Welcome again everyone, to another Something's Brewing, Ale Abbey's weekly dev news in review.
This week we are taking you through the Monastery during the wee hours of the night, showing an extra layer of animations for the Abbey's Monks and Nuns, and completing the basic animations for the last Monk, officially crossing another milestone!
On with the news!
-- Final Monk animations
We're closing the chapter of animations with the last basic animations of the latest - and final - little brewer we developed, another funky Monk.
Our pixel artist, Raimo, breathed life into yet another denizen of the Abbey without forgoing giving him quite a distinct personality in the process.
And, to honor the tradition of the last animation of all previous characters, him using the big boiler:
It's official people, done and done!
-- Extra animations
Having completed the animations of all the characters does not mean completion of animating the characters altogether. There are a few "supporting" characters that still need their own treatment when it comes to animations, and we are still planning to animate extra layers of the brewers' lives.
These animations will of course be situational, as the three following examples of brewers revolting against "no beer" policies in the Monastery. Don't be afraid, there is no such thing in Ale Abbey, but they still need to have a way to express their disapproval of sub-par beer, or other mishaps that might befall them.
The results are as tasty as expected!
Although these animations won't be worked on as a major priority, you can expect more to come your way, soon-ish ;)
-- The Monastery, this far
We were just recently building the Monastery up in an internal build to check how everything fits together. A few floors, rooms fitted with their equipment, some Monks and Nuns going about their life in the Abbey, and a quick check on those floors and how they tie together in a - seemingly - realistic manner to make this 2D perspective feel as alive (and somewhat 3D) as possible.
And then, at in-game nightfall, we just stood back looking at how cozy and alluring life in the Abbey can be... and we were happy. Don't be afraid, click on it!
-- Medicinal Beer
Last week's post made us think... if beer carries some good properties, could it be used as medicine? With today's standards and the possibility of overindulging in it because of its alcoholic content, it would be hard to call it medicine, but in the past, we would be having a completely different discussion.
Given the limited resources and questionable health standards of the olden days, quite a few cultures often used beer as an important aid for ailments. And for good reason, given that certain components found in beer have mild medicinal effects.
- Digestive Aid: Beer was believed to aid digestion. The carbonation and bitter components of beer were thought to stimulate the appetite and promote better digestion
- Pain Relief: The mild sedative effects of alcohol in beer may have been thought to provide relief from certain types of pain. It was sometimes used as a painkiller or to alleviate discomfort
- Antiseptic Properties: Might be sticky, that much is true, but the alcohol content in beer has antiseptic properties, and in the past, it was occasionally used topically to clean wounds or as part of poultices for various skin conditions
- Nutritional Supplement: Beer, made from grains, was considered a source of nutrients in some cultures. It provided calories and certain vitamins and minerals, especially at a time when other sources were - at best - scarce
So, might not have been the answer you were looking for, and it is sad for us to come to terms with it too, but when it comes to anything more than indigestion, you would be better off trusting today's medicine - more often than not.
As always, enjoy your weekend responsibly, and join us next week for more Ale Abbey news!
-- Hammer & Ravens
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