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| Notification for April showers update |
After two weeks of crates, we're back on the regular update trail, although an umbrella and change of clothes may be necessary! There's no new appliance this week, but there is a selection of content to peruse, and it's all unlocked at level 30 (thanks Fat Bear!). Here is the complete list of additions:
Tables:
- Rainy Deck Table - 18,000 coins
- Rainy Deck Chair - 2 gems
- Sprinkling Window - 8,000 coins
- Slate Fireplace - 50 gems
- Spiral Fountain - 35 gems
- Espalier Divider - 4,000 coins
- Tree Bench - 32,000 coins
- Birthday Bounce - 56 gems (LTO)
- Rainy Deck Wallpaper - 4 gems
- Rainy Deck - 800 coins
- Rainy Deck Counter - 3 gems
Before I proceed any further, do observe that there was a notification window this week! That's newsworthy because we've not had one of those for a regular update in ages, and less than two weeks ago I called for their return in the Suggestions Box! So thank you to the game's developers for doing that!
We've actually had an April showers theme once before. That was in 2014 and was also a standard update, although it did come with two new recipes for the Basic Stove. This latest one doesn't introduce any fresh foods which means that by next Wednesday it will have been four weeks since there was a new dish to get busy with.
That's the longest run of no recipes since the great recipe famine which riled me up for weeks on end up until about 18 months ago. I just don't get why Storm8 allow this sort of situation to arise. They could easily have rearranged their order of updates to avoid having back-to-back boxes, and in doing so could probably have prevented this dish drought too.
Now that I'm past that particular grumble, let's check out the weather. For an outlook of all the new stuff with this April showers based update, have a peek at this image taken from the Storm8 Blog:
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| Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog |
This is one of those updates where the theme is open enough that its interpretation can lead to a more varied range of items, and usually that's good news. So often we get a piece or two which is fantastical or downright bizarre, all just so that it can be shoehorned into some out there theme. This is more sophisticated, and that very much plays to my taste.
There's no more sophisticated decoration than the Spiral Fountain, which is also a fine example of an item which is off the theme's beaten track. We've seen plenty of fountains in the game, but this one is a little different. It's a sculpture as much as it is a fountain and can be viewed as a piece of art. The curves give it a really modern feel, and the foamy water helps convey the sense of action - this fountain gives a performance rather than just a serene flow of water.
The 35 gem price tag isn't all that small, but I still think it's decent value. There's no other item in the market quite like this, and it would make a fantastic centrepiece to any diner. It's definitely one I'd be tempted to invest in if I had the required gems available to me.
Yet the Spiral Fountain isn't even the most expensive addition in this update. That title belongs to the Slate Fireplace which is a 4x4 beauty featuring two bots sat on cosy armchairs and relaxing in front of a large and imposing fire. The whole slate and stone design of the fireplace is exquisite and combined with the neat details such as the cushions and ornaments this is top quality buy. And that's before I hypothesise that this is the first ever item to depict a sofa facing away from us - how I'd love to rotate all couches that way if suitable!
It does come at a premium 55 gems, but again I think this is somewhat justified. It is a colossal item and makes a scene on its own. The only drawback is that although it is obviously supposed to refer to staying indoors to keep out of the rain, it more puts me in mind of staying indoors to keep out of the cold. I guess it's the roasting fire that does that, and because of this I can't help but feel it would be best placed in a winter setting. Not to say it isn't a great decoration mind!
On we go and the other two floor decorations have been released for coins. The Tree Bench is actually pretty big at 3x3 and shows a tree which has been surrounded by a hexagon of wooden benches. There's definitely scope for using it, and it's generic appearance means it lends itself to all manner of outdoor layouts. The colouring is pretty good with the shadow of the tree rendered on the bench, and the solitary apple is a nice touch. It's another winning item.
Spring 2016
Then there's the Espalier Divider which is the first new divider I can recall in a long while. I must admit I'd never heard of espalier prior to seeing this new decoration, and that only heightened my intrigue. The neatly trimmed hedge at the base contrasts with the more free-flowing branches higher up, all giving for a pleasant piece. It's only when you place multiple editions next to one another that you really get the greater picture of this divider, and it's another nod of approval from me.
The Rainy Deck Table and Rainy Deck Chair are a funny combination in that I'm not sure they go that well as a pair. The table is quite simplistic (no bad thing) and definitely passes as the type of wooden flat pack piece you'd erect with difficulty on your patio, while the chair looks more luxurious with its white cushioning. Maybe it's just me not linking these two up all that well, but luckily they do look good individually so complaints are minimal.
The Rainy Deck Counter is of a similar format to the Rainy Deck Table with its clean wooden finish, although this time the gamemakers felt the need to personalise it with an oval shaped plaque on the side which depicts raindrops. This is exactly what I was getting at about décor being overworked just to fit with a theme, and it doesn't interest me.
On the other side of the coin, the Sparkling Window soon gets those thumbs up again, with its dark pane adding to the grim feel the running water on the outside of the glass is conveying. This is a typical gem wall decoration, so it's pleasantly surprising to see it available for just 8,000 coins.
The Rainy Deck Wallpaper is nice with its ability to form a sky, trees and fence backdrop, although this is tempered by the 4 gem asking price. Given that the other wallpaper of a similar style - the Backyard Fence - is also for gems this is all the more of a shame.
But to finish on a high note, the Rainy Deck flooring is a good one. It's essentially a dark wooden floorboard tile with a splash of water on it. It's been done in such a way that adjacent tiles will join up seamlessly, but more impressive is the subtle way the water has been done. By rendering it with only a lighter tone of the floor itself we are able to retain the transparency without losing the definition of the liquid altogether. It's a cracking flooring in my opinion, and undoubtedly will have many uses in the months ahead.
We're almost at the end, but first there are some special deals need to be reviewed. We begin with the Birthday Bounce which is available as a limited time offer for five days.
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| Birthday Bounce limited time offer |
The first prize in the Birthday Box, this is a really tall decoration. It's one I've always quite liked due to the joyful mood it invokes thanks to the bright and cheery colours. Unfortunately the cost will prevent me from buying it, but I suspect there will be a few players bouncing up and down at the prospect of procuring this rare item which has never been available out of the box before.
From the LTO we proceed to the latest Value Pack, which was an iOS exclusive over the past weekend.
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| Value Pack including Love Show |
The Live Show is the top prize in the Mystery Mail crate, which is a strange box in that it doesn't seem to have a designated theme (there's where the mystery comes in then!) This is one of the very first boxes, and yet this is another piece of décor which I don't think has ever escaped the crate's clutches prior to this deal.
I definitely prefer to see items which have never been on offer before (as opposed to the likes of the Reflecting Pool which seem to pop up far too often) but that's probably just the biased view of a long time player who has been privy to many a special sale down the years.
We've reached the end. I'm soaked to the skin, but it was worth it! Upon learning of another April showers update I was a little apprehensive, but the game's developers have pulled it off big time. There are very few below par additions, and although there are hefty gem prices out there the quality of the décor somehow manages to justify this to some extent. There may be no new recipes again, but given that I'm in the midst of a major weekly redecorating project right now I think I can survive! So a big thank you to Storm8 for making the rain appealing for a change!
I only check back into the game to see if there are any new recipes. I hope we get some soon for all the basic appliances.
ReplyDeleteThere should be goals this Wednesday so there'll be recipes to cook before long! :)
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