Sierra's Police Quest series has proven to be very successful, with over 850,000 copies sold. The fifth installment - Daryl Gates Police Quest: SWAT - scheduled for release in October, allows the player to get a first-hand look at the training and tactics used by this law enforcement team. SWAT stands for Special Weapons And Tactics, and is a police team designed to deal with dangerous situations that the average police officer isn't necessarily trained for. Gates, a former police chief in Los Angeles, helped pioneer the SWAT concept in the late '60s in response to the Watts riots. Feeling that their response to certain situations was poor, the LAPD decided to create an elite team which had the firepower and discipline to handle things like hostage situations and sniper attacks. Since that time, SWAT has become a useful part of metropolitan police forces across the country, and now Sierra has brought the experience of being on this team to the PC. SWAT promises to be as authentic as possible through the help and input of Gates, who first became involved with the series with Police Quest 4. Also involved in putting together SWAT - Tammy Dargan, co-designer of Police Quest 4 and a former producer of America's Most Wanted.
Sierra is making somewhat of a departure from the previous Police Quest games in that SWAT is more of a tactical simulation rather than an adventure game. Live actors, along with the actual SWAT training facilities, have been digitized using advanced video capture techniques. A series of 180 real-life photos will provide the environments for the crisis situations the player will be entering. SWAT weaponry like the MP5 and M16 guns, Robar .308 sniper rifles, CS Gas, flashbangs, and Lash communications headsets are included. The player will even have to learn to understand and use hand signal communications for silent assaults. During filming, actual SWAT officers were present to ensure that everything was as authentic and accurate as possible. In fact, one of the problems encountered in designing SWAT was that the real teams were concerned that some of their secrets were going to be given away. So in order to protect certain tactics and procedures, Police Quest: SWAT introduces the player to only the basic techniques of SWAT teams, while attempting to make that experience very real and involving.
The player begins the game as the newest member of the Los Angeles Police Department's D Platoon. Through training at SWAT facilities, the player learns to use the tactics and weapons that will be needed in the mission scenarios. The tough part is that SWAT is not a military organization which wants to eliminate their opponents. The goal is to keep everyone, both good and bad guys, alive. Missions that the player will encounter include terrorist bombings, hostage situations, and barricaded suspects. Depending on the mission, the player must either follow the orders given them or decide themselves how to solve the situation as they lead in the SWAT team.
The role that the player assumes in each mission could be different. In one mission they may be covering other members, while in another mission they may be set up as a sniper. Each mission will require the player to set up correctly, shoot and not shoot at certain times, and enter rooms in the appropriate manner for the situation. According to the player's performance in each mission, they will either rise through the ranks and get promoted, or get kicked back to training. To help throughout the game, Daryl Gates and other D Platoon officers can be interviewed in order to gain more information on procedures, equipment and tactics.
Drawing upon the success of the previous Police Quest games and building upon the knowledge gained from designing them, Police Quest: SWAT is looking to continue the tradition while offering something new. While still incorporating the adventure element through the player advancing their career and entering different types of situations which must be solved correctly, SWAT has more of a strategic and simulation element to it. Police Quest: SWAT plans to offer the most realistic and involving simulation ever brought to the PC about SWAT teams.
