Introduction:

Note:  Look on the main page of this website for the latest beta download of the mod.  Listed below was the last official release of the mod from years ago.

The main goal of the "Swat 3 Last Resort" mod is to upgrade Swat 3 to take advantage of modern video cards and monitor sizes. When the game was first released 800x600 was the standard resolution and most video cards only had 16mb or 32mb of video memory.

The Last Resort mod is completely transparent and won't damage your Swat 3 install. You can easily restore your game back to default Swat 3 by clicking the on/off button on the Last Resort Launcher. The installer will also automatically make backups of all your main Swat 3 files for safety.

Version 0.7.4 contains a fix for a bug with the installer that prevented the mod from installing properly on systems that already had Swat 3 installed.  You only need to re-download Version 0.7.4 if previous versions didn't work for you since the v0.7.0 update was released. Works on all versions of the game (retail CD, GOG.com, and Steam version).

Download Swat 3 - Last Resort v0.7.4 (from TacticalApe)

Download Swat 3 - Last Resort v0.7.4 (from Mod Database)

Size: 152,627,110 bytes (145 MB)

MD5: 7676C92F82C37DAD6EB17925DE0DA5DC
SHA-1: B4EE8D48965234B84B747C30B7A4016DC53CBD32

• There is no need to uninstall the old version of the Last Resort mod. The new installer will just replace all the old Last Resort files.
• The installer only places files inside the Swat 3 folder (except for desktop shortcut).
•  It is spyware and malware free.
•  Thanks to TacticalApe for hosting the file for us.

Windows 7/8/10 Installation tips for best performance:

• If you bought the game on GOG.com did you know that they have a "Steam" like app that is great for installing, updating, and even verifying your game files? It is recommended that you install and use the Galaxy client found on GOG.com to manage Swat 3. Once the game is installed you can run the game directly without running Galaxy each time.
  
  
• The movies in Swat 3 can cause Windows 7/8/10 machines to crash at start-up. It is recommended you replace them with XVID encoded version (recommended method) or install a codec pack.
  
  
• If this is a fresh install of Swat 3 (or repaired with Galaxy Client) run the game once before installing the Last Resort mod. This ensures that the game is running properly and generates a full proper 'Swat.cfg' file that is unique to your system.  The Last Resort installer will make a backup of this file for safety.
  
  
• When you are installing the Last Resort mod on a Windows 8/10 machine it is recommended that you leave the tick box checked in the installer to enable Windows 7 compatibility mode for the LastResort launcher app. You can disable or enable this manually of course later if you feel the need.
  
  
• To get the best frame rate install dgVoodoo if you have an Nvidia video card. Alternate methods can be found on that page also.

Possible Problems with Windows 8/10:

Since Swat 3 is an older game it only uses 16 bit colours instead of the 32 bit colours that modern games use. Windows 8/10 doesn't support older games very well and only emulates 16 bit colour mode. If you find that you are having problems with the Last Resort launcher it is recommended that you place it in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

Due to Windows 8/10 increase in security measures you may also find that you have to give the Last Resort Launcher (LastResort.exe) admin privileges. The reason for this possible requirement is two fold. Windows 8/10 uses shims with Swat 3 to get it to run smoother (think of these shims as a software settings for Windows compatibility). Windows looks for the 'Swat.exe' executable file to apply the shim. The Last Resort mod uses custom hacked .exe files to allow greater screen and texture resolutions. The Last Resort launcher is required to dynamically rename this hacked executable to Swat.exe so that it uses the Windows shim to prevent frame rate drops.

The second reason why the Last Resort Launcher may need admin privileges is to launch Swat 3. On some systems the Launcher is unable to start up the game without admin privileges.   Try to see if the Launcher works properly without it on your system first.

Swat 3 - Last Resort Launcher Tutorial

The Last Resort mod doesn't work like other mods. You must use the Last Resort Launcher to turn on/off the mod and to launch Swat 3. The best way to think of the Last Resort Launcher is that it works much like the old Sierra mod manager.

Why is the Last Resort Launcher necessary? The Launcher will automatically make minor changes to the Swat.ini file and to the Swat.cfg file. These are necessary to run the mod and to use the new resolutions. The Launcher will automatically run the proper modified Swat3.exe depending on your choice of screen resolution.

The Launcher also gives you the ability to turn off the Last Resort mod and restore your Swat 3 game completely back to normal. You can easily switch between "vanilla" Swat 3 and Swat 3 - Last Resort depending on what your friends are using.

Tab 1 - 3D Game Settings

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This tab controls the 3D rendering of the game. When you play a mission Swat 3 will automatically switch to your chosen resolution. Originally Swat 3 only would display up to 1024x768 but with the Last Resort mod the game will run in any resolution that your video card and monitor supports (even widescreen). Simply click the desired resolution from the list of available screen modes. TIP: Swat 3 will unfortunately only run in 16-bit colour so only the valid screen resolutions for that colour depth are available. Since Windows 8/10 only emulates 16 bit colour in 32 bit colours you may have to tick the box labelled "list 32 bit colour modes instead". Another method to fix this issue is to put the 'LastResort.exe' in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

Tab 2 - 2D Menu Settings

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All of the game's 2D menus are controlled by the settings on this tab. Menus such at the chat lobby and the main menu can be changed from their default size of 800x600 with the Last Resort mod. The Last Resort mod will "hide" any resolutions that aren't supported by your hardware. The complete list of custom menus are 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900 and 1920x1080. Only a few of the menus in each resolution are optimized so far but in the future we hope to customize all of them.

Tab 3 - Other Settings

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This tab contains miscellaneous settings that aren't easily controlled in the game's interface. Here you can choose to skip over the intro movies when the game loads by simply checking the proper box. You also can control friendly fire which decides if your team mates can take damage when you accidentally shoot them. This tab also contains features for advanced users: There is a box to enter command line arguments. No longer do you have to make shortcuts to pass command line arguments to the executable. Want to run a console script? Just enter the filename in the input box and tick the box to activate it. You can also click a button to backup your easily damaged 'Swat.cfg' file that contains your key bindings.

Tab 4 - Mod Manager

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This tab works identically to the old Swat 3 mod manager. Tick all of the mods that you want to use with Swat 3. It is highly recommended to no longer use the old Swat 3 mod manager with the Last Resort mod installed to prevent any confusion. TIP: You won't see Last Resort in your mod list like a normal mod. Just use the Last Resort Launcher and turn on the mod with the toggle switch at the top. When you want to return your Swat 3 back to normal simply turn the mod off with the same toggle switch.

Tab 5 - Custom Chats

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A new feature added in v0.7 of Last Resort mod is the ability to use custom chat mods. These are sound mods that can be triggered in game with the Custom Chat keys. Custom Chats have their own special folder and must be activated for you to hear them. If other players don't have these same sound mods activated they simply won't hear the sounds. They can still join your game without having the same Custom Chat mods installed and running. Tip: The more Custom Chat sound mods you have activated the longer it takes for your game to load up and requires more memory. It is recommended to keep the number as low as possible.