Suggestions Box (Sep 2017)

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...

 #241: Stop restricting speed up videos

We start off with something which has really irked me in recent weeks. Has anyone else playing on an iOS device noticed that the option to speed up cooking by watching a video has become restricted? To be more precise, current goal appliances now appear to be excluded from the feature.

This definitely wasn't the case when this handy tool was initially rolled out, as I found that the goal dishes were the best time to make use of it. By only providing the videos for non-goal recipes the game's developers are frustrating the players and ultimately decreasing the chances of players making use of the feature at all. I'm sure those companies whose products appear in the adverts wouldn't be at all chuffed to hear that!

There's also the additional side-effect of players using up their video allocation on the free gem alternative instead, which obviously has an adverse impact on the likelihood of a player feeling the urge to spend real money to buy gems. Sadly I've not had access to the free gem videos for some time, but would certainly not give a moment's thought to using up the videos on speeding up cooking if it wasn't for goal purposes. So please rectify this Storm8!

 #242: Add quick food sale feature

Here's a new use for in-game commercials - in addition to using them to earn gems or speed up cooking, they could provide a quick sale of food, thus allowing counters to be cleared rapidly but without any loss of income.

Existing double coin boost window

Essentially this is a cheeky alternative to the double coins boost now available for iOS users, with the extra benefit of easing the stress on your counters. I tend to have enough counters out that overstocking doesn't become a problem for me, but I'm sure others find that they struggle for space at times, especially if large quantities of food are already stacked up. The gamemakers could profit from the additional ad revenue and the players could profit from having more counter space.

 #243: Introduce staircase decoration

A recent goal set in Bakery Story included the Wooden Steps as a goal prize. This is a 3x3 sized floor decoration which features a set of stairs with a turn, complete with banister and a stair carpet.

Wooden Steps in Bakery Story

It's a pretty unique item, not just in Bakery Story but across Restaurant Story too. Until now incorporating steps into your diner meant getting clever with floor tiles, but here we have a genuine tool for giving the impression of multiple floors. Of course some sneaky engineering is still needed to truly fool visitors that you are operating a restaurant on more than one tier, but this certainly makes it easier.

So Storm8 should seriously consider introducing a staircase decoration of this style in Restaurant Story. It would make intricate multi-level designs much easier for those like myself who are not exactly adept at it, and could potentially shift those who are to the next level entirely!

 #244: Provide sales in standalone updates

I mentioned this briefly in last week's update post, but the last two updates have included a sale which has been released a little after the main content of the update. The interval between the two is slightly frustrating when you're writing a blog post and not anticipating further developments, and my solution is to radically change the scheduling of such sales.

Notification for recent end of summer sale

Rather than lumping them in alongside goals, they should be released as a separate and independent update. This is especially relevant in the current era of the game, where updates are irregular and we have plenty of blank weeks with no new content at all. By dropping some deals on these quiet weeks the game's developers would give more of an impression that there is continuity from week-to-week.

There's also the benefit of greater coverage of a sale when it is standalone. Releasing one in conjunction with goals just sees it overshadowed as players focus on making progression through the quest - this is particularly relevant when the sale is restricted to boxes which can easily be forgotten in the last tab of the market.

 #245: Add balloon decoration without base

Something lighthearted to finish! When I did my fifth anniversary makeover a few weeks ago I couldn't help but be agitated by the Carnival Balloons. They're the only credible balloon decoration in the game which can be purchased for coins, and in truth they're not very good.

The reason for that sharp verdict lies with the white base which, when placed on the vast majority of floor tiles, looks awful. It makes the balloons look out of place and even a little cheap. And with no feasible alternative the party either has to have rubbish balloons or no balloons at all.

 Recent Suggestions Box posts

 26/08/17 August 2017
 22/07/17 July 2017
 24/06/17 June 2017
 27/05/17 May 2017
 22/04/17 April 2017

So come on Storm8, get to work on a new balloon item which suits a greater breadth of surroundings! There's scope for some really fun and creative designs here, but failing that I'd be satisfied just to see a new edition of the Carnival Balloons without the base. I'm all about the base!