The "Time Zones" option is found in the Gameplay Options in ETS2 and ATS. There are three settings to choose from, namely: "Disabled", "Only time", and "Full info". As you may already know, the "Disabled" setting simply disables time zones, while the other two enable them.
However, you may not be aware that more things change behind the scenes when you enable time zones, besides just... enabling the simulation of time zones in-game. In this blog post we'll look at what they are.
What Happens If You Set It to "Disabled"?[]
If you set the "Time Zones" option to "Disabled", then there will be effectively no longitude in the game, only latitude. This means that the local solar time is the same everywhere in the game's map, in addition to clock time being the same. That is to say, when it's solar noon in your location, it's solar noon in the entire map; the only thing that varies is how high the sun gets in the sky, which is determined by latitude.
And What Happens If You Enable Time Zones?[]
If you enable time zones by setting the option to either "Only time" or "Full info", it actually enables longitude emulation in-game. What this means is that the local solar time is no longer the same in the entire map; instead, it's determined by longitude. For example, when it's solar noon in London, it will be about an hour after solar noon in Berlin, due to the longitude difference. These two cities also have a one-hour time difference in-game if time zones are enabled, just like in real life.
Another implication of longitude emulation is that it's possible to "gain" or "lose" time by traveling across multiple time zones, similar to real-world travel. In other words, you "fast-forward" through the day by going east, and "slow down" the progression of the day by going west.
Is Daylight Saving Time in Effect in the Game?[]
Yes, DST is always in effect in ETS2 and ATS, regardless of the "Time Zones" setting. Here's how to prove it:
If you have time zones enabled[]
- Set the "Time Zones" option to "Full info", if you haven't done that already.
- Look at the time zone abbreviation. You should be able to see abbreviations like "CEST" (for Central European Summer Time) or "PDT" (for Pacific Daylight Time). These time zones are only active in the DST period in the respective locations.
If you have time zones disabled[]
- Steer your truck so that it faces due south.
- Use the "g_set_time" command to set the game time to 12:00 noon. You will find that the sun is not positioned due south, but a bit towards the east.
- Then, set the game time to 1:00 pm (or 13:00). Now you should be able to see that the sun appears due south. This proves that the clocks have been turned forward by 1 hour, i.e. Daylight Saving Time is in effect.
It is worth mentioning that DST being in effect in ETS2 and ATS is also backed by evidence in the "env_data.sii" file. In that file you can find a line saying "summer_time: 1", meaning "summer time" (the British term for DST) is active and advances the game clock by 1 hour. If you want to disable DST, just change the "1" to "0". Please note that this method only works if time zones are disabled.