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| Notification for lemon themed update |
Nothing says a hot Summer day more than a cold glass of lemonade, so let's get straight into it with the list of additions, all of which are available from level 37:
Wall decorations:
- Lemon Time - 8,000 coins
- Family Fun - 63 gems
- Lemon Delivery - 42,000 coins
- Lemonade Stand - 25 gems (LTO)
- Sand Castle - 48 gems (LTO)
- Lemonade Fountain - 80,000 coins
There are only four completely new items, but one of them is an appliance! What a strange update in that regard! There are also two special offerings as well, but we'll look at them a little later on. For now here's the Storm8 Blog teaser that hit the internet last night:
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| Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog |
The gamemakers have done a crafty job of disguising the lack of new content by including a number of existing decorations. To the untrained eye that might not be apparent, which is both a good and a bad thing. Clearly it's bad because we've been hoodwinked, but it does provide solid evidence that the new stuff can be mixed in with current items effectively. Given how often we get a zany and wacky update that doesn't fit in with anything, this is something to hold on to.
At the centre of proceedings is the Family Fun. This is a 4x4 floor decoration which comprises four bots settled around a short round table rich with all the traditions of a good Summer picnic. There's sandwiches, fresh fruit and - unsurprisingly - lemonade. But that's not all! Behind the group is their tent, which looks sturdy with its poles arching to hold up the blue and white walls.
This is a fabulous piece, and is further enhanced by pretty little touches such as the beachball at the tent entrance and the butterflies hovering over the flowers. But there's a price to pay - at 63 gems this is the seventh most expensive standard item currently available to purchase in the game. It's such a shame because it is a beautiful decoration, but a spend like that is hard to justify, especially for veteran players like myself who already have a strong inventory of Summery decor.
And it's the first time in a while that we've seen an asking price as extreme as this. I've mentioned on more than one occasion my satisfaction at seeing the floor decorations for gems being in the 'affordable' category of late. The Family Fun is a strong indicator that we're heading back to the old ways...
The other new floor item up for grabs is at least for coins. The Lemon Delivery is not the first bike to appear in Restaurant Story, but it still manages to muster some originality thanks to a bucket of lemons. Indeed the lemons are also to be found in baskets at the front and back of the bike itself - whoever's order this is must be opening a lemonade factory. But will they turn the delivery away when they see that the lemons have a sparkle?! I for one certainly would - STOP with the sparkles Storm8!
Previous lemon themed update
13/06/16 Goals update in June 2015
No sparkles are present on the Lemon Time, which is a clock perfect for your wall. There's nothing too silly about this one - it's definitely got a lemony theme to it, but at the same time its subtle enough that you could use this wall decoration for many scenarios outwith the fruit bowl. The positions of the dots representing the 'minor' hours might be questionable, but I guess anyone who tries to tell the time using an item in this game is likely to end up very late (or very early) for their appointment!
And already we've exhausted the new content for decorating your diner. I don't think I've ever seen such a scarce regular update. Usually if there's no table, counter or chair then there's a wallpaper and floor tile, and vice-versa. On this occasion none of those categories have a new entry, leaving us with a sparse selection. But wait, what's this...
For the first time since the Hot Rod Stove in mid-March we've got a new appliance outside of goals! I really didn't see the Lemonade Fountain coming, and hopefully it marks the start of a new chapter in the 'restaurant story'. I believe adding recipes regularly is very important, as their mastery keeps long-time players busy in-between goals. Without them the playing population is likely to contract, and I reckon we've witnessed that to some extent over the last three months.
So what of this unexpected new appliance? Well, the first point of note is the price. Only Nonna's Stove has cost more, making this is a real coin guzzler. I generally only buy two of a non-goal appliance anyway, but the price will probably result in others following my lead on this occasion. It's a huge investment, but I guess we can overlook that given how long the wait has been for another appliance outside of quests.
As far as the construction of the Lemonade Fountain goes, you'll need 6 Nozzles, 6 Yellow Steel and 4 Lemons to build it, with the last of these being a new (or should that be fresh?) part. Kudos to Storm8 for producing an actual object as the new component - it's a vast improvement on the Carrot Knob and Apple Knob!
The recipes within leave me speechless.
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| Lemonade Fountain recipes |
Why? Because until this moment Lemonade was not a drink included in Restaurant Story. Given that it is the 624th recipe to be introduced to the game, I find it incredible that we've not previously got round to what is a pretty common drink. The Lemonade Pops on the Tart Fountain came close, but this is the debut of the classic Lemonade.
Can this historic moment be matched by historic recipe ratings?
| Lemonade | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Peach Lemonade | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 5.5 |
| Raspberry Lemonade | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 4.5 |
We're not far off! Two recipes in the yellow and one in the green overall is good going in the current climate of shocking candidates.
The Lemonade has the most impressive number - a nine for profit thanks to being the fourth highest we've ever had in the 1 hour duration. Incidentally the similar Watermelon Lemonade (Drink Machine) is one of three above it. The XP and portion numbers hold up well to give us the fifth highest rating recipe of 1 hour duration ever. From a pool of 74 contenders that's a great result!
The scores do tail off with the other two additions, but that's not to say they don't have their plus points. The Peach Lemonade in particular deserves some recognition. Its XP gain may be the number that stands out, but it actually performs well across the board. It makes the top 11 in each of the three main factors, and only scores that bit lower on the profit and portion fronts because of the immense strength of the top dog, the Biscuits and Gravy (Basic Stove).
What's more, all three of these recipes bring with them completely new numbers. I've been a broken record over the years when it comes to outing the game's developers for using the same stats on dishes again and again, so I'm duty bound to thank them for shaking things up this week and producing some unique figures.
Now to the special deals on offer, and although Value Packs continue their banishment, there are two sales have commenced this evening that are available to players on all platforms. The first sticks with the lemon theme, but delves into a box.
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| Notification for sale on Lemonade Stand |
The Lemonade Stand is a third prize in the Carnival Box. This is one of my recent wishlist crates, but I want the whole lot on sale, not just one item! I'm grateful for any offer though, and for some players this deal may be appealing. However 25 gems for a third prize is over the top in my opinion, and having completed the lemon goals from last June I have a much bigger and better alternative in the shape of Phoebe's Stand at hand anyway.
The second piece on offer is also a box item, with the Sand Castle a second prize from the Magic Shell.
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| Notification for sale on Sand Castle |
This is a 2x2 sized decoration, and is also overpriced in my mind. A higher fee than for the Lemonade Stand is understandable given it is a rarer prize, but almost double the cost at 48 gems? That's too much for me - at that price I'm looking for content that will steal a scene, and this one doesn't have the presence to achieve that.
Well, that was a grumpy finish! Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased to see two decorations offered instead of one, especially when one is linked into the update theme. But the pricing is not quite right, and that has prevented me seriously considering parting with any gems.
Overall there are mixed feelings for this update. The lack of new content is inevitably disappointing, but at least we have Storm8 revisiting a critically acclaimed theme from last Summer. If nothing else, this update might just inspire some players to pull out their old lemon based stuff, and there's nothing wrong with that!
But the final line has to go to the Lemonade Fountain. Our first new appliance in a regular update in 15 weeks - time to grab some mastery gems and raise an invigorating glass of sweet lemonade!
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