Game update: 09/11/16

Autumn continues to thrive in Restaurant Story, but now we're paying special attention to Thanksgiving.

Introduction to Thanksgiving 2016 goals

This week's update comes with a new set of goals, and a chunk of the added content is only accessible via the quest. For all the details regarding the goals, see my dedicated post here. Meanwhile here's my ever so traditional list of all the new stuff:

Tables:

• Thankful Table - 2 gems

Chairs:

• Thankful Chair - 11,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Loving Lights - 11,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Carved-Wooden Turkey - locked by goal
• Thankful Centerpiece - locked by goal
• Kid's Thanks Table - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Sunrise Wall - 7,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Feathered Floor - 5,000 coins

Appliances:

• Thankful Stove - 30,000 coins
• Gratitude Oven - locked by goal

Counters:

• Thankful Counter - 13,000 coins

There are also sonic variants of the two appliances available for purchase, with each of these costing 25 gems.

I certainly wasn't expecting goals this week. It's only three weeks since the Halloween challenge was pushed through, with the run of goals being released on the third Wednesday of the month now broken. It was in April with the Spanish goals that this structure was established - prior to that quests were generally added on the second Wednesday so it will be interesting to see if the game's developers are reverting to the previous timetable.

Whatever the case, another long-standing feature kept its place in the schedule. Of course I'm speaking about the Storm8 Blog teaser, which was duly delivered yesterday:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

All of the items introduced in this update are shown, including the three floor decorations which are unlocked in the goals. I'll discuss them and the recipes awaiting discovery on the two cookers in a goals content report early next week. In the mean time let's explore the rest...

The Thankful Table is the only new item which is up for gems. Going by the last few goal updates which have also seen a gem table, you shouldn't need to buy this piece to get through the goals. I don't particularly like it, and the same goes for the Thankful Counter which has a matching general design. The handshake portrayed on the tops is rather botched, with one of the hands not including a thumb like the other does. Overall this table and counter are just too loud for me.

Unfortunately the same symbol also appears on the Thankful Chair. The wooden effect is well-executed here, but that symbol on a yellow background does clash with the simple standard style of the rest. The gamemakers clearly felt the need to give the chair a clear Thanksgiving tone, and yet I think it would have been perfectly acceptable as a plain wooden chair.

Given that the symbol I'm getting worked up over is one representing peace and friendship, I'm probably coming across as a real doom-monger right now. Allow me to turn that on its head by providing some praise for the Loving Lights. A wall decoration which consists of small lights arranged in a heart shape, this is a cute and warming item. I don't quite know what context I'd use it in, but I suspect it will go really well with the Sparkly Wallpaper.

 Autumn 2016

 02/11/16 Second harvest themed update
 03/10/16 Autumn 2016 goals
 03/10/16 First harvest themed update

Staying on the wall, there's another feel-good piece of decor to be had with the Sunrise Wall. Featuring a number of horizontal stripes of increasingly lighter shades of yellow and orange, this wallpaper is one of those examples of an addition which benefits from being relatively simple in design. There's nothing overworked about this wallpaper, and that helps make it really flexible. There are so many surroundings where depicting a sunrise may be suitable, and now we have a wallpaper which can do that in fine style.

In contrast, the Feathered Floor tile uses pale greys and browns. At first I didn't think this flooring would link up when multiple tiles are placed adjacently, but it appears that's not the case. You can combine smoothly, and that makes this an interesting option. There's not a pattern like this one can be found anywhere in the market at present, so you have to credit Storm8 for coming up with something original. How I'd use it remains up for debate, but I'm sure someone will find a way.

And that brings a close to the standard round-up. As I mentioned earlier, analysis of the goals stuff is still to come, and will be reserved for the goals content report.

But before I retreat into the warmth, there's a horn sounding.

Notification for sale on Horn of Plenty

For a limited time, the Horn of Plenty box is a mighty 50% off. That means you can take the gamble for just 12 gems, with the same odds of getting a good prize. This is a decent box, with the fourth prize Plymouth Rock the only item I'd be really disappointed to get for 12 gems. Everything else has value, although given that I grabbed the Pie Table (which I adjudge to be the best prize in the Horn of Plenty) in a previous out of box sale, I can't see myself rushing to open this crate.

And another consideration beyond the quality of the box is of course Black Friday. As my bonus post on Monday and the timer on the top left of the page indicate, the countdown towards the big sales day in Restaurant Story is on. Unless you consider purchasing gems to be an option, it would be pretty risky to open any crates at this time, even if they are discounted. I wouldn't be surprised to see a number of boxes offered at half price two weeks on Friday, so my advice is to hold fire.

The breakdown of this update is obviously incomplete, but at present the verdict is that it's a reasonable one. To be honest I do have a preference for purely Autumn themed content over Thanksgiving stuff, with this likely to be a consequence of me not celebrating Thanksgiving (I've learnt a lot about this US occasion through this game down the years!) I feel like I can put out Autumn decor from September through to the start of December, whereas Thanksgiving content is only really applicable in the few weeks leading up to the event itself.

Nevertheless, this is always an enjoyable time of year in Restaurant Story, and that's reflected by the amount of redecorating that goes on around the community at this time. From Autumn to Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas, players do tend to keep things topical, and that really makes for a vibrant and fun game. All we need now is a surge of happiness on Black Friday!