堪萨斯州 - 向日葵之州

正如大家可能记得的，近期我们公布了美洲卡车模拟堪萨斯州DLC。在我们正式进入有关开发进度的经典资讯之前，我们决定与几位开发者坐下来谈谈，希望通过这篇文章让大家知道一点关于 SCS 开发人员的事情，还有他们对于这项DLC的想法。放松地坐下，听听 Patrik、Seki、Martin、Ilona 和 Anton 介绍他们自己，以及工作于向日葵之州对于他们而言意味着什么。

Patrik，堪萨斯州DLC负责人

作为美洲卡车模拟地图DLC负责人，我的主要职责是监制相应地图扩展的开发工作，目前便是堪萨斯州DLC。我之前还曾负责华盛顿州、科罗拉多州DLC，而在我工作于科罗拉多州时，那时我还只是一名普通的地图设计师。

我们在堪萨斯州DLC的目标是向玩家们展现，即便是看起来似乎空旷、单调的州也有其独特的氛围与带给人的印象。我们在此项目上的最大挑战在于创造大片看起来有魅力、现代且精致打造的草地地区。堪萨斯州拥有不同于我们过往制作过的州的建筑，所以我们还面临着创造新资产的挑战，例如被忽视的商店、军营、房屋及其他建筑。

玩家们可以期待12座新城市，我们将随时间逐渐公布城市列表。我们也在不断改善经济模型，这将会在合适的时候与我们#永远最好的社区 分享。此外，正如我们在 ATS 每项新DLC上所通常做的，新的经济产业链也将成为堪萨斯州的一部分。

Seki，DLC资产负责人

作为DLC资产负责人及一名高级图形设计师，我在 SCS 的角色是负责 ATS 及所有相关项目的图形协作。我加入 SCS 已有7年时间，并至今一直工作于 ATS 推出的所有DLC。团队内有许多成员，因此协作是我们成功的关键所在，我想要赞扬整个 ATS 团队所作出的成就。

另外作为DLC资产负责人，我负责相应DLC所有必要的 3D 模型的质量与交付，包括从最普通的长椅到城市与货场等卡车活动的地方的一切内容。我会与地图设计师沟通，并确保所有地标被放置于它们所在的城市或定居点。我最初以一名图形设计师的身份加入 SCS，当时负责为游戏制作模型，随机事件便是其中我作为图形设计师参与制作的最后一个重要项目。后来，我转为DLC负责人并完成了爱达荷州、得克萨斯州项目，目前便正工作于堪萨斯州。

我们的目标是带给玩家们一个新的州，让大家能够在他们的卡车上投入无数的时间，探索堪萨斯州的美丽及其产业。我们致力于突破之前的地图扩展，给予玩家们尽可能最好的体验。我们还为城市及其周边地区增加了许多新的地标，包括独特的休息区、卡车停靠站、产业。我们在每一项DLC上不断突破我们创作的极限，相信堪萨斯州将成为这样的一个优秀例子。虽然我们目前还不能揭晓所有内容，但玩家们绝对可以期待许多新的地方与体验。

Martin，得克萨斯州DLC地图设计师

我自两年前开始在 SCS 工作并已经工作于多个项目，包括加州翻新、得克萨斯州、恩波利亚市，其中恩波利亚市项目是我第一次尝试设计一座城市。目前，我工作于两个定居点、道路，并且我们已经得到一组新的地形材料，其中包括我将加入至该地图的一套新草地。

到目前为止，我的工作最令人兴奋的一点便是设计城市。不过，我现在的重点是在以广阔草原和农业社区而闻名的堪萨斯州创造一种乡村农耕氛围。这里将有许多农场货场、筒仓、风力发电场等待探索，大家将有机会与你们的卡车一同亲近农田。

总之，玩家们可以期待在堪萨斯州感受真正沉浸式的体验，以及该州的农耕特色和优美的自然景致。

Ilona，得克萨斯州地图设计师

作为一名在 SCS 工作4年的地图设计师，我目前负责设计堪萨斯州西部两座城市——科尔比、海斯的布局。我也设计货场和常规的建筑元素，例如商店、郊区房屋，即反映该州多样化建筑风格的内容。举个例子，作为新DLC的一部分，我们增加了用砖与砂浆建成的商店，希望这样新的商店将成为城镇中心的一个很棒的真实细节。而且，堪萨斯州的建筑普遍十分多样，它们在许多方面独一无二，并且包含来自邻近州各种建筑风格的元素。

有了之前在俄勒冈州、犹他州、科罗拉多州、得克萨斯州的工作经验，我现在最期待创造能够传递堪萨斯州独特感受的真实体验。其最大的挑战将是通过对于细节的使用以描绘开阔平原的辽阔，以及无尽的景色。玩家们可以期待探索堪萨斯州的农场、平原、市中心区，还有独特的建筑与捕捉该州精髓的细节。

Anton，研究人员

作为一名研究人员，我对所有内容都要涉及一点。在每次任务中，我的工作包含两个部分。首先，我们需要寻找更多技术性信息，例如哪种仓库在相应的州更加典型。同时，我们要努力探寻我们所处理的原始数据背后的更深含义。比如在堪萨斯州DLC项目工作中，我们从被称为地方主义者的美国画家得到了不少启发，他们以用极其深刻、迷人的方式描绘美国中西部而闻名。我们运用了他们的许多作品，用来与我们的地图设计师和 3D 设计师沟通我们对堪萨斯州的印象。

由于我们在工作中需要与开发团队的其他成员表达我们对一个州的景象，因此每项DLC对我而言都是一个惊喜。我真的很有兴趣看到，3D 设计师和地图设计师如何将我们关于堪萨斯州感受的描绘与想法加以落实。一项地图扩展远不止是将资产内容的机械化排列组合至道路上，它呈现的是开发人员心中对于一个州的地理与经济方面的共同想法。我想认为我们的工作是帮助他们创建这种内心的景象。

希望大家喜欢这次非常早期的预览，提前了解可以在接下来的堪萨斯州期待看到的内容。请记得关注我们的微博，以便获知未来的更多资讯，避免错过任何更新。我们迫不及待地想向大家展示更多！

Kansas - The Sunflower State

As you might remember, recently we announced Kansas DLC for American Truck Simulator. Before we fully dive in with the classic news from the development, we have decided to sit down with some of the developers and create a blog article that will let you know a little bit about some of the SCS members themselves, but also their thoughts on this DLC. Sit back, relax, and check out what Patrik, Seki, Martin, Ilona, and Anton had to say about who they are and what working on the Sunflower State means for them.

Patrik, Kansas DLC Lead

As the Map DLC Lead for American Truck Simulator, my primary responsibility is to oversee the development of the assigned map expansion, which is currently the Kansas DLC. I have previously led the Washington and Colorado DLCs, and I started as a regular map designer when we were still working on California.

Our goal with the Kansas DLC is to show players that even seemingly empty and monotonous states have their own unique atmosphere and impression. Our biggest challenge in this project is to create large grass areas that are visually appealing, modern, and well-crafted. Kansas has a distinct architecture that differs from the states we've worked on in the past, so we're also facing the challenge of creating new assets such as neglected shops, barracks, houses, and other buildings.

Players can look forward to a dozen new cities, and we will gradually release the list over time. We are also working on improving the economic model, which we will share with our #BestCommunityEver in due course. Moreover, new economic chains will be introduced as part of the Kansas DLC, as we regularly do with every new DLC in ATS.

Seki, DLC Asset Lead

As the DLC Asset Lead and a senior graphic designer, my role at SCS involves collaborating on graphics for ATS and all related projects. I've been with the company for seven years and have contributed to all DLCs for ATS released thus far. While there are others on the team, collaboration is key to our success, and I credit the entire ATS team for our achievements.

As the DLC Asset Lead, I'm responsible for the quality and delivery of all necessary 3D models for the DLC, including everything from generic benches to city and depot areas where trucks move. I consult with Map Designers and ensure that all landmarks are delivered to their cities or settlements. I initially joined SCS as a graphic designer, where I created models for the game, including the last major project, Random Events. I then switched to DLC Lead and completed projects in Idaho, Texas, and am currently working on Kansas.

Our goal is to bring players a new state where they can spend countless hours in their trucks, discovering the beauty of Kansas and its industries. We aim to beat the previous map expansion and give players the best possible experience. We have added many new landmarks to cities and their surroundings, including unique rest areas, truck stops, and industries. We are pushing the limits of our creation with each DLC, and we believe that Kansas will be a great example of this. While we can't reveal everything yet, players can definitely look forward to many new locations and experiences.

Martin, Kansas DLC Map Designer

I started at SCS 2 years ago and I have worked on several projects including California Rework, Texas and the city of Emporia, which was my first attempt at designing a city. Currently, I am working on two settlements, roads, and we have received a new palette of terrain materials, which also includes a new set of grasses that I have to include into the map. 

One of the most exciting parts of my job so far was designing the city. However, my focus now is on creating a rural-farming atmosphere in Kansas, which is known for its vast grassy plains and farming communities. There will be many farm depots, farm assets, silos, and wind farms to explore, and players will have the opportunity to get up close to the fields with their trucks.

Overall, players can look forward to a truly immersive experience in Kansas, with a focus on the state's farming heritage and beautiful natural landscapes.

Ilona, Kansas DLC Map Designer

As a map designer at SCS for four years, I am responsible for designing the layouts of two cities, Colby and Hays, in western Kansas. I also designed depots and generic architectural elements, such as shops and suburban houses, that reflect the state's diverse architectural styles. For example, as part of the new DLC, we've added a brick-and-mortar store and I hope this new store will be a great authentic detail for the town center. Moreover, the generic architecture in Kansas is characterized by great diversity, as it is unique in many ways but it also contains elements of various architectural styles from the surrounding states

Having previously worked on Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and Texas, I am most looking forward to creating an authentic experience that conveys the unique feeling of Kansas. The biggest challenge will be portraying the vastness of the open plains and endless vistas through the use of details. Players can look forward to exploring Kansas's farms, plains, and downtown cities, with unique architecture and details that capture the state's essence.

Anton, Researcher

As a researcher, I deal with a little bit of everything. With every task, our job consists of two components. Firstly, we need to look for more technical kind of information like which variants of the warehouse are more typical for a given state. But also we try to find a deeper meaning behind the raw data we process. For example, while working on the Kansas DLC we took great inspiration from the work of American painters known as the regionalists. They are famous for depicting the American midwest in a really insightful and captivating manner. We used their work a lot, communicating our impressions of the state to our map designers and 3D artists.

Because in our line of work, we need to translate our own vision of a state to the rest of the developing team, each DLC is a surprise for me. I’m really interested to see how 3D artists and map designers are going to implement our comments and ideas regarding Kansas feel. A map expansion is always more than just a mechanical arrangement of assets down the road. It’s the idea of a geographical and economic area that the developers build in their minds as they work on a state. I like to think that we help them in creating that internal image.

We hope you have enjoyed this very early insight into what you can expect to see in the upcoming Kansas DLC. For more news in the future make sure to follow our social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) to never miss any updates. We can’t wait to show you more!