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Police Simulator: Patrol Officers News

Global release schedule, an official handbook, and our very first changelog!



[h3]Fellow officers,[/h3]
it's finally time for release! After years of work (and tons of love, sweat, and pixels), Police Simulator: Patrol Officers will launch in Steam Early Access... TOMORROW! We're not going to lie here: It's hard to believe that we have reached this point.

To prepare you for the launch in the right manner, we've crafted a very helpful and lovely overview for you!

[hr][/hr][h2]When does the game release exactly?[/h2]

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers will launch worldwide on June 17, 2021 at 5:00pm CEST - or 17:00 o'clock, if you prefer that way of writing the time. Don't worry, we've been so kind and have created a very nice map showing you *exactly* when the game will release in your time zone - take a look at the map above!

[hr][/hr][h2]Where can I contact you for help?[/h2]

Stuck? Questions about the future of the game? Technical issues? We're here to help!

The teams at astragon and aesir will hang around in the Steam Forums and respond to your questions.

You can also contact us via our official Socials! Our team will respond to your questions both in the comments and via DM.

We also have an official Discord! Here, both teams at astragon and aesir (plus awesome community members!) will respond to your questions!

Last but not least, you can also contact our technical support team via email, should you prefer that: [email protected]

[hr][/hr][h2]Do you have an additional guide or something like that?[/h2]

Good question! We have created a *huge* handbook with all details about... basically everything! Are you unsure if your decision is lawful? Do you need to double-check if something is a violation or not? We got you covered!

Check out the official handbook for our new police rookies for more details - of course, you can also find it in-game! Feel free to use it for the creation of guides, wikis, and other stuff as well. Highly welcomed by the entire team! :)

[hr][/hr][h2]We're planning a Launch Stream![/h2]

Yes, you read that correctly! For tomorrow, we plan to host a live stream in anticipation of the launch. It will start at 3:30pm CEST (6:30am PST, 9:30am EST) and feature several members of the development team at aesir interactive!

We'll stream simultaneously on YouTube, Twitch & on the Steam store page. More details follow tomorrow!

[hr][/hr][h2]The Day One Changelog[/h2]

In the last few days, we've watched a bunch of live streams and let's plays - and wow, have there been a lot of them! Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? We lost count.

Don't worry, we didn't just watch things, we also noted down a bunch of suggestions and a few bugs!

Ahead of launch, we have already started working on a first update to improve the game right before all of you get your hands on it. Should you have already seen some gameplay impressions, you'll appreciate some of these changes for sure. I mean... we now have VOICEOVERS! REAL VOICEOVERS!

Without further ado, here's what has been changed in the last few days:


Localization & Texts
  • Voice overs added for German and English
  • Reimported dialogue tables
UI
  • Replaced coded keys in tutorial texts with dynamic button prompts
  • The car icon was shown on the compass and map during a foot patrol
  • Fixed clipping setting of map app so the legend was not visible outside the app widget during "open map app" animation
  • Fixed waypoint marker not clearing in-between shifts
  • Callout timer now stops when the game is paused
Gameplay
  • Focus Mode time changed from 1.25s to 0.75s and transition duration changed from 0.5s to 0.2s
  • Increased Ranged Stun Gun's range from 4.57 m to 10.67 m
  • Fixed some errors in shift report calculation and how score attributes are recovered from savegames
  • Fixed player lost conduct points for arresting a wanted person that carried an illegal item
  • Fixed invalid location for an accident callout
Game World
  • Adjusted building in North Point that was not positioned correctly
  • Fixed NPVs which were clipping into each other in Beaufort Landing parking lot
  • Adjusted graffiti design that was hidden behind asset
  • Adjusted misaligned markings
  • An entire building was missing - we found it and brought it back to its place!
  • Another building was roaming around in the street... not anymore!
  • Cleaned up tree textures
  • Reworked meshes
NPC
  • Fixed crime scene NPCs
  • Fixed fleeing NPC that had to be tasered but was still marked as police brutality
  • NPC clothes fixing and adjusting color names
  • Fixed that Service Vehicle People did exit their vehicle too far away from target location
  • Applied atmospheric emission to skin areas only
  • Fixed that no resident was found for NPV that player rammed into
Cars & Parking
  • Fixed car engine setup not resetting when starting new shifts
  • Fixed patrol car state from last shift carrying over to new shift
  • Fixed patrol cars missing collision
  • Adjusted parking proxies and adjusting their placement
  • Checked the parking spot proxies for placement
Sounds
  • Fixed vehicle sound for cruiser not matching RPM
Stability Improvements
  • Fixed a crash after getting run over by a car
  • Fixed random crash on startup
Miscellaneous
  • Improved all tutorials
  • Fixed tutorial triggering at the wrong time
  • Fixed a warning caused by a replicated property not being replicated properly


https://store.steampowered.com/app/997010?snr=1_2108_9__2107

Police Duties: Look out for traffic violations on the streets of Brighton!



[h3]Fellow officers,[/h3]
As a police officer, you should always look at the behavior of all drivers in Brighton. Some of them simply do not want to act according to rules - and this can not go unpunished! Today we will show you how traffic violations look like in Police Simulator: Patrol Officers and give you a few insights into the process!

But let's take a look in-game, first!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[hr][/hr][h2]What's forbidden in Brighton?[/h2]



In Brighton, drivers have to follow a bunch of traffic rules - if they don't, every street would only consist of pure mayhem. In the clip, we are highlighting a few of them: Turning without a signal, running a stop sign, running a red light, putting on underglow lights on a car, featuring tinted windows, having broken windshields and headlights... all these things are not okay at all.

After all, these are serious offenses that pose a risk to all road users and pedestrians.

[hr][/hr][h2]I've spotted a violation - what now?[/h2]



You are of course allowed to pull-over these cars, basically detaining them in the process. One option is the use of your Pull Over Sign which can be equipped via the tool menu should you currently be on foot patrol. This tool provides you with the ability to pull-over vehicles from traffic: Aim at the vehicle and... well, pull them over!

(It's not even Winter and you still have so many pull-overs... haha... get it? No? Okay.)

Good to know: You will receive intuition feedback, whether or not the vehicle will be pulling over. Always worth it! But, you have to keep in mind that drivers might not see you: When using the Pull Over Sign, your intuition will tell you whether or not your command has been seen. Make sure you're well visible but standing in a safe place, not in the middle of the road. Of course, make sure that you can even justify pulling them over - meaning, that they should have violated a traffic rule beforehand.

Of course, should you patrol by car, you can also pull over violating cars!

[hr][/hr][h2]What happens afterwards?[/h2]



You pulled them over? Good. Now you can, for example, perform a Drug Test! You are allowed to request the suspect to do one as the purpose of this test is to find out if they're driving under the influence of drugs (DUI), thus establishing probable cause. DUI is at least a misdemeanor - arresting the driver and towing the driver's car is completely justified in this situation.

It's allowed to order a driver to perform a drug test when the driver committed any traffic violation. Yes, even if the violation cannot be connected to a DUI suspicion. I mean, stuff like that is scary! Not behaving responsibly can lead to accidents, maybe connected even with serious injuries.

What you can not do is frisking the driver. No, committing a traffic violation is not enough, there must be other crimes involved...

[hr][/hr][h2]So... can I ask them for an ID?[/h2]



Yup! The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution regulates the right of the people 'to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures'. This includes the regulation when persons have to identify themselves towards police officers.

Apart from that, a lot of states have varying 'Stop and identify' laws. In the state of Franklin and city of Brighton, police officers are allowed to request the ID of people in certain circumstances, including traffic violations.

[hr][/hr][h2]What can the punishment look like?[/h2]



Well, you can either hand out a ticket or give them a verbal warning - both is viable. If you stop the person, you can sometimes also observe signs of other infringements or crimes which are not related to traffic. One example is the posession of an illegal weapon, or even that the person has an open warrant. Keep your eyes open for all law violations, you might have to arrest them!

[hr][/hr][h2]That sounds pretty complicated...[/h2]



It's 2021, basically the future™, and we're innovating at all times! Should you active the Casual Game Mode, you will receive intuition hints on traffic violations which are actively broken in that specific moment by drivers (example: driving over a red light). However, violations which are broken permanently won't be shown (like driving with a broken windshield).

But that's not all! We have also created a *huge* handbook with all details about basically everything! Are you unsure if your decision is lawful? Do you need to double-check if something is a violation or not? We got the solution!

Check out the official handbook for our new police rookies for more details - of course, you can also find it in-game! Feel free to use it for the creation of guides, wikis and other stuff as well. Highly welcomed by the entire team! :)

[hr][/hr][h2]More to come![/h2]

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers launches in Steam Early Access on June 17, 2021! We're sharing a lot of gameplay content on our official Socials.

Make sure to catch all news regarding Police Simulator: Patrol Officers by following us everywhere:


https://store.steampowered.com/app/997010?snr=1_2108_9__2107

Our Early Access Roadmap for Police Simulator: Patrol Officers!



[h3]Fellow officers,[/h3]
you probably know it already, but here's a quick reminder: Police Simulator: Patrol Officers will finally release on June 17, 2021! As we're starting in Steam Early Access, our plan is to involve you, the player community, early on. Your feedback is very important: Together with you, we want to create a great user experience while expanding the game bit by bit in the upcoming months.

We see this game as a challenge, a big chance, and an extraordinary journey. We will try to improve Police Simulator: Patrol Officers and enhance it wherever possible. That said, everyone on the team is looking forward to collaborating closely with you - so, be prepared! Grab your badge and get ready for duty!

[h2]A few things about the roadmap[/h2]

With this roadmap, we want to give you an overview of what is planned in the near and broader future of Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. As you can see, we've already laid out the first four 'bigger' updates, starting with The Background Check Update coming in early July. However, thanks to your feedback, we've already collected so many new ideas which we want to bring to the game! We don't have an exact date for these yet, but we'll inform all of you as soon as we can. Of course, everything is always subject to change... game development is often unpredictable.

Speaking of informing you: We will regularly update our official Trello board with all details surrounding the latest developments in Police Simulator: Patrol Officers! You should definitely bookmark it to stay up-to-date at all times!



[h2]I've taken a look at the Trello board - what do the different labels mean?[/h2]

It's actually pretty simple!

  • Green Label - Indicates that this piece has been shipped! It is now part of the game.
  • Yellow Label - Indicates that development on this piece has been completed and that it is ready to ship with the next update.
  • Orange Label - Indicates that an item is in beta mode and currently being tested.
  • Purple Label - Indicates that we started working on this item with no ETA yet.
  • Blue Label - Indicates that work has not started on this piece and that we're still evaluating the scope, the fit, and all other connected constraints and possibilities. Tell us your opinion why you want a blue labeled item in the game and vote for it!
  • Red Label - For the moment we have decided against implementing this item. There are various reasons, why we had to make this decision. There may be a time where this item gets re-evaluated.

[h2]How do you evaluate and conclude if a suggestion gets a Blue or Red Label in the Trello Board? [/h2]

Our developers and designers will come together regularly with the community managers to discuss and evaluate all available input. We want to have a good mixture of user impressions and aim to achieve the following goals:

  • We want to stay with our current quality level or even improve it if possible.
  • We want to have a low bug amount and especially no critical or blocker gameplay bugs.
  • We want to secure save game stability so that you don't need to replay the game from the beginning after we release a new update.
  • We want to show steady and healthy progress during Early Access. 
  • We want to grow the game by adding new features, new content and further improvements

Okay, our goals are clear! But what's still missing are our criteria for deciding which content and features will make it into the game. While evaluating them, we go by the following questions:
  • Does the item fit into our roadmap timewise?
  • Does the item meet our goals (see above)?
  • Is the staff with the right skill set available in the next weeks and months?
  • Is the item connected to the gameplay?
  • Is the item connected to other items already in the game? Do we need to develop prerequisites first or refactor an existing system or feature?

[h2]How will your updates look like?[/h2]

We have decided to introduce three different categories for our updates:
  • Hotfix - Fast fixes of broken but existing items in our current game version.
  • Patch - Fixes bugs, adds improvements and tiny, small or sometimes medium items.
  • Package - Bigger update with focus on a special topic. Several months and multiple developers contribute here. Includes especially huge and large items.

[h2]We need your feedback![/h2]

Nothing is more important than your feedback - so keep it coming! We've gotten so much great input in the last few weeks and we're so overwhelmed by all your amazing suggestions.

If you want to get in touch directly with the team, feel free to follow us anywhere to take part in the conversation:


Oh, and wishlist the game now to get notified when the game releases in Steam Early Access on June 17!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/997010?snr=1_2108_9__2107

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers releases on June 17, 2021!



[h3]Fellow officers,[/h3]
in the last few weeks, it became clear that most of you can't wait for Police Simulator: Patrol Officers to launch. When we announced the game in February, we did mention a release window this Spring - and we will keep our promise!

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers will release on June 17, 2021 in Steam Early Access!

Phew, it does feel good that we're finally able to reveal it...

[h2]Oh wow, that's great![/h2]

We agree! We've spent our last few months reading all of your feedback (there has been a lot!) and have evaluated it constantly. As we strive to work alongside you, the community, your impressions and wishes are extremely important to us. For example, some of you have given us lots of inspiration regarding new violations, duties, and features. A free roam mode? In the works. Additional cars? Already planned. Being able to handcuff and escort criminals to jail yourself? Definitely coming! And that's not even all, new events like vandalism or bag thieves are also part of our roadmap... plus much, much more.

Next week, we will reveal our content roadmap as we develop the game further and further during Steam Early Access. You can already bookmark our official Trello board which will receive an update soon. However, we also follow your feedback closely here on Steam, our official Social Media profiles, and Discord. Keep it coming!

In addition, we have already made countless changes to the game based on your feedback. One example is the lighting: Some of you had a lot of valid criticism, prompting us to tweak it further and put a lot of additional work into it. We're quite happy now...

[h2]What awaits me at release?[/h2]

You will be able to step into the shoes of a patrol officer and experience the day-to-day-life of them. When we launch in Early Access, lots of content will already be included. Of course, as mentioned a few lines before, this is just the start!

Here's just a small overview of everything awaiting you at release:
  • Parking Violations
  • Speeding Violations
  • Traffic Violations
  • Traffic Accidents
  • Other violations like jaywalking, littering, robberies...
  • A fully dynamic traffic system
  • The very first district with five neighborhoods: Melting Pot
  • A progression system to unlock new duties, neighborhoods and violations
  • Two different game modes: Casual and Simulation
  • Interrogations
  • Investigations
  • Intuition System
  • ... and much more!

[h2]Follow us around and join the community![/h2]

Thank you so, so much for your incredible support in the last few months. Your engagement is truly inspiring and we can't wait to make the game even better and expand it together with you. It will be a hell of a ride :)

Oh, not to forget: We put together some new screenshots and gameplay footage! You can check out the fresh stuff down below!

To keep up with all things regarding Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, don't forget to follow us anywhere to take part in the conversation:


Oh, and wishlist the game now to get notified when the game releases in Steam Early Access on June 17!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/997010?snr=1_2108_9__2107



[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Police Duties: Secure the site at traffic accidents!



[h3]Fellow officers,[/h3]
As a police officer, it is your duty to ensure the safety of all citizens. This concept also applies to accidents, making it your responsibility to find out what might have caused them. Police Simulator: Patrol Officers offers you a deep set of content and lots of tasks when handling accidents. Today, we're going to give you a few insights into the process!

But let's take a look in-game, first!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[hr][/hr][h2]How does an accident look like in Police Simulator: Patrol Officers?[/h2]



Patrol officers of Brighton serve an important role in gathering evidence at a motor vehicle accident scene. Your duty's range is pretty wide: Typical tasks include interrogating nearby witnesses and involved drivers, documentation about caused damage, helping injured citizens, executing drug tests, and much more. As you see, your job is invaluable. You're important. Yes, you!

Of course, not every accident is the same. We distinguish between Minor Accidents and Major Accidents. The difference is defined by both the gravity of the damage and the number of involved citizens.

As part of our advanced simulation system, accidents are either created completely organically, happening right in front of your own beautiful eyes, or via callout in which you'll receive a call for assistance. Regular callouts are meant for minor accidents while emergency callouts will seek help for major accidents. The entire system is so dynamic, even we can't predict them:
„Dynamic accidents happen out of the traffic simulation through various balancing and environmental influences. Even for us developers, it is not predictable where and when accidents may happen.“ - Florian "Flo" Reichhold, Programmer
Multiple reasons can lead to accidents. For example: Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. drivers ignoring traffic rules like red stoplights, rear-end-collisions, pedestrians ignoring traffic rules like jaywalking, and other stuff.

[hr][/hr][h2]When the damage is over 9000[/h2]



I'm sure you've watched the clip above, right? In that case, you've definitely seen the need to call for a tow truck as the car was quite damaged and also badly smoking. Please press F to pay respects.

The car is clearly not in an operational state anymore. In this case, you have to call for a tow truck as you want to clear the scene as fast as possible - otherwise, you're risking quite a traffic jam. Imagine not towing the car away: After a few decades of just standing there, it would quickly become a tourist destination. Yes, that's one we can refuse.

Mostly, Brighton's tow truck service is reliable and fast. But there are situations where they might take a while because no tow truck is available at the moment or the wrecker cannot easily reach its destination. In those cases, the tow truck service will tell patrol officers that it
might take up to 24 hours, and patrol officers are allowed and advised to leave. We are in constant communication with the tow truck service to improve the service even further in the future. Still better than a few decades.

[hr][/hr][h2]Helping your citizens[/h2]



Sometimes, it's not just the cars taking damage - pedestrians can get injured, too! You know what to do: Call for an ambulance to let them receive the help they badly need.

Oftentimes, injured or hurt persons cannot make an own decision whether or not they want to call an ambulance or be treated. For example, when they are unconscious. In this case, a first responder and paramedics operate on the principle of "implied consent": The circumstances imply that a first responder can assume that a person would consent to call an ambulance and being treated by
paramedics, if they could.

Just assume the best possible scenario.

[hr][/hr][h2]Let the investigation begin![/h2]



Car damaged. People hurt. But who's at fault?

This is where most of the work begins: It's time to investigate! One tool that turns out to be quite useful is the Photo Camera, available as equipment via the tool menu, with the main purpose of securing all evidence.

Once you have arrived at an accident site, equip the photo camera and aim at the damaged car parts. When aiming, an icon is displayed which evidence that can be photographed - go take a picture! Icons only appear if the autozoom and the player position are sufficient. All evidence photos contribute to the progress of handling accidents. Not all evidence is needed to be recorded to get a sufficient accident report - but it's recommended to capture them all for generating a complete report.
„We initially designed to have a first-person view for better immersion when capturing photos, but decided against it and went for an over-the-shoulder close-up view to be more consistent with all other patrol officer tools.“ - Jitesh Panchal, Design Director

[hr][/hr][h2]Okay, report, got it. What does the report contain?[/h2]



Not just taking pretty pictures, of course. In the callout UI, you can see a progress bar that shows the current status of the accident investigation. To let the report progress, you can...
  • Interview pedestrian witnesses
  • Interview driver witnesses
  • Ask for ID of witnesses
  • Take pictures of evidence
  • Perform drug/alcohol tests
  • Take a look at license plates

The more accurate the report is, the more shift points will be earned for giving out reports. There are multiple states of report completeness: Poor, sufficient, extensive, and complete. The more, the better.

If you think that you have to arrest one of the involved drivers, you should give them the report before calling for an arrest transport. Otherwise, the report cannot be given to the citizen anymore.

[hr][/hr][h2]Time for questions...[/h2]



An accident is anything but silent - someone will probably notice it. In Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, nearby pedestrians are an extremely important part of your investigation!

These pedestrians stand on the sidewalk, for the patrol officer to come over and ask some juicy questions. Interrogate them to find out clues and how the accident happened. Once the accident investigation is resolved, they will leave even if the officer didn't let them go, as by the law of the fourth amendment, they are not officially detained and free to leave. You can also ask for their ID as in Brighton, witnesses are legally obligated to identify themselves if asked for their ID by an officer.

In this game, accident witnesses are being automatically "detained" without any proactive detaining action of the officer, even if that status might not be legally correct. As mentioned previously, they are not officially detained. Still, this way allows for a much simpler way of handling witnesses.

We've improved the whole concept of interrogations quite extensively throughout development:
„For accident interrogations, we first had a system in place which didn't differentiate what caused the accident, so that accident witnesses would only respond with generic phrases. For better gameplay depth and roleplay possibilities, we established the 'advanced traffic accident interrogation' system, which introduced multiple accident causes. Witnesses now tell the driver what caused the accident. And drivers might even lie about it.“ - Thomy, Project Manager

[hr][/hr][h2]What's happening with the drivers?[/h2]



Good question! Of course, drivers must also be interrogated - after all, they're the owners of the car. I mean, self-driving cars are a thing but they're probably not cruising through the streets completely alone. Oh god, that would be scary.

Drivers are also counted as witnesses. In contrast to pedestrian witnesses, you are allowed to
frisk driver witnesses and order them to perform a drug test. When you let them go, they will either return into their car and drive away or walk away should their car be too damaged for driving. Make sure you finish your accident investigation prior to letting them go!

Frisking means - as described here in more detail - that you can scan the suspect's visible garments with their hands to determine if the person is an illegal item. This is only allowed should you have reasonable suspicion that the detained person shows signs of driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances. Dilated pupils, red eyes, or green crumbs on their clothes are quite a hint that this is indeed the case.

Wait, DRUGS? ALCOHOL? Yeah, that's not good. You can order the drivers to perform a DUI test if they were involved in an accident. Fun fact: Unlike other police departments, Brighton's police uses Breathalyzers instead of Field Sobriety Tests.

[hr][/hr][h2]More to come![/h2]

Here's a fun fact from behind the scenes:
„While development, we had some bug reports describing "accidents" as "crashes" which led to confusion between game crashes (bad!) and accidents (good!) - we now have established a clear differentiation of these terms.“ - Benjamin "Benni" Barz, Lead Programmer
Well, let's be thankful for that.

So, you're ready for an investigation? When Police Simulator: Patrol Officers launches in Steam Early Access this Spring, you'll be able to!

If you want to be the first to catch all news regarding Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, join us on all our Socials:


https://store.steampowered.com/app/997010?snr=1_2108_9__2107