American Truck Sim | Build 1.36 Now Available

[Paul Jeffrey]

A brand new build for the increasingly impressive American Truck Simulator is now available.

Before new map expansion fans get too excited, this new build doesn't bring with it the much anticipated Utah DLC, that one comes in a few days time, but it does offer up some nice improvements to many of the already existing game areas, plus a few extra goodies thrown in for good measure.

Having been available in public beta access form for a little while now, V1.36 doesn't appear to be as considerable in size as previous update for the sim - however this new build does mark an important step forward for SCS Software as they look to improve the core game code under the hood - allowing the development team opportunities to build bigger and better content releases in future updates.

One of the particularly interesting things from this new build is the move to DX11 as standard, retiring the older DX9 build of the sim and adding quite a nice FPS performance boost for many of the players. With DX11 should hopefully come a nice uplift in power for VR users, helping improve a feature of the title that has to be tried to believe how good it is in a game such as this.

To celebrate the new 1.36 update, you can check out the below update trailer, and catch the full change log below:

American Truck Sim V1.36 Update Notes:

MAP

• Santa Cruz (CA) revamp
• Flagstaff (AZ) revamp
• California speed limit improvements
• Oregon and New Mexico speed limit and general sign improvements

VEHICLES

• Grain hopper trailer (ownable)
• Bulk feed trailer (ownable)
• Frac-tank trailer

FEATURES

• Avoid pins for GPS navigation
• New AI vehicles + all police paint jobs corrected
• Drivers / Trucks / Trailer visible on manager map
• DirectX 11 full support (DirectX 9 removed)
• Chinese and other non-Latin character input (IME)
• Anti-aliasing improvements (SMAA, electric-wires)
• New loading screens

MOD

• Sun profile changes (HDR)
• License plate changes for AI (data-driven types, background texture data)
• Dashboard display UI elements (digital gauges, fuel consumption bar)
• Map editor history (undo/redo)
• Continuous selection of nodes

 

[Brandon Wright]

I was excited to get home and try out the new build, but apparently VR users have to wait for them to release a new VR beta build and who knows when that will be. Since I already updated my game to 1.36 this morning it seems I can't play at all until the new VR beta is released. Guess I'll get my trucking jolies in Europe for the time being.

 

[arthur666]

- Drivers / Trucks / Trailer visible on manager map

 

[farjam]

Thinking about which of my mods will be broken this time they were ok in beta, so i hope for the best
this one by far is my favorite one(if it works as intended):

• Anti-aliasing improvements (SMAA, electric-wires)

I love to have a better anti in any game

Also is there any "tank trailer" available to buy ? i mean i didn't dig into buying trailers yet as the first ones were not very appealing to me

 

[Urlauber]

DX11 definitely helps in VR, it's really smooth now and you can crank up the Super Sampling (having it on 200%).

 

[justfdl]

I was excited to get home and try out the new build, but apparently VR users have to wait for them to release a new VR beta build and who knows when that will be. Since I already updated my game to 1.36 this morning it seems I can't play at all until the new VR beta is released. Guess I'll get my trucking jolies in Europe for the time being.

Well, I'm waiting for the VR update, too. And I'm pretty excited to be honest, I really hope it will be out till friday, when I have a day off. Pretty sure I know what I'm doing all day long if the update is available then, the DX11 beta in 1.35 allready made it such a good VR experience! :-D

 

[justfdl]

Thinking about which of my mods will be broken this time they were ok in beta, so i hope for the best
this one by far is my favorite one(if it works as intended):

• Anti-aliasing improvements (SMAA, electric-wires)

I love to have a better anti in any game

Also is there any "tank trailer" available to buy ? i mean i didn't dig into buying trailers yet as the first ones were not very appealing to me

Yes, I'm looking forward for this, too. But since DX11 I was able run it with 200ss and the flickering problem with lines and fences was gone for me mostly anyway. But sure doesn't hurt anyway.

 

[Seelenkrank]

Compared with DX9 and using Nvidia Inspector for good AA, the DX11 AA is really bad. Flickering bridges,fences etc... Hey but now got up to 220 fps in the game.... ( useless....)

 

[F_B]

So Raceroom is the only sim left which runs DX9?
Looking forward to enter the trucks again, be it ETS or ATS.
Such a relaxing sim.

 

[Brandon Wright]

Well, I'm waiting for the VR update, too. And I'm pretty excited to be honest, I really hope it will be out till friday, when I have a day off. Pretty sure I know what I'm doing all day long if the update is available then, the DX11 beta in 1.35 allready made it such a good VR experience! :-D

I've been asking around but have had no answer as to how long before a VR update is available for us. This is the first trucking sim update I've been around for so I didn't know updating would lock me out of the game for awhile. I have my game looking quite good in VR, only complaint is some occasional shimmering on power lines and fences, from what I've heard the new official DX11 update improves things even more so I'm really looking forward to being able to check it out, some day.

 

[arthur666]

Compared with DX9 and using Nvidia Inspector for good AA, the DX11 AA is really bad. Flickering bridges,fences etc...

Yeah, I noticed the same thing, but only had time for one quick run. Will have to play with some settings at a later date.

 

[Seelenkrank]

I maxed out the ingame settings and even in the Nvidia system settings for ATS all on maximum and it still flickers :/

 

[Boby Kim]

The whole ETS2 and ATD has become a flat milkcow. The physics are just as flat and simple as Farming simulator....which is also driving. Why not integrating FArming sim as game for Racedepartment?

 

[Seelenkrank]

no not a milkcow.
driving is chilling, i enjoy the landscape and really like every dlc.
pricing is more than ok, they evolve the game.
all fine on my side
but i hope they build a better AA for the DX11 version.

 

[Brandon Wright]

Agreed. I'm there for sightseeing and listening to music/podcasts, the physics and FFB are nothing to write home about but they're more than sufficient and oddly the last thing I care about when I'm rolling down the highway. Heck, I couldn't even get the FFB to work at first so my first few deliveries didn't even have FFB, and I still loved it!

 

[justfdl]

I've been asking around but have had no answer as to how long before a VR update is available for us. This is the first trucking sim update I've been around for so I didn't know updating would lock me out of the game for awhile. I have my game looking quite good in VR, only complaint is some occasional shimmering on power lines and fences, from what I've heard the new official DX11 update improves things even more so I'm really looking forward to being able to check it out, some day.

It's different, most of the time it only takes a few days, but it's only one dev (Komfr in the steam forum) that does these builds, and maybe there's more to do for him with the switch to DX11, but I hope not as in 1.35 the experimental DX11 was working fine for me in VR, too.

If you really want to play in VR right now, you could try to revert to the oculus beta and either try renaming the backup profile directory or start a new profile, I guess this should work, too.

Normally the updates are not such problem, you just got hit by the one which included the change of the engine. That's a first since 2013, go place some bets or something with your luck . I basically just stay in the oculus beta and wait until the update drops.

About the shimmering, or maybe better flickering, that will not get better with DX11 in itself. But the DX11 build got a huge performance gain for me, so now I can run with 200ss which gives a very decent picture. If you're still bothered you can always experiment with the AA setting in the nvidia control center, it will give you better results than the ingame AA.

Edit: We're talking about ATS, so 2013 is wrong of course, I had ETS2 in mind which is basically the same engine and will switch zu DX11 to with the upcoming Black Sea DLC.

 

[justfdl]

The whole ETS2 and ATD has become a flat milkcow. The physics are just as flat and simple as Farming simulator....which is also driving. Why not integrating FArming sim as game for Racedepartment?

So it's not your cup of tea and that's perfectly fine.

I love a relaxing drive with some chill out music after a stressed out working day in nice scenery. The game is permanently evolving, and just now getting a new graphics engine for free, and has come a long way since release. They do listen to the requests of the community, and don't charge you full price every two years for a new version. Personally I think the DLC are more than reasonably priced, and considering that I have a four digit play time in ETS2 and a high 3 digit playtime in ATS, I consider this one of my cheapest games, even though I even buy some stupid paint jobs I'll never use to support them. Yes, I'm a fanboy, but I don't care.

 

[rosgillies]

I've been asking around but have had no answer as to how long before a VR update is available for us. This is the first trucking sim update I've been around for so I didn't know updating would lock me out of the game for awhile. I have my game looking quite good in VR, only complaint is some occasional shimmering on power lines and fences, from what I've heard the new official DX11 update improves things even more so I'm really looking forward to being able to check it out, some day.

Komfr normally takes a couple of days to update the VR version after the official release. So dont worry, not long to wait now. Cheers.

 

[Brandon Wright]

It's different, most of the time it only takes a few days, but it's only one dev (Komfr in the steam forum) that does these builds, and maybe there's more to do for him with the switch to DX11, but I hope not as in 1.35 the experimental DX11 was working fine for me in VR, too.

If you really want to play in VR right now, you could try to revert to the oculus beta and either try renaming the backup profile directory or start a new profile, I guess this should work, too.

Normally the updates are not such problem, you just got hit by the one which included the change of the engine. That's a first since 2013, go place some bets or something with your luck . I basically just stay in the oculus beta and wait until the update drops.

About the shimmering, or maybe better flickering, that will not get better with DX11 in itself. But the DX11 build got a huge performance gain for me, so now I can run with 200ss which gives a very decent picture. If you're still bothered you can always experiment with the AA setting in the nvidia control center, it will give you better results than the ingame AA.

Edit: We're talking about ATS, so 2013 is wrong of course, I had ETS2 in mind which is basically the same engine and will switch zu DX11 to with the upcoming Black Sea DLC.

I saw someone mention it might be out today, just in time to enjoy Utah. If not I'll just continue playing ETS2 for the time being. I've learned my lesson, I'll avoid future updates until the VR beta is updated. I did know one guy does the VR work, in his free time, so I'm certainly not complaining and am very grateful for his hard work.

They'd said that once you update to 1.36 you can't revert back so I'm probably stuck for now and it's not really worth faffing with since I can still drive in ETS2 and have many many many miles to cover in Euroland.

I know DX11 won't necessarily improve the shimmering but the overall performance improvements should allow me to crank the SS even higher which makes all the difference in the world for the shimmering. I've read that the nVidia control center settings will no longer work on DX11, those only worked on DX9. What GPU are you running with 200ss? I'm on a 1070 running 1.5ss and 99% of the time it's smooth and stable and looks good. If I'm now able to crank it up closer to 200ss this game will look amazing to me.

 

[justfdl]

I know DX11 won't necessarily improve the shimmering but the overall performance improvements should allow me to crank the SS even higher which makes all the difference in the world for the shimmering. I've read that the nVidia control center settings will no longer work on DX11, those only worked on DX9. What GPU are you running with 200ss? I'm on a 1070 running 1.5ss and 99% of the time it's smooth and stable and looks good. If I'm now able to crank it up closer to 200ss this game will look amazing to me.

Well, my eyes aren't the best any more, but I'm pretty sure I can see a difference forcing AA in the control center, even in newer games like ACC
I'm running a ryzen 3700x/2080 combo, not completely high end but imho a pretty nice combination, I like it.