18 Wheels of Steel: Across America

Overview

In 18 Wheels of Steel: Across America the object of the game is to deliver various cargo faster than the computer opponents.

Modes

There are five different options available to the player when the game is started up.

• New Game

New Game is where the Name of the player, scenario, difficulty, HQ location, and company color are chosen.

• Load Game

Load Game is where any game previously saved can be chosen and continued to be played.

• Options

In the Options menu there are three things that can be altered. The three options are: Graphics, Sound, and Controls.

• Credits

The Credits option will display the full credits of every person who worked on creating the game.

• Quit

Quit is what is to be selected when the player wants to exit the game.

Scenarios

In 18 Wheels of Steel there are five different scenarios that can be played, each with a different set of goals and rules.

• Become a Millionaire - The goal of this mode is to be the first to earn one million dollars.
• The Devil of the Western Coast - The goal of this mode is to deliver some cargo from from Seattle to Los Angeles as quickly as possible.
• New York Cargo Madness - In this scenario cargo must be delivered to New York, but the catch is the cargo can be in Seattle, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. The player must figure out which city the cargo starts in.
• The Longest Journey - This scenario is the longest delivery in the game. In The Longest Journey the goal is to deliver cargo from Miami all the way to Seattle as quickly as possible.
• Free Mode - Free Mode has no time or other limits. The goal is to deliver the right cargo, hire the right employees, and out deliver the opponents.

Playing the Game

When a new game is started the player will start in whichever city has been chosen as the base of operations. Information Panel In the top right corner of the screen is an info panel which will show: The current time The amount of money the player currently has in their bank account The players current prestige rating The current condition of the players truck

The Map

After arriving in the starting city, the M key can be pressed to bring up a map. On this map the player can see their location, marked by a blinking arrow. Also on this map the player can see the location of the loading docks that hold the cargo that must be picked up.

Cargo After arriving at a loading dock the player can choose from a variety of cargo, with different drop off locations. The more distance that must be driven to drop off the cargo is the more money the player will receive for delivering it. There are also special cargo will will pay out more money than a regular cargo will. There are only special cargo in certain scenarios, and can be distinguished by the panel background being red instead of blue. Special cargo also have a more limited amount of time they must be delivered.

Weigh Stations

Scattered throughout the game are various weigh stations. The player must stop at a weigh station if it is on the route. When the weigh station is approached the player must stop on the scale and wait for the weight information to be displayed. If the truck happens to be over the legal weight limit, a fine will be given.

Police Officers There are Police Officers driving around the streets of the United States. There are various infractions that, if caught doing a fine will be given. The types of activities that can cause a fine to be imposed are: Driving over the speed limit. Driving on the wrong side of the road. Hitting other cars with the truck. Passing by a weigh station without stopping.

Truck Stops

There are truck stops strewn about across the roads of America. If the player stops at a truck stop the truck can be repaired and refueled.

Truck Dealerships

Truck Dealerships are not located on the players map, and therefore must be located by the player instead. At the truck dealerships new trucks can be purchased along with spare truck parts.

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows XP / Me / 98

Processor: Pentium 3

Memory: 256 MB RAM

Hard drive: 400 MB

Video Card: 16MB & Directx 8.1

Other: 16-bits Sound Card