Hey everyone. This isn't gonna be a long devlog compared to the others as I need to talk about a few things on what's going on.

SHORT BREAK & CONFLICTS

After the Jan. 2024 Log, I had to take a somewhat extensive break due to development giving me a lot of stress. As you may know, Hack's Custom Night isn't entirely run by me if you take away the programming, art direction, and etc., but it is also reliant on the character artists who are part of the game.

I don't like to talk about what's been happening behind the scenes a lot, but there were major issues that would've placed the project at stake regarding the cast. A lot on how HCN's gameplay is designed requires specific cast and characters in order for the main direction to be utilized. If something goes wrong, then I would either have to improvise or completely change how I want certain events to happen.

In a recent case however, there were major communication problems that is causing complicated issues from progressing further into the game. I won't get into specifics, but it strongly demotivated me to contemplate whether I want to proceed with the project or not.

For the past almost six years of development, I knew from the very start on how extensive and long-term the development will be, especially when relying on the cast of characters and artists to help build the game into its form. I've done my very best to make everyone comfortable with the way how they're contributing this project, especially when trying to balance fun and seriousness onto how it is being developed.

However, when put into the pedestal for many years of directing the project, I really need it to be done soon as possible as I do not want to work on it forever. It's difficult when almost everyone in the roster is or is becoming an adult and has to deal with complicated issues with themselves and IRL stuff.

Like I said, I rather not get into too specifics on what's going on in development, it wouldn't be right for me to either lie or expose anyone, because at the end of the day, no one within the development team is at fault for what's happening at their end that is affecting HCN.

CURRENT STATE

I also need to say that HCN's development is current okay, as most things were resolved that placed the game back to its steady pace. I don't like to talk about what's happening behind the scenes a lot, but I feel this devlog is very important to create knowing how long extensive the development is.

Keep in mind that everything about how Hack's Custom Night is being created using the limited time everyone has spending on it. For how much it seems to everyone that I have so much time on HCN, it still isn't easy for me even if you put all development time aside. I still have to balance my schedule through many breaks, other projects like DEERWOOD and TNaR V2 (go check those out if you haven't already,) a job to earn money, and miniature things within the time like cooking and cleaning.

It isn't an easy project, not even a normal project to begin with, I would go out of my way to say this shouldn't be the project anyone should start or work on at all, knowing no matter how much work you do, it can still be tainted through factors you cannot control.

Anyway, this is all I have to say. There were some features that were created during the past 30 days, but I don't think it fits in these kinds of devlog, so I'll go over those for the March 2024 Devlog.

I hope you all take this into consideration when thinking on how games are being developed. Rest assured, I am doing my best to keep things going without breaking my limit.

With that said, take care everyone. Have a good day and night.

— Hack 💜