One More Burger(s)
Final fast food burgers update, for a while anyway. I’m just about sick of eating burgers. I had the opportunity, sooner than I expected, to try Arby’s current selection of hamburgers. I’ve said before, generally I like Arby’s. I like the Roast Beef Sandwiches, but usually I focus on whatever their limited-time only burgers and sandwiches are. I used to go there exclusively for their “Market Fresh Sandwiches” menu, but they have actually discontinued all but one of the original choices. Arby’s also, as far as I can tell, started using cheaper ingredients and smaller portions. The Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon sandwich is neither as thick as it once was, nor as tasty. If you didn’t ever eat one, you’ll have to take my word that they originally were a pretty significant taste explosion. In my opinion, of course. They still offer a Corned Beef Reuben sandwich, which started out as an occasional special offer, but I don’t think Arby’s offering is as good as just about anyone else’s. But apparently that was more popular than the Turkey Swiss they once offered.
Erm…didn’t mean for that to veer off into a rant. Anyway, on to the burgers, and the biggest non-surprise of all.
But before that, here’s my favorite YTP creator, Ellie Spectacular/DaThings, on Arby’s:
Click to viewNow that our palate is cleansed, here’s a reminder of the current Arby’s burger selection:
And no, I didn’t order one of each. But I did try two of them: The Double Deluxe Burger and the Double BBQ Bacon Burger. And one thing needs to be said: if you want the biggest, beefiest fast-food burger, these may be it. The real burgers are actually that thick. Very difficult to eat. The closest comparison would be any of the chains/franchises that offer triples, and I think these doubles may still be even thicker than that. The BBQ sauce is tasty, too. I could easily make a meal out of a single with fries. I ordered the double because I’m used to burgers not actually being nearly what they are depicted to be. These are. Although oddly, the Arby’s I went to…didn’t have the double patty option. When I ordered a double, the staff were very, very confused; especially after I showed them the burger in the app. (I went inside to guarantee a big supply of Horsey Sauce.) A more experienced employee did finally realize they could make any burger a double by adding a patty in the options, but it was a bit odd to consider I was the first person to have ordered a double.
The more important part; let’s take a close look:
Yep. Take a look at that sauce on the bottom layer. Thousand Island dressing. The BBQ burgers don’t have Thousand Island…normally. The first burger I ordered was the Double BBQ Bacon Burger. When they initially said they didn’t have it, I told them the Double Big Cheesy Bacon burger would be fine. *That* was when I discovered they didn’t have any concept of “double” burgers…they had entries for the singles, and could add a patty, the computer just didn’t have the “named” burger. So once they figured that out, they basically just went back into the Double Big Cheesy Bacon and *converted* it to a Double BBQ Bacon. Which meant I got Thousand Island on my BBQ Bacon Burger.
What’s weird is, they use such a small amount it hardly affects the taste. It’s almost like, these burgers have Thousand Island because everyone else is adding Thousand Island. Crazy, I know.
I am sad to say I have done very little in gaming the past week. I am almost finished with the Smuggler story in SWTOR. I haven’t played it in several years and I didn’t really have fond memories of it, to be honest. Now that I’ve reached the final plot point, I find myself in largely the same place. Of all the smuggler-related stories, only Nar Shaddaa stood out as exceptional. The Hoth story was decent. I am once again reminded of how much I hate the first companion, Corso. Risha, the third companion, actually has a much more interesting and significant story, but at the same time is…I don’t know. It has problems. The Smuggler is literally written as “you are cosplaying as Han Solo as he was at the end of Return of the Jedi. But even then, they mess it up a lot. The game *does* usually give you the option to accept quests for “greed,” but way too often your choices are limited to “because I would give my life for the Republic,” “of course, it will help the Republic,” and “Refuse Quest.” The Republic Trooper actually has more options to *not* be a big ol’ Republic stan than the ACTUAL CRIMINAL. Again, not even half the time. But a lot closer to half than I think makes sense.
The overall narrative works well enough, but still has some problems. The story begins in media res…you (the Smuggler) are delivering a shipment of blasters to a legitimate businessman named Viidu. Viidu arranged this legitimate shipment of blasters for another legitimate businessman who operates a business under the name of Rogun the Butcher. I guess he hunts his own meat; that’s what the blasters are for. Viidu has his employee Corso Riggs and Rogun’s representative, Skavak; meet you when you land. Skavak sends you off to solve a little problem that is preventing you from taking off again, while he and Corso unload the shipment. Skavak then knocks out Corso and steals your ship (with the blasters.) Skavak promises the blasters to separatists fighting the Republic. Working with Viidu and Corso, you attack the separatist base (in a VOLCANO, no less). As you come knocking, Skavak is warned by Viidu’s bodyguard (Skavak has a habit of wooing young women around the galaxy and convincing them to secretly report to him). He swipes some ancient droid the separatist leader had stowed and takes off in the confusion of your attack. He still has the blasters with him as well. Skavak flies to the Republic capital world of Coruscant, and you follow using shuttle passes for you and Corso blackmailed from Viidu’s former bodyguard (she killed him just before you find her. You have the option of killing her in return. Corso, the weenie, doesn’t like this.)
On Coruscant, you track down Skavak with the aid of gambler Darmas Pollaran. He’s a minor romanceable option through about half of the Smuggler story…if you chose a female character. I’m sure people have done it for completionist purposes, but I’ve never been tempted. Skavak is doing some kind of scam involving Imperials funding covert resistance in the shadows of Coruscant and a fake Sullustan jewel, and maybe even the blaster shipment…I know it’s mentioned the blasters have been sold at one point, putting you on Rogan the Butcher’s hit list. As in, list of people to be hit with blaster fire ASAP. You manage to out-maneuver Skavak and reclaim your ship. On-board, you find a person that Skavak was working for. Risha hired Skavak to deliver her and her cargo around the galaxy, making various trades and completing some jobs as part of a treasure hunt: the lost legacy of former crime lord Nok Drayen. Risha says she knows how to get it, and she is willing to split it in exchange for the services of a ship and captain. Now…Risha is *extremely* cagey, refuses to answer questions or provide clarity, and this is clearly a BS story. But it’s also the only story you’re gonna get. And yes, the ancient droid Skavak stole and whatever he was up to on Coruscant was all part of the treasure hunt. Since you beat Skavak and reclaimed your ship, Risha will work with you instead of Skavak, as you’re clearly the better option. True, but obviously loyalty isn’t high on her list of values.
That ends the prologue, and starts Chapter One: The Fatal Fortune. I’m actually a bit torn on my current smuggler, Nuleen. As I previously shared, I had been wanting to create a Nautolan character for a while but it never really worked out. I like Nuleen, but in the end she didn’t really work as the Smuggler. Plus, as I also brought up, there was a romance option I had never done: the fourth Smuggler companion Akaavi Spar. Akaavi is a Zabrak Mandalorian, and takes a concerted effort to romance. Partly because you get her halfway through the Smuggler story, and partly because she doesn’t have many natural influence options. I did create another smuggler just to do this romance, but I also realized only the other day that Risha is also romanceable, and I likewise have never done that romance either. (Corso is the only romanceable companion for female Smugglers in the base story, and as I said, I can’t stand Corso.)
In the meantime, I have returned to my Sith Inquisitor Sentinel Trada Visi. Despite a lot of work on armors and armor dyes, I’m still not 100% happy with her overall appearance. But I need to get her up to level 80 to have all options available. I’ve also been decorating one particular stronghold instead of just randomly placing and picking up random decorations for the daily achievement. I’m still only doing it five pieces at a time, and sometimes nothing gets left placed because I couldn’t find an option I was happy with. This also means that I have spent a few million credits buying decorations when I figure out what I want to try, but don’t have a proper item yet.
But that’s it for now. See you next week!
https://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=58084