Wisconsin was the last of the good old maps for me to complete on hard mode. After finishing the base game in order, I started playing the regions randomly, mostly backwards. So currently I've completed all of the base game plus every DLC except Tennessee, Quebec, Washington, Zurdania and Chiapas on hard mode. That's about 76% of the game.

I don't plan to continue hard mode anymore. I've already finished everything on normal anyway, and I either really don't want to replay Washington or Tennessee, or have little interest in doing Quebec, Zurdania and Chiapas on hard. First of all, at this point it isn't hard anymore - it just takes longer. And secondly, after playing NC and Austria on hard, I realized I played them almost exactly the same way as on normal. The newer maps are way too straightforward, and I don't think I'd get a different experience. Wisconsin was my last hard mode region, and that's a good place to stop.

The great thing about the maps up to Ontario (excluding Ontario itself) is that they can be played in multiple ways. There are lots of shortcuts and alternate routes to discover. And at least in my case, I approached them differently on hard mode. Kola, for example, I played mostly backwards - from Imandra to Lake Kovd - because Imandra has a lot of free fuel, so I prioritized that. That changes the order of tasks and everything else.

For Wisconsin, I decided to try using RWD trucks for hauling only. I was pretty sure the maps would allow it, and instead of brute-forcing everything with my usual 8x8s and 10x10s, I'd have to find alternate routes. I already done most of NC with RWD trucks, so I had a rough idea of what to expect. From my normal playthrough years ago, I also didn't remember Wisconsin being particularly difficult terrain-wise.

It wasn't meant to be a challenge run or anything. I was fully prepared to deploy my regular AWD trucks if needed, and of course the scout was still 4x4. But since I was doing Wisconsin in the background over a long period of time, I somehow reached the end without switching to AWD at all.

Because I was playing Wisconsin alongside my normal save, I don't have any time statistics. It definitely took longer than it normally would have, but not by much. Maybe around 20% longer. It really wasn't that hard.

I started the region with 2.4 million credits and finished with... 2.4 million credits, despite buying two trucks (Ford CLT and Mack TerraPro), plus their add-ons and trailers.

**Trucks**

Since I was limiting myself to RWD trucks, I decided to use every one available in the game.

Without a doubt, the best two are the Pacific P16 and Kenworth W990. Next comes the Pacific P512. Those three handled most of the hauling.

The Kenworth T880 was a great support fuel truck, the Mack TerraPro became a small all-rounder for relatively easy terrain (although not only that, as you can see in the screenshots -installing the snorkel actually made sense, haha). The CLT and Transtar handled highway hauling between the factories and the sawmill. The Cat 770G helped with a heavy trailer and the hardest rescue mission with the P12. The Ford F750 served as both scout, service and recovery truck.

**P16** \- Deep mud, deep water. No serious climbing. Looks cool, it's huge, HONK! How can you not love the P16?

**W990** \- Everything, including logs. Climbs surprisingly well considering I didn't have a better option. Excellent truck.

**P512** \- Everything, some logs, moderate climbing. Slightly less capable than the W990 but still very good. Doesn't really like the foldable long log trailer.

**T880** \- Fuel truck. Mostly hauling cheap fuel from the distant gas station on the second map.

**TerraPro** \- My beloved tiny shitter. Not especially capable (roughly on par with the T880), but I like it a lot.

**CLT** \- Probably good, I guess. I still prefer the Transtar. Also seems to take damage ridiculously easily.

**Transtar** \- A classic. Carried me through Alaska and didn't disappoint in Wisconsin.

**Cat 770G** \- Honestly... it's better to drive it through the woods because the only way to steer it is with the winch and some trees. But it has plenty of power and handled the hardest rescue mission in the region.

**Ford F750** \- Excellent scout for Wisconsin. Especially in my case, because it's large enough to test routes for the bigger trucks before committing to them. Heavy, not as good in deep mud as Tatarin (don't sell Tatarin on hard!), but now that it can tow scout trailers, I used it to haul resources from the most remote and elevated locations.

**The maps**

As expected, I found some alternate routes on top of the ones I already knew. Probably the most useful was a shortcut through the trees to the logging station near the garage with the unlimited logs. And to the Meteo Station. 

Using only RWD trucks means you're constantly looking for alternate routes. That's where the F750 really helped. Since it's about the size of a normal truck, it's perfect for scouting paths, especially through the trees, before sending in a hauler.

The maps feel open. You can drive along the riverbanks, hop between the wooden bridges, find different routes, and choose whichever one fits the mission best. You never feel locked into using the exact same road every time. It's a real shame Saber doesn't design maps like this anymore.

The biggest challenge in Wisconsin wasn't the mud. It was climbing rocky routes full of boulders and loose stones. That's what caused most of the slowdowns and problems. With AWD you barely notice it, but with RWD it becomes an issue immediately.

The hardest mission was delivering two loads of long logs to the house in the north of the first map. That climb was brutal. I did it with the P512 and the W990. It was slow, burned a lot of fuel, involved a lot of winching... and then there were the endless side slopes. They're everywhere.

**Things I don't like about Wisconsin**

* Crafting with the generator. I hate it. That's why I collected every steel beam and brick available on both maps. In the end I only had to craft 6 steel beams and 4 bricks.
* Contests. Especially the one that's locked to in-cab view at night. Fucking hell. I still have no idea how I managed to finish it. Anyway, they're all done now.

Compared to the other Year 1 and Year 2 regions, I still rank Wisconsin below Yukon, Kola, Amur, Maine and Glades. But compared to the newer maps, it's still on a completely different level. Replaying it on hard mode actually felt different from my normal playthrough, and I'm glad I did it.

Wisconsin on Hard with RWD trucks only - better than expected