Firstly some thoughts on the structure of the goals is necessary. There was a new slant on the so-called 'sidesteps' in this event, with them appearing right from the start. So with two separate goals on the go at the outset we had plenty to be getting on with. Although the main strand kicked off with a basic one tap effort which wasn't really necessary. Not that I'm really complaining - it just seemed a little surplus to requirements.
Then later in the goals came two steps involving variants of the Basic Oven. In truth I can't be sure, but this may be the first case of an existing recipe being asked for within a quest. To me this is fantastic, particularly in a smaller-scale goal set with just the one new appliance. I'm constantly calling for some originality in the goals, and the gamemakers have delivered that here by utilising some existing dishes.
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| Step 1 of the Mardi Gras goals |
Not only that, they've made use of topical recipes related to the theme. Both the Jambalaya and Gumbo were released a couple of years ago in a Mardi Gras theme, and it's great to see them implemented in this setting despite so much time having passed. And just to cap things, they are each beastly when it comes to the statistics. We've grown to accept that goal foods are frankly useless on the numbers front, but these two recipes are pure quality. Indeed the Gumbo has a slot on the Recipe Hall of Fame as the leading scorer among 7 hour dishes while the Jambalaya gets an honourable mention under the 4 hour category.
So some sweet income with regards to both coins and XP is assured from that Basic Oven pair, but what of the three candidates on the Mardi Gras Oven? Well first of all the new cooker requires 6 Screws, 6 Purple Knobs and 7 Masks to build, with the latter being a new part.
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| Mask |
It seems that the quantity of new parts needed is creeping up. This is the second time of late that seven of a new part has been required, with the Cabin Oven having the audacity to ask for this with two new parts in January. I'm fairly easy on this - yes it tends to make progression that bit slower, but I'm quite happy to face something of a challenge. The goals in Restaurant Story have been so easy for so long that a little peril wouldn't hurt!
Right, let's have a look at the three recipes which can be found on the Mardi Gras Oven:
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| Mardi Gras Oven recipes |
King Cake is a traditional Mardi Gras delicacy, with coloured sugar giving it its distinct appearance. The Big Easy Beignets are also a mainstay of New Orleans, while you can also expect to see plenty of crawfish dishes in the area. It's good to see Storm8 picking and designing some foods which are specific to Mardi Gras. Often we get recipes which are questionable in terms of their link to the theme of the week, but in this case that couldn't be further from the truth.
As much as I appreciate these dishes, I suspect I'm about to offer some criticism after a glance through the ratings for this trio:
| King Cake | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 4.0 |
| Big Easy Beignets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 3.2 |
| Cajun Crawfish | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit | XP gain | Portions | Profit per plate | Availability | Rating |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 3.6 |
As usual the prevalence of orange and yellow tells its own story. The King Cake does at least manage a score of five for profit, but its 540 coins is still way off the duration leader - the Portabello Mushroom (Basic Grill) gives 1,000 coins profit for a batch.
Not for the first time (nor the last I'm sure) there is repetition of stats at play with these three. In duration order they have eight, ten and three compatriots respectively with absolutely identical numbers, which makes any further analysis largely pointless.
Therefore we'll move along to the two floor decorations which are unlocked via the goals. The first you'll come across is the Mardi Gras Feathers which rather strangely loses its padlock early doors through one of the sidesteps yet does not need to be bought until the final goal. Regardless this is a pretty little piece which combines greens, oranges and purple in what almost looks like a flowery decoration. This will certainly make for a nice filler in a corner.
For a floor-filling prize you'll need to wait until you complete the quest, where the Queen of Mardi Gras is waiting to greet you. A 3x3 item, she is a spectacular and vibrant float. You've got a gleaming crown and staff being held by the Queen and fresh flowers sprinkled all over. It's a prize perfect for Mardi Gras, and this is only furthered by the King of Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras
Also added in Monday's update but buyable right from the off, the King follows exactly the same format as the Queen, meaning you can bring the two together terrifically. I'd like to see some more cases of two or even three part prizes which require the entire quest's completion before you can use them to full effect.
That's it all covered, but a quick word should be dedicated to the King of Mardi Gras, which originally needed to be bought twice in the final step of the goals. Given the 28,000 coins outlay this was not met with much enthusiasm on the Storm8 Forum, and so following a number of complaints the gamemakers adjusted the task to require only the one float to be purchased, and informed players that anyone who had snapped up two and wanted a refund could get one. It's nice to see the players being listened to, particularly since Storm8 do not have a great track record with regards to this.
I've rather overlooked the close proximity of the update to Mardi Gras (which was the following day) mostly because I discussed this in the update post but also because the difficult circumstances at Storm8 have likely had a role.
Apart from this it's all very rosy when it comes to my breakdown of this goal set. The theme was well executed, the slight alteration to the goal structure was welcomed, the use of existing recipes was refreshing and the adjustment made following player feedback was appreciated. I suspect that the mood is not all that positive at Storm8 Studios right now, so I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the game's developers for putting together an impressive update - good job folks!
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