Since American Truck Simulator version 1.34 last February, which was more of a maintenance update, gamers have been impatient for the 1.35 public beta, which has finally arrived.
What to start with ? This update is once again bigger than its predecessors - and when we say "bigger", it's actually MUCH bigger! There are changes in almost every part of the game.
Cards first
American Truck Simulator will receive two new routes, OR-58 and CA-299. OR-140 will also have its last missing segment. Arizona's signaling system has also been improved, as have the traffic lights (coming in later versions of the Open Beta) which have been reworked for all current states.
The vehicles then
Along with the various new trailers listed in the changelog (B-doubles of all types, box trailers, container trailers, etc.) and new cargoes, vehicles in the game also get new features. This includes three wiper settings that will help drivers deal with rain, an accessory browser for owned trailers, expandable container trailers, and a copy feature for your truck and trailer setup - that will come in handy as your business grows.
Among the list of new gameplay additions, some long-standing wishes are being fulfilled. One of these is a high demand option of using your own trailers for external contracts. From now on you can!
As technology evolves, so does ATS
The experimental support for DX11 is being refined. Most of the work on this version of DirectX is finished, the rendering is improved and the feedback from Experimental Beta promises a nice increase in the number of FPS. Be careful though, this development is not yet in its final state, use it at your own risk.
Numerous minor changes
Now comes a number of "smaller" changes, based primarily on player suggestions. A large number of new drivers who can be hired have been added. So, as your "truck empire" grows, you will be able to develop your workforce. To help this growth, the development team also added an option to purchase garages online (without having to explore the city first).
Another useful feature is Emergency Refueling, which will be an important option for those who like to drive “to the end of the tank” (“Why are so many of you going with empty tanks?” The developers wonder). And to make your trips a little more diverse and interesting, you will now find that the STAA doubles the traffic.
A redesigned user interface
Considering all these changes, the user interface had to change drastically. The players, who helped by participating in the Experimental Beta, did not report any serious issues. And to round off the long changelog list, there are many new input improvements and official support for new external devices.
So take advantage of all this new stuff, but remember: this is an open beta, not a public version. stable. You may therefore encounter bugs, instability, problems or crashes. If you want to participate in the open beta, you can find this version in the branch public_beta on Steam. To access it, follow these steps: Steam client → LIBRARY → Right click American Truck Simulator → Properties → Beta tab → public_beta → 1.35 public beta. No password is required.