Working hard on the tutorial and - maybe - a playable version to test certain elements in Ale Abbey won't deter us from making some good progress in the rest of its development.
This week we worked extensively on a couple of details both inside and outside the Monastery and finished the much-needed animations for the latest batch of Nuns we started working on a few weeks ago.
On with this week's news!
-- Newest Nun animations
Coming back to animations for the characters, we revisited the new models of Nuns we were contemplating working on a few weeks ago and we have some great results already!
Just like before, character animations in Ale Abbey are a bit tricky. The animations are not only character-specific with some minor similarities between characters, but the animations have to also mirror a set of different actions in and about the Monastery. And this being a Monastery Brewery, there are a lot of animate-able activities these cute characters will be partaking in.
-- Cold Cellars
The Monastery - being a building that is very much alive - is not only supposed to be pleasant to the eye but also functional. Whenever we want to add to its charm we have to always remember not to go overboard with frills that serve no other purpose.
A good example is the Cold Cellars, the visuals of which we worked on this week. The Cold Cellars are the rooms found below the normal Cellars in Ale Abbey's underbelly. Their main purpose is to be used for adding the finishing touches to certain types of beers through lagering. Traditionally, lagers, are beers that necessitate the use of a cooler basement to make sure they age longer and slower than other beers. In other words, beautiful new visuals, and another added gameplay element we couldn't wait to share with you!
-- Ale Abbey's facade details
And from the basement levels of the Monastery to its facade; the most prominent part of the building and one that will be subject to change quite a bit, following your in-game progress.
To bring you up to speed, increases in the ability to produce will be visible through the extra rooms and floors built. This increase in the Monastery's size cannot be misunderstood. On the other hand, you making the best decisions you can to increase your brewery's prominence in the area also needs to be portrayed, albeit a bit more subtly!
This is an aesthetic decision that is very much WIP at this point, but you can see the differences already in the more textured and detailed facade that follows... more to come ;)
-- Shapes and details in brewing equipment
Talking about shapes and details in Ale Abbey's facade, made us think about the differences in brewing equipment sizes, shapes, details, etc. Some of them reach the legendary status of good luck charms; equipment that needs to be used as if it were part of the brew's actual recipe. Makes one wonder... is there any truth in these physical differences making a difference?
- Fermentation Vessel Shape: The shape of a fermentation vessel can affect the yeast's behavior during fermentation. Conical fermenters, for example, have a tapered bottom that allows yeast and other sediment to settle at the bottom. This design makes it easier to separate the beer from the sediment, resulting in a clearer final product
- Fermentation Tank Shape: The shape of fermentation tanks can influence the fermentation process. Cylindrical tanks with a certain aspect ratio are often preferred because they provide efficient yeast circulation and temperature control
- Kettle Shape: The shape of the brew kettle can influence the boiling process. A kettle with a larger surface area can facilitate more rapid evaporation, which can affect the concentration of flavors and aroma in the beer. A narrow and tall kettle may produce different results than a wide and shallow one.
- Whirlpool Shape: Whirlpools in brewing systems are designed to create a vortex that helps in separating solid particles from the liquid. The shape of the whirlpool vessel and the positioning of the inlet and outlet can impact the efficiency of this separation process.
- Mash Tun Geometry: The geometry of the mash tun can affect the efficiency of the mashing process. The design can impact heat distribution, grain/water mixing, and the ease of grain removal after mashing
But what about actual defects in equipment? Catch next week's Something's Brewing and find out!
-- Hammer & Ravens
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