Louisiana: Research Trip

In September 2023, a group from our American Truck Simulator map team embarked on a journey across the USA on a research trip. This included collecting research material and references for our upcoming Louisiana DLC. In this blog post, we’ll share a glimpse of their exciting journey through the state and the experiences they had along the way!

The trip consisted of 5 members, Paulie, our asset specialist; Zuzu, our road specialist; Ashka, our vegetation and rock formation specialist; Vojta, one of our more senior map designers; and Davido, the lead for the Louisiana DLC. We spoke with each of them to share with you their own personal experiences and what they learned and gathered from this trip.

This trip wasn’t exclusively for Louisiana, but served several purposes, as Davido explains to us. “A few of my colleagues and I were on a business trip in the USA, which included research and travelling through various states. However, we focused most on Arkansas and Louisiana, since at that time we already knew that these two states were up next in production.”

“When we entered Louisiana, I was driving on I-10 from Texas, and right after the border was a Welcome Center, where we made our first stop,” Zuzu tells us. “We were greeted by signs saying 'Do not feed alligators' and 'Be aware of snakes” Ashka adds, “There was also a beautiful lake full of floating islands of water hyacinth, wooden walkways through a forest covered in Spanish moss and giant spiders. We immediately knew this state would be special.”

“My first impression when getting out of the car was that the air is really humid and warm,” Zuzu told us. Davido goes on to share “For people coming to the States for the first time from Europe, the biggest surprise is probably the vastness and the distances between everything, as well as the overall size. Of course, we have big cities with skyscrapers in Europe too, but I'm referring more to things you don't notice at first glance, like curbs and parking spaces, which are designed for large SUVs. Also, hydrants, signs, barriers, and trash cans. Sometimes, for fun, we took pictures with these objects so that we could later better estimate their size in relation to the human body.”

In addition to exploring cities and capturing the overall vibe of the southern United States, the team was eager to visit several key points of interest, including industrial areas and historical landmarks. “We visited well-known sites, such as the Port Fourchon area, a major seaport supporting offshore oil platforms and drilling rigs, and the Oak Alley Plantation. Players can look forward to experiencing these locations in some form,”  Davido shared.

“In cities, we focused primarily on the historical centers and significant landmarks, as our goal is to make each city recognizable and authentic. We strive to capture the unique essence of a place so that locals or those familiar with it can instantly identify it. To do this, we made a point to pass through or highlight the most iconic landmarks. We also tried to include key industries located in the area, though we were limited by time and couldn’t see everything we wanted to.”

“I was focused more on buildings, objects, their size, and details,” Paulie shares. “As my position bridges the team of mappers and the team of 3D asset creators, I wanted to bring them as many photos as possible. My colleague and I took comparative pictures to show the scale of objects, captured materials, and even documented hard-to-find views of the backsides of landmark buildings. Honestly, I barely saw the place outside the camera lens, haha.”

“On a more personal note, this trip was like a dream come true. When I was little, my grandmother used to show me pictures from her trip to the USA, and I fell in love with the country back then. She also visited Louisiana, so it was fascinating for me to stand in the same places she had been 21 years earlier. Since this trip, I can’t stop thinking about going back to the States and putting even more passion into my work for ATS.”

“As someone who was focused on the road layouts, I really enjoyed driving over all those bridges above swamps and even over the sea when we visited Port Fourchon.” Zuzu tells us, “Of course, I also loved seeing the massive junction complexes in New Orleans and other big cities. Experiencing them in real life gave me a whole new perspective since, until now, I had only seen them in pictures and on Street View. The same goes for truck stops, it was incredible to see them up close.”

“As we walked through New Orleans, we saw so many lively places filled with people and music. When we visited Louis Armstrong Park, I took the opportunity to buy an LP to bring back home for my grandparents. My grandpa cried tears of joy when I gave it to him. Making him this happy was so heart-warming, and I wanted to share this little moment.”

“Another great experience was visiting the Tabasco factory on Avery Island,” Vojta shares. “We had a full tour, not only around the island and its beautiful nature, but also inside the factory itself. We learned about the company’s history and the process of making Tabasco. At the end of the tour, we visited their souvenir shop and even got to taste a variety of Tabasco flavoured ice creams.”

“We also visited the Jungle Gardens, a huge, stunning park created by the island’s owner and the founder of Tabasco,” Ashka added. “The whole island felt like something out of a fairy tale: sprawling oak trees with branches that reached the ground, draped in Spanish moss; scenic paths; and ponds filled with herons and alligators.”

“Thanks to this visit to the state of Louisiana, I believe we’ll be able to deliver an even more immersive experience.” Zuzu tells us, “I’m truly grateful to have been part of this journey, and I hope we can bring a similar experience to all of you through our upcoming map DLC.”

We hope you enjoyed reading all about the Louisiana Research Trip! We look forward to sharing more about the development of this upcoming DLC for American Truck Simulator with you here on our official blog. If you're excited to explore Louisiana, be sure to add it to your Steam Wishlist! Until next time, keep on truckin'!