Launch of the Patreon Family

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Patreon, here is a brief introduction. Patreon allows creators of all kinds to create their subscription platform and gives them the tools they need to attract, manage and motivate paying contributors. Through a subscription-based payment model, fans pay their favourite creators a monthly contribution of their choice, in exchange for exclusive access, additional content or a behind-the-scenes look at their creative journey. It's a win-win model: creators retain their creative freedom while getting the income they deserve, and their fans are assured that their money goes directly to creating more content they love.

The idea of creating a Patreon is not new. Some time ago, I had started to set up the page but had never launched it. It was through an exchange with Kristin and Kat, two members of our community, that this topic came up again and I got motivated to go through with it this time.
As you probably know, since the beginning I like to offer my donors something in return for their financial support. That's why some of them have been able to choose a village name, a city name, a personalised deposit or a VTC. I like this give-and-take spirit and Patreon allows me to go further in this concept. Indeed, the idea here is to go further. That is to say, to try to reach a kind of financial self-sufficiency to devote more time to the creation of Grand Utopia and to the creation of other projects. Projects that are lying around in a corner of my head because I don't have enough time to do them. I am talking about a Grand Utopia of America for American Truck Simulator and a continental extension for Grand Utopia. The latter has already been started. Some of you may have already seen, since v1.11 of Grand Utopia, new signs indicating a certain Mygotopia. I will come back to this later.

For now, know that this Patreon is a way for you to help me to continue my map projects for ETS 2 and who knows for ATS soon.

GRAND UTOPIA
You already know this project. This mod map is available and is completely free to use. Grand Utopia is a 1:1 scale map based on a fictitious French island. I started this project several years ago and it is still in development. I am trying to recreate a realistic French region with beautiful scenic roads, pretty villages and big cities. I want you to be captivated by the different landscapes on the roadside and to feel like you are driving in real places. You can choose to take the back roads, which will sometimes be narrow and require your best driving skills, or you can also navigate the long, wide highways that criss-cross the island if you prefer to enjoy the scenery.

MYGOTOPIA
This unreleased project will be an exclusive map, only available to some of my Patrons. This map mod will be an extension of the Grand Utopia map and they will only work together. The 1:1 scale is still used and this new country is also a figment of my imagination. At the moment the mod is not available because there are not enough roads and cities yet. However, it will be made available to Diamond Club members as soon as 5 cities have been created.

GRAND UTOPIA OF AMERICA
Another project I would like to create is a fictional state for American Truck Simulator. This map has not been started yet because I don't have enough time to make it. If one day I can make it, it will be thanks to my Patrons. So it will also be distributed exclusively (for the first versions) to my Patrons. However, in the long run, I would like to use the same concept as for the Grand Utopia map for ETS2: a completely free version for everyone, with a private extension for my Patrons, as a thank you for their active and continuous support.

PATRONS' ISLAND
Small project that will be created exclusively for Gold and Diamond Patrons. This small island will consist of a superb private domain that you can use as a main or secondary residence. We are talking about a French-style estate with a large castle with outbuildings, a huge park with trees, a flowered and landscaped garden and everything that has made France an example in terms of art of living. The island will be located at the capital : Utopia, on the small piece of land off the city centre and the port. The estate will only be accessible by ferry and will of course include a garage and a workshop to pamper your finest trucks.

Joining the Patreon family allows you, in return for your financial support, to access exclusive benefits depending on the level of your participation. I have set up 4 levels that I present to you here. You can also find all this information on my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/MyGodness).

BENEFITS :
- mention of your name (or pseudo) in the list of thanks integrated in my mods
- Bronze Patrons role on the Discord with access to private rooms
- access to private publications on my Patreon page

BENEFITS :
- mention of your name (or pseudo) in the list of thanks integrated in my mods
- attribution of the Silver Patrons role on the Discord with access to private rooms
- access to private publications on my Patreon page
- access to Patrons' votes

BENEFITS :
- mention of your name (or pseudo) in the list of thanks integrated to my mods
- Gold Patrons role on the Discord with access to private rooms
- access to private publications on my Patreon page
- access to Patrons' votes
- access to the Patrons' Island of Grand Utopia (exclusive addon map)

BENEFITS :
- mention of your name (or nickname) in the list of thanks integrated to my mods
- Diamond Patrons role on the Discord with access to private rooms
- access to private publications on my Patreon page
- access to Patrons' votes
- access to the Patrons' Island of Grand Utopia (exclusive addon map)
- access to the Mygotopia Map (exclusive addon map)

Those who see this system as the end of something, be reassured. The Grand Utopia Map will remain entirely free forever. Simply, by joining my Patreon, you can unlock additional areas to explore and a few other small perks. There is, of course, nothing compulsory and you can continue to enjoy Grand Utopia, a mod map that I will continue to develop until the end.

Finally, I would like to personally thank Olaf for having already joined my Patreon even though it was not yet officially launched. He thus becomes the very first member of a family that I hope will keep growing over time. Thank you Olaf. The support you have given me for several years now means a lot to me.

And I also want to thank Kristin and Kat for their good advice and support. Without you, this Patreon Family would not have been born so soon. Thank you both.