Thursday 28 May 2015

A short break and some sunshine

Those who have been reading this blog from the start will probably be well aware that it is at this time of year that I flunk off for a couple of weeks on a short break and take in some sunshine on warmer shores. And 2015 is no exception - I'm heading off tomorrow and won't return until Friday 12th June.

During that time I won't be publishing any posts on here, so you'll have to find something else to fill your Wednesday nights with! I'll round up all the goings-on when I'm back, and that obviously may include a goal set. Since the derby day goals were added midway through May rather than on the first Wednesday it could be that I don't miss out after all, but I suspect the usual routine will be reinstated next month.

For my neighbours, I do plan to play while away, although I won't be checking in too often - there's going to be a lot of 2 day Roast Chicken cooked!

Until I return take care everyone!

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Game update: 27/05/15

Can you feel that heat? We need to get ourselves down to the beach!

Notification for Summer update

I've been pumped for proper Summer updates for ages, so am delighted to say that this is a beach themed update, with some fishing on the side!

It looks like Androiders are set to get a new version with the fresh content in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Update: 'Restaurant Story: Summer Camp' is now available on Google Play!

The additions, all of which can be accessed by level 7, are as follows:

Monday 25 May 2015

Suggestions Box (May 2015)

Every month I list five things I'd like to see added, altered or abolished from the game. Because even though my long time of playing Restaurant Story clearly shows I love it, that doesn't mean it's perfect. Some of the ideas I'll air will be significant game changers while others will be low-key and irrelevant in the eyes of many of you readers.

In no particular order, here are this month's entries...

Saturday 23 May 2015

Game update: 22/05/15

This is a short but very sweet update post following another exciting development yesterday.

Notification for new expansion

Five weeks on from the addition of the 24x27 expansion, today we can rejoice at another new expansion, this time to 25x28. The requirements are as follows:
  • 20,000,000 coins and 70 neighbours; or
  • 80 gems

In the April Suggestions Box I asked Storm8 to keep the expansions coming, so it's great to see that actually done, with the game's developers giving long term players all the more reason to keep coming back. Now I'm wondering just how many new expansions we're going to be getting over the next while! As long as the performance of the game isn't compromised the sky's the limit, so here's hoping there's more to come!

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Game update: 20/05/15

Wednesday has rolled around again, and there's a train coming!

Notification for railway update

This is a train inspired update, with a large selection of new content for all those rail enthusiasts out there. As is tradition, here is the complete list of additions, all of which unlock at level 18:

Monday 18 May 2015

Derby day goals content report

Last week's update brought with it goals, and now is the time to reflect on all the goodies which can be attained via that quest. The theme was derby day, and with five items and six recipes only obtainable by completing the goals, it is certainly worth working through the various steps.

The first unlockable is the Kentucky Stove. The first of the new appliances, this stove is certainly distinctive thanks to its lime green colour. And it's shape is original too which is nice. A lot of the appliances added in the game tend to be a recolouring of existing cookers, so it is pleasing to get a fresh form here.

So what of the three dishes found on the Kentucky Stove?

Kentucky Stove recipes

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Derby day goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Wednesday 10th June 2015.

In with this week's update is a new set of goals pertaining to horse racing.

There are five items from said update which can only be attained by working through these goals. Three are floor decorations and two are appliances, including six new recipes. The game's developers have allocated 29 days to complete the goals before they vanish for good, so make sure you're done by Wednesday 10th June.

Here is the complete list of steps:

Game update: 13/05/15

It's derby day so the jockeys are lining up for the race!

This update takes us to the races, and comes complete with goals. Here is the list of all the additions, unlocked at level 12:

Saturday 9 May 2015

Why the longevity?

Back in the summer of 2012 when I was surfing through the iTunes Store in search of a couple of new games to play, I stumbled across an app called Restaurant Story...

In my early days I would marvel at the grandeur of other players' diners - whether that meant the lavish décor on show, the sheer size of their places or even the number of appliances bubbling away. Once I began to get quite serious with the game and discovered the Storm8 Forum (or the TeamLava Forum as it was back then), I realised that some of my fellows had been playing for a long time and had built their empire over many moons.

And now, coming up for three years on, I like to think that I'm among those veterans who have seen it all. I've reached level 99, mastered every recipe, was fully expanded until the surprise recent addition and have amassed quite the collection of premium content over time. And I'm not alone. I've grown alongside many of my neighbours and have reaped the rewards of patience.

But why the longevity? What is it about this beautiful game that has kept so many players captivated for so long?

Wednesday 6 May 2015

Game update: 06/05/15

Have you got enough flowers in your restaurant yet? If not this is your chance...

Notification for Tulip Crate

This week is a surprise box update, with the Tulip Crate being the solitary addition.

The primary reason for this box coming as a surprise is the fact that this is the first Wednesday of May, and that usually means a fresh goal set. Occasionally we have had to wait until the second Wednesday, but that's normally a consequence of the first Wednesday coming on the very first day or so of the month.

Saturday 2 May 2015

RS2 News (May 2015)

It's been a busy few weeks in Restaurant Story 2, with the conclusion of the Easter goals and a massive 'Tropical Cruise Catering Event' since my last news post.

The Easter goals proved to be somewhat farcical, with the final goal being very difficult to get through. It required players to accumulate 30 eggs, breaking down as 10 Pretty Eggs, 10 Happy Eggs and 10 Stinky Eggs. An egg was dropped at random every time you served up the Mysterious Eggs.

That seems fine enough, but unfortunately Storm8's probability distribution for the dropping of these eggs was horribly awry. A few players were lucky and found that the first 30 eggs they collected were evenly spread across the three types, allowing the goals to be put to bed. For the rest of us it was a very different story, with one of the types of eggs dropping far more often, leaving a deficit for another.

The outcome of this was that some players had cooked the Mysterious Eggs well over 30 times and were still way off completing the goals. That is of course very unfair, and led to lots of the usual rage on the Storm8 Forum. Caving into the pitchfork wielders, the game's developers proceeded to alter the final goal and require us only to collect five of each type of egg.