Isle of Ireland: Researching the Isle of Ireland with Adam

As the work on the Isle of Ireland DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2 continues, we thought about taking you behind the scenes of our work and showing you more about what a job as a researcher in SCS Software looks like. So today, we bring you an interview with our colleague Adam, who will tell you more about his work on the Isle of Ireland!

Adam joined SCS in 2022, and since then, his primary focus has been on map DLCs for Euro Truck Simulator 2.

"I've conducted research for the West Balkans, Greece, Nordic Horizons, and the reworks of Switzerland and the Benelux. The UK rework and the Isle of Ireland are the first two projects I've been tasked with overseeing for the Research & Game Development department. The Isle of Ireland is special to me for personal reasons as well, since this is the first time I have the opportunity to collaborate with my brother, who is the map lead for this DLC."

Adam is responsible for ensuring that the department prepares high-quality materials for the Isle of Ireland DLC in a timely manner for the other departments. "These aren't just references for map designers; other specialized departments — such as the vehicle, vegetation, and road design teams — also rely on our work. But I don't do this alone. Our team has experts for all of these various areas. I work alongside many talented and enthusiastic people," Adam explains.

So, how exactly does the process of research for map expansions look? The department's involvement begins long before any actual map building starts, laying the groundwork that shapes everything that follows.

"In the first phase, it was necessary to thoroughly familiarize ourselves with the history, culture, natural environment, relevant laws, and traffic regulations. In collaboration with the map lead, we selected the cities we wanted to include in the DLC, and I proposed which highways and roads would connect them. An important part of our work is also figuring out the placement of depots across the map so that the economy works for us. We have a specialist on our team dedicated to this very issue. With her help, and in collaboration with the map lead, we also prepared completely new economy depots for the DLC. We then researched exactly how they work and designed the best way to implement them in our game," Adam says.

Once the planning phase is complete, the team moves on to gathering detailed real-world references, capturing both the big picture and the subtle differences that make each location unique.

"The next step was collecting photographic data, during which our team "scanned" all the roads and towns, shot by shot, trying to capture what is typical for the island. We tried to capture the most important elements, but we also focused on the small details. I also emphasized that different parts of the island vary significantly, and it was necessary to take this into account. As an example, I can mention road markings, which are completely different between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland," he told us.

"The result of this phase of the project is a shortlist of the most important assets, which the asset department creates based on the source materials, so that map designers can subsequently use them to assemble the map. In the same way, and in collaboration with our vegetation specialist, specifications for the vegetation department are then developed," Adam explained to us.

The work of the department goes far beyond general research - it often requires diving deep into