Coaches: Passenger Satisfaction

As you can imagine, we’re used to working mostly with trucks and cargo. Coaches, however, introduce a completely different kind of challenge, people! In our upcoming module for Euro Truck Simulator 2, Passenger Satisfaction will play an important role in your job as a coach driver. To learn more about the design behind this system, we spoke with game designer Vojtěch P., who has been leading the development of this feature since February. He began by sharing a little about his passions growing up and how his journey led him to SCS Software: “I always loved making visual stuff. My interests eventually shifted over time, from graphic design to illustration to animation to indie games, and ultimately I found myself at SCS, where I hope I’ll stay for a little longer.” “I work as a game designer here at SCS Software, and I enjoy my job to an almost unhealthy degree. Above all, I appreciate being able to significantly influence the shape of the game, not only visually but also in terms of game mechanics.” Since joining, he has contributed to the Gallery redesign, Photo Trophies, and the Driving Academy. “I really enjoyed my time working on the Driving Academy, where I also sneaked in a few extra things for players to enjoy.” Today, he is focused on UX, UI, and gameplay design, including the brand-new Passenger Satisfaction system.

“Passenger satisfaction is a concept players may already be familiar with,” Vojtěch goes on to explain, “You can find it in other game titles, including our own previous game, Bus Driver.” Simply put, players are encouraged to drive smoothly and avoid harsh braking, sharp turns, and traffic violations to provide a comfortable ride for their passengers. While the mechanics themselves aren’t radically new or groundbreaking, they still meaningfully change how the game is played and introduce a new challenge. Before we dive into the details, we want to make it clear that everything shown and discussed in this post is still a work in progress. Everything presented here may be subject to change and may not reflect the final release version. With all that said, Vojtěch shares more about the current system in development.

“We calculate satisfaction for each individual passenger, each with their own sensitivity. Some hardly care what happens, while others take even mild braking very personally. Passengers also board the bus with varying moods, so the challenge for the player is to improve their mood by the next stop.” As the journey continues, players will be working toward a clear goal. “The main goal is to improve passengers’ moods as much as possible through smooth driving. If the drive between stops is perfect, the player will receive a bonus which is added to the overall passenger satisfaction.”

Introducing passengers fundamentally changes the feel of driving Vojtěch explains, “Driving with passengers really feels very different, and introduces a whole new challenge on the road. The player must stay alert and anticipate much more. Having to keep to the timetable and at the same time drive carefully are two things that naturally work against each other.” During internal testing, finding the balance between Passenger satisfaction and keeping on time quickly became evident, “The mechanics are still evolving, mainly through adding more aspects that influence satisfaction. The basic rules for satisfaction are already in place and functional, and now we’re mainly looking into what else we can add to the system. That can go on endlessly, really.”

Balancing the experience has been a priority. “We don’t want