Game update: 12/11/14

Autumn is in full swing, and this Restaurant Story update brings new goals apt for the season!

Notification for Autumn 2014 update

It's the theme a lot of players (myself included) have been waiting for, and with it coming in a goals week that means there's not a gem in sight. Here is your full list of all the new content, which kicks in at level 12:

Tables:

• Fall Leaves Table - 15,000 coins

Chairs:

• Autumn Wreath Chair - 10,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Autumn Door - 20,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Pilgrim Planter - locked by goal
• Fall Divider - locked by goal
• Thanksgiving Feast - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Autumn Leaves - 7,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Autumn Squares - 500 coins

Appliances:

• Action Ice Cream Maker - 30,000 coins (LTO)
• Thankful Oven - locked by goal
• Turkey Cooker - locked by goal

Counters:

• Painted Fall - 10,000 coins

The Action Ice Cream Maker is only going to be around for six days, having proven a very popular appliance on the TeamLava Forum poll.

Action Ice Cream Maker limited time offer

This is the fourth item from the limited time re-release poll to return, and certainly indicates that this is going to be a common occurrence which is great.

If you missed out on the Action Ice Cream Maker (which was a goal prize in March 2013) then I strongly urge you to buy at least one now. It's an expensive appliance but it guarantees six gems for mastering the recipes - that's six gems that until this update you would never have been able to claim!

Into the Autumn pieces, I'll give a full analysis of the goal items in a goals content report in due course.

Introduction to Autumn 2014 goals

However some brief thoughts include intrigue at the Thanksgiving Feast, satisfaction with the Fall Divider, and sheer delight at the fact that the Thankful Oven rotates in four directions rather than the two we've been getting for so long!

You can get all the information you'll need as you embark on the goals here. And do note that the goals are only live for 27 days. That's a week less than normal, although won't affect the progress of most. Why is this? I can only guess that this update was supposed to be provided last week (as most expected) but for some reason was pushed back, and the gamemakers didn't want to have the goals running further into December.

Returning to those decorations which can be purchased without pursuing the goals, the highlight must be the Autumn Door. This is the third door added in recent months, but the first to be made available for coins. It's a momentous event as this now allows players to in effect move their door without having to invest gems. It also opens up the option of creating multiple feeding pens to improve cash flow.

No doubt there will be some who are angry at this move having spent gems in the past on new doors to improve efficiency and/or allow more flexible layouts. I'm among those who paid up for a second door, but do not share the frustration. Perhaps this is because I did that a long time ago and so have been able to enjoy the benefits for long enough that this development doesn't hurt. Or maybe I'm just happy that everyone now has an opportunity to shake things up.

As for the appearance of this particular door, it's lovely! The handle doesn't match the great ugly doorknob on the generic door, and the wreath rounds it off nicely. Of course there is a slight flaw here - the wreath should be on the outside, not the inside! I'll definitely be buying one of these for my foyer entrance anyway.

Around the door you can scatter some Autumn Leaves wallpaper. Some might find this wallpaper to be a little too orange, but in the right surrounding it could look lush. The use of shadow on the individual leaves is slightly mesmerising to the point that they actually look like they're stuck to the wallpaper rather than being part of it. An excellent effect!

Creeping down to the floor, the Autumn Squares are the new floor tile addition. It's a cheap one at 500 coins, and joins the ranks of quite a lot of other flooring which consists of each tile being broken down into four smaller tiles. This time though the colours are all different. For me the tones are a little too pastel-like (reminds me of Spring!) and could do with being of a darker shade. Nevertheless looking closely I do like the glossy finish.

So your customers now have a way into your diner and a floor to stand on, but where exactly are they going to sit and eat?! That's where the Fall Leaves Table and Autumn Wreath Chair come in. I love the table. The detail is impressive, with lots of tiny leaves scattered on an orange tablecloth which is draped over the edges. Again the use of shadow helps improve the 3D effect. I'm not quite so enthusiastic about the chair, but it's by no means a duffer. The wooden surface of the seat has a neat finish and the wreath on the back identifies it with the Autumn theme.

The only remaining item free of goal padlocks is the Painted Fall counter. Here the rich brown of the wood conveys a warm and inviting feeling, and the leaves painted on the side give the counter some character. It's another thumbs up from me, although it's not quite grand enough to swap out my French Counters for it!

As I mentioned earlier, the goal content will be reviewed later on, although that doesn't mean we're done yet. Because there's another box being offered on sale! The Horn of Plenty has been reduced to 18 gems (that's 25% off) for a limited time, much like the Autumn Gift Box last week. If TeamLava are going to start spewing out sales on seasonal boxes at the appropriate time then I'm very much nodding my head in a show of gratitude and praise. It's a shrewd move from a money-making standpoint, and if it means that the Winter Wonderland box is likely to get the same treatment in the coming weeks then I'm all the more chuffed!

Indeed, even this gem miser broke the bank to take a punt in the Autumn Gift Box while it was on offer. It was my first dip in a box for a long time, and resulted in the fourth prize Maple Bench.

Maple Bench in The Garlic Tree

You might have expected me to throw a tantrum at this result, but no! I'm very pleased, as the leaves with the bench match perfectly with the Leaf Pile, so the two are a marriage made in heaven. I know of one neighbour of mine who will be particularly jealous at this beautiful combination.

These two decorations form only a small part of a larger outdoor section which I've replaced my Halloween spooks by.

Autumn and Thanksgiving section of The Garlic Tree

It's really a return to Autumn which is fitting considering the nature of this update. However there's also a heavy Thanksgiving presence now, with the Turkey Parade Float and Parade Car from last year's goals putting in their first ever appearance at The Garlic Tree. The Train Conductor has the unenviable job of preventing the car from a dangerous collision with the Sunflower Gardens!

In other news, it's with regret that I report to you this evening the loss of Fat Bear's world famous Eyeball Stew!

Everlasting Eyeball Stew at Fat Bear's goes rotten!

Technically it's still on show in Fat Bear's place, but it has at last gone off since I broke the news of its longevity last Thursday, and become even more grotesque! It's something of a museum piece now!

That concludes this goal update post. Lots to be getting on with as Autumn finally reaches Restaurant Story. And going by my feelings towards the stuff readily available to buy, it looks like these goals are going to be a strong set!