We know our #BestCommunityEver loves to see sneak-peeks behind the scenes and we have something very special for you today. A small team of our vehicle artists went to Germany recently and visited Feldbinder Spezialfahrzeugwerk GmbH to check out their amazing vehicles at two of their facilities at Winsen and Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Let’s take a look at the information our team has managed to gather and the overall experience of this interesting visit!


Our contacts at Feldbinder were so kind that they invited us to their facilities and provided our team with an all-inclusive package of premium care and hospitality. The idea behind this invitation was actually conceived by one of Feldbinder's employees, Leon (in the image below), who is a passionate ETS2 player with over 1500 hours of game time. Not only did our team get the opportunity to meet this passionate fan in person, they were also fortunate enough to meet technical managers at the facilities, who provided us with plenty of information about their trailer configurations.


The topic of configurations brings us to the simple but important mission our team was entrusted with. Apart from simply shaking hands, making contacts and strengthening our relationship right from the start, the goal was also to gather reference data and scans for some of their vehicles which we would like to bring for our players to ETS2 via 3D reconstruction using photogrammetry (as shown in the image below).

Please keep in mind that this is only the start of an extremely interesting and promising cooperation, and we cannot provide any more information on what the future will bring for ETS2. We will, however, do our best to keep you updated as our teams continue in the process of modelling these vehicles.








We are truly grateful to Feldbinder for this opportunity and their efforts to make our team feel at home during the visit, from which we have gathered over 10,000 reference photos totalling over 275GB. Make sure to check them out on their Facebook page and give them some love!

Hey, psst! Something cool seems to be under development by the SCS vehicle team. We have glimpsed some real heavy machinery being valiantly pulled at locations in both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. Could this be a new DLC in the works? Take a look at these pictures and let us know what you think!




For now, we are unable to confirm nor deny any suggestions regarding the precise date when this "thing" will be ready. Keep your eyes on our social media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - and you’ll be instantly informed once something new comes up.

In our latest 1.41 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, we introduced Convoy! Convoy is a new multiplayer game mode where players can set up and host their own private sessions (password optional) to drive with their friends or other fellow truckers. With synchronized AI traffic, time and weather, and the ability to take the same job as other players, lots of you have been enjoying trucking together.



However, we know that many of you still have questions about Convoy, which is why we are bringing this blog post with answers to the most frequently asked questions across our social media channels.

Will the maximum players limit be increased?

Eventually, yes. Convoy currently allows you to create and host an online session with up to 8 players. We expect to be able to raise the player limit in the future, however, we are keeping it small at this time due to its work-in-progress nature. There are important performance optimizations as well as better moderation tools under development that we would like to have in place first before increasing the limit.

Will there be MOD support in Convoy?

Eventually, yes. We are looking into supporting third-party modifications in Convoy multiplayer sessions. While it's not technically so difficult to connect players with an identical set of mods, there are many potential problems to handle when it comes to coming up with a safe and robust way to synchronize sessions of players joining in with different mods, and then back again when they wish to revert to the previous state to continue playing with their regular player profile.

How do I add someone to my friends that I enjoyed driving with?

You can add someone you played with recently on Convoy via the Steam client or overlay. Just click on the view tab (or view players in the Steam overlay), then on players. This will bring up a list of players you recently played with and a link to their profiles.

Another alternative way of adding them would be to ask for their Steam friend code, which allows you to add them with ease! Simply open your friends list and click on the 'Add Friend' located on the right-hand side of the top bar. This will take you to you a page that will show your unique Friend code and a space to enter another person's code, which will send them a friend request!

I can't see my friend's hosted session.

Make sure you are friends on Steam and that you both have the latest version of the game updated and that you are all set to online on your Steams friend list.

A possible reason you may not see a friend's hosted session is that you can only see sessions that are hosted in the same region as you. This means you may not be able to see a friend's hosted session if they live very far away from you. To join a distant friend's session, you may need to change your Steam download region to match theirs, which will allow you to view hosted sessions in that region. To do this, follow this handy guide!

If you know your friend's sessions name, you can search globally for the session by using the search bar found above the session list. This should bring up your friend's session no matter their region. Make sure to search for the session name exactly as it is written, including any symbols, numbers, punctuation, and abbreviations.

Additionally, you may not be able to see full sessions.

Dedicated servers, can we host them?

There is no option to host a dedicated server yet, however it is something we are looking into providing potentially in the future.

What about map DLCs, do all players need to own the same ones?!

No! Players do not need to own any DLC in order to join the Convoy multiplayer mode. However, just remember that you will not be able to see or drive in DLC map areas if you do not own them yourself.

Can I turn off the nametags of other players?

Yes! You can use the default hotkey of 'Z' to enable and disable nametags in Convoy! If you wish to change this hotkey, you can do so in the options found in your main menu. It even works when using the photo studio to take a group photo together!

Is there a speed limit in Convoy mode?

Convoy sessions have the option of setting a speed limit ON for the entire session by default. However, hosts have the option of turning this off, if they so wish to. In that case, the speed limiter will follow your local settings. Just remember that World of Trucks contracts enforce the speed limit on all jobs, regardless of the option set by the host.

Do I have to download the Convoy update if I am not planning on playing it?

Convoy is a game feature available since version 1.41, it is not a separate update line. Of course, it's totally up to you whether you use the feature or not.

There may be valid reasons for players to stay with an older version of the game, perhaps temporarily until a mod important to them catches up, and for this reason, we are providing branches of important previous updates of our games on Steam. By default, Steam updates the games automatically, so you may consider opting out of these automatic updates if this is a concern. However, please note that all further updates to both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator will contain the Convoy multiplayer feature. This means that if you do not plan on updating, you will not get any further updates, content, and fixes and that version 1.40 will be your final stop.

If you want to use and play on the Convoy multiplayer mode, you MUST be on the latest version of the game (1.41 or higher).

I am constantly having FPS problems in Convoy mode only.

The Convoy multiplayer mode is more demanding than single-player because it renders a higher number of player trucks. Because of this, it is normal to experience a lower frames per second (FPS). However, if your FPS numbers are suspiciously low, reach out to our support email at support@scssoft.com with a detailed description of your problem.

Our programmers are pursuing several lines of optimizations to improve performance overall and also in multiplayer-specific context, but it may take several more game updates until these code improvements are ready.

Does the session have to end if the hosting player leaves?

Yes, as soon as the host of the session leaves, the server will be closed and this will disconnect all players from the server. If this happens unexpectedly, do not panic, as you will be greeted with options to proceed with the progress you've made in the session, or to revert it if you so wish to (for reasons such as the loss of in-game currency, damage, or other progress reasons).

Note that if you accept the progress, you will remain wherever you were when the session ended, effectively finding yourself back in singleplayer mode. From there, you can once again create a new session and continue with either the same or a different group of people if you wish to do so.

How can I unban someone who I banned in the Convoy session?

If you wish to unban players, you need to go into your "profiles" folder in the respective ATS/ETS2 folders in documents, select the exact profile where the ban happened and find a text file called "banlist". Open the file with a text editor and remove the line with the banned user. You will have to restart the Convoy session afterward.

Is Convoy a form of peer-to-peer gaming?

While the Convoy sessions are hosted by the players themselves, one player always works as a server and therefore acts as a junction for other players. Everyone else communicates with this particular server in the end. More specifically it is the usual client-server communication layout with all clients having authority over specific objects.

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We hope this answers the majority of the most frequently asked questions by our community about Convoy! We love seeing you drive and deliver together and we hope to see more of your photos & video content shared with us on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Happy Trucking!

Today we are happy to share with you some more screenshots from Heart of Russia, our upcoming DLC expansion for Euro Truck Simulator 2. We know our community are pretty good when it comes to guessing locations from our images, so we are going to let you do just that!









Think you know where these shots were taken from? Let us know in the blog comments or any of our official social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and you could win a free Steam key for Heart of Russia when it releases! Sounds good? Winners with the correct answers will be randomly chosen and contacted, so keep an eye out on your inboxes or notifications!

Please keep in mind, however, everything you see here is still very much in a 'work in progress' state and may not represent the final product at the time of release. Also, if you like what you see, be sure to add Heart of Russia to your Steam Wishlist! It really helps to support us with releases of our future content.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536500/Euro_Truck_Simulator_2__Heart_of_Russia/

Back in June, we were honored to team up with DAF Trucks to #StartTheFuture by releasing the New-Generation DAF trucks, the brand-new DAF XG and XG+ in Euro Truck Simulator 2! Our teams worked very hard and under extreme time pressure to bring you these new models just a day after the official reveal. The time constraints meant that we were unfortunately not able to also get the new DAF ready at the same time. We did not forget about this iconic model, and we knew that we had to bring it to ETS2 for you too, just a little bit later.




Today, we are happy to share with you our progress on the creation of the new DAF XF, which focuses on efficiency, driver comfort, and safety. If everything goes according to plan, we look forward to bringing the new DAF XF to the roads of Euro Truck Simulator 2 this Autumn! Whilst this truck model is still being worked on by our teams, we wanted to share with you some development shots of its creation.

We look forward to getting our #BestCommunityEver behind the virtual wheel of the DAF XF! Until then, however, continue to share your journeys in the new generation of DAF trucks using the hashtag #StartTheFuture on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). We love seeing your images and videos!

We hope you enjoyed this small preview of one of many additions in the pipeline for ETS2. We look forward to sharing more development news with you in the future and we thank you for your continuous support.

While our teams are busy working on multiple future map expansions for both ATS and ETS2, we are working so diligently we still managed to find some time to compose a small team that handles the task of bringing older regions of our game world closer to the current state-of-the-art quality as seen in new DLCs. Today we want to show you a small tease of what we are currently working on. Can you guess what, and moreover where it is?

Although that may be all we have for now for you, if you are impatient to find out whether your assumptions are correct, follow our social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and once we reveal more information about this project, you can be one of the first to have your questions answered there!

With the recent release of the Convoy feature for ATS and ETS2, our social media channels have witnessed an avalanche of absolutely incredible photos and videos from your first multiplayer journeys, in which you and your friends were taking on the same jobs and delivering cargo together. It’s difficult to simply express with words how much we appreciate this kind of feedback, since in the end, whatever we do we are doing for the happiness of our #BestCommunityEver. 

What you will see here is just a small selection of videos we have laid our eyes on and there is much more here and here. Feel free to keep sending us pictures and videos on our social media - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and we’ll make sure to check them out as well!








In addition to screenshots and videos, quite often there are developers who are watching the ETS2 and ATS categories on Twitch, so the streamers certainly do not have to feel left out.

We also immensely value the amount of positive feedback we have received for the update in comment sections and on our forums. We know you have been waiting to drive together with your friends for a long time, so do not be afraid and start a Convoy session yourself or jump into an already created one and work together with your fellow truckers in this awesome new multiplayer experience!

With lots of testing, feedback, fixing, and fine-tuning, we are excited to announce the highly anticipated arrival of update 1.41 for Euro Truck Simulator 2.



We'd like to thank all those who took part in the 1.41 Open Beta, made bug reports, and provided general feedback on this new version. We hope you can now begin to fully enjoy the various new features which are included within this update. 

So, what can you find in the 1.41 update for ETS2?  Let's take a closer look!


Convoy Multiplayer

Convoy is a new multiplayer game mode, where players can set up and host their own private sessions (password optional) to drive with their friends or other fellow truckers. There is currently support for synchronized AI traffic, time and weather, and the ability to take the same job as other players.



Convoy allows you to create and host an online session with up to 8 players. We plan to eventually raise the player limit in the future, however, we are keeping it small at this time due to its work-in-progress nature. Session hosts will automatically be made admins of these sessions, allowing them to ultimately control what kind of environment they want to have online, as well as having the ability to kick any trouble-makers from the session. 



You can also see, filter, browse and eventually join any of the available sessions that have already been created by your friends or other truckers.


So what options and features will players be able to use and experience in Convoy? 

• Any player can host and create their own private sessions for up to 8 people
• Ability to haul the same contracts/jobs together from the same company and to the same destination
• Synchronized AI traffic (random events included)
• Synchronized time and weather
• Synchronized paint jobs, truck accessories, cabin accessories, cargoes and more
• Ability to communicate with other drivers via CB radio broadcast (X key), quick replies (Q key), or text chat (Y key)

We know how many players are eager to try out this new feature; however, there are some things you will need to know before joining your friends on the road!

Notable issues / not yet implemented:

• Mods in Convoy mode are not supported in the initial release.
• AI vehicles might disappear when a player disconnects.
• Lifting bridges are not synchronized. They will be stationary for the initial release of Convoy.
• Steam invites work only through the Steam overlay.
• CB radio broadcast (hotkey "X") interferes with the text input line.

Worried about your profile progress? In-case of trouble-makers or other circumstances out of your control, players will have the option to revert their savefile to one made previously before joining the session. From friends to VTC's, we are excited to see how you will enjoy Convoy and we look forward to hearing your constructive feedback on this new online feature.




A24 Iberia DLC Addition

Today, we are happy to bring a new piece of the road network to the latest map expansion for ETS2. This update to Iberia includes the Autoestrada A24 which runs north to south across the Douro river valley, connecting A7 and A25. It passes through a very scenic region of Portugal, famous for its many vineyards. 



Originally, this road was considered for release with Iberia DLC, but we did not manage to complete it in time. We decided to finish A24 anyway and bring it to you in an update, as we did not want to leave this beautiful part of Portugal behind!


Our teams are listening to feedback and making changes accordingly for upcoming updates and beyond. We look forward to bringing you similar development news in the near future, be sure to keep your suggestions and feedback coming as it really helps motivate us to improve our content.

Photo Mode: Time & Weather options

We know how much our players love to take photos in-game and spend a lot of time creating that perfect shot, and for many, this also includes finding the right lighting conditions and weather. So to help create that perfect trucking memory, we have implemented a new feature that may save you quite a bit of time when it comes to using console commands! 



Introducing the new Time and Weather options! Players will now be able to choose the conditions of their liking, to create the perfect trucking snap just by simply adjusting a new slider to change the time, or clicking on two buttons to control the lighting/weather, all of which will appear in the updated in-game photo studio. We can't wait to see how drivers will use this new feature in the future and we look forward to seeing your snaps! 



Changelog:

Gameplay:

• Convoy Multiplayer
• Time and weather adjustments in photo mode
• Quick Travel

Map 

• A-24 Duoro Road Addition to Iberia DLC
• Iberia map fixes 
• Various road signs reskinned across Europe
• Navigation sign reflection fix

UI

• New icons on the map legend

Since April, drivers across the world have been taking part in the #CruisingIberia World of Trucks event. This special event was to celebrate the release of the Iberia DLC in Euro Truck Simulator 2, where drivers had the opportunity to earn rewards by completing personal and community goals whilst discovering cities across this giant Peninsula.



In just over a week, you smashed the community goal of 250,000,000km! Wow! We couldn't believe how fast the goal was met; it just goes to show the amazing power of our #BestCommunityEver. Whilst the community goal was completed, there were still many truckers who did not have the time to complete their personal goal to deliver cargo to or from 20 cities in Iberia. So we decided to extend the event, just to make sure everyone got a chance to gain their rewards.

However, with new events on the horizon, #CruisingIberia must, unfortunately, come to end, but let us take a moment to take a look at some of the stats that you achieved whilst exploring our newest addition to ETS2!



Incredible work truckers! We cannot thank you enough for your support during the release of Iberia. It really does bring a lot of joy to our team to see how much you enjoy participating in these events. We hope you ride with pride with your newly acquired Iberian-themed paint jobs & cabin accessories which you have earned.




Iberia wasn't the only place where our community made themselves known! You also took to our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages with the hashtag #CruisingIberia and shared photos and videos of your journeys across Iberia. We absolutely loved seeing all of your reactions to the many unique locations, landmarks, and industries this part of the world has to offer.

We cannot wait to get trucking again with you soon in a future World of Trucks event, which may be arriving sooner than you think.

An interesting couple of weeks full of testing is behind us and we have been making great improvements largely thanks to your feedback, our #BestCommunityEver. The time to switch gears and drive forward into the future is almost here and we believe now is the right time for another teaser!

In case you have missed our coverage of experimental and open betas and want to learn more about our upcoming Convoy gameplay mode, you can read more about it in the 1.41 Update Open Beta blog articles (ETS2, ATS). Apart from celebrating your fellow truckers on International Friendship Day, which is this month (how convenient, right?), you will also have a chance to join them on the road, taking the same job and delivering cargo together, navigating through synchronized traffic, braving the weather along the route and much more!

But before all this will come with the 1.41 release, let us put you in the right mood with this video:


The full release of the 1.41 update is coming soon, hopefully in a matter of days. So now is the best time to let your friends know what’s happening so everyone is ready for its arrival. We hope to see you doing some deliveries on the roads of ETS2 and ATS together!