TaskMaker

Infobox VG
title = TaskMaker


developer = Storm Impact
publisher = XOR Corporation (1989)
Storm Impact (1993)
designer = David Cook, Tom Zehner
engine =
released = 1989, 1993
genre = RPG
modes = Single player
ratings =
platforms = "Classic" Mac OS
media = 1989: Two 3.5 inch floppy disks.
1993: Download, floppy disks.
requirements = 1989: Apple Macintosh Plus, SE, or II. 1 MB of memory. 2 disk drives or a hard disk.
1993: 600k memory for black and white mode; 1500k memory for color mode. System 6.02 or newer.
input = Keyboard, mouse.

"TaskMaker" is a computer role-playing game for the Macintosh developed by Storm Impact. The original black-and-white version was published by XOR Corporation in 1989. [cite web
url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:664~T0
title=TaskMaker
publisher=Allgame
accessdate=2007-06-09] In 1993, Storm Impact released an upgraded shareware version of "TaskMaker" featuring color graphics and compatibility with newer versions of Mac OS. Storm Impact also released a sequel, "The Tomb of the Taskmaker", in 1997. With Storm Impact's demise that same year, both "TaskMaker" games are no longer supported or available for purchase (and therefore abandonware). However, they are still covered by intellectual property rights, including copyrights.cite web
url=http://www.robotroom.com/StormImpact.html
title=Storm Impact
last=Cook
first=David
publisher=Robot Room
accessdate=2006-12-08]

Gameplay

The player is a young hero from far away who has arrived to be trained and eventually become the leader of the land. The TaskMaker, leader of the game's world, is to be the hero's mentor, and throughout the game, the TaskMaker assigns the player ten tasks, which are generally quests to obtain an item from a different dungeon or town. Eventually, the TaskMaker is revealed to be corrupt, as for the final task, he asks the player to kill a prisoner. Regardless of whether or not the prisoner is killed, the player then has to defeat the TaskMaker. Once the TaskMaker is killed, the player is declared "master" of the land, and a special menu is unlocked in the game, allowing for the player to edit all the dungeons and villages manually.cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:11915 |title=TaskMaker Color |accessdate=2008-08-19 |last=Savignano |first=Lisa Karen |work=All Game Guide]

The tasks each include a series of challenges, using game elements such as illusionary walls, teleports, traps, and switches. The enemies the player encounters are a mix typical fantasy-related creatures, such as kobolds, goblins, and gargoyles, and non-traditional monsters such as Spoiled Lunch and "El Cheapo Computer". Some other elements of the game are non-traditional to RPGs. For instance, the player deposits money in "Auto Tellers", and recycle bins can be found throughout.

The player's overall status is measured by seven status bars: Food, Health, Spirit, Strength, Agility, Intellect, and Stamina. Each bar's length can be increased by leveling up (after a certain amount of fighting and/or spell casting) or by taking potions or scrolls to increase their strength. In addition, the player can save money to buy a variety of weapons and armor, as well as several other items, such as food to keep the player from going hungry. Other gameplay items include magical potions, scrolls, and wands, and useless items such as bones, butter knives, and garbage. The player also can cast one of several preset spells, which allow him to do such things as heal, speed up, or grasp a distant object. There are also several hidden spells within the game.

Reception

The original XOR version of "TaskMaker" was reviewed negatively in "MacWEEK", which compared it unfavorably to contemporary Macintosh role-playing games "The Bard's Tale", "Might and Magic" and "Pool of Radiance". "MacWEEK" praised the game's quick and controllable fun, but claimed that it lacked richness and had less enticing graphics compared to the other titles. [cite news
title=Adventure Fantastic
last=Howard
first=Stephen
work=MacWEEK
date=1988-11-21]

Allgame gave the Storm Impact version of the game four-and-a-half stars, saying that the improvements made by Storm Impact made it feel more like a whole new game, and not just an update of an existing one.

equels

1997 saw the release of a sequel entitled "The Tomb of the TaskMaker". This sequel was set sometime after the end of the first game's storyline. In "The Tomb of the Taskmaker", the player is now in charge of the land, and is informed of various tasks that he has to perform to restore peace in the land. During the course of the game, it is believed that the TaskMaker has come back to life in his tomb. The final task involves entering the tomb, where the player discovers that the TaskMaker is indeed dead, and a powerful captain guard was protecting the TaskMaker's bones. The player then has to fight the captain guard and his assistants to win the game. Once this final task is complete, the player again gains the Master menu, and can edit the game's entire world.

"The Tomb of the TaskMaker" featured additional gameplay aspects. One added feature allowed the player to choose a gender and the role of magician, fighter or thief, each with different abilities. The game was released just before Storm Impact's collapse, and never made it past version 1.0 until Cook posted an updated test version (which fixed several bugs from the original version and added two new dungeons) on his personal website in July 2008.

References