-steam workshop validation error fix

Mod Version 1.56.5.safemode - October 10th, 2025.

This is a landmark update that fundamentally enhances the realism and strategic depth of the in-game world. By integrating the next evolution of our Dynamic Economy Parameters (DEP) system, the entire economic landscape—from freight availability to the banking sector and used truck market—is now more responsive and immersive than ever before.

Reworks & Overhauls:
Introducing Dynamic Economy Parameters (DEP) v2.4!

The core of our Dynamic Freight Market (DFM) Engine has been upgraded to version 3.1.1, which is built upon the brand-new DEP v2.4 system. This is more than just a data refresh; it's a complete overhaul of how the game world breathes. The DEP system now processes multiple layers of data—including the season, national market health, regional economic trends, and major global events—to create a truly living economy.

This major architectural update will revamp your gameplay experience in three key areas:

A Truly Living Economy: You will now tangibly feel the effects of different economic climates. In a booming market, jobs will be plentiful and pay rates will be high, but hiring drivers and expanding your business will be expensive. During a recession, jobs will be scarce and rates will fall, but savvy operators will find opportunities to purchase cheap garages and used trucks.

Dynamic Used Truck Market: The availability, quality, and inventory mix at the American Iron Exchange (AIE) will now fluctuate realistically based on the market's health. During a boom, you'll find more "Fleet Fresh" late-model trucks as profitable companies upgrade, but they'll be snapped up quickly. In a downturn, the market will be flooded with "Old Iron" from failed companies, offering bargains for those with the cash to spare.

A Responsive Financial Sector: The banking and insurance industries will now react to the economic climate. Interest rates, loan amounts, and insurance terms will change from month to month, making financial decisions a core part of your long-term strategy.

Important Note for VTC Owners: These changes to the banking system only affect newly offered loans. Any existing loans you currently hold are locked in and will not be affected; their amounts and APR will remain the same.

Mod Version 1.56.4.2.safemode - October 9th, 2025.

This update is a routine data refresh, synchronizing the in-game economy with the latest real-world market analysis for the month of October.

--- DYNAMIC FREIGHT MARKET (DFM) ---

October Market Adjustment: The in-game economy has been updated to reflect the market conditions detailed in the October 2025 DFM Briefing.

Players will now feel the effects of the pre-holiday freight surge, with a significant increase in demand and rates for Van and Reefer loads.

The Open Deck market has been adjusted to reflect its current stabilization after a busy summer season.

All other cargo rates and availability have been re-balanced to align with the latest market data.

--- SMART EPOCH ---

The Smart Epoch has been updated to the current date.

Day of the Year is now: 282

--- UPCOMING CHANGES ---

Work continues on the next major evolution of the DFM for ATS. Here's a look at what the team is working on next:

DFM 3.2 (Granular Cargo System): Work will now begin on bringing the next evolution of the DFM from ETS2 over to the ATS platform. This major architectural update will introduce hyper-realistic, multi-phase seasonal market shifts.

ATS Cargo Standardization: The DFM 3.2 update will include the comprehensive overhaul of all ATS cargos to align them with the new, refined DFM subcategories (e.g., Open Deck, Special Transport, etc.), bringing the full depth of the Granular Cargo System to the ATS market.

Krone Agriculture DLC Support: The team is actively working on integrating full support for the Krone agricultural trailers and cargoes into the DFM system.

Mod Version 1.56.4.1.safemode - October 5th, 2025.

This update introduces a major new immersive feature and includes our standard monthly economy adjustments.

--- NEW FEATURES ---

* Introducing the "Smart Epoch" System!

To push the boundaries of realism, we have integrated our new Smart Epoch system into the core of the economy mod. This intelligent, back-end feature automatically synchronizes your in-game environment with the real world's calendar.

Key Features:
- Dynamic Date: The in-game date is now automatically set to the current real-world date with every mod update, ensuring the world around you always feels current.
- Seasonal Weather: Thunderstorm probabilities now change throughout the year and are unique to each continent, reflecting the distinct weather patterns of North America and Europe.
- Automatic Daylight Saving: The mod now handles Daylight Saving Time for both regions automatically, providing more authentic sunrise and sunset times year-round.

* Synergy with Seasonal Graphics Mods

The Smart Epoch system is designed to work in perfect harmony with popular seasonal graphics mods (e.g., from Grimes). To take full advantage of this, please use the following load order:

1. GDC Logistics Realistic Economy Mod (Highest Priority)
2. Your Seasonal Graphics Mod (e.g., Late Autumn)

This allows Smart Epoch to set the correct date and weather data, which the graphics mod can then use to display the correct seasonal visuals.

--- GENERAL UPDATES ---

* Economy: Includes updated fuel prices for October 2025.

Mod Version 1.55.13.safemode/Mod Version 1.56.2.safemode - September 19th, 2025.

New Features & Content

This update marks the single largest evolution of our Dynamic Freight Market to date. We are thrilled to introduce two brand-new, foundational systems that work in tandem with our existing Dynamic Cargo Rates (DCR) to create the most immersive and responsive economy we've ever built.

Introducing: The Dynamic Supply System (DSS)!

If DCR controls the price of cargo, the new DSS controls its availability. The freight market is no longer a static list of jobs; the supply of goods will now fluctuate realistically based on the season and other economic factors. Expect to see a massive influx of agricultural goods during the Fall harvest and a boom in construction materials in the Spring, while finding those same loads out of season will now be a genuine challenge.

Introducing: Dynamic Economy Parameters (DEP)!

This is the final layer of our simulation, controlling the entire economic climate of the game world. The fundamental rules of the economy—such as overall job availability and global pay rates—will now shift month-to-month based on the market's health. You will feel the world become "Busy," "Sluggish," or "Booming" through tangible gameplay effects, making the monthly Dynamic Freight Market Briefing more critical than ever.

Economy & Market Adjustments

*Comprehensive Rate & Supply Re-balancing:

With the launch of DSS and DEP, numerous cargo rates across all categories have been adjusted for improved realism and balance. These changes, combined with the new dynamic supply system, create a more cohesive and challenging economic experience where both price and availability must be considered for every haul.

Environmental Adjustments

*Day of the Year Update: The in-game date has been advanced to September 20th, 2025, to align with the current time.

Upcoming Changes

*Additional adjustments to individual cargo rates to make them more realistic.
*Revisions to truck/trailer total restoration.
*"Demo" inventory of used trucks from American Iron Exchange, to be used to promote Economy Mod Expansion Pack.

Mod Version 1.55.12.safemode/Mod Version 1.56.1.safemode - September 14th, 2025.

Reworks & Overhauls:

*Ownable Cargo Market Integration & Overhaul:

We have integrated and completely overhauled the content from the "Ownable Cargo Market Rework," a popular but long-abandoned mod by the original author, LAFAYET47. The original mod had not been updated since 2020 and was non-functional with modern game versions. This major update breathes new life into that content, seamlessly incorporating it into the GDC Logistics Economy Mod.

Content & Compatibility: This integration adds over 30 new and unique loads for your player-owned van (Dry Van/Reefer) and open deck (Flatbed) trailers. All original file definitions have been meticulously reworked for full compatibility and stability with game versions 1.55/1.56.

New Cargo Preview: Prepare to haul a much wider variety of freight, including:

Dry Van: Televisions, Clothing, Furniture, Bottled Water, and Pasta.

Reefer: Apples, Grapes, Tomatoes, Frozen Fish, Ice Cream, and Medical Vaccines.

Open Deck: Bricks, Wooden Beams, Straw Bales, and Aircraft Tires.

Agricultural: Barley, Onions, and Almonds.

We want to fully acknowledge the excellent original work done by LAFAYET47 and are proud to carry it forward for the community to enjoy.

Upcoming Changes:

*DCR Support for New Cargos: We will begin implementing full Dynamic Cargo Rates (DCR) support for all newly integrated cargos.
*Economic Balancing: We will be making necessary adaptations to cargo rates and making additional edits to cargo spawning locations to ensure a balanced and realistic freight market.
*Modded Trailer Support (Long-Term): We have a long-term goal to investigate and provide DCR support for popular third-party modded trailers.

Mod Version 1.55.11.1.safemode/Mod Version 1.56.0.1.safemode - September 9th, 2025.

Economy & Market Adjustments:

*Dynamic Cargo Rates (DCR) Update!
The Dynamic Cargo Rates (DCR) system has been updated for the month of September! This system transforms American Truck Simulator's static freight market into a vibrant, responsive, and highly realistic economic simulation. Cargo rates now fluctuate dynamically based on real-world factors, encouraging strategic decision-making and enhancing immersion for every haul.

Upcoming Changes:
*Additional adjustments to individual cargo rates to make them more realistic.
*Revisions to truck/trailer total restoration.
*"Demo" inventory of used trucks from American Iron Exchange, to be used to promote Economy Mod Expansion Pack.

Mod Version 1.55.11.safemode/Mod Version 1.56.0.safemode - September 7th, 2025.

Reworks & Overhauls:

*Addtional Tire Properties Implementation: The performance of all generic and licensed tires has been completely reworked and implemented with new parameters. This particular update adds support for trailer tires.

Impact: This overhaul adds realism and strategic depth to your in-game tire choices by factoring in roll_resistance (fuel efficiency), wet_grip (wet traction), and noise_volume (cabin noise). Each tire now has unique characteristics that affect gameplay.

*American Iron Exchange (AIE) Used Truck Market Settings: The underlying settings for the AIE used truck market have been implemented in preparation for future demo inventory additions.

Fixes & Improvements:

*Tire Performance Guide: To help players make informed decisions, a comprehensive "ATS Tire Performance Guide" has been created and will be available as a separate document, detailing the performance characteristics of every tire in the mod.

*Economy Mod UI Fixes: Addressed and resolved several UI-related issues within the mod to improve the overall user experience.

Compatibility Update:

*The mod has been updated to support game version 1.56.

Upcoming Changes:
*Freight market update for September.
*DCR Update.
*Additional adjustments to indvidual cargo rates to make them more realistic.
*Revisions to truck/trailer total restoration.
*"Demo" inventory of used trucks from American Iron Exchange, to be used to promote Economy Mod Expansion Pack.

Mod Version 1.55.10.safemode - September 6th, 2025.

Reworks & Overhauls:

*Tire Properties Implementation: The performance of all generic and licensed tires has been completely reworked and implemented with new parameters.

Impact: This overhaul adds realism and strategic depth to your in-game tire choices by factoring in rolling resistance (fuel efficiency), wet traction, and noise volume (cabin noise). Each tire now has unique characteristics that affect gameplay.

Fixes & Improvements:

*Tire Performance Guide: To help players make informed decisions, a comprehensive "ATS Tire Performance Guide" has been created and will be available as a separate document, detailing the performance characteristics of every tire in the mod.

Upcoming Changes:
*Compatibility update for Game Version 1.56
*Freight market update for September.
*DCR Update.
*Additional adjustments to invididual cargo rates to make them more realisitic.
*Economy mod related UI fixes.
*Revisions to truck/trailer total restoration.
*"Demo" inventory of used trucks from American Iron Exchange, to be used to promote Economy Mod Expansion Pack.

Mod Version 1.55.9.safemode - September 3rd, 2025.

Economy & Market Adjustments:

*Restored Freight Availability Settings to previous values.

Environmental Adjustments:

*Preparation for Fall Season: This update adjusts the mod's environmental settings to prepare for the upcoming fall season.
*Day of the Year: The in-game date has been set to Day 247 (September 4th), marking the transition into early fall.
*Thunderstorm Probability: The thunderstorm probability is set to 35%.

****Player Action Required****: For a truly immersive experience, players should adjust their in-game rain probability settings to between 40-60% to account for the seasonal rain expected during the months of September through November.

Upcoming Changes:
*Compatibility update for Game Version 1.56
*Freight market update for September.
*DCR Update.
*Additional adjustments to invididual cargo rates to make them more realisitic.
*Economy mod related UI fixes.
*Revisions to truck/trailer total restoration.
*"Demo" inventory of used trucks from American Iron Exchange, to be used to promote Economy Mod Expansion Pack.