Suggestions Box (Jan 2016)

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.

You can share your own suggestions too via the comments. If I like them, I may even include them in the next instalment!

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

 #141: Bring back Tuesday teasers

I think I speak for everyone with this opener! It has become a mainstay of the game that on a Tuesday the Storm8 Blog provides a teaser of the content coming in the weekly update the following day. But this tradition has fallen by the wayside in recent weeks, with no such sneak peek since the opening Christmas update at the start of December.

Storm8 Blog teaser for 2nd Dec 2015 update - the last teaser

These teasers have almost felt like an update in themselves, with players waiting impatiently on a Tuesday evening for the all-important screenshot. They really have played a major role in psyching everyone up for the main course, and have had a significant influence on the Storm8 Forum. Over there the teasers alone can invoke some excellent debate and discussion, which in turn leads to a healthier and more social forum.

So I'm calling on the game's developers to bring back the Tuesday teasers. The forum has been noticeably quieter of late, and anticipation for updates is on the slide. I think the absence of those sneak peeks is a real contributory factor. And this can only have a negative effect on the economic aspect of the game which is what matters most to Storm8. It's really in their interests to keep the players feeling positive and attached to the game, so all the more reason to reinstate the teasers.

 #142: Add large round tables

This suggestion has been inspired by regular commenter Jantiene Witzen.

I've covered having larger tables before, but not quite like this. What would be really cool to have are large round tables which are able to accommodate lots of chairs around them. Think of a wedding function where you often get big circular tables draped in white cloths - this would be an intriguing addition to the game.

For a start, this would add a new dimension to our diners. At the moment it's very easy for your layout to become quite boxy and perhaps even a little boring. Large round tables would cut through this and give a more varied and realistic appearance. Plus if the tables were provided with a clean finish like with a white cover that would really promote a posh atmosphere. There's not a great deal of items in the market at present which help form a high-end finish, so such an addition would definitely be appreciated.

 #143: Allow multiple wall decorations together

Over the years there have been many occasions when I'd like to have been able to place two wall decorations on the the same wall panel. To demonstrate my point take a look at the following image which I've cooked up:

Artist's impression of two wall decorations on same wall panel

Here we have the Door and Carnival Lights both placed on the same panel, something which is not possible under the current game engine. I've tampered with the image to accommodate both, and I think you'll agree that together they definitely look the part. There are many other examples of times when having two wall items together would be ideal, so there's definitely the scope to make implementing this feature worthwhile.

I understand that this change would be one of the more tricky to pull off, with sizeable changes to the game's coding potentially needed. One obvious issue would be that you'd probably only be able to select one of the placed decorations at a time. This could make removing the right one difficult, but I'm sure a 'last on first off' rule could be initiated.

 #144: Stop including dividers in boxes

Thanks to long time reader Ali Cat Cafe for offering up this one!

More dividers is something I've called for in the past, simply because they are so helpful for those of us who like to split up our restaurant into a number of sections. They're seldom added, and that does mean we've not got the widest of selections of dividers available to buy in the market.

 Previous Suggestion Box posts

 19/12/15 December 2015
 21/11/15 November 2015
 31/10/15 October 2015
 26/09/15 September 2015
 29/08/15 August 2015

What really doesn't help is that the vast majority of new dividers are included in boxes. Naturally crates are less accessible due to the need to part with gems, and then there's the need for Lady Luck to be smiling on you to actually get a divider.

But above all this, there's the fact that one divider isn't exactly useful! You really need a large handful of them to do any dividing, and in the world of boxes that likely means spending a small fortune on gems. This makes dividers one of the very worst decorations to appear in crates, and that's saying something!

I suspect there probably are a tiny group of players who do open the box as many times as it takes to accumulate a suitable collection of dividers, and it is those folks who are ultimately helping Storm8 keep in business. But sometimes the gamemakers need to take a step back and think about the other 99% of the playing population. A divider in a box brings out the worst in the community, and surely does no favours for Storm8 in the long run.

 #145: Add proper transparent windows

At the moment every window in the game presents a view of glass or a picturesque scene. The latter of these is nice, but there would be something really satisfying about being able to see what is actually going on outside. The same can be said for doors when they open.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a logistical nightmare for the game's developers to cut out the appropriate part of the wall when a window is placed. This would really add to the realism of the game.

Of course the slight caveat to all this is that if you check out a window on a wall you'll quickly spot that the view you'd expect to see out of it is of the asphalt of the road! That may make this suggestion a little pointless, but I still think it would just feel 'right' to implement it. You could spice things up by showing the bots passing the window en-route to the restaurant!