Game update: 22/10/14

The Halloween famine is in full swing, but the recipe famine is OVER!

Notification for latest Italian update

It's an Italian themed update this week, making it the third of 2014. The new content unlocks at level 15. Here it is:

Tables:

• Colossus Table - 4 gems

Chairs:

• Colossus Stool - 5,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Pasta Tower - 8 gems
• Piazza de Ferrari - 50 gems
• Gelato Display - 25,000 coins
• Gondola Date - 30,000 coins
• Reflecting Pool - 70 gems (LTO)

Wallpapers:

• Venetian - 2 gems

Floor tiles:

• Venetian - 2,000 coins

And as I've already proclaimed, there are recipes to be had, which we'll inspect later on.

This is an unusual update in the sense that there are four floor decorations pertaining to the Italian theme, yet no wall decoration or counter, both of which are usually represented. My cynical side suggests that this is further evidence that TeamLava are emptying their stores of content and this is the Italian stuff that was left.

The two earlier Italian updates came in March and September, and combined the three offer a wealth of Italian style decor which allows players to model their entire diner as an Italian restaurant if they so wish. I've enjoyed all three updates, but just wonder why we couldn't have had them all clustered together to give a month dedicated to Italy. This would have been the case in previous years, but in 2014 updates have generally been erratic.

Now before we take our tour of Italy, let's have a look at a pair of limited time offers, neither of which is found near the start of the floor decorations tab - you'll have to do a fair bit of tapping to find them. The first is the Reflecting Pool.

Reflecting Pool limited time offer

This is the first prize from the Woodland Box and at the time of writing is sitting third in the re-release poll over on the TeamLava Forum. Why the Koi Pond and Action Ice Cream Maker (which have more votes currently) were not offered instead I have no idea! At least the re-releases didn't stop after the Ice Cream Machine though!

I voted for the Reflecting Pool and am pleased to see the game's developers giving something back to the players by making a box item available out of box. Outside of Black Friday and Christmas sales this is unprecedented, so kudos there! But unfortunately the pool is VERY expensive. Seventy gems is way out of the league of many players and is a massive investment for those who can afford it. Indeed it would severely damage most players' Black Friday preparations if they were to buy it, and that is the main thing putting me off.

I guess we shouldn't be all that surprised considering that the only other freely available first place box prize is the Picnic Party which is also 70 gems. But it is hefty, and I'm going to pass in hope that there are some proper bargains to be had on Black Friday (last year there were some first place box items available for just 13 gems!)

The other LTO is both a sneaky and puzzling one. The Picnic Prep has been in the market for 18 months, but is now on its way out. This is why I've not included it in the additions list.

Notification for removal of Picnic Prep

The same thing has happened in Bakery Story the last two weeks, with a random item being branded limited time before removal. Why? Presumably it's a move designed to force players to make a call on whether to part with gems, and therefore potentially spend real money. But it's a weird sort of strategy to shoot down one item a week if that is what is going to happen. One to keep an eye on.

So will I break down and buy the Picnic Prep? Again it's a no, but not without a little pondering. I've always admired the Picnic Prep, what with it's kitchen action scene, but it's only 3x3 in size and I've got plenty of other kitchen options these days. It would have been nice to have it there as a possible buy on a rainy day, but we shouldn't complain - being an element of the Picnic Surprise box TeamLava were never under any obligation to offer it in the market in the first place!

At last we move on to this week's new offerings. Topping the bill is the Piazza de Ferrari for 50 gems.

Preview of Piazza de Ferrari

It's another premium purchase, and is based on the fountain at the Piazza de Ferrari square in Genoa. It's a pretty good semblance to the real thing, and could be a super addition to an outdoor area. Furthermore I envision players actually adopting it as the centrepiece for a square. I've already paid serious gems for one fountain in the past (the Kissing Swans) so don't feel in any way inclined to do so again.

At the side of the square you might want to take a time-out and indulge in some ice cream. The Gelato Display will allow just that, and it is a coin buy. It'll go well with any of the goodies from the Ice Cream Crate released in July, or indeed the existing Italian content. In particular I'm expecting plenty of players to place this decoration alongside the Pizza Display of the same shape. My only bugbear is the Italian flag colours winding round the sides. This makes me less keen to use the Gelato Display in a non-Italian environment, but I'll probably still buy it anyway.

Another food-related addition is the Pasta Tower. Once again its an existing piece which makes a nice combination, this time with the Leaning Tower of Pizza. It's another item I'm tempted by, what with the decent level of detail weaved into it, but I think I'll keep my 8 gems in my pocket for now. As far as floor decor goes that leaves the Gondola Date. At 30,000 coins it's a snip, demonstrated by the fact that I've already bought it! From the guy's green jacket to the ducks in-love at the rear, this is a wonderfully crafted item. Even the attached floor doesn't annoy me too much - at least the Ocean Floor tile is of a similar type. My Autumn outlook means there's no place for the gondola right now, but it will definitely see some air time come Spring.

Next up are the Colossus Table and Colossus Stool. Please excuse any cultural ignorance here, but why Colossus? I get that the Coliseum is a great feat of Roman architecture, but I'm not sure why the word 'Colossus' has been utilised in the naming of these items. Is there a copyright issue here? Plus the name 'Colossus Stool' is something of an oxymoron in my view! Anyhow, the two items are rather nondescript which is mostly a consequence of the plain colouring. I'd much rather have seen a gigantic floor decoration of the Coliseum with lots of details instead.

All that remains are the Venetian wallpaper and Venetian flooring. The wallpaper is nice and again suits an outdoor Italian scene. The lampposts and railings have that classy look I associate with Italy, and the brickwork at the bottom is a close match with some of the items from the Italian goals week, which is pleasing. The floor tile is good too, and in contrast to the wallpaper's gem tag is affordable.

So on balance I'm definitely flashing a thumbs up to this update, despite it coming at a time when Halloween is all the rage. I think the complete randomness of last week's update and it's poor quality was the main source of my rage, whereas this update is much better executed and its lack of spooky stuff was half-expected anyway. However it doesn't overcome the fact that this update should have been released in the Summer months, preferably in line with the Italian goals in September.

And now this update goes from being good to great. That's because it ceases the recipe famine which has taken its toll over the last few months. Twelve weeks after the last recipe release outside of goals, we've got not one, not two, but three Italian themed dishes to pour over. Here they are in all their glory:

New recipes on Basic Stove and Basic Oven

The Ravioli and Fettuccine Alfredo are found on the Basic Stove while the Skinny Breadsticks are located on the Basic Oven. All are realistic recipes which gives me real joy, and means that once again the gamemakers have listened to my suggestions! Let's check in on the recipe ratings which go with these foods:

Ravioli
Profit	XP gain	Portions	Profit per plate	Availability	Rating
2	6	1	8	9	4.0

Fettuccine Alfredo
Profit	XP gain	Portions	Profit per plate	Availability	Rating
1	6	1	10	9	3.8

Skinny Breadsticks
Profit	XP gain	Portions	Profit per plate	Availability	Rating
5	4	2	10	9	4.8

It's pretty clear that these dishes don't rate particularly well. None of them are total duffers but nor do any of them challenge their respective duration leaders in any of the key factors. I'm quite happy to let that go though as what's important about these recipes isn't about their statistical performance but their symbolic importance. The recipe famine is over at last!

It's a high note to sign off with. Lots to digest this week!