A small jump in version for a major update, here is that after more than a month of open beta, update 1.45 for ETS 2 is coming to the end of its nose in the final version. The point with this long transcription of the changelog available, among others, on the game's Steam page.
Several information tickets had been published in June to announce here and there the novelties. Here is the compilation of everything to expect from this update.
Hanover, reworked
The city of Hanover has been given a facelift and completely reworked for 1.45. Similar to the overall overhaul of Austria, the developers have almost removed the entire city and started from scratch.
One of the most revamped areas in this revamp will be the very famous Hannover Messe – one of the biggest trading halls in the world and also one of the biggest challenges for SCS Software due to the fact that the part that is being added is almost at 1:1 scale.
Tank trailers
Obviously a very requested thing from the community: the developers offer the possibility, in the purchasable trailers, to obtain new tank trailers.
For now, only 2 types of tanks are available: fuel tanks and silos (Dry Bulk trailers). Both types will have different customization options and uses. SCS Software is already planning other versions of this tank trailer in the future.
Fuel tanks in Euro Truck Simulator 2 will be used for transporting combustible liquids. For the silo versions, you can deliver a number of bulk materials, for example sand, concrete or grain. The silo trailers will offer a selection of 4 connection types (single, double, B-double, HCT).
Krone trailers DLC update
Owners of the Krone Trailer Pack DLC will receive two new trailers as part of a free update, the new Profi Liner Building and the Paper Liner. These new three-axle trailers will both be equipped with lift axles.
The Krone Paper Liner curtain side trailer is used to transport standard goods and the Profi Liner Building Material curtain side trailer allows drivers to transport goods such as bags of seeds, fertilizers, plant substrate, outdoor floor tiles , roof tiles and bricks. You'll also find new cargo for the Freight Market for the Boxliner, which consists of two Box Liner chassis stacked for transport.
Both trailers also come with optional accessories including original Krone paint assets, side skirts, pallet boxes, tires and bumpers. This update also includes five new Krone accessories for your cabin.
The developers also announce that they have worked closely with Krone to deliver a detailed representation of the Krone production plant virtually in Euro Truck Simulator 2. Drivers who own the Krone Trailers Pack DLC will have the ability to deliver parts to and from factory.
Custom cities for Austria and Hannover
A new experimental feature is the introduction of custom cities. These special cinematics will appear when a player selects a starting city when creating a new profile.
For now, these custom city layouts will only be displayed for cities in Austria and the city of Hannover in Germany. The developers are waiting to read community feedback on this new feature to go further.
JOST Fifth Wheels
JOST has been manufacturing fifth wheel couplings worldwide since 1956. They filed the patent for the very first cast iron fifth wheel coupling and have continued their dedication to innovation ever since.
SCS Software is proud to bring this truck industry leader into ETS2, and plans to replace all unbranded fifth wheels with JOST branded fifth wheels. Each brand of truck will receive several different fifth wheel models (one for each chassis type).
This will be done in two phases, the first of which is available now with this update 1.45. It includes JOST fifth wheels on MAN TGX Euro 6, Mercedes-Benz New Actros, Renault T, Scania Next-Gen S, Scania Next-Gen R and Volvo FH 2012.
Optional mod support for Convoy
One feature the SCS Software teams have been working on for Convoy, ETS 2's multiplayer mode, is support for missing mods. Many players play with community-created third-party mods, but not everyone wants to download all the mods required to join a friend's convoy session.
So, SCS has come up with a solution to allow joining Convoy sessions without needing to have all the required mods from the host session. There will be opt-in options, both on the server side and on the client side to enable it if you choose to use it. In most cases the session won't show the missing mod, but in some cases, for example if a player is using a vehicle you don't have, it will show as a colored placeholder at the square that reproduces its size.
If you are a modder, please note that your mod must be tagged as "mp_mod_optional" to be recognized as a MOD that can be ignored by a convoy server that allows missing optional MODs.
Rain sensor
When traveling on the road for some time, you are bound to encounter a bit of rain at times. Whether it's a short, passing downpour or a severe thunderstorm, it's important that drivers stay safe when driving on the road in variable weather conditions.
One of the most common safety features found on vehicles today is the rain sensor! This nifty technology does exactly what it says on the box, it senses the rain density and, in turn, adjusts the wiper speed for you. This function is active when you set your vehicle's windshield wipers to the first position.
This new feature will be available as an option that you can choose to enable on the settings page. So the next time you drive, you won't have to worry about adjusting your windshield wipers.
Option to hide inaccessible road markers
Another new UI option introduced in this update is the ability to show or hide X markers which mark roads that are inaccessible/impossible to drive for the player. This new option may make the game more immersive for some drivers, but the invisible barriers that prevent you from driving in these areas will still exist and appear for a short time if you hit them.
That's about it and it's not bad for a free update of a game that is around 10 years old.