0.2.11 is now available in beta!

Thanks to everyone for being patient with my...slow release cycles! I'm happy to announce that Phaseshift's 0.2.11 version is now available on the test/Beta version branch on Steam. 

A word of warning - I have completely changed how save data is stored. I don't expect any bad behaviour, but anything you progress on with 0.2.11 won't be able to be used on 0.2.10.3. (You'll see why when you boot it up!) I am also aware of many bugs, especially relating to splitscreen and input. 

0.2.11 is an absolutely mega version, and I got in way over my head! 

4 New abilities! 

Auto-Laser is a new light ability, preferring sheer rate of fire over damage. Great for shield suppression and if your opponents are close, like really, really close.

Shockwave is a new defence ability, detonating an explosive EMP shockwave dealing light shield damage, disabling abilities, turrets and mines whilst causing locked missiles to forget their targets.

EMP Mine is a replacement for the Proximity Mine, instead of dropping the mine ahead, this one fires forward and sets down in the ground to deploy an EMP burst to anyone in the vicinity.

Meteor Mine is a new utility ability that fires upward upon hitting a surface and hovering above ground until an opponent drives into it's trigger area. Then it launches downward for massive damage.

Guardian Returns!

The bike Guardian returns with new liveries and stats! Bulky and quick, Guardian is great in combat.

Challenge Championships with different difficulties!

A big change to the single player component, you can now adjust the difficulty on each championship! Your most challenging entry is saved along with your points and positions for that championship. Try and complete them all on higher difficulties!

New Bike and Loadout menus

Brand spanking new menus for bike selection and loadout! Easily check out the stats of other bikes, and compare loadout types to optimise your strategies!

Going Forward

As many of you are aware, cost of living and other difficulties really stunt development due to lack of funds or more importantly time. Of course I want to prioritise the things that I enjoy, and focus on pursuits that ultimately bring me joy. Phaseshift has been a project I've been working on since 2017, and it isn't paying the bills!

This latest update has made me realise how I set the scope for this project way too large for my talent. As a complete novice game developer I wanted to make a game that featured AA quality and realistic graphics with a blend of simulation and arcade racing...with absolutely no experience. I set my sights to be the next GRIP and for lil' ol' me that is just not feasible. The code base as a result features...less than optimal code and scaling the project is becoming difficult.

As multiplayer at this stage isn't an option, the game just won't be attractive to a wider audience or publishers and I understand that. A lot of uncomfortable truths! As such I likely won't be implementing any new features with Phaseshift, and when I find time (and motivation) I will likely iron out the bugs, add some new Championship modes in and release to v1.

I appreciate this maybe frustrating to some, but due to how long some of these cycles take, I doubt it will be much of a surprise! That being said I do have a new project I would like to announce...

Phaseshift: Evolved!

Phaseshift: Evolved is my next game. I will be learning from my mistakes! The scope this time is massively reduced, especially in terms of asset creation and fidelity. 

Please feel free to have a look at the introduction page here!