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| Notification for latest French update |
For the fourth time in Restaurant Story we've got a French themed update, although since the national day in France - Bastille Day - is next week at least this update is timed right! Here is your comprehensive list of the new content, all of which is unlocked at level 20.
Tables:
- Triumph Table - 9,500 coins
- Triumph Chair - 4 gems
- Can-Can Dancers - 30 gems
- Parisian Picnic - 55 gems
- Parisian Waitress - 22,000 coins
- Castle Playhouse - 50 gems (LTO)
- Eiffle Tower - 1 gem
- French - 4,000 coins
- Bastille Stove - 5 gems
The big talking point is of course the Bastille Stove. It is the second appliance to be introduced for a gem fee after the Pub Stove in the London update at the start of June. At the time I'd hoped Storm8 were simply testing the water to see if selling cookers for gems was something players would go for. Well, it seems it is.
As you'd expect there's lots of fury flowing over on the Storm8 Forum, and after the recent bug-ridden app update for iOS and gem goals in Bakery Story, tempers are a little close to the surface anyway. Personally I'm disappointed. I'd hoped the Pub Stove would be a one-off, but this latest development gives the impression that any appliances outside of goals are now likely to require the parting of gems.
Once again I won't be partaking in a stove, even just one in order to eventually make a 1 gem profit. It would take too long to accomplish and is just not the kind of thing I want to spend my gems on. What I also won't be doing is advising others to turn down the Bastille Stove too. If everyone turned a blind eye to these gem appliances then I'm sure they'd go away, but folks are free to use up their gems however they see fit, and if they really want access to every recipe then that's their prerogative. At the end of the day this is just a game (really?!) and nobody is being forced to pay up here.
Having got through that, let's now peruse the three recipes which can be found on the Bastille Stove. Credit goes to jandtandn for posting the recipe list on the Storm8 Forum:
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| Bastille Stove recipes |
First and foremost, there are a couple of things to be cleared up on the naming of these dishes. The Nicoise Salad sounded oddly familiar to me, and a quick scan of the Basic Stove yielded the Salade Nicoise! It was added in the cooking class update back in March. Isn't it typical that the French sounding version doesn't go with the release in the French themed update! At least the two plates look different!
Meanwhile the Coq Au Vin also rung a bell. It turns out that I'm thinking of the Steak Au Vin on the Fondue for Two. I guess we should be on the lookout to see what's next to be doused with French wine!
Now for the recipe ratings:
| Croque Monsieur | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 2 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4.3 |
| Nicoise Salad | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 3 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 5.0 |
| Coq Au Vin | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 4 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 5.2 |
Not bad! All three dishes do themselves justice to some extent, coming in ranked 15th, 20th and 22nd in their respective durations when it comes to the overall rating. That may not sound particularly impressive, but bear in mind that they are all from highly populated durations. All are very much aided by a solid XP score which is high enough to cancel out under-par profit and portion numbers.
Let's shift our focus to the rest of the additions, all of which can be viewed in the following image from the Storm8 Blog:
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| Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog |
Starting with the most expensive of the buys, the Parisian Picnic is a 55 gem whopper. It may empty your gem bag, but this floor decoration does pack a punch. There are three bots contained within, as well as a wide range of food for the picnic including a very French basket of fancy bread which I love. It goes without saying that the attached grassy floor is less endearing, not least after I discussed my dislike for attached floors in yesterday's goals content report!
On to the Can-Can Dancers. The can-can originates from Paris which is why it is present in this update. There's something quite endearing about the frilly outfits complete with top hat and feather being flung around as these ladies do their stuff. Completing the 3x3 item with a stage, spotlights and balloons makes for a decent option, although I do feel the 30 gem asking price is steep.
The last floor decoration is the Parisian Waitress who is up for coins. It may seem absurd, but my first thought upon seeing this one was of Winifred Banks played by Glynis Johns in Mary Poppins (look it up, I had to!) One of the more bizarre connections! Anyway, I think she looks really nice (the waitress I mean!), not least because she's carrying a plate of delicate cakes. Maybe she'd be more at home in Bakery Story, but I'm sure many players will be snapping her up in Restaurant Story. For me she's a little too bright for the darker tones of my main section, but I'll try and fit her into the kitchen!
Previous French updates
Table and chair time, and the Triumph Table is pretty cool. There's not a lot to said about it since it's quite a simple design, but that for me is what makes it so desirable. If I have ever have a colour scheme that it works well with I'll definitely be investing. The Triumph Chair is less likely to land in The Garlic Tree, mostly because it comes at 4 gems each. It's actually quite similar to last week's Woven Chair, and unfortunately neither is inviting in my view.
The French floor tile features a print of the French flag, although like last week I'm seeing a Netherlands flag in there too! It's not the most imaginative of tiles, especially when compared to the French Floor and French Tile which were added in previous French themed updates.
I've put off the Eiffle Tower wallpaper until last. Why? Because of the incorrect spelling! I sincerely hope that the gamemakers are reading, because they need to correct their spelling of Eiffel pronto. It wouldn't be suitable for me to go into the details of why it's so important here, but it's certainly an unfortunate error. In any case, this wallpaper looks good with the Eiffel Tower lit up at night and fireworks going off all around. Of course there is only one Eiffel Tower, so this wallpaper may best be utilised as a mock window, perhaps with curtains on either side to improve the effect.
Before I retire for the night, there's a limited time offer to get our teeth into.
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| Castle Playhouse limited time offer |
The Castle Playhouse is not located at the start of the floor decorations tab, so you'll have to tap through a good few pages to find it. This piece was actually an LTO way back in November 2011 and hasn't reappeared since, until now. Originally it cost 65 gems, so I suppose this is a bargain, right?!
In all seriousness I've been able to track down a screenshot of the Castle Playhouse in someone's diner, and it's one of those decorations which is too small relative to what's around it. That said it is quite a nice item, and having been kept in the dark for so long would give you a real exclusive if you go for it.
So our latest trip to France provides another nasty gem appliance. But, there are a number of decent decorations too, which when combined with existing content could give for a beautiful French restaurant and surrounding.
That's an interesting reference you've made with the Parisian Waitress. I suppose I can see the resemblance to Winifred Banks (I had to look it up too :P), but I personally thought the waitress to be a nod to Marie Antoinette, with the style of dress and the cakes on her plate. I agree though, she may have been more suited for Bakery :)
ReplyDeleteAaah, to get the Castle Playhouse or no?? If RS had a devoted Medieval theme (or even Renaissance, or Ren Fair), I would have snapped it up and redecorated. I'm holding out hope that it might still happen for a goal set (if S8 is reading this, pretty please?), but otherwise, I might just have to let this one pass.
Marie Antoinette sounds more likely! And you're now our resident historian so what you say goes!
DeleteThere has been a dedicated Medieval theme of sorts! It was back in November 2011 though. There's the Renaissance Chest and a few other things including the Maypole and Royal Guests. I've thought about doing a Renaissance themed sections before, but I think it would be an expensive one. :)