Force Feedback FAQ (Euro Truck Simulator 2)

We recently announced the 1.42 open beta, and one of the upcoming features seems to have raised some questions. Therefore, to clear up the confusion a bit, we offer you this detailed FAQ regarding the upcoming Force Feedback changes.

Can you describe exactly what changes were made to the FFB system? How does the current FFB compare to the previous version?

The old force feedback was a group of artificially created effects, each with its own force that had to be sent to the device in the main game loop. Meanwhile, the new FFB is written from the ground up and uses a 120Hz refresh rate regardless of the main game loop. It combines some of the old man-made effects with new tire center and friction feedback based on real calculations of the forces acting on the first steer axle and mimics the behavior of the hydraulic steering system used in most modern trucks.

Thus, the FFB should act differently depending on whether you are on a bend or on a straight road, or if you are on an uneven surface, as the effect depends on the physics of the vehicle. The previous artificial effects (engine resonance, terrain bumps, bumps and collisions) are still combined with the new centering into one overall force effect that is sent to the device as a constant force.

What devices and platforms does the new FFB support?

The new FFB implementation uses a constant force effect, which means it should support a wider range of devices. We currently support any steering wheel that supports constant force application via DirectInput on Windows and evdev on Linux.

I have all the settings in the middle of the sliders and the steering wheel is not working properly, what should I do?

Reset the settings to their defaults first, as the new defaults are not in the middle of the sliders like they used to be. Then, if you still have problems, try turning off all artificial effects (engine resonance, rough terrain, bumps and collisions). If the problem persists, please contact us and follow the guidelines below for reporting a problem. Note that you should disable any spring centering effects that are offered through your wheel's hardware profile settings (for example, through the Game Controllers / joy.cpl menu on Windows).

Can you explain the individual slider settings? What exactly do these settings change in the game? What do the lowest and highest slider settings mean?

Overall Gain - The FFB Overall Gain slider, which adjusts the gain of all effects. A minimum value of 0 is no FFB, and a maximum is a maximum force of 6 N as reported by known wheel hardware.
Centering at high speed - the maximum possible centering force multiplied by the total gain when driving at high speed, fully applied when reaching 90 km / h or more. Minimum 0 - no centering at high speed, maximum 1 - use full centering force at high speed, calculated using the steering power output algorithm.
Centering at low speed - the maximum possible centering force multiplied by the total gain when driving at low speed is fully applied when reaching 0 km / h Minimum 0 - no centering at low speed, maximum 1 - use full centering force at low speed calculated using the steering power output algorithm.
Internal friction is the force of internal friction caused by mechanical elements in the steering system multiplied by the total gain. Minimum 0 - the force is not reported from the internal friction algorithm, maximum 1 - the full force from the internal friction algorithm is used.
Motor Resonance - The absolute force of the motor resonance multiplied by the overall gain, simulating the vibration of the motor. Minimum 0 - no motor resonant force, maximum 1 - total motor resonant force. Please note that engine resonance above 0.15 is not recommended as it can cause severe shaking and vibration in the wheel.
Terrain Surface - The absolute strength of the surface effect multiplied by the overall gain, simulating the texture of the surface on which the vehicle is traveling. Minimum 0 - no surface strength of the terrain, maximum 1 - full strength of the terrain. Please note that values ​​above 0.2 are not recommended as they can cause severe shock and vibration when driving over rough terrain at high speeds.
Bump - The absolute strength of the bump effect multiplied by the overall gain to simulate a bump in the suspension. Minimum 0 - no roughness strength, maximum 1 - total roughness strength.
Collisions - The absolute strength of a collision effect, simulating the full force when a frontal impact is detected and multiplied by the total payoff. Minimum 0 - no collision force, maximum 1 - full collision force
Vibration effects - their behavior remains the same as in older versions of the game.

Why does the steering wheel seem to stop for a while while centering after releasing when I am in a corner with a truck?

This is a consequence of the vehicle's reaction to fast steering and the resulting forces on the wheels. A similar phenomenon can be observed on real cars in such situations.

Why is it easier to use the steering wheel when I have completely disabled the in-game FFB setting and use the steering software FFB instead?

While it could be simpler, this is not like a physics-based FFB, and not what a real steering system could do. However, it is very similar to the old implementation.

Will there be further updates to the FFB?

Our team is currently fixing any issues discovered during the 1.42 open beta. As for the future, we are still looking into what other effects (such as sliding vibration) will add a positive effect for players. More functionality may be added in future updates to the game. We'll be sure to keep you posted if there are any noticeable changes.

If I am still having problems, where can I best report them?

Please report your concerns to forum.scssoft.com; just be sure to follow all forum rules. If possible, attach screenshots of the FFB settings, steering wheel hardware profile settings, and some information about which make and model of steering wheel you are using.

I don't like the new FFB, how can I get my old FFB back?

Since the old centering was a simple spring effect, you can always reduce low speed centering, high speed centering, and internal friction to zero and enable spring centering in your wheel's hardware profile settings. This will give you the same FFB feel as in older game releases.

Thank you again for participating in the 1.42 open beta and all your feedback. Our team is working very hard to ensure that the update eventually arrives on the live version of the game in the best possible shape, and we really appreciate your feedback!