Another productive week comes to an end and this means another Something's Brewing is ready for you. This week we created all new assets for the way your precious ale goes from and to your Monastery across distances to reach quest givers or those in need, we made some more progress with the Recipe Crafting UI and touched up some of our recent characters' work and made some of their new idle animations.
Onwards with the news!
-- Corrections and animations on more recent characters
The characters that we have developed so far were split in 3 different waves, with the 2nd and 3rd wave being the most recent ones. Following the same way of tackling corrections and animations as we did with those before them, these waves had some extra work done on them this week. Starting with simple aesthetic corrections for clarity:
As well as more significant additions to include new features and extra animations for those who didn't yet have them:
We're not out of ideas yet, so stay on the lookout... more to come!
-- Recipe crafting UI progress
We hope our efforts to nail the UI for the Recipe creation system have not been too much of a recurring subject in our posts. It is important for us to make such an important part of the Ale Abbey experience to feel light and straightforward, and this will take some time.
However, we do see the end of the tunnel and we are reaching a level of UX that really ticks our boxes. With enough room for this amount of information, multiple cues, and indicators for an - otherwise - very intricate combination of variables, we're sure players will also consider it the perfect spot (aesthetically and practically) to craft an amazing brew recipe!
-- Wheels and Barrels
And out of nowhere we are close to finishing a new character for Ale Abbey, the Carter along with his trusty steed and his carriage. With the help of our art director, Francesco, it took Raimo, our amazing pixel artist, less than a week to nail!
When you produce a lot of ale and have quests to complete, there are barrels upon barrels of ale that got places to be. And this is the man holding the reins!
Transportation is big money when Bandits are not on the prowl...
-- Transporting beer in the Middle Ages
Talking about the Carter's carriage, we were wondering what were the other ways that beer enthusiasts transported their beer during the time. Always depending on the size of the delivery, distance, and whether the landscape permitted it, there were quite a few ways one could transport this liquid gold.
When talking about large quantities and long-ish distances, wooden barrels and casks were the primary vessels used for transporting ale. Crafted from oak or other sturdy woods, these barrels were sealed tightly with wooden plugs or lids to prevent leakage and maintain the quality of the ale during transit. They were loaded onto carts, pulled by horses or oxen, and transported from breweries to markets, inns, and households.
For shorter distances (be it within towns or cities), leather bottles, known as "blackjacks," were often used. These flexible containers, made from animal hides, could be slung over shoulders or carried by hand, making them convenient for personal consumption (quite the problem when the ale is transported for someone else...) or local distribution. Other vessel types would include clay jugs and pots, fired to harden the clay, which could also be employed for long-term storage.
In regions with navigable rivers and canals, boats and barges played a crucial role in the ale transportation network. Larger barrels of ale could be loaded onto these vessels, allowing for bulk transportation between towns and cities. Waterborne transportation was particularly valuable, offering a relatively smooth and efficient way to move large quantities of ale, as well as other goods, through the interconnected waterways of the medieval landscape.
Of course, nothing could ever beat local production, since it reduced extensive transportation. Hence why so many local breweries existed and why they were often situated close to the towns and villages they served ;)
Thankfully beer is a sturdy refreshment... one that - when kept away from the sun - can handle quite the punishment.
Tune in next week for more of Ale Abbey's news! For now, enjoy your weekend responsibly ;)
-- Hammer & Ravens
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