Yet another week with the team spending a lot of time working on behind-the-scenes activities. And as half of it was related to the latest internal build and the other half on something we can't disclose yet, you might not be getting the same amount of eye candy we usually dish out.
The good news is that the internal build has been consumed exhaustively and it seems we're reaching levels of some very satisfying gameplay. Apart from that we also had the opportunity to see the monastery grow and Finally, Raimo went about creating more assets and animations that we can unfortunately only hint at at this point.
Onwards with the news!
-- The "extras"
Regardless of context, where "extras" can mean anything from additional assets to additional actors *hint-hint* we kept working on that Ale Abbey-related project we also mentioned last week.
There won't be much talking during normal gameplay, or at least talking that would require speech bubbles, so where could those be used? 🤔 Raimo got to work right away, finished those bubbles up in no time and even produced some animations we really cannot share, no matter how much we would have loved to...
Also, you don't need us reminding you how sweet Sister Pinta is, but there was no way she would be missing from this upcoming endeavor. More to come! ;)
-- Life in the monastery
Playing around the latest build also gave us the opportunity to remember what the monastery looks like in-game and how lively it's slowly becoming with more and more content added to these test builds. Sometimes feeling like too much happening at the same time, gameplay still feels zen enough giving the player control over what they want to invest their time in, even at this state.
This is also the time where we tell you that there might be some closed testing coming up soon-ish, so if you do feel like joining in the fun of peppering us with feedback (and of course enjoying brewing your own beers!), do join our Discord at your earliest convenience.
-- Beer brewing process
Having tested almost every facet of Ale Abbey's gameplay in the latest internal build, a lot of time was - as one would expect - spent brewing. The only bad thing about it being the amount of contaminated beers a certain team member managed to produce (RNGesus and Yannis never see eye to eye), the rest of it felt meaty, tasty, and an absolute time sink... in a very good way!
Although the Recipe Crafting system already looks the part, the visuals for the Brewing process are still working placeholders. Even so, the process felt very fluid, especially when moving from crafting and tweaking your new recipes to putting them to the test of brewing as seen below.
Another thing we noticed (even amongst us) was that the process was becoming easier to deal with after the first or maybe second brew. Once one knows what they're doing, the activity becomes very straightforward and immediately fun. So, all we need to spend some time on now is solving the initial shock of those first brews, when the player is learning the ropes to make the entire experience a lot more satisfying. Challenge accepted ;)
-- Making every brew a learning moment
And since we're talking about learning how to deal with stip learning curves here, how about a list of things you'd definitely need when you brew?
- Choose Your Medium: Select a medium that suits your preferences and brewing environment. A physical notebook or binder works well for handwritten notes, while a digital app or spreadsheet may be more convenient for electronic recording. Portability, accessibility, and ease of use - especially considering you might have to use them while brewing are your topmost priorities.
- Record Essential Details: Start by recording essential details about each brew, including the recipe, ingredients, and brewing process. It goes without saying that specific grains, hops, yeast strains, and adjuncts used need to be recorded with their full names, along with their quantities and additions times. Mash temperature, boil duration, fermentation temperature, and gravity readings throughout the process will also help you make any necessary tweaks to the process in the future.
- Document Observations: Take detailed observations throughout the brewing process, noting any deviations from the expected outcomes, equipment adjustments, or unexpected occurrences. No change or observation is minor. A new cleaning agent used, another brand of the same yeast strain... everything matters. If you can, even record sensory evaluations such as aroma, appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel during tasting sessions.
- Include Time-Stamps: Brew day can and will be daunting. Controlling when something happens let alone remembering it after the fact will be almost impossible. Incorporate timestamps into your notes to track the duration of each brewing step and the overall timeline of the brew day. This is invaluable, especially during your first brews. You can thank us later.
- Use Visual Aids: Remember to add visual aids to your notes. Anything from diagrams and sketches, to photographs will help you make records of your brew days that are not prontto illustrate equipment setups, brewing processes, and recipe formulations.
Emiliano uses some really cool and sophisticated software solutions for this and works like a charm. Yannis on the other hand used to use pen and paper which worked great for recurring brews, but returning to notes written this way after about 10 years or so is no bueno.
In all honesty smartphones have made the entire process of record keeping a breeze to the point of one small note-taking solution making a huge difference. Pictures being already timestamped and easily pasted on a shared document online, a spreadsheet that can hold all that information in one place... all of these should be more than enough. In the end, it's what you feel more familiar with as long as you're consistent!
Enjoy your weekend responsibly, and join us next week for some more Ale Abbey news!
-- Hammer & Ravens
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