Team Sharp!

The new patch, v6.5 (you can check you’re on that in the options menu but you almost certainly will be because Steam is magic) is finally live and addresses unlocking, adds a new set of challenges and fixes a few bugs. That’s the headline, here’s the detail:

— FIXED: Unlocking, 4ever + ever

For absolute clarity:

• New songs unlock when you complete 40% of any song
  
• Sharp Mode unlocks when you complete 60% of Standard
  
• Strike Mode unlocks when you complete 60% of Sharp
  
• Challenge Mode unlocks when you complete Standard (i.e. at 90%+)

Note: some of you may find some of your previously unlocked music re-locked after this update. I am super-sorry about that! It's a consequence of us unpicking this system; when you’ve unlocked it a song now (at 40%, so much easier) it will stay unlocked. It will be unlocked so hard. Nothing will lock it. Unless you happen to type an unfortunate sequence of letters in the wrong place but we'll get to that

— NEW: Star Challenge

The stars on the record sleeves now represent challenges for each song. Each is visible when the challenge is accessible (i.e. that mode is unlocked) and shaded when the challenge is complete. Those challenges:

• STAR 1: Complete (90%+) Standard
  
• STAR 2: Complete (90%+) Sharp
  
• STAR 3: Do well in (30%+) Strike
  
• STAR 4: Complete (90%+) Challenge
  
• STAR 5: ???

This should allow you to quickly see which modes you’ve unlocked and which modes you’ve mastered (although of course you can always master harder, see the scoreboards for context)

— NEW: Cheat Codes

There’s a secret way to unlock (and re-lock) all the songs. I don’t want to tell you what that is right now, largely because I quite like the idea of you trying to guess, typing in ‘TAYLORSWIFT’ everywhere you can because oh my gosh like what else would the code be, but also because it’s a bit of a nuclear option. Still, it’s there…

— FIXED: Last Loop coverage behaviour

This is a fussy one and I’m not sure many people noticed it but it’s important. When the game finishes the final loop all quads, both setting and set, should shatter and produce coverage. This wasn’t happening which meant it was MUCH harder to get 100% than intended. It’s still tricky! But it’s more achievable now and that means…

— FIXED: Secret extras unlock consistently

… I think it’s worth you going for that 100%. Your opinion on these rewards’ worth may differ depending on your tolerance for stupid things. THAT’S OK, I STILL LOVE YOU. AS A FRIEND

— NEW: Clearer, more accessible instructions

The game manual is now linked from the main page and the cheat-sheet is accessible at any point via the Extras menu. It’s (deliberately) a link to the Steam Manual rather than embedded so that I can update and modify it based on your thoughts and maybe add my block fanfiction when that’s finished

— FIXED: Lapse beatline issue

It disappeared at high combos. It shouldn’t anymore. Good

— FIXED: Various achievements

Broken achievements are now theoretically un-broken. This is a slightly harder one to test given a) some of the achievements are pretty challenging and b) once our testers have unlocked them they stay unlocked. I’m told they’re fixed now and I haven’t spotted any problems. If you do let us know!

There were a few other minor fixes / tweaks too but they’re not all that interesting, sorry.

SO. That’s all big, important stuff that hopefully leaves us with a solid game that we can all fall in love with, a bit. Here’s where we are in the Chime timeline or as I don’t call it THE CHIMELINE. We’ve a list of minor fixes we intend to make in the next patch in a few weeks If you notice any technical issues between then and now please report them in the Bugs subforum. If all goes to plan then v6.6 will contain the mythical bonus 16th track, as promised.

Hopefully this makes sense. As ever, head to the forum if you want to note something — or you can usually find me in the Chime Sharp chatroom (linked near the top of the community hub) where I’ve been hanging out on my own for a week and a half. It’s fine. It’s quite relaxing actually. Very spacious. Dim-lit Steam-themed decor. Mostly silent. Drop in!

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