PAX West Beta Build

[p]Hi everyone![/p][p]We’ve pushed a public beta branch ahead of PAX. This is a test build—expect rough edges and please report anything you hit so we can fix it fast.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]How to access the beta[/h2]

1. [p]In your Steam Library, right‑click Alterium Shift → Properties…
   
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2. [p]Betas tab → choose the public beta branch.
   
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3. [p]Restart Steam if you don’t see it. Need help? Hop into our Discord.
   
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[hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]What’s actually in this beta (from our Jira done list)[/h2][h3]🎣 Fishing — overhauled & expanded[/h3]

• [p]New/updated fishing spots including Dalduran Lake and Desert Oasis, plus a broader pass on fishing locations.
  
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• [p]Area‑specific backgrounds/visuals and a system to apply them per location.
  
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• [p]In‑game instructions/onboarding for the fishing minigame.
  
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• [p]Bug fixes: controller prompts and bait selection issues in the “How to Fish” sequence, plus a “can’t exit after bait selection” edge case.
  
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[p]These items come from closed tickets covering new/updated areas, background art, the background‑by‑area system, instruction flow, and multiple fishing bug fixes—so you can play them right now.[/p][h3]🔥 Pyra’s backstory — first slice in Gilberry Port[/h3]

• [p]Playable chapter touching the abduction from Gilberry and new interactions in town.
  
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• [p]New animation work (behavior/emote sets; shared kneel/pickup frames) to tighten cutscenes.
  
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• [p]Music update for Pyra’s past scenes and a supporting doctor/healer NPC.
  
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[p]This is part 1 of the arc; we’ll keep refining after PAX.[/p][h3]🌍 World & systems polish (live in the beta)[/h3]

• [p]Map‑edge visibility improvements applied across more areas (better hints about transitions).
  
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• [p]Misc fixes & tweaks called out below.
  
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[hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Fixes in this beta (highlights)[/h2][p]We’ve closed 13 bug tickets in August alone, including:[/p]

• [p]Map key (“M”) sometimes not opening the map (fixed).
  
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• [p]Controller icons appearing oversized in menus (fixed).
  
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• [p]Quest Log details sometimes empty + sub‑quest scrolling clean‑ups (fixed).
  
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• [p]Settings → SFX bar color inconsistency (fixed).
  
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• [p]Endless Dunes: keyboard “C” input issue (fixed).
  
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• [p]Fishing tutorial: bait/control prompt problems (fixed).
  
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• [p]Books: stray “Space” key behavior at the end of a book (fixed).
  …and more.
  
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[p]For transparency: across 2025 we’ve closed 118 Jira items so far (35 of them bug fixes). This beta packs the items above; some unrelated tasks (e.g., design‑only tickets) are not visible in‑game yet.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Not in this beta (but in active development)[/h2]

• [p]Racing minigame, on‑map battles, and expanded world interactions are next up and will land in a post‑PAX build.
  
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• [p]The UI refresh (reskins, new message/toast windows, battle UI pass) is still in development and not included here.
  
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[hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]See us at PAX West[/h2][p]We’ll be at Booth #750 all four days. Swing by to play this build, grab free buttons & postcards, score five unique trading cards through booth activities, and—if you’re a Kickstarter backer—pick up your Shobii keychain (while supplies last).[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Want to support development?[/h2][p]We’ve opened new Kickstarter add‑ons (VIP Upgrade, Cooking/Alchemy Item, Collectible Trading Card Set) and a limited Epic Edition – Late Pledge (20 units), and we just revealed the next stretch goal: Companion Pets at $145k. Every dollar goes straight to the contractors creating music, art, systems, and QA for the updates you’re playing.[/p][p]Thanks for helping us test—your feedback during PAX week will directly shape the post‑show push to the main branch. 💙[/p][p]
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