About 100 weeks now we have been sharing our vision for Ale Abbey, our upcoming Monastery Brewery tycoon. With every post, we're trying our best to give you a glimpse of what we are working on and how much closer we get to Ale Abbey's eventual launch... No hard dates yet, alas, but we promise we'll be getting to that some time in the near future ;)
In today's post we go from the esteemed Superiors' office to the dark cold Cellars of the Abbey... We might call them dark and cold, but they won't be spooky, unless (!) they run out of beer. Apart from that this week has seen a lot of work on the brewing UI, which unfortunately we can't show much of yet, as it's still... how do we say this, lacking in refinement!
Onwards with the news.
-- Brewing process under the lens
We got a screengrab from one of our internal builds, where the team (specifically, Emiliano, Umberto, and Gianmario) had been working out some details that ended up in a blazing-fast implementation and subsequent test of the brewing UI.
Results can be seen below, but remember, this was only used to test the feasibility of certain necessary features in the backend. In other words, it was never meant to look good :p
Although the results were great, Brewing is such a core element in Ale Abbey's gameplay. We believe we still have to iron out quite a few kinks before we can share a video of the process, but you can expect more to come, soon.
-- Abbots & Abbesses are humans too!
We went on animating the Abbey's Superiors this week, with their more earthly tasks, AKA sleeping. Following the same treatment as the rest of the characters that will live in the Abbey, their prep and sleep routine will be quite prompt.
And since we have been working on certain aspects of monastic life, with everyone being as unique as possible especially when they are expressing their feelings to you, the player, you should expect your Superiors to be able to do so as well. If your little brewers become restless or unhappy, so will your Abbots/Abbesses!
-- Cellar dwellers rejoice!
Because your Abbey needs to look good inside-out, all the way up and down, the Cellars are about to receive the Raimo and Francesco (our artistic duo) treatment. Apart from a few tidbits here and there, the duo will also be reworking the arches, to make things appear more centered.
Regardless, we are extremely happy with the overall direction of the Cellars. In the crop below you can see a lot of the elements that give the Cellars a distinct feel. Details on the frames, extra elements on the room/ground separators, and a lot of new frills to spruce the place up a bit.
Pay attention to the finer details, such as the barrels that will be room-specific equipment (and have been a real pain to deal with so far), and the other room-specific elements that will serve the purpose of adorning your Cellars, like the demijons, books and tankards, and - the absolutely necessary - skull candle!
-- Cellars around the world
And because we wouldn't leave you with just a virtual representation of cellars, here is a small list of real-life cellars you might want to visit if you're into
- Westvleteren Abbey - Belgium:
Located in West Flanders, Belgium, Westvleteren Abbey is known for producing one of the most sought-after and elusive beers in the world, Westvleteren XII. While the brewery itself is not open to the public, visitors can purchase the beer at the abbey's gatehouse and learn about the brewing process through guided tours and exhibits. - Chimay Brewery at Scourmont Abbey - Belgium:
The Chimay Brewery, associated with Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Belgium, is famous for its Trappist beers. The brewery offers guided tours that take visitors through the brewing facilities, explaining the beer-making process and the history of the Trappist monks. The tour often concludes with a tasting of Chimay's renowned beers. - Kloster Andechs - Germany:
Andechs Monastery, located in Bavaria, Germany, has a long history of brewing beer. The Kloster Andechs brewery is open to the public, offering tours that cover the beer production process and the monastery's history. Visitors can enjoy the monastery's beer varieties and traditional Bavarian dishes in the onsite beer garden. - Mont des Cats Abbey - France:
Mont des Cats Abbey, situated near the French-Belgian border, is known for its Trappist beer production. While the brewery itself may not always be open to the public, visitors can explore the abbey grounds, purchase beer at the onsite shop, and learn about the monks' brewing traditions. - Kloster Weltenburg - Germany:
Weltenburg Abbey, located in Bavaria, Germany, is home to one of the oldest monastic breweries in the world. The Weltenburg Abbey Brewery welcomes visitors to its beer garden and provides tours of the brewery, showcasing the monks' brewing techniques. Guests can sample a variety of beers produced on the premises.
Grab a map and a backpack! If you're lucky enough to be reading this from Europe, hop on a train, and get to visiting. These monasteries won't be going anywhere, anytime soon, and their beers (especially when it comes to Chimay which most of us here in H&R would highly recommend) are mind-blowing and full of character, to say the least!
Enjoy your weekend responsibly, and join us next week for some more Ale Abbey news!
-- Hammer & Ravens
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