Dear Community,
In creating a more familiar and inspired world, we put a lot of effort into understanding how the ancient Chinese lived their lives. This includes more than just reading historical records and looking at traditional architecture. We discovered interesting similarities between our culture and the ancient Chinese while trying to understand the technology and sciences used during the Tang dynasty. The significance of alcohol and its influence on history became clear. Baijiu's role in religious, political, and everyday people's affairs was too important to ignore. This meant we couldn't skip a distillery on the list of buildings necessary to help your cities grow prosperous.
Baijiu of the past
While today's production is mechanised and monitored through sophisticated equipment to ensure the correct notes come through in the taste, the ancient Chinese had to rely more on their instincts and ingenuity. This means that hundreds of years ago, the process was theoretically simpler, but it still took years to master. Sorgo was steamed and prepared for the fermentation process in special holes in the ground. This is where the flavour profile is determined. Depending on bacteria and other microorganisms in the soil, the taste of baijiu changes. The next step of production is the distillation of the alcohol. This is where the baijiu masters would pay special attention to the bubbles forming on the top of the liquid. They are an indicator of the quality and how much flavour baijiu has. They would monitor how long the bubbles linger and remove bits if liquid that didn’t meet their expectations. After they have the perfect alcohol distilled batches of baijiu are left in cool cellars to age, which further enriches the flavour. We tried to emulate these steps in our game.
Our distilleries
The distillery unlocks once your city welcomes in the third tier of citizens. It consists of scholars. At this time you should have access to sorgo fields. They will have to be connected to the nearest river to ensure the highest quality harvests. Additionally, you should be able to create fine pottery. The science and artistry needed to create high-quality baijiu will be possible with the help of scholars. As they introduce the beverage into your city, they will require it as a part of their lives. Baijiu will be a part of their need for recreation. Alcohol will be distributed to your citizens through a system of warehouses scattered around your city.
We are trying to find these small details that will allow you to immerse yourselves in managing an ancient Chinese city. Basing the needs of your citizens on real-life necessities to enhance the experience of being a true governor attending to the demands of the people. We constantly seek new ideas to help us improve the game. What elements are you looking forward to? Do you have things you’d like us to include? Let us know in our Discord and social media!
See you next time,
The Devs