Game update: 01/07/15

Into July, and it's time to gear up for the Independence Day celebrations this coming Saturday.

To add to the festivities this is a goals update, so get to work! Everything becomes available from level 12, with the full list as follows:

Tables:

• July Table - 8,000 coins

Chairs:

• Woven Chair - 4,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• July Wreath - 6,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Patriotic Dog - 8,000 coins
• BBQ Spread - 10,000 coins
• Rockets - locked by goal
• Cornhole - locked by goal
• Pool Party - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Red White Blue - 3,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Lawn Stars - 1,000 coins

Appliances:

• BBQ Stove - locked by goal
• July Oven - locked by goal

Counters:

• July Counter - 8,000 coins

I have to say I was quite surprised when the teaser was released and included two appliances as well as content from all the categories - enough to almost ensure a new set of goals. It may be the start of a new month, but it's only the first, and since the Lemon goals only appeared three weeks ago, it's a quick turnaround.

However I'm not going to complain about this aspect of the timing since goals are what keep the community keen. Nevertheless, I'm not so enamoured with the theme. July the Fourth is very much an American celebration as the US commemorates its independence from the UK. Being from the UK, decking my place out with the stars and stripes doesn't really appeal.

Maybe this is bad etiquette. After all I have adopted Asian and Chinese New Year themed sections in the past. But for me Independence Day is very much a show of patriotism and so doesn't really have a place in The Garlic Tree.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against this update. Storm8 is an American company and the majority of its players are in the US, so it makes sense to include a July the Fourth theme. Indeed I'm surprised it's taken until this year to get any - until now the only patriotic US theme we've had was a small Memorial Day update in 2013.

The fact that the update comes only three days before 4th July does make it less appealing even to US players. The timing is fine if you're only looking at a regular update, but with some of the items not available until progression through the goals, it means a lot of players won't be able to get hold of some of the stuff until after the event. It would have been more sensible to have these goals sooner, perhaps swapped with the Lemon goals which could quite reasonably have been released today instead.

Anyhow, let's focus on the new content, and there's a preview of all the goodies via the Storm8 Blog:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

I really like the look of the Pool Party in the middle of the above image. I'll give a full analysis of it in a future goals content report, but it's lack of red, white and blue patterns make it usable for lots of summery outdoor scenes.

Unfortunately my lack of enthusiasm for Independence Day seeps on to my thoughts regarding the rest of the additions. The July Table and July Counter both look exactly as you'd expect from a July the Fourth styled piece, with lots of red, white and blue along with stars and stripes. I just don't find it exciting.

Luckily I've managed to muster some amusement for the Woven Chair. Opting not to include any stars on this chair is to its benefit, as it isn't eternally connected to the Independence Day theme. Plus I'm going to interpret it as a nod to the flag of the Netherlands!

The two floor decorations available at the outset are I'm sure going to be very popular with those who are pumped for July the Fourth. The Patriotic Dog looks pretty cute with his stars and stripes outfit, and having his tongue hanging out is a cool touch. The BBQ Spread is 2x2 in size and not short of detail. All sorts of condiments are on a red, white and blue checked table which has red bows around the sides. From burgers and hot dogs to cake and lollypops, the game's developers have really gone to town on this item.

On the wall there's the July Wreath. Like the table and counter before it, there's not a lot to report here. It's a bog standard wreath for Independence Day, with the usual colours and ribbons.

And behind it you can splash the wall itself with the Red White Blue. This time I reckon the hidden homage is to Iceland, whose flag bears some resemblance to the design here!

Lastly there's the Lawn Stars floor tile, which involves stars with the US colours on grass. Unless I'm oblivious to an American tradition of some sort I'm not sure what's going on here. Are the stars supposed to be painted on to the lawn? If so then the effect is not good.

As alluded to, there's a fresh goal set accompanies this update.

Introduction to Independence Day goals

You'll need to work your way through the goals to unlock the three floor decorations and two appliances which are padlocked. For more on the goals see my dedicated post here.

Before I depart to consult the goals clipboard, there's one last addition to take a look at. There is a Value Pack which is accessed via an icon on the right of the screen and is around for five days.

Limited time Value Pack including Lazy Sunday decoration

Update: It appears that this feature is only available for ioS users at present, much like with bundles. For a proper view of the Lazy Sunday check out this post on the Storm8 Forum by alicee11.

Within you have the opportunity to purchase 50 gems, a Lazy Sunday decoration and 5 Broiler Pans for real money. The cost will vary depending on your location, but here in the UK this package costs £7.99. The Broiler Pan is one of the parts for the new BBQ Stove while the Lazy Sunday item is labelled a 'Value Pack Exclusive'.

And exclusive item it most certainly is. I reckon this is the first ever brand new decoration which is only attainable by spending real money rather than gems or virtual coins. I can't say I'm too happy about this, not least because at a glance this looks to be a seriously desirable piece! It features two cooks working away around a kitchen unit which is kitted out with lots of components. One of the cooks is Phoebe; the other may be Gran-Gran - the image is too small to be sure. It doesn't look like this item is Independence Day themed.

Time will tell if this is simply a case of the game's developers testing the waters on another new premium feature (much like the bundles) or if this is the new style for limited time offers. If the latter I'll be pretty disappointed - I quite enjoy the sometimes extortionately priced LTOs as they give a chance of some sort to own something really unique and can lead to lots of pondering over whether or not to take the plunge (at least I enjoy that aspect!)

With this type of LTO the possible buyers are severely limited as anyone who has no interest in spending real money is immediately excluded. Of course the aim for Storm8 here is to encourage a few more players to cross that divide and become gem buyers in order to claim the Lazy Sunday. It's worth noting that you are probably getting a good deal in this case - the 50 gem pack is the same price as the Value Pack, and the decoration is probably worth up to another 50 gems, hence the 50% off claim.

So we're straight down to the business of goals as we enter July. I certainly haven't hidden my lack of passion, but I'm sure that lots of players will be delighted with this update. And regardless I'm still going to be racing to finish the goals as soon as possible!