American Truck Simulator's latest update adds (back) the Moon
Among other things that aren't the Moon
American Truck Simulator will head to Kansas next week, with the release of its latest DLC on November 30th. Before that the truck driving and management sim has received a new update which adds improved weather effects, revised mountains, used truck deals, and the Moon.
"First and foremost, after many requests, we've added the Moon (back) to our night sky! It's a subtle but remarkable touch that adds an extra layer of realism and wonder to your virtual trucking adventures," say SCS in the patch notes. "Curiously, it's worth mentioning that what might appear as a simple addition – the Moon – has posed some significant challenges for some time. Integrating the Moon into the night sky has required casting, rendering and calculating lunar light, proper phases, managing reflections in water bodies, dealing with wet roads, and addressing mirror effects, among other things."
The return of the Moon is part of an overall revision of skies within American Truck Simulator, which also includes HDR skyboxes which should deliver "richer, more vibrant colors", revised weather effects including visible lightning, and stars which twinkle in the night sky.
Patch 1.49 also adds the PACCAR Technical Center, a real-world location where trucks from manufacturers such as Kenworth and Peterbilt have been developed and tested, and revises the mountains from the previously released Utah DLC.
The final major addition is used truck deals, which let you buy trucks at a lower price than normal but with the trade-off that some of the parts will be worn or damaged, and so will need repairing or replacing. The damage system has therefore been revised to suppor its newfound importance.
Announced earlier this year, the Kansas DLC should bring the number of American states in Truck Simulator up to 14. It launches on November 30th on Steam.