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To be available in an opt-in Beta on Steam, SCS Software are officially bringing online multiplayer to both of their truck sims with Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. These massively popular games should need no introduction, mixing together business management with long-haul trucking to create something weirdly good.

With the new 1.41 Beta becoming available (Seems ATS is first), SCS are now introducing the Convoy game mode. Which will also bring with it time and weather options for the photo mode, quick travel, a California reskin for ATS and new icons in the map legend. The Convoy mode lets players make a private session to drive with other truckers. Progress doesn't need to stick, as if things went terribly wrong it will let you restore your game to before the Convoy game started.

This is only the first iteration, so absolutely expect issues. Some of what's implemented right now includes:

  • 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
  • Synchronized time and weather
  • Synchronized paint jobs, truck accessories, cabin accessories, and more
  • Ability to communicate with other drivers via CB radio broadcast (X key), quick replies (Q key), or text chat (Y key)

However there's notably a lot missing. Mods won't work, weather isn't fully synced, other players truck sounds are a "work-in-progress" and the list goes on. You get the idea, it's an open experimental beta - so jump in at your own risk and backup any profiles first.

For the full details see the forum post.

Where to buy the games:

American Truck Simulator from Humble Store and Steam.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 from Humble Store and Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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9 comments

Ehvis May 24, 2021
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I haven't been following ATS/ETS2 as closely lately, but I wasn't expecting this. I suppose they had to start somewhere and they have a lot of work to do before they can truly make it so that thousands can share the world. And this will work properly for Linux clients!
AldoRaine May 24, 2021
Please, allow me to make correction, the convoy mode for ETS2 is not available yet. It probably will be sometime between today and Friday.
tuubi May 24, 2021
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I'll pass on the multiplayer. For me, these games are almost meditative. I play them to relax, first and foremost. Random strangers on the roads would be counterproductive at best.

That said, I don't doubt this could prove to be a very popular addition.
Kithop May 24, 2021
I know there's been a multiplayer mod for ETS2 & ATS for a while now, that I haven't really tried myself, but have seen others play around with. Still, official support sounds great! I've used a Logitech wheel+pedals+H-shifter set just fine with these games on Linux before, and tested VR support with my old Oculus DK2 under Windows (not sure if VR works on Linux if you have a supported headset?); it's such a weirdly compelling sim just because of how polished the environments are.

Sure, distances and times are heavily compressed, scale-wise, but they do their best to include and model landmarks, natural features, etc. so if you know the area for real, you can drive it in the sim and be able to recognize where you are. Definitely not 1:1 like, say, the way the GTA series tries to model NY and LA, but bridges, mountain passes, rest stops, etc. are amazing.

Very much a game to play when you want something chill (time pressures and wild AI drivers aside). Kind of like a good flight simulator in the same sightseeing way.
Ardje May 24, 2021
Quoting: tuubiI'll pass on the multiplayer. For me, these games are almost meditative. I play them to relax, first and foremost. Random strangers on the roads would be counterproductive at best.
That's called road rage ;-).
M@GOid May 24, 2021
This is a huge step for them, since people has been asking for this since the launch of ETS2 in 2012. I'm not really the multiplayer type, but I hope this will bring more customers that can help fund development for the game, that for now is done by DLCs.

I only hope this do not disrupt the single player mode, because if there is a thing that can corrupt a company, is multiplayer cash.
Pinguino May 25, 2021
As someone who only plays single-player ETS2, I'm a bit confused. Isn't World of Trucks their multiplayer server? If memory serves me well, I remember seeing some screenshots of multiple human-driven trucks on the same map, so what am I missing?
Termy May 25, 2021
i'm pleasantly surprised, might be a nice pasttime to do while chatting ^^
Ehvis May 25, 2021
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Quoting: PinguinoAs someone who only plays single-player ETS2, I'm a bit confused. Isn't World of Trucks their multiplayer server? If memory serves me well, I remember seeing some screenshots of multiple human-driven trucks on the same map, so what am I missing?

It wasn't yet. For the past couple of years it just served contracts and special events, but no multiplayer in a sense of letting people actually drive in the same world. However, it has always been the vision to make that happen once they can figure out how to practically do that.
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