Time
Time is an important gameplay concept, being a basis for many other concepts, such as fatigue, day-night cycle or delivery deadlines.
Time compression
- Main article: Time Compression
In-game time passes much faster than the real-life time, with one in-game day lasting some 1 hour and 12 minutes of real time (amount can deviate depending on circumstances).
Time zones
- Main article: Time zones
The map of American Truck Simulator is divided into three time zones: Pacific Standard Time (PST), Mountain Standard Time (MST) and Central Standard Time (CST). Each state is located inside some zone, mostly or completely. This concept is currently absent from the European Truck Simulator 2.
Day-night cycle
Day-night cycle is present in the games, with sun rising at 5:30 or earlier and setting at 21:00 or later, depending on the latitude. Players are required to have their headlights turned on during nights, otherwise they could be fined. The axial tilt of the Earth towards the Sun is also accounted for: days are a bit longer and nights are a bit shorter in the northern parts of the map, than in the southern parts. It is never completely dark at night in areas close to the Polar circle (a twilight never fades into full darkness), while in other areas it can be completely black.
However, seasons of the year are not a thing in any of the games, where there is an eternal summer (sun rises very early and sets very late, vegetation is plentiful, there is no snow even in the far north locations).