So New Mexico was just released alongside patch 1.29 for American Truck Simulator which caused me to turn the game on for the first time since it's release.

Is anyone around here playing this? Does anyone still play these games? It sounds like Oregon is likely to be the next state added.

I can't help but be kind of disappointed that these games have changed so little. There is so much potential here for a really cool trucking game if they just added some depth to it. I've been playing these since the original Hard Truck in '98 and, honestly, the games feel like they've been the same thing but with updated graphics since Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel back in '02. The core loop and feature set hasn't really grown. Every time I play it, a list of ideas and questions just grows in my mind as I blankly stare into nothing while making a delivery.

Dynamic roadside events were added with 1.29, which is a small step in the right direction, except it doesn't feel very impactful. It doesn't go far enough. It's often something you just drive past or, at most, you change lanes for a moment. Give me legit traffic jams. Give me a modern GPS system that will warn me about these traffic jams so I can avoid them.

• Why are weigh stations pointless? Give them a reason to exist.
• Why aren't there bridge height limits, forcing you to plan and take alternate routes depending on your load?
• Why aren't there small back road bridges with weight limits, again forcing you to plan and take alternate routes?
• The Heavy Cargo DLC - This doesn't really add much gameplay. Trailer weight almost feels irrelevant as I feel like I can tow anything with the smaller trucks, with the only potential issue being stopping on a hill. Physics aren't really a thing here. Also, some trailers should be wider, not just longer. Again, route planning based on trailer. Have a vehicle escort front and back (as I see it in real life) as you take up 1 1/2 lanes and need intersections blocked. As it is, you drive from point A to point B like any other trailer.*

*Edit: Looks like some stuff like this was recently shown as DLC for ETS2 soon. Still, I'm not sure if its only special mission maps or in the open world

• There should be many more "back roads" or routes that act like shortcuts between roads but have various potential limitations.
• The trucks should get "dirty" and by this I mostly mean just a dulled finish. All the crazy chrome bothers me. The vast majority of trucks you see in the real world have a dull, worn finish. At least they have non-chrome options for the wheels.
• Why are there no straight/box trucks? They use the same cab design. They are often 26'. And they are incredibly common. These should be a stepping stone before reaching the big tractors and articulating trailers. Or even add them as traffic for more variety!
• Why can't I have my company logo on my truck?
• Why isn't there an online co-op element of working for another players' company and completing the work that is delegated to you. Would kinda be like a guild or something.
• Why can't I roll my window down?
• Why aren't there more trucks? I just started dipping into the Steam Workshop and I'm surprised how little there is. This Mack truck here for example:

This body style already exists in the game as a traffic vehicle.. So why haven't they just made it playable? Or why hasn't a modder just removed the dump or cement truck element and made it a playable truck? I wish I could but I have no idea how to do this stuff. I don't care if it has the proper manufacturer name on it with licensing, because people will just mod that to correct it, or I just know what it is in my mind.

In general though, HUGE amount of trucks missing, and a lot of them are the stuff I see every day on the road so it's not like I'm not looking for weird obscure stuff. This is primarily a complaint towards the modding community.*

*Edit: So I guess people are putting some other trucks up on the forums. Not sure why they don't use Workshop. Pretty annoying. Seems like people don't keep up with it that much either.

I will say they've done a decent job designing more realistic intersections and interchanges but it's still not enough. The current state is how it should've been at release and now I feel like they need to go back and update spots. There's also a lot of big intersections that in real-life would absolutely have a traffic light but don't, so you often get stuck at these sitting and waiting for an opening that never comes. Only option is just to drive out into to traffic and make everyone stop. I keep imagining how I'd represent New Jersey in this and somehow I doubt they'd take it to that level. It'll probably just be NYC, Philly, and maybe Wildwood as a scenic spot.

I really hope we get some more interesting terrain going northwest. Should be rural pickup and delivery points that are way off on tight, back dirt roads. Lots of steep grades. Maybe some weather.

So that's where I'm at on these trucking sims. So much potential here for more engaging gameplay if they had the team/budget. As far as I can tell, even the people really into this stuff is bored with it.