March has been probably the quietest month so far since the project's inception in 2023, outside of a couple of months last year due to a family tragedy. A few things have been done but the fact remains - we're not ready for the Stage 2 pre-alpha test at this point.
Research
Research has been a bit of a pain to get right. My assumption was that due to the underlying technology now powering the game, I should be able to step through this pretty quickly. I was wrong. Research has a few unique requirements of the underlying Timewarp engine and so that has had to be updated to cater for it. Outside of that, the UI still needs to be wired up to the server and keep the real-time communication open. I only managed to get a few nights in this past month to work on that, so not much progression there.
Delays and timesinks on the horizon...
My wife and I are expecting our second child within the next few weeks, which is the key reason why I've had little time to focus on Halcyon Online. The other reason, is of course, work. I'm currently working 12-13 hours/day and have been doing so for the last couple of months. I lead a global Engineering team and due to the various time zone challenges, my evenings are mostly soaked up by supporting that team across the globe.
With bubba due in just a few weeks, I have no doubts: my personal time is going to be massively eroded with further family responsibilities. For that reason, the pre-alpha stage 2 test at this point has no concrete delivery window. At this point I can't really plan for any deliveries of Halcyon Online because it's very likely to change. With 1 child, you can easily manage between 2 parents and share the load so that each of you have some free time. With 2, and due to my evenings having a strong work-focus, I must keep time available for other priorities.
What does this mean for the project?
In short, not much, besides the timing likely to blow out into next year. I'll know much more about what I can do and what time I'll have available in a few more months' time, once our new family routine is established. I can then start to timebox availability for working on Halcyon Online. Until then, things are very much "up in the air".
Rest assured, however: Halcyon Online is not dead or dying, development is just going to slow for the foreseeable future. What it also means, is that because of the reduced time, I will likely spend more time on developing my 3D artwork skills. This is not cognitively demanding, so I can easily squeeze in 15 minutes here, a half an hour there to continue working on the game, and likely even do so while bubba is sleeping on me 😀 Programming, and in particular engineering complex solutions requires immense mental effort and time. Breaking your focus can easily lose you hours if you're in the middle of a complex problem, and this is not the case with learning new skills or playing with ideas. I will also likely flesh out more of the game's content and game mechanics over this period. So although the dedicated time will be reduced, progress will still continue!
Moving forward, I will continue to keep you all updated with a monthly post, but I suspect each post is going to be rather light. However, I will find the wins and report to you as I achieve them.
I wish I could provide a more positive update for the game at this time, and despite these setbacks the game is still progressing, so there's that - albeit at a slower pace.
Until next time, Travellers!
Adios!