Community Stories: Armstrong_Gaming

At SCS Software, we love celebrating the passionate individuals who bring our trucking simulators to life. Today, we’re excited to feature a dedicated content creator and truck-sim enthusiast, Mark Armstrong. Mark has built an impressive setup and a thriving community (Armstrong Gaming) around his love for virtual trucking, making him a well-known figure in the simulation world. Let’s dive into his journey!

“I am Mark Armstrong, I am from the northeast of England, born and raised. I currently am 34 and I'm a huge driving simulator enthusiast!”

Before discovering his love for trucking and simulation gaming, Mark was an avid cyclist, riding competitively with his father. His dad wasn’t just a parent, he was a best friend and mentor. They shared a passion for road biking, mountain biking, and trials-riding, always pushing each other to be better. “My dad was more of a friend than a dad, really. He was my riding partner, my motivator. We did everything together, whether it was fixing bikes in the garage or hitting the roads. He was always there.”

However, a severe accident at 20 years old changed Mark’s path, leaving him unable to continue cycling. Looking for a new passion, he turned to gaming, a decision that would shape his future. “I had a severe accident, which caused me to be unable to ride... I was housebound and I actually sat one day on the sofa and made a joke about 'Farming Simulator' and then for Christmas, my wife at the time and my dad actually got me the game, and that's where it all started.”

From there, Mark quickly became engrossed in the simulation gaming world, exploring different titles until he discovered Euro Truck Simulator 2 through a friend, which he instantly loved. His passion for virtual trucking led him to build his first simulator setup, starting with a basic wooden rig and an affordable steering wheel. “I started on a wooden shoe rack that I took apart, put it back together into the shape of a simulator, and bolted a seat from a Renault Clio onto it. Then I put a 30-pound steering wheel on. You don’t start where you end up, you have to start small.”

His love for simulation extended to American Truck Simulator, where he developed a deep appreciation for American trucks, particularly the Peterbilt 389. “I like the big chrome, big shifter, laid-back seating position. That’s what I like. But as soon as I go on ETS2, I want to sit like a Scania driver, so I change everything around.”

Mark’s journey into content creation was heavily inspired by his father, who had experimented with uploading RC tank videos to YouTube. “My dad mentioned one day, 'Start a YouTube channel, record some videos, bring them to my house, and I'll upload them for you because I have internet.' Brilliant. That’s what I did.”

Over time, Mark transitioned into livestreaming and built a loyal following. His father played a huge role in this, not only as a supporter but as a gamer himself. “My dad was gaming before I even was. I remember him getting into Colin McRae Rally back in the early 2000s when we still had dial-up internet. He was always ahead of the game, even buying a new graphics card every few months since the technology moved so quickly. He swore he’d never get back into gaming, but when I started trucking, he couldn’t resist joining me again.”

Mark’s father became an integral part of his streaming journey, joining in on multiplayer convoys and