, longer deliveries, or better fuel efficiency, but you will progress quickly and this soon becomes irrelevant. In the same way, some truck upgrades are locked, but you earn XP very fast and will soon have access to everything. It's not at all like Snowrunner, where there is a much longer, more involved progression to get stuff through unlocks, and where money is way tighter.

You can travel to the next "event" with fast travel. The quick jobs (where your truck, cargo and route are all pre-set) let you get going right away, while in the rest of the game you do need to travel to your next job to collect the trailer and cargo.

There is no loading or unloading of the cargo, you push the trailer into the designated parking spot or dock, and that's it, job done.

The fun is the same as any simulator: building up your skill level and expertly navigating your vehicle to the destination without any incidents. If you enjoy driving in real life, this might push some of the same buttons. A lot of people like to pick a long ride, turn on a good playlist or podcast, and cruise down the interstate enjoying the sights and sounds to unwind. If you approach it from the perspective of it being a game to be beaten/100%/maxxed out, you'll be disappointed. You drive for the pleasure of driving itself.

[XLjedi]

Alright, thanks... I like sim/sandbox games, but if it's just driving (as I feared it might be) I probably give it a pass. I might still checkout the free demo as suggested above.

[Stenleh44]

It’s a relaxing game. Put on some musics and make some deliveries checking out the scenery.

[Rookie-31st]

Originally posted by XLjedi:

Is it just driving in real time from point A to point B?

...or is there more of a resource management component?

It is mostly driving from A to B, resource management is minimal and economic hardship exists only during the initial 3-5 hours of gameplay, cash is abundant once you start buying trucks and giving them to AI drivers.

It is no sandbox as you don't build/develop anything, you just explore. You can buy more garages, but they are essentially just the parking lots for more trucks and AI drivers and fast travel points.

If you look for logistics simulation, look elsewhere. SCS is not willing to enhance this game with more advanced gameplay features.

[_KC76_]

Originally posted by XLjedi:

Alright, thanks... I like sim/sandbox games, but if it's just driving (as I feared it might be) I probably give it a pass. I might still checkout the free demo as suggested above.

You should try both the ATS and the ETS (Euro Truck Sim2) free demos. I can not explain why, but a lot of the games basic components, such as AI traffic, seem to be much better implemented in ETS, as in, in ATS the AI traffic are basically A Ho.les .. As you would expect, Cities in the less dense western US are MUCH farther apart than cities in a denser western Europe. ...as for time, I find I can estimate my driving time needed to complete a "mission" in ATS as 10 minutes of real-time for each hour of estimated game-time. 15 hour drive from San Diego to Redding? 150 minutes.

It should be noted however, the free demo versions are NOT the most up to date versions (v1.44 just released) and there are things you just can not do, because of how long it takes to gain XP without mods. ATS and ETS with mods are much better, in my opinion.

In both ATS and ETS, you can "time-warp" as you say in your op, from one city to another, but only AFTER you have "discovered" the city through normal driving from point A to point B.

The only "sandbox" aspect, is your ability to customize trucks and trailers with accessories. The game world is NOT sandbox, BUT it is and "Open World" where you do not need to "level-up" to be able to explore new cities or highways. With money and XP mods, you can literally drive the entire map with very little effort of having to haul any loads.

Only buy ATS and ETS when it is on Sale, then buy as much of the base+DLC maps as you can afford, plus the different cargo packs DLC .. I think on-sale I got 100% of ATS and DLC for under 50 bucks. ... You will want a game pad controller, or wheel and pedals for best experience .. can be done on a keyboard, but gets real tiresome, real fast.

[BigT57]

The point of the game is to drive a big truck. Try the demo you might be pleasantly surprised like I was.

[Reese]

Originally posted by XLjedi:

Alright, thanks... I like sim/sandbox games, but if it's just driving (as I feared it might be) I probably give it a pass. I might still checkout the free demo as suggested above.

Believe it or not, a large portion of players for this game(and the European counter-part, Euro Truck Simulator 2) gave it a try and realised it's a more relaxing game than it first appeared. While you may not like that lack of features in some regard, there is plenty to explore and it might become one of your favourite games just to pass the time.

A lot of retired truck drivers play it to relive their days and find enjoyment without the overhead of reality bearing down on them. Give the demo a nice long try and see if it might just be worth the investment.

There's also multiplayer if you and some friends would like to just drive around together. :>

[TwinShadow]

I got into this game (well, ETS2 first) since I like simulation games as a whole. I mainly just spend an hour or two sometimes to relax, chill to some tunes or chat with some friends. Once in a while we may do a convoy (which is the game's MP mode) and haul a few loads together.

It's no wonder that both games top sales charts every time a new DLC is released. lol

[luZk]

You are delivering cargo from point A to point B like trucks in real life. It's a simulator.

This never happens in the game at any point.
https://youtu.be/2T2qdS0uv8M?t=70

[XLjedi]

Originally posted by luZk:

You are delivering cargo from point A to point B like trucks in real life. It's a simulator.

This never happens in the game at any point.
https://youtu.be/2T2qdS0uv8M?t=70

Wouldn't expect it either. ...not like I'm asking if there's a Mad Max version where I need to fight off marauders along the way.

A forklift at a destination, maybe a crane at a seaport or train station was where I was going.

[Destin Skye]

Don't neglect the business side of the game. It's also like a business sim where you can plot out your business strategy across most of the western half of the US so far, and find best places for garages and best truck and trailer combinations to put in them along with hiring your own drivers to drive for your company, etc. There's some fun in that.

But ultimately, yes, it's mostly a driving game with business game too going on in the background and you constant get messages about your drivers when they are finishing loads and how much they helped you earn, etc.

If you get into it you can make it more immersive by learning trucking regulations and getting a better idea of how to build up the truck, axle and trailer combinations you want. To me, that's a fun part of the simulation is tweaking engine and transmission combinations to find the one I like best on the open road that gives me enough hill pulling power but also good gas mileage. I didn't know what I was doing when I started and was suffering in badly put together rigs that were getting 4.0 to 4.5 mpg at best. Now I can heavy haul with a truck that gets 6.5 mpg with ease in a regional haul combining city and highway driving. That made my day actually learning and putting into practice some things I've learned that do translate pretty well into the game.

[skyfyre_]

All valid points. So you thinking about getting behind the wheel eh? Think you have what it takes? Everyone says that. It takes commitment and love of the road, 10 hours or 400+ miles a day. (10 hours off as required by law) You'll spend a 1/3rd of your life in reverse. Customers require professionals to have the ability to park a trailer in challenging locations. Safely and with minimal damage. What will you do if you under a time crunch and there is an emergency detour? Will you make your delivery on time? For even dedicated and well experienced truckers must remember heavy hauling has it's own set of challenges, yet can be rewarding when you reach your destination as a job well done.
Where else can you take in the splendor of natural beauty the world has to offer and get paid for it?