Euro Truck Simulator 2 is getting official support for multiplayer, now in Beta
Simulator games have a very special place in most people’s hearts, and if they’re good enough can provide hundreds if not thousands of hours of gameplay. The Truck Simulator games from SCS Software have been some of the biggest simulators released in recent years, and they are now finally adding official support for multiplayer.
Both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are getting the support - currently in an experimental Beta - which you can download now and go through some specific steps to set it all up. Both games have had mod support for multiplayer for a while now, but it’s nice to have official support for it now built into the game itself.
Of course, because it is in Beta there are a few limitations and issues, namely no mod support, partially-synchronized weather, players needing all DLC as the host, and a few bugs here and there. There’s currently no time frame as to when SCS Software will be launching out of Beta, but you can at least try it out and give your feedback to improve the feature.
The 1.41 Update Experimental Beta (known as Convoy) supports up to 8 players in the same game. In order to enter it you will need to right click on the game in your Steam library, click on properties, navigate to the Betas tab, and then copy and paste the branch code to enter the Beta.
SCS Software highly recommends that you backup your profile or use a new one instead, since any save-games used in this Beta will make all profiles incompatible with the normal non-Beta version of the game.
Here’s a full list of features, known issues, and more for the ETS2 / ATS 1.41 Update Experimental Beta (Convoy):
The current feature list 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)
Notable issues / not yet implemented:
- Mods are not supported in the initial release.
- Players can currently join only if they have the same set of cargo and map DLCs installed as the host has.
- Weather is not fully synced (only good/bad weather).
- Cables for remote trailers aren't rendered.
- When using an owned trailer, there might be a company trailer spawned in the same location you are supposed to go to to load your cargo.
- AI vehicles might disappear when a player disconnects.
- Lifting bridges are not synchronized. They will be stationary for the initial release of Convoy.
- Sounds for trucks of other players are a work-in-progress.
- Sharing of the World of Trucks external contracts is not yet allowed.
- Steam invites work only through the Steam overlay.
- CB radio broadcast (hotkey "X") interferes with the text input line.
- Cargo on an owned flatbed might sometimes intersect with the trailer
- The on-screen map in Convoy "M" zooms out together with chat scrolling in the Route Advisor.
Intended changes/limitations while in Convoy session:
- Time progression rate does not change when entering a city.
- The time in a Convoy session will advance to match the host's time, but it is only visual - the economy time is not affected (If you had 2 hours remaining to finish the job before joining the Convoy, you should still have the same time remaining to finish your job).
- Special Transport jobs are not allowed. You can't join a Convoy session with such a job active.
- Dynamic collisions are disabled for parked vehicles (you can't push a parked vehicle away, but you will still collide with it).
- Knocked-down traffic signs are not visually replicated for other players; their collisions are simulated locally and works only in close proximity to the player.
- Toll gates aren't synchronized, however, the opening is based on proximity like for AI vehicles.
- AI vehicle colours may differ after some time (so cached vehicles can be reused to limit memory consumption).
Other features coming with 1.41:
- Time and weather adjustments in photo mode
- Quick travel
- California reskin part 1 including 7 agricultural stations and a road layout rework
- New icons in the map legend
What do you think? Are you excited for official multiplayer support in ETS2 and ATS? Have you used the mod before? What is your favorite mod for these games? Let us know!
Simulator games have a very special place in most people’s hearts, and if they’re good enough can provide hundreds if not thousands of hours of gameplay. The Truck Simulator games from SCS Software have been some of the biggest simulators released in recent years, and they are now finally adding official support for multiplayer.
Both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are getting the support - currently in an experimental Beta - which you can download now and go through some specific steps to set it all up. Both games have had mod support for multiplayer for a while now, but it’s nice to have official support for it now built into the game itself.
Of course, because it is in Beta there are a few limitations and issues, namely no mod support, partially-synchronized weather, players needing all DLC as the host, and a few bugs here and there. There’s currently no time frame as to when SCS Software will be launching out of Beta, but you can at least try it out and give your feedback to improve the feature.
The 1.41 Update Experimental Beta (known as Convoy) supports up to 8 players in the same game. In order to enter it you will need to right click on the game in your Steam library, click on properties, navigate to the Betas tab, and then copy and paste the branch code to enter the Beta.
SCS Software highly recommends that you backup your profile or use a new one instead, since any save-games used in this Beta will make all profiles incompatible with the normal non-Beta version of the game.
Here’s a full list of features, known issues, and more for the ETS2 / ATS 1.41 Update Experimental Beta (Convoy):
The current feature list 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)
Notable issues / not yet implemented:
- Mods are not supported in the initial release.
- Players can currently join only if they have the same set of cargo and map DLCs installed as the host has.
- Weather is not fully synced (only good/bad weather).
- Cables for remote trailers aren't rendered.
- When using an owned trailer, there might be a company trailer spawned in the same location you are supposed to go to to load your cargo.
- AI vehicles might disappear when a player disconnects.
- Lifting bridges are not synchronized. They will be stationary for the initial release of Convoy.
- Sounds for trucks of other players are a work-in-progress.
- Sharing of the World of Trucks external contracts is not yet allowed.
- Steam invites work only through the Steam overlay.
- CB radio broadcast (hotkey "X") interferes with the text input line.
- Cargo on an owned flatbed might sometimes intersect with the trailer
- The on-screen map in Convoy "M" zooms out together with chat scrolling in the Route Advisor.
Intended changes/limitations while in Convoy session:
- Time progression rate does not change when entering a city.
- The time in a Convoy session will advance to match the host's time, but it is only visual - the economy time is not affected (If you had 2 hours remaining to finish the job before joining the Convoy, you should still have the same time remaining to finish your job).
- Special Transport jobs are not allowed. You can't join a Convoy session with such a job active.
- Dynamic collisions are disabled for parked vehicles (you can't push a parked vehicle away, but you will still collide with it).
- Knocked-down traffic signs are not visually replicated for other players; their collisions are simulated locally and works only in close proximity to the player.
- Toll gates aren't synchronized, however, the opening is based on proximity like for AI vehicles.
- AI vehicle colours may differ after some time (so cached vehicles can be reused to limit memory consumption).
Other features coming with 1.41:
- Time and weather adjustments in photo mode
- Quick travel
- California reskin part 1 including 7 agricultural stations and a road layout rework
- New icons in the map legend
What do you think? Are you excited for official multiplayer support in ETS2 and ATS? Have you used the mod before? What is your favorite mod for these games? Let us know!
