Game update: 15/04/15

Earth Day is next Wednesday, and this update gives you a chance to get set for the occasion!

Notification for Earth Day update

This is very much a decorative update, with all of the additions being either wall or floor decorations.

Android players are set for a new app for this update - keep an eye out for that at some point this week, as well as an in-game goal for downloading it.

Update: It's here! 'Restaurant Story: Earth Day' is on Google Play now and the download goal is also in operation. Thanks to Whipped Cream for the tip!

Here are all of the new items in list form, with everything unlocked at level 11:

Wall decorations:

• Shovels - 5 gems
• In Our Hands - 5,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Sapling* - 9 gems
• Arbor Activists* - 18 gems
• Earth Day Celebration* - 45 gems
• Watering Can - 5,000 coins
• Wishing Tree - 100,000 coins
• Arbor Day Phoebe - 25,000 coins
• Sapling Display - 30,000 coins

(*) On sale at 10% off for a limited time - discounts have been applied.

Following on from the Florida Keys update last week, it's another bright and cheerful update which is exactly what we want at this time of year when the days are getting longer. And I like that this update is linked to an event about to take place - March through September is quite scarce for events celebrated worldwide, but there's no doubt that Earth Day (and Arbor Day) is such an event.

If you'd like a sneak peek of all the content before buying, take a look at this image from the Storm8 Blog:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

Like most others, I automatically assumed upon seeing the teaser that we would be dealing with a box today, simply because of the sheer number of floor decorations on show. The two wall items did however plant a seed of doubt, and led me to ponder the possibility of a new bundle. As it is, everything is freely available in the market which is always pleasing.

And to add to the satisfaction, Storm8 are offering a 10% off sale for a limited time.

Notification for sale on items in update

Available for five days only, this deal applies to the three floor decorations for gems. The cynic in me says that the gamemakers have simply added 10% to the price they would normally charge prior to release, meaning that there isn't really any net sale. But that's probably just me being a sceptic!

My controversial view is best supported by the Earth Day Celebration. It may be a 4x4 behemoth, but at 45 gems it also has a monster price tag. If that is truly 10% off then this item is 49 or 50 gems at normal price. Decorations that expensive are few and far between which does arose suspicion. Regardless this is a nice piece - there are four cheery bots, plenty of components and lots of colour.

The 'Earth Day' banner is a little irritating since it sets a small time period outside of which this item could be classed as out of place. That reminds me of the Party Cart from the New Year update. It is a really cool decoration but has a '2015' banner meaning it can't be utilised effectively again!

Fortunately the big one is the only addition which suffers with this. The Arbor Activists is 2x2 and features two children planting a tree. I'm massively impressed by the way that Storm8 have created a link to Earth Day less obviously - anyone else spot the recycling symbol on the boy's shirt? It's a nice touch that gives a nod to Earth Day but yet keeps the item applicable throughout the Spring.

The other on-sale gem buy is the Sapling. It's significantly cheaper than the others at 9 gems, but is also significantly less weighty. A skinny little tree still growing out of a bag (not that that is how they all start!) I struggle to get excited about this.

And I'm all the less motivated to purchase it when I see the array of other additions which can be procured for coins. The Wishing Tree is one of the most dear coin items around at 100,000 coins, but is a 3x3 beauty. With some colourful folks busying themselves with decorating the tree with people's wishes, this is a vibrant piece which is as good as it gets for coins. The only drawback is the muddy base - I'd have liked a grassy floor which could blend seamlessly with the various grassy tiles available, but that really is just nitpicking.

There's also the option to grow your own wishing tree with the Sapling Table. It doesn't ooze the splendour of the Wishing Tree, but is still a nice decoration. If you have opened the Gardener's Chest at all then this might make a very good accompaniment.

In fact the contents of the Gardener's Chest would work superbly with the other two additions too.

Items from Gardener's Chest as shown on Storm8 Forums

The Watering Can is too small to be the centrepiece of a gardening themed area, but it is one of those items which can help put the finishing touches to one. The ladybird design on the side of the can is an excellent dollop of detail.

And Arbor Day Phoebe is your opportunity to have someone working on your garden full-time. This version of Phoebe has daisies in her hair and a cute pink gardening glove on. Just to provide some balance I'll make yet another Gran-Gran related comment - I reckon Gran-Gran is the kind of gal who would enjoy pottering around the garden, so this was a great opportunity to offer a Gran-Gran! Of course we did get our first Gran-Gran last week, but I'm still waiting for one for coins!

The final two additions are both on the wall. I like the simplicity of the Shovels. The red hooks they hang on are as fancy as this one gets, and that's the way it should be when you're dealing with something as mundane as a shovel! The In Our Hands painting is less banal. Once again I approve, with particular praise for the decision to leave the image of the Earth distorted rather than clearly showing any of the continents. This style really does help convey the feel of a painting.

And with no tables, chairs, wallpapers, floor tiles, counters or recipes we are done! That's three non-goals updates in a row which have been lacking in some of the common departments which does raise an eyebrow. Could this be one of the first signs that the game's developers are almost through with the backlog of unreleased content ahead of the inevitable wind-down in favour of Restaurant Story 2? Obviously I hope not, but if the quality of the various floor decorations which are being added continues to be as high as it is today then I'm not going to get tetchy just yet.

The anticipation of a box update got me thinking about when we last actually had a new box. It turns out that the Italia Crate released in February was the last box, and is the only one we've had in 2015. Considering that in the past the rate of box updates was typically one a month, that's a serious drop-off. Perhaps this can be attributed to the introduction of bundles. But with quite a few updates of late (including this one) having a large selection of floor decorations on offer, I get the feeling that Storm8 are now veering away from boxes. That can only be good news for all of us who aren't keen on the step into the unknown that comes with the purchase of a box.

Boxes may be scarce, but the gamemakers are still coming up with ways for you to spend your gems. Enter the Pearl Fountain.

Pearl Fountain limited time offer

The first prize in the Magic Shell box, the Pearl Fountain was made available in the market over the weekend last Friday. For 96 gems. You heard me right! A ridiculous fee, although in a bid to entice players in Storm8 did include a goal to buy the fountain, with a 35 gem reward.

Pearl Fountain goal

That gives for a 61 gem net cost, which is still well over the odds. The Pearl Fountain is one of the less imposing first prizes out there, measuring at only 3x3, so you'd have to be mesmerised by it to make the tap.

So why the strange goal? We've actually had this once before when the Koi Pond returned back in November. The proportion of gems awarded via the goal on this occasion was higher than it was then, although that said you still needed to have 96 gems to make the purchase in the first place. The presence of the goal makes it appear at a glance to be a better deal than it actually is, and since most players always complete the monthly goals, a few will probably have felt the need to do this goal too. If this earns Storm8 a few extra in-app purchases then so be it but it's not an offer I'll be buying into.

The more unconventional aspect to this deal for me was the day it was initiated. Since when did we get something to chew on on a Friday? Well, other than Black Fridays you have to go back to January 2013 for the last iOS update on a Friday, and that was the release of the Valentine's Day edition which remains the last seasonal version for iOS. After that the previous Friday updates were those occurring in the very early days when updates were always on Fridays! That's even before my time!

As well as the Pearl Fountain, there was another deal to be had on Friday.

Notification for expansions sale

Bakery Story has had a similar sale in the not too distant past, but this is the first time that expansions have been on offer in Restaurant Story. A 25% off deal is pretty good, and is all the more useful if you were planning a gem expansion anyway. I'm fully expanded (and never expanded with gems anyway) so this meant little to me but is certainly a more appealing sale than that of the Pearl Fountain.

In summary, a shocking LTO last Friday, but a really pleasing batch of Earth Day content in the regular update which can help you to spruce your place up for Spring.