SCS Software provided more details and screenshots about the upcoming Coaches DLC coming to Euro Truck Simulator 2.
We hear from producer Dominik about the challenges of developing the project, including having to render a large number of raindrops due to the large windows on coaches.
Dominik also explains the importance of keeping the scope of the project under control. While both the developers and the community have plenty of ideas about features to be implemented, it’s not possible to drag it on for years, so it’s crucial to decide what can be included at launch and what needs to be left for future updates.
Passengers are what make Coaches unique compared to trucks, and we hear about the importance of having them visible and of creating a soundscape so that the player is aware of the passengers at all times. That being said, this needs to be balanced with the fact that the main course of the game is still trucks, so SCS doesn’t want to get bogged down in simulating the management of a coach company or hiring drivers.
Interestingly, we hear that the team working on Coaches is quite compact:
“We have put together the core gameplay with a team of four: a producer, a game designer, a programmer, and a tester. Then there is a branch of the team that takes care of the map, where we have a researcher and currently two map designers – one deals with coach stops, the other with map modifications necessary for the proper functioning of coaches, such as border crossings. And of course, the QA at the end. Finally, we have the vehicle part, consisting primarily of two vehicle designers and also QA. If I were to add up all the various additional consultants, asset designers, physics programmers, marketing, etc., I would say that a total of about 20 people are working on the coaches.”
That being said, development of the Coaches DLC won’t end with its release, and there are already projects for the future, including, for example, cooperation with other long-distance coach manufacturers and further focus on the tourism aspect of the game, to guide players through the scenic locations that are being built for the game.
Below you can see a few screenshots shared today, including some interesting captures from SCS’s own planning app.
If you’re unfamiliar with Euro Truck Simulator 2, it’s a truck-driving simulator available for PC, but PS5 and Xbox versions have been recently announced. The PC version just received update 1.57.
We don’t yet know when the Coaches DLC will be released, but we recently saw its bus stations, the Scania Touring, passenger satisfaction, and the MAN Lion’s Coach.
The Iceland DLC was revealed a few months ago, and you can enjoy additional screenshots, in addition to its churches, and the Ring Road.
The last national DLC announced a few weeks ago focuses on Ireland.
The development team is also hard at work updating relevant areas of the map, starting with the Benelux region’s rework that we saw here, of which we also recently saw the port of Rotterdam, the city of Brussels, Luxembourg, and Antwerp. The UK is also being reworked.
