Hi everyone! It’s been quite some time since my last update - besides a few sneak peeks, it’s been three years to be exact. A lot has happened since then, and I wanted to take a moment to be open and honest about where FishingLTD has been, and more importantly, where we’re heading.
Where Have We Been?
If you’ve been wondering why the blog went quiet and development seemed to slow down, you’re certainly not alone. The truth is, life caught up with us in ways we didn’t quite expect.
For me, working full-time in IT while trying to push FishingLTD forward took its toll. The passion was still there, absolutely, but the energy wasn’t always following. Weekends that used to be prime development time turned into recovery time instead, and the project that started as such a joyful creative outlet became another source of stress in an already busy life.
Ben’s journey into university also meant his focus naturally shifted in new directions. Building the amazing Minecraft maps that make FishingLTD so special requires time and mental space - both of which became scarce as he pursued his education. The creative energy that once flowed so freely into FishingLTD was now being directed elsewhere.
And if we’re being completely honest with you all, motivation just evaporated. When you’re burning the candle at both ends, sometimes the flame just flickers out. We didn’t want to admit it at the time, but we were stuck.
What We’ve Been Up To
During this quiet period, we didn’t completely abandon FishingLTD - not by a long shot. We tried different approaches, experimented with things, and learned a lot along the way.
I poured considerable time into resource pack development, exploring exciting new ways to enhance the fishing experience visually. Custom fish models, improved water effects, better item sprites - I chased it all with enthusiasm. But nothing quite clicked the way I hoped. Each experiment felt like we were polishing the chrome on a car that wouldn’t quite start.
Perhaps the biggest setback was an ambitious rewrite attempt. Convinced that FishingLTD needed to be rebuilt from the ground up, I started tearing into the codebase with renewed energy. New architecture, cleaner systems, better performance - that was the promise. But rewriting everything is exhausting work, and I was already running on fumes. The rewrite never finished, leaving us with half-built systems and the old code still humming along faithfully.
We’re Back!
But here’s the wonderful thing about passion projects - they have a way of calling you back when you least expect it.
We’re picking up FishingLTD again, and we couldn’t be more excited. The spark is returning, and we’re approaching things differently this time around.
Ben is back as well! He’s found the time and motivation again to help bring FishingLTD to life, even while juggling his university studies. With both of us working on the project again, we’re excited to make real progress.
I’ve been quietly working on the code, steadily making progress. New systems are being implemented, and I’m taking a different approach than before. I’m not rewriting everything this time - instead, I’m evolving what works and fixing what doesn’t. The experience from those earlier experiments taught us what actually matters, and I’m applying those lessons now.
What’s Next?
Here’s the thing - it’s hard to show off shiny new systems when you’re using the same map players have seen for years. New fishing mechanics, improved coin systems, a whole new quest system - how do we demonstrate all that when the visual backdrop is the same spawn area everyone knows so well?
So we’ve made some difficult decisions. Instead of trying to build another massive world like we did before, we’re looking at creating something with a much smaller, more focused scope. We want to build a world that’s manageable and polished, rather than overwhelming and unfinished.
Building isn’t our main focus right now - I’m prioritizing the core systems, letting them develop and mature into something truly worth showing. A fresh map will come, but it’s going to be smaller and more focused than what we attempted in the past. The gameplay experience comes first.
This also means there won’t be a public test server for the foreseeable future. Without new visuals to show off, it doesn’t make sense to open the doors just yet. I want to have something genuinely exciting and ready before inviting everyone back in.
We’re not making big promises this time around. No “coming soon” dates or ambitious roadmaps that we might struggle to keep. Just steady, consistent work on the systems that make FishingLTD special.
The code is improving every day. The systems are growing. And this time, we’re pacing ourselves better.
Thank you to everyone who stuck around, who believed in this project even through the long silence. Your patience means more than we can adequately express.
I’m excited about what’s brewing behind the scenes. The fish are still there, waiting - and so are we.