This is a small update with just a couple of changes. To access this update right now before it goes live for everyone:
In your library, right-click on Beat Weaver Demo > Properties > Game Versions & Betas and select the beta branch.
This update is now live for everyone on the default branch.
Version: 0.10.15-2546206d7
Fixed a rare crash when changing certain graphics settings
On certain laptops with both integrated graphics chips and a dedicated GPU, the game would often pick the lower powered option as the default, causing low frame rates or even glitches
Now the game will automatically pick the higher powered GPU available on startup
If you somehow need to force it to use a different one, go to your graphics driver settings (e.g. NVidia Control Panel) where you can set which GPU to use for which application
Trying to change the difficulty before any higher ones are unlocked now gives better feedback
In the campaign menu it will flash the related "demo unlockable" in the window on the right
In the free play menu it will show the brief introduction screen again which explains how difficulty levels can be unlocked
Since a few updates ago, there's a new one-time introduction screen for both campaign and free play mode that mention the two ways to unlock difficulty levels: Campaign progress and the special game settings option
The demo has always had an option in the game settings to unlock all difficulty levels if you want to side step the unlocking process.
This is not recommended for new players. Playtests have shown that the new rules and mechanics are much better learned when you stick to Easy for at least the first two songs.
Unlocking all difficulty levels in the settings can be useful when playing on a second device, since the demo doesn't have a cloud save feature.
I want everyone to enjoy the game at their preferred level of difficulty! However, if you notice you're not getting the score results you're expecting, try revisiting the tutorials/jam stage that teach the two scoring metrics (Full Mix & Style), rules and mechanics.
Dialing down the difficulty level helps give more time to observe all of this, since no matter your prior experience with similar multi-track games or other rhythm games, Beat Weaver asks for a slightly different approach.
You'll also find inspiration on the Discord server, especially the #demo-bragboard channel where players post their high-score runs.
Thank you for playing!