Due to a recent change made by our web host the online server browser functionality for the original, non Steam version of Phase Shift was broken.
We have shifted everything over to a new host, so once everything updates online functionality should be back to normal.
Three years after our last major update we are working to push Phase Shift to its next release milestone, something we have wanted to do for a long time, bring Phase Shift to Steam.
We are going to start by putting the game out as an Early Access release and fix up some of the stand out issues such as load times, along with integrating relevant Steam features.
Once we reach Early Access we will begin a phase of following community feedback and using it to shape where we go from there.
To get more details on our first round of updates, preparing for Early Access, check the forum thread below.
A bug fix release to address the memory leak that has been causing lots of instability issues.
It is recommended that you delete your config.ini as it may have become corrupted by the previous version.
Chrome users remember you may need to press ctrl + J after download and allow the file, as Chrome seems to want to interfere with our downloads.
Christmas release (close enough), fixed a few bugs, including the video background issue. Main release highlights are a new song by Freen in Green, and a new
remote player scaling option for network play, this is an adjustable setting that allows you to prioritise the size of your boards over remote players.
Chrome users remember you may need to press ctrl + J after download and allow the file, as Chrome seems to want to interfere with our downloads.
Full public release of version 1.24 including a couple extra fixes found since the preview build. Grab from the download section.
Chrome may attempt to block the download, if this happens you can bypass chromes incorrect warning by pressing ctrl+j and selecting the option to keep the file.
We are in the process of putting together a new update to address a couple of issues that have been lingering for a while.
This version should fix the multiplayer server list so people can find and join public servers again.
Some things are still being checked over, but a version is going out now as an early access build for the project backers that have donated for that tier, details will be on the forum.
We have tried to get the credits updated to include all the recent backers since last release, if we missed anyone out let us know so we can get it sorted before the public release goes out.
This is mostly a cleanup release based on a number of issues identified in v1.22, it is highly recommended you update when possible.
This update also includes a number of song updates so the full download is required for career mode.
First public update in quite a while, most of the games interface has been going through a lengthy update to allow for translation support, along with this
we have included our first translation (French) with this release, further languages can be included in future updates. If you would like to assist with
translations please let us know on the forum.
Along with the language updates we have added a number of features and tweaks based on user feedback, guitar based modes include a test expert+ mode for players
that wanted extra challenge, we hope to tweak this once people have had a change to test it.
The song menu now has a song search system for quicker keyboard navigation, this can make tracking down favourite songs and working with playlists a lot faster, you
can even view recently played songs. The menu still requires a bit of polish but as it can greatly improve functionality it has been included in this release.
It can be accessed from the song list screen by pressing orange.
There were also a number of bug fixes that should hopefully improve various issues / crashes that could happen. See the full change log for more details.
Bug fix release, couple of issues found in the career menus should now be fixed. Along with the usual downloads there is an updater
for people who already updated to v1.18, check the forums for the updater otherwise the standard links are on the download page.
The first update of the year turns out to be a big one, Phase Shift is now three years old, kind of crazy considering it was supposed to be a short project, but somehow here we are.
Along with that we are releasing v1.18, this is the first version with career support. This is one of the last features that was planned from the very start that was still
on our to do list. It could be seen grayed out in the menus for a long time, then we ended up removing it completely, and now its back and working for the first time.
Its been quite a major (combined) effort to get this release together so thanks to everyone that helped make this happen.
Grab from the downloads page, and check the forums if your having any issues.
Might as well get one last update in before years end, hope everyone had a good Christmas. New year is on the way meaning we are very close to
Phase Shifts Third year anniversary, and to go along with that we are pushing to get the career mode into the game.
So hopefully version 1.17 isn't too far off now, we currently have a community task to finish up some of the setlist songs that we need finished before
we can get this release together. If you would like to help check out this forum thread.
I recorded a quick video showing some of the menu adjustments that are going along with the career update.
Also as of 2013 I'll be changing the news page to include any interesting posts from the forum or project related news rather than just major updates so
people who don't keep an eye on the forums get a chance to keep up.
Have a good new year and stay tuned for news on the next release.
How can I subtly point out its my birthday at the same time as doing a new release post, umm I guess i'll have to give it some more thought.
Anyway version 1.16 is now out, fixes the crash issue with playlists, along with a bunch of lyric fixes and network lobby tweaks.
A Random new feature that has been a bit of a side project for no apparent reason is the Music Studio (found in Extras), this simply allows you to select and play
songs and control all the volume levels, mute or isolate tracks, some people might like to use it for jamming along with songs as its an easy way
to load in multitracks, grab from the link below.
This version aims to solve some of the ongoing theme issues, to allow themes to override the standard data files that haven't been properly converted to the theme system. This will allow multiple themes to run side by side as they don't need to touch the core game files anymore.
Also one of our oldest running bugs involving the font system is finally gone as all the old systems still using it have now been replaced.
This is basically a fix release but an important one, v1.12 has a crash bug that can effect people in
different ways depending on your setup, but it is highly likely to be a problem for everyone at some point so it is recommended to update
as soon as you can.
Due to a bunch of background code changes we wanted to get out a release to see how stable it runs for people, as there are a couple of
updates that we have attempted to do in the past that caused issues, but we are hoping these have been resolved now.
Other than the backend changes some of the key changes that effect the general player are the online play revive fix, a strum tolerance to
allow people to strum tap at the same time, various extra stats in the menus, jukebox control in the lobby, new server settings.
Anyone working on charts for Phase Shift with a dance parts should grab the latest version of EOF, using the midi import option can lead to
dance parts getting removed in the process, or just avoid using midi import until you update, latest version is on the download page (this version
is newer than the original b38 release).
To get the project on track to reach its next major milestone, we are now focusing on creating the Phase Shift core song setlist.
Finding and charting songs is now the primary goal for the project until we reach this target. The criteria for this goal is to have 15 - 18 songs
with no more than 3 songs from the same artist.
Charting is not our area of expertise so we hope to get assistance from suitabily skilled members of the community. As a thank you anyone that creates
a chart for a setlist song will be included in the games credits.
If you are interested in helping, the best place to see what needs to be done is the master list of active charting projects, at the link below.
New version to address some of the recent issues and improve the online play. Main change is servers can now be joined while a game is in progress,
this will play a sound so if you are recording an online video you may want to password the server to avoid randoms triggering unwanted sounds.
Because people may be spending more time in the lobby due to background connecting jukebox control has been added to the lobby so if a song you don't
want to listen to comes on you don't have to disconnect from the server just to change it.
Other fixes include online stability improvements, wider support for non standard characters in the chat, some new controller profiles and a timing fix
in practice mode.
Mostly a bugfix / cleanup release, the game does have a a new setting for Network multiplayer, you can overide remote player boardspeeds, this can be useful
if you prefure to have everyones speed the same as yours, or to help reduce the effects of online play latency.
Fixed bug with real drum charting messing with advanced mode scoring, improved extended sustain handling, bot mode fret bounce disabled again and some profile and
controller fixes.
With this release the project is now going back into song phase, the focus is back on getting the full game pack to a more complete state as we are still behind on this
target.
This release brings a bunch of experimental new features, the Real Keys mode, Stereoscopic support for 3d displays, some new theme features added, 5 lane chart support for real kits.
Also lots of bug fixes, various menu options fixed, network play results screens, wired controller activation glitches. Check the changelist for the complete list.
Fairly long list of changes in this release, first public release with advanced keys mode is enabled, experimental 3d model support to the theme system,
crash / ride lane flip option for drums, some bug fixes with lyrics, practice mode background crashing, song specific 2d backgrounds, and a bunch
of other things.
Phase Shift - Advanced Keys Preview [4th March 2012]
New video showing a preview of the advanced keys mode, this is the middle mode for the keyboard for 2 octave charts, real mode will come later
and focus on full range 2 handed gameplay.
The key new feature for this release is the lyrics display option, this allows for a non-graded sing alongs, karaoke style. Also fixes some song
conflicts with open notes and improved controller support and some UI bugs so a fairly important update, grab from the download page.
Some more random fixes, key changes are fixed an issue with the FC system where overstrums were getting ignored, also there is a change to the video
background system that may allow some older cards that didn't support video backgrounds to work now, will need feedback on this.
Another update, fixing up a couple more bits, the new neck speed changes made in v1.04 caused a few issues, these should be solved now, and
support for a non standard Bass controller was added.
Second update this weekend, this is a general cleanup version fixing a few odd bits, some of the key changes being blind mode now shows missed notes as it
seemed useful to know what you missed, also practice mode speed is now retained when the song is reset, and the neck speed option now uses a normal scale rather
than raw values, and lefty flip no longer breaks dance mode.
Some interesting changes in this release, we have added a new gameplay option to the profile menu that works as a customisable blind notes mode,
thanks to forum member mi2tere for this suggestion, this mode on its most extreme setting will just make all the notes invisible, while on its lower
settings will adjust the fade depending on how well the user is playing, so while you are doing well you will not be able to see the notes, but as
you start to miss they will fade in, so a good mode for people wanting to learn to play songs without looking.
For the youtubers, drunk mode now has an ingame identifier added so no question about when its used, and to compliment this, an game version number osd option
has been added, so people can varify the version they are using when they played the song, so if we change / tweak gameplay elements like the hit window
you can easily show what version you are using so there is no question about what ruleset you completed the song with.
This version also has a few bug fixes and a new less bright PS neck has been added as some people were having trouble with visibility when PS was active.
Small update to fix a couple of issues, this version should solve the online play infinite waiting for remote player issue, this was a tricky one so needs testing,
also adds support for the song list to show missing parts, and should solve a bug that could cause the controls to get stuck on song resets, along with a couple of
other smaller fixes.
Phase Shift - v1.01 [27th January 2012] Second Anniversary
Phase Shift is now 2 years old, things have progressed a little in the last two years, screenshot of the first alpha, just incase you don't believe me.
This is the first public release of Phase Shift v1.0, things got a little sidetracked so here we are with v1.01. Along with the changes
found in v1.0 such as the new practice mode and fret effects, new backgrounds, solo boards etc, v1.01 adds song list sorting so you can list by
how many times you've played a song or by personal rating etc, so this makes it a lot easier to find the songs you like.
The full release has a lot of song updates since the last version and a couple of new songs added to the package, thanks to the community for getting
the songs updated. There have been a huge amount
of changes going on in the background since v0.99b so plenty of potential for new bugs so let us know on the forums if you run into any issues.
Phase Shift v1.0 is now ready for release but we need some help finishing off the songs so looking for charters to help finish off the last few bits,
once these are done v1.0 will be released.
As a bonus anyone that makes a good contibution to getting the list finished can get an early release.
If your a charter and want to help out check out the link below.
Bugfix release, all the goodness of v0.99 but less problems. Some machines would crash during song load, medium difficulty results
issues fixed and ingame song ini delay adjustments can handle negative values.
Phase Shift v0.99 now released, major new feature is the midi controller support, this should also enable controllers such as the PS3 Madcatz
Guitar to work as it bypasses the windows driver limitations we ran into, infact this system also enables a few extra buttons to work so is the
recommended way to connect all the midi based guitars. The midi system may also reduce input latency so should be more responsive.
This version also fixes a number of bugs, an issue that would stop controllers working if the game lost focus during load, the pause menu
shouldn't have anymore button lockup issues and fixed an online play related crash issue.
This version also adds a new song by Attacking the Mind to the full version bundle, and snare rim notes are now supported in the real drum mode.
Phase Shift - Midi Controller Support [27th November 2011]
Dave has been busy working on midi controller support for the game, we have just got a first working version together that can read the inputs correctly.
I just finished playing a few drum songs and it seems to be working well, still a lot to do before its ready but the bulk of the problems have been
worked out now.
Some debug code was left enabled in v0.98b that was used to help track down some of the recent bugs, but this code slows the
loading process and can cause the audio to go out of sync, this should now be fixed, along with a few other minor fixes.
The last release had a couple of bugs, the new background system could cause crashes for some systems, having too many custom backgrounds could
cause problems so this is a general stability fix for v0.98, no new features but a recommended update just to avoid potential problems.
Bringing in a number of new features with v0.98, the songlist is now a bit more fleshed out by showing a few more song stats.
The background system can now handle more than one background and can randomly pick one.
One of the bigger changes is the new abstract background mode that runs through the theme system, these can be created
in the same way the menus are created and also combine video, along with the usual scale, fade, rotate support elements can also
link to song triggers such as song beats, ps activation, bass kicks, so this opens up the mode to a lot more options.
The sizzle hihat position has also been added to the real drum charting, these function as optional markings similar
to how velocity would be handled.
We are also hoping this version fixes the song load screen bug that was effecting recent releases, the temporary fix used in the previous
release that caused the song load screen to glitch has been removed so this should be back to normal now.
The last version the new loading screen caused trouble for older / weaker cpus, this still needs to be looked into but a temporary work around has been put in place
just to resolve the major issues until a proper solution is worked out.
This version also helps to progress our real drum mode, real drums now has forced hihat as standard, meaning 2 pedals are required for this
mode, assuming the song has the hihat charted properly.
For single pedal setups there is now Advanced drums, this is like real drums from the previous release, this mode doesn't require the hihat pedal so
for people with only one pedal or people with 2 pedals that want to play double bass instead of the hihat.
Quite a big update over v0.95, a lot of old code was cut out and replaced, adding a variety of behind the scenes improvements, on
the frontend there are now selectable gameplay modes, last man standing increases the speed of the song over time and the winner
is decided by who can last the longest, weakest link uses a similar concept to last man standing but knocks the weakest player out every 30 seconds,
more modes will be added over time.
More menus can be themed including a new improved results screen, and a number of bugs relating to online play have been fixed.
Phase Shift - Events / Tournaments [30th October 2011]
We are looking to start running some regular events for the game, competitions / tournaments with leaderboards. To start off we want to run a trial event next weekend
4th - 6th Nov and see how things go so we can iron out any technical issues and get some feedback. These will be community focused so will run as often as people would
like to see them if there is enough interest. We will be looking to expand the game in future based on even feedback to add modes and features to suit the events such as vs gameplay modes.
So we are looking for people to join in with this, as a bonus people who are part of this event will get the next version of the game early as this includes some new gameplay modes that will be used for the event.
Various fixes with this version, multi-monitor mode is now fixed, some changes to the guitar mode hit window logic, improved installer, the key things
that need testing in this release are the installer for anyone that was having trouble before and guitar mode as we need to know how people feel about the hit window adjustments.
If you downloaded v0.93 yesterday there were a couple of odd bugs with the config files and hihat textures, new downloads should be fine, if you have the old
version you can get the fixed exe here
This version gets us close to our v1.0 milestone, the game is now packaged as an installer that will hopefully install dx and vc++ automatically
so extra downloads won't be required to get the game working.
Additional to this drums now have functional Hihat so songs can now have the hihat charted as open / closed or pedal, in the profile menu there is
now an option to specify if the pedal hooked up throught the hihat connection should act as hihat or double bass.
There is also a new borderless windowed mode option to allow for full resolution multimonitor support.
This release is mostly a bugfix release, the bulk of time spent on this update went on fixing a crash issue involving characters outside of the
standard ascii set, this involved reworking a large portion of the game.
Anyone attempting to run the game with a folder path that included characters outside of the English alphabet may have had
trouble, but hopefully no longer an issue.
This version also fixes the solo percentage calculations and a song preview issue and adds a test open hihat note for our extended drum mode.
Now we are at the second of the pre v1.0 test releases, few more bug fixes, and some improvements mostly on the drum side of things, the
package now is starting to get closer to what the full release will be like.
The game now has dedicated cymbal notes and an option to adjust the width of the cymbal lanes, narrow, even or wide.
This is the first of the pre v1.0 test releases, this release is to help identify any new bugs that may have shown up due to the amount of code changes that
have been going on since the last release without any widespread testing, so give it a whirl and report any issues on the forums so we can get back to working
on the full v1.0 release version.
New feature highlights include song previews in song menu, switch tracks and play background music option, freestyle and solo sections.