Saturday 29 June 2013

Recent new recipes

Over the last couple of weeks we've had six fresh recipes added to the game.

First up, the Cruise Ship Stove which was unlocked in the Cruise goals contained three new recipes. They are as follows:

First new recipe for
Cruise Ship Stove

Second new recipe for
Cruise Ship Stove

Third new recipe for
Cruise Ship Stove

The Tropical Kabob is very similar to the Fruit Kebab on the Vegan Stove but at least it has fruity colours rather than the slimy green of the latter. I quite like the look of all three of these new recipes, particularly the Coconut Cake which is nicely completed with the cherry decoration.

The XP rewards on these three recipes are very good - over 100 XP for an 8 hour dish is very rare, let alone a 6 hour dish. Meanwhile the portions sizes are down on average, and as a result the coin profit is slightly down too.

But overall I'm very pleased with these new additions - remember it's also another 6 gems available for mastery, and if you take part in the Cruise goals then you'll bag the gems for level 2, and be well on the way to mastery at level 4.

Now on to another three new recipes which were introduced just this week. First up are two dishes on the Basic Stove:

First new recipe for
Basic Stove

Second new recipe for
Basic Stove

It's another pair of summery dishes. The Flower Salad in particular is bright and cheerful, even if I'm not a fan of edible flowers. I'd say that the Escargot needs a sauce to make it a little more appealing.

The 7 hour preparation time for the Flower Salad is unorthodox, but never mind. Both dishes are fine on the statistics, although nothing special.

The final new recipe is aboard the Basic Grill, and it's another burger:

New recipe for Basic Grill

The Beach Burger is far from the first burger in the game. We already have Cheeseburgers, the Kobe Beef Burger, the Bleu Ribbon Burger, the Turkey Burger, the Original Burger, Hamburger Sliders and the Banh Mi Burger. I guess the folks over at TeamLava like their burgers!

However it does fit in nicely with the cruise theme, and I love the fact that this burger is bulging with filling. I could quite easily wrap by gnashers round that!

For now, the latter three recipes are at the start of the list for the Basic Stove or Basic Grill, but expect them to be moved into their respective appliance's depths at a later date once they are no longer viewed as being new dishes.

Escargot and Flower Salad have now been moved towards the end of the recipe list.

Friday 28 June 2013

Game update: 27/06/13

Following on from the usual Wednesday update, more new content was added to Restaurant Story last night.

Notification for this week's extra cruise themed update

An extra update is a departure from the norm, but here is the short list of new content all the same:

Tables:
  • Shell Table - 4,000 coins
Chairs:
  • Shell Chair - 2 gems
Wall decorations:
  • Turtle Art - 7,500 coins
Floor decorations:
  • Surfboards Decor - 10 gems
Counters:
  • Shell - 10 gems

So it looks like the cruise has reached the beach, confirmed with the addition of another new recipe on the Basic Grill, the Beach Burger:

New recipe for Basic Grill

This is the umpteenth burger in the game - we've already got three on the Burger Grill, the sliders on the Outdoor Grill plus two existing burger recipes on the Basic Grill. At least this one fits in with the theme - it is packed with filling. I'd love to sit and scoff one of those on the beach!

As for the main content, it doesn't light my fire to be honest. The Shell Table and Shell Chair will be great for those with a beach area, although spending gems on the chair may put some off. The Shell counter suffers the same fate, but the Turtle Art is cute.

Then there is the Surfboards Decor. It made me laugh on two accounts. Firstly, it is so small - when was the last time you saw surfboards so tiny? Secondly, there is a Surfboards decoration in the Island Chest which is a 4th prize and has the surfboards at the right height. So there are no excuses!

On the subject of the Island Chest, a couple of dips into that combined with purchases of items across the last few updates and Zen Sand floor tiles could really create a superb beach and ocean theme. Although it would come at a hefty gem price.

So why did we get this update so randomly? My theory is that it was originally planned to be released next week concluding the cruise theme, but with US Independence Day coming up next week, they've had to release the content early ahead of an American themed update next Wednesday. Whether this is true we may never know, but I do expect July 4th celebration items in next week's update.

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Game update: 26/06/13

With summer very much upon us (allegedly) the cruise theme is continued for a third consecutive week in Restaurant Story.

Notification for latest cruise themed update

This update contains a few more cruise-related additions, plus a couple of new recipes. More on them shortly, but first here is all the new content in a neat list:

Tables:
  • Cruise Table - 3 gems
Chairs:
  • Cruise Chair - 20,000 coins
Wall decorations:
  • Golden Anchor - 30,000 coins
Floor decorations:
  • Cruise Couch - 26 gems (LTO)
  • Anchor Sign - 35,000 coins
Wallpapers:
  • Cruise Ship - 1 gem
Floor tiles:
  • Waves - 3,000 coins
Counters:
  • Anchor Counter - 10 gems

The Cruise Couch is a limited time offer which is only available for 5 days (starting today, Wed).

Cruise Couch limited time offer

Kicking off with that couch, it's a smart piece but at 26 gems I'm unconvinced that it's good value.

And that kind of summarises most of this update - not many players will part with 3 gems for one table or 10 gems for one counter.

On the other hand, the Golden Anchor looks lovely (although it could be a tad bigger) and the Anchor Sign will be a great addition for those who have already developed a cruise theme. And the major pro here? Both cost coins!

Also new this week are two recipes for the Basic Stove. We've got Escargot and Flower Salad at the start of the recipe list, which take 6 and 7 hours to prepare respectively. I'll make a separate post looking at these new dishes over the weekend, but at a glance, they appear exceptional for XP - a three-figure XP is very rare indeed for a dish which takes under 8 hours to cook.

I'm not sure how these recipes fit into the cruise theme though. I personally have never been on a cruise but I suspect there isn't an abundance of snails or marigolds out at sea! Perhaps they're just targeting the summer season as a whole with those dishes.

On the subject of XP, some of you may have noticed that the Cedar Planked Fish on the Basic Grill has had it's XP downgraded. Previously it offered 90 XP for 1 hour's cooking (extraordinary) but now it only yields 26 XP. Which is mediocre.

New stats for Cedar Planked Fish

This isn't the first time this has happened - back in April, Bacon & Eggs was overhauled.

Did TeamLava only notice the ridiculously high XP for this fishy in a dishy in the last week? If so, then that's poor observations from them. I'll let you pass judgement on whether that's the case...

Please note that further new content was released the following day. Click here for more.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Cruise goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 15th July 2013.

As part of the update for the week commencing June 10, there was a new set of goals added to the game. There is a 34 day limit to complete them.

Note that these goals are only unlocked when a player reaches level 40, and are intended for higher level players with a LOT of coins available to invest. Even with the best case scenario of buying cheap whenever possible these goals will drain you of over 1,100,000 coins!

For those brave enough, the steps are as follows...

 Step 1: All Aboard!

  • Play 200,000 coins to print Boarding Passes ... just tap the 'Pay' button to part with the required coins.
  • Visit 30 Community Members
Cruise goals: step 1
As is customary, the goals now split into two strands, which I'm calling Strand A and Strand B.

 Strand A, step 1: Out At Sea

  • Buy 16 Ocean View Windows ... these cost 7,500 coins each.
  • Buy 16 Wallpaper ... any wallpaper is acceptable.
  • Buy 8 Decorations ... any floor decorations are acceptable.
Cruise goals: strand A, step 1
The Anchor Table is unlocked for completing this goal.

Unlocking of Anchor Table in Cruise goals

 Strand A, step 2: A Swanky Ship

  • Buy 60 Floor Tiles ... any floor tiles are acceptable.
  • Have 3 Cruise Ship Bars ... these are locked until you complete Strand B, step 1. They cost 55,000 coins each and can be found towards the end of the floor decorations tab.
Cruise goals: strand A, step 2
This concludes Strand A.

 Strand B, step 1: Anchors Aweight

  • Buy 16 Anchor Tables ... these are locked until you complete Strand A, step 1. They cost 17,000 coins each and can be found at the end of the floor decorations tab.
  • Buy 16 Cruise Deck Chairs ... these cost 17,000 coins each.
  • Have 1 Navigation Host Table ... these cost 20,000 coins each and can be found under the tables tab. Note that this item was already in the game prior to this update - you may already own one!
Cruise goals: strand B, step 1
The Cruise Ship Bar is now unlocked and one is given to you free. You will need to buy another two as part of Strand A, step 2.

Unlocking of Cruise Ship Bar in Cruise goals
There is another split in the goals now, with Strand B continuing and a new branch, Strand C, starting. For details on Strand C, go to the bottom of this page.

 Strand B, step 2: Surprise, Gran-Gran!

    • Have 4 Cruise Ship Stoves ... these are locked until you complete Strand C, step 1. They cost 50,000 coins each and can be found at the end of the appliances tab.
    • Serve 50 Tropical Kabobs ... these are found on the Cruise Ship Stove and take 4 hours to cook.
    Cruise goals: strand B, step 2

     Strand B, step 3: Surf & Turf

    • Prepare 60 Surf & Turf ... these are found on the Cruise Ship Stove and take 6 hours to cook.
    • Serve 60 Surf & Turf
    Cruise goals: strand B, step 3

     Strand B, step 4: Destination: Dessert!

    • Prepare 70 Coconut Cakes ... these are found on the Cruise Ship Stove and take 8 hours to cook.
    • Serve 70 Coconut Cakes
    Cruise goals: strand B, step 4
    Completing this tasty lot unlocks the end prize, the Glass Boat Bottom.

    Unlocking of Glass Boat Bottom in Cruise goals

     Strand C, step 1: Shady Service
     
    Available after completing Strand B, step 1

    • Ask 18 Neighbours for Sunglasses
    Cruise goals: strand C, step 1
    This is the only step in Strand C but its completion does unlock the Cruise Ship Stove, and give you one free of charge. Another 3 are required for Strand B, step 2.

    Back from holiday, no it wasn't a cruise!

    Hi everyone! I'm back from holidays and what a couple of weeks it's been in Restaurant Story.

    Despite the Birthday Goals only the week before, there was another goal set released in the first week of my holiday, revolving around a cruise. For all the details on this, click here.

    Notification for first cruise themed update

    The new items added were the Anchor Table, Cruise Deck Chair, Ocean View window, Cruise Ship Bar, Glass Boat Bottom and Cruise Ship Stove.

    All of the above content except the chair and window are unlocked in the Cruise Goals. On that subject, the Cruise Goals are only available to players above level 40 and are designed for advanced players (basically, those with money to burn!)

    Many of those new items are seen in this image released on the TeamLava Blog:

    Items from first Cruise themed update as show on TeamLava Blog

    I immediately set to work on the goals, aware that I'd lose a lot of coins in the process, but the Glass Boat Bottom (see right of image above) end prize is something I couldn't turn down the chance of.

    The second update I was on holiday for was a small one continuing the theme of cruises. This was the release of the Cruise Box.

    Notification for second cruise themed update

    As usual you should hope for the best but prepare for the worst if you plan to spend gems on the Box. All of the items within bar the Cruise Lamps are shown below, again courtesy of the TeamLava Blog:

    Items from the Cruise Box as shown on TeamLava Blog

    The distribution of the prizes is as follows:

    First Prize (1% chance)
    • Indoor Flow
    Second Prize (10% chance)
    • Midnight Jacuzzi
    • Cruise Playground
    Third Prize (35% chance)
    • Lounge Chair
    • Anchor Dessert Platter
    Fourth Prize (54% chance)
    • Cruise Sculpture
    • Cruise Lamps
    • Towel Elephant
    • Ship Wheel
    Source: TeamLava Forums

    In my opinion this is a pretty good box, with plenty of desirable items.

    So overall a couple of good weeks for the game. Time will tell if the cruise theme is going to continue...

    Saturday 8 June 2013

    Holidays!

    From this Monday (10th June) to Monday 24th June, I'll be away holidaying on sunnier shores.

    Therefore I won't be making any posts over the next couple of weeks, so don't be alarmed at the lack of activity on my part.

    This obviously means you'll be on your own for the next two updates along with any goal sets which are released.

    However Restaurant Story being the addictive game that it is, I'll still be playing the app as I will have wifi access. I'm planning to stick to dishes which take 12 hours or more to prepare so as to avoid spending the majority of my vacation staring at my iPod screen! This could actually be a great chance to advance the mastering meter on the 1-2 days recipes.

    What is for sure is that I won't be tipping during the next fortnight and since I'll still be active in the game, expect my star rating to drop drastically from its current level four state.

    As for the blog, I'll post a summary of any new content when I return. Until then, Hoşçakal!

    Friday 7 June 2013

    Follow-up on Birthday Party Oven

    At the centre of this week's update was a new appliance - the Birthday Party Oven.

    This oven contains three new recipes which are all needed to complete the Birthday Party goals. Here they are...

    First new recipe for
    Birthday Party Oven

    Second new recipe for
    Birthday Party Oven

    Third new recipe for
    Birthday Party Oven

    I've been waiting a long time for a birthday cake to be released in Bakery Story, yet in the end it's been released in Restaurant Story! I'll settle for that!

    The serving sizes aren't too impressive to be honest, especially on the Birthday Cake - 325 plates for 3 hours waiting isn't a good yield whatsoever.

    The XP gains are also disappointing. Compare the 22 XP for cooking a Pretzel Dog to the mighty 90 XP for preparing Cedar Planked Fish on the Basic Grill. Both are 1 hour dishes, but the differential in XP is significant. Having said that, the Cedar Planked Fish is an exceptional dish from an XP perspective so maybe shouldn't be used for comparisons.

    On the plus side, by fulfilling the goals, you will bank the 3 gems for mastering these recipes at the second level, with good progress made towards mastery at the fourth level. Just think of those gems!

    And the dishes themselves look good. They are typical party food, and in addition the ovens themselves are bright, cheerful and wacky. Just what a birthday appliance should be.

    Wednesday 5 June 2013

    Birthday Party goals (in full)

    Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 8th July 2013.

    As part of the latest update, Restaurant Story has a new set of goals for your enjoyment, and they revolve around preparing for a birthday party. You have 34 days to complete them. Here are the steps...

     Step 1: Birthday Party!

    • Visit 12 Community Members
    • Serve Any 2 Dishes
    Birthday Party goals: step 1
    The goals then split into two strands. I'm naming them Strand A and Strand B.

     Strand A, step 1: Blowing Balloons

    • Buy 10 Wallpaper ... any wallpaper is acceptable.
    • Buy 4 Birthday Balloons ... these cost 7,500 coins each so will total 30,000 coins spent.
    Birthday Party goals: strand A, step 1
    Completion of this goal will result in the Birthday Party Table being unlocked.

    Unlocking of Birthday Party Table in Birthday Party goals

     

     Strand A, step 2: We Need a Favour

    • Pay 30,000 coins for Party Favours ... just tap the 'Pay' button to part with the required coins.
    • Buy 16 Floor Tiles ... any floor tiles are acceptable.
    Birthday Party goals: strand A, step 2
    And for doing this you will unlock the Birthday Party Oven, and be given one free. All of the recipes on this new appliance are readily available (in other words, none are locked by goal).

    Unlocking of Birthday Party Oven in Birthday Party goals
    At this point Strand A itself splits into two. I'll call the resulting two strands Strand C and Strand D. For details on what they entail, please head further down this page!

     Strand B, step 1: Fit For a Kid

    • Have 4 Birthday Party Chairs ... these cost 5,000 coins each so will total 20,000 coins spent.
    • Have 4 Birthday Party Tables ... these are locked until you complete Strand A, step 1. They cost 6,000 coins each so will total 24,000 coins spent.
    Birthday Party goals: strand B, step 1
    This is the only step of Strand B.

     Strand C, step 1: Start the Party!
     
    Available after completing Strand A

    • Have 2 Birthday Party Ovens ... one is given to you for completing Strand A. These cost 10,000 coins each and can be found on the penultimate page of the appliance tab. There is no construction required.
    • Serve 30 Pretzel Dogs ... these are found on the Birthday Party Oven and take 1 hour to cook each.
    Birthday Party goals: strand C, step 1

     Strand C, step 2: Fun & Fruity

    • Serve 35 Fun Fruit Pops ... these are found on the Birthday Party Oven and take 2 hours to cook each.
    • Buy 2 Decorations ... any floor decorations are acceptable.
    Birthday Party goals: strand C, step 2
    Getting those Fruit Pops served will unlock the Petting Zoo, which is needed for completing Strand D.

    Unlocking of Petting Zoo in Birthday Party goals

     Strand C, step 3: Happy Birthday!

    • Serve 40 Birthday Cakes ... these are found on the Birthday Party Oven and take 3 hours to cook each.
    Birthday Party goals: strand C, step 3
    As you may spot in the image above, there is a 2 gem reward for icing those cakes. This concludes Strand C.

     Strand D, step 1: A Birthday Surprise
     
    Available after completing Strand A

    • Buy a Petting Zoo ... these are locked until you complete Strand C. They cost 25,000 coins each and can be found towards the end of the floor decorations tab. Note they are 4x4 in size so you may need to make room.
    Birthday Party goals: strand D, step 1
    And this is the solitary step in Strand D.

    Game update: 05/06/13

    This week we've got something a bit different - the theme is birthday parties, and the update is dominated by a new set of goals to celebrate! For more on the goals, see here.

    Notification for Birthday Party themed update

    So, what have we got for the occasion? Well here's the list:

    Tables:
    • Birthday Party Table - locked by goal
    Chairs:
    • Birthday Party Chair - 5,000 coins
    Wall decorations:
    • Birthday Balloons - 7,500 coins
    Floor decorations:
    • Petting Zoo - locked by goal
    Appliances:
    • Birthday Party Oven - locked by goal

    With only two items readily available, it's a party for VIPs only. At least they are affordable. And working through the Birthday Party goals should unlock the rest of the new content.

    Introduction to Birthday Party goals

    The shortage of new content leads me to wonder if the Birthday Party goals may come in two installments, much like the Gran-Gran goals did. In particular, notice the lack of a new counter. Usually a counter is a given for any theme - especially one with goals attached. Perhaps it will be included next week.

    A preview of the Petting Zoo along with everything else can be seen in this image courtesy of the TeamLava Blog:

    Items from Birthday Party update as shown on TeamLava Blog

    You may spot that there are three never before seen dishes on the counters including a birthday cake. So presumably the Birthday Party Oven will carry three new recipes.

    The bright colours are great. This is what (children's) birthday parties are all about. No need for any style or substance, just dollops of happy colours.

    My only concern is the Petting Zoo, not least due to health and safety concerns in a restaurant. Are the horse and sheep residents at the restaurant or are they next in line for the chop?! This reminds me of the limited time offer for the buffalo during the cowboy theme a while back.

    Having said all that, the Petting Zoo may make a nice piece in a future garden section of my diner so I'll definitely be working hard to complete the goals.

    Saturday 1 June 2013

    Another expansion at The Garlic Tree

    It's that time again. My next expansion is to 20x23 and comes at a cost of 5,000,000 coins.

    Expansion to 20x23

    Now the last time I expanded, it was quickly followed with a total refurbishment of my restaurant. On this occasion though, I'm keeping things as they are with the extra space being utilised for placing more tables, chairs and counters.

    So you could call it an efficiency enhancing expansion. And here's the before and after images:

    The Garlic Tree before expansion to 20x23

    The Garlic Tree after expansion to 20x23

    This is a useful move for me as I've gone from seating 18 to 22. Previously I had quite a lot of the initial customers leaving red-faced and angry, but the increase in capacity has stemmed the flow somewhat.

    And the increase in the number of counters from 27 to 34 will be good for business as well. I'd been finding that there wasn't enough room to display all the dishes once cooked, but this should reduce the number of occasions where I have to throw away plates of food to make space for new portions.

    The more eagle-eyed among you may also spot one or two changes to my retro diner section. I've parted with some gems to put in place some Red and White floor tiles - I think they match the rest of the interior better than the Red and Black tiles. At 1 gem each, that's 24 gems gone!

    New look retro diner section at The Garlic Tree

    Then I spent another 24 gems for a second go at the 50's Diner Box. And I was given a Retro Gumball Machine:

    Award of Retro Gumball Machine from 50's Diner Box

    In all honesty I was a tad disappointed to get such a small item for such a large investment but that's the risk you take with the boxes. At least it fits the surroundings well. I doubt I'll be having another lucky dip in the 50's Diner Box any time soon.

    It's worth mentioning that part of the reason why I've spent a large chunk of my gems is that earlier this week I had a 'double tap' accident in Bakery Story which led to 40 gems being tossed down the drain. I'm still seething!

    The next expansion on the horizon is to 21x24 and costs a whopping 7,500,000 coins. However I've still got almost 1,500,000 coins leftover after the last expansion, so I'm well on my way.