Beta update 1.17 is now ready for public testing!

We are about ready to put the beta of the upcoming game update featuring numerous major changes in your hands!

For the past three months we were rewriting a big part of the world-rendering pipeline. As we were finishing work on Scandinavia, it became unavoidable to find new tricks to speed the game up.

Finally as of this Monday, the pieces of the puzzle started falling together, and we now believe that we are in better shape than where we started (and we still keep on pushing). We see better worst-case performance: on low-end and mid-range hardware, framerate is now more stable and doesn't dip too deep and fluctuate so much under heavy stress. In some cases we find the current best-case framerate to be below 1.16 speed (simpler scenes on high-end computer configurations), but not by a wide margin. The important thing is that places where performance was the worst, like certain city centers, now perform better overall.

But in fact it's the purpose of the open beta to hear back from you and see if the statistics on the wider tester group confirm our hopes. The final 1.17 update should go out alongside the release of Scandinavia map-addon, so we had better stress-test it prior to its release next month; time flies too fast!

As per usual, the public_beta branch is available via Steam platform to all Euro Truck Simulator 2 owners.

With this update, our aim was also to respond to a number of popular feature requests. For example, we have increased the number of drivers you can hire to work for you, or added sequential wiper speed... Included are also various changes to telemetry system to increase its functionality. Check out the full changelist below to see details on all of the changes we've made.

Please let us know on our forums if you have any issues or would just like to leave feedback on any of the changes. We expect to continue updating the open beta frequently through the rest of the month.

Treat this as an experimental build! It would surely be prudent to make a back-up of your player profile! If you are too concerned about losing a few hours of your career progression by possibly having to go back to a back-up, just stay away from the beta and wait until we say the update is ready for general use.

Full changelist:

Code

• Improved rendering engine
• Improved GPU memory consumption
• Improved support for multi-monitor systems (configuration is explained on the ETS2 website)
• Normal map support for railing and buildings segments
• Traffic AI improvements
• Suspension damping simulation improved
• Improved timing and logic of automatic and sequential transmissions
• Fixed interpolation of brake pedal using button/key control
• Engine brake does not work if clutch or throttle are pressed. Added toggle input control
• Shift on sequential transmission does not cancel CC anymore
• Added config variables for h-shifter transmission tweaks (g_hshifter_layout_shifting, g_hshifter_synchronized)
• Added config variable for optional behavior of braking lights (g_brake_light_all)
• Added independent simulation of adblue gauges, adblue tank size truck dependent
• Successfully docked achievement works

UI

• Added cancel button in URL confirmation
• Sort jobs by sender and receiver name
• Show ferry price in route info
• Face of player's driver can be changed in edit profile
• Autosave before profile change
• Both ESC and ENTER now skip animation and close the delivery screen
• Independent radio volume bar

Data

• Improved daylight cycle visuals
• Improved flares look
• Added six-wheeled chassis for both Renaults
• Steering wheel animation of all trucks updated to 900 degree range
• Driver faces style improved, many new added
• Added sound for seat and suspension noises
• Tyre and rim made independent accessories
• DAF XF Euro 6 new sfx

Telemetry

• 64-bit values better match with documentation
• Added dashboard-displayed gear, more wheel channels
• Added differential and all gear ratios
• Average consumption made real instead of statistical
• Adblue channels are working now
• Added navigation distance and time channels
• Added current speed limit channel

OSX

• Better support for Retina displays

Modding

A full list of modding changes can be found here.