As promised in the title, in this week's devlog we're sharing some of our latest animation work that is still focused on the third batch of our Monks and Nuns, as well as idle animations for the more recent beer cart. As an added extra, this week we got you a small surprise from our composer, Clint Bajakian.
And of course, toiling tirelessly in the background, something that can be neither heard nor seen - so not part of this devlog (this week) - the team is working on the tutorial that will teach you how to get around the Abbey, and - of course - brew like a pro!
Onwards with the news!
-- Chirping and whistling, neighing and... tipsy Monks
Clint, who has been on fire composing Ale Abbey's amazing BGM is also the one-man-show behind the rest of its SFX giving life to the Monastery. All those floors and doors creaking, Monks shuffling their feet about after a day full of brewing, the neighing and whistling... you name it.
Following up after Raimo's latest quirky scene, he gave us a quick glimpse of how he envisions adorning such scenes in the not-so-far future ;)
-- And more animations
It comes as no surprise that after all these new Monks and Nuns made the Abbey their home, their very contextual animations would be happening as well. Taking a quick break from the recipe crafting UI, Raimo has been trying to make us feel like animation is an easy thing to do. For those wondering, it's not.
And of course the new beer cart with its first idle animation...
-- Checking your malt's quality
Malt quality almost single-handedly defines how efficient your brew will be. It can also affect flavor, taste, AND body. In essence, high-quality malt, with some good treatment during brewing, will result in an overall good beer.
First things first, with the indicators that even those who just started brewing can test! Appearance, Moisture Content, and Foreign Particles. If you find particles that don't belong like chaff or little stones/debris, if your malt looks like its moldy, or if you can notice humidity/moisture then your malt already looks like something affected it because of bad transportation or storage. Chances are, you have a goner...
My favorite check would be testing the taste and crushability of the malt, as you can perform both using your mouth. That "crunch" and subsequent flavor, definitely beats potato chips; should actually be healthier too! If the malt is not dry enough, or the flavor is off. You might have to open another sack.
It goes without saying that a more experienced brewer can also make a batch test by making a smaller batch of beer to test the barley in question to its fullest. Another thing is identifying its germination level (definitely requires a lot more experience though) that can vastly help with understanding a malt's potential yield, or even complete lack of goodies... ehmm, enzymes.
Tune in next week for more of Ale Abbey's news! For now, enjoy your weekend responsibly ;)
-- Hammer & Ravens
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