TaskMaker

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. 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.

The player is a young hero who has arrived to be trained and eventually become the leader of the land. The TaskMaker, leader of the game's world, serves as the player's mentor. The TaskMaker assigns the player ten tasks, which are quests to obtain an item from a different dungeon or town. In doing so, the player encounters game elements such as illusionary walls, teleports, traps, and switches. Enemies in the game are a mix of fantasy-related creatures and non-traditional monsters such as "Spoiled Lunch" and "El Cheapo Computer". Several human characters also exist in the game, and the player can interact with these characters for hints. The player can also deposit money in "Auto Tellers" and dispose of items in Recycle Bins.

In the game's next-to-last task, the TaskMaker asks the player to kill a prisoner on his island. Regardless of whether or not the prisoner is killed, the player then has to defeat the TaskMaker as the final task. 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.[3]

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 reading scrolls to increase their strength. If the Health bar is depleted, the player is sent to Hell, a randomly-generated maze with one exit. In addition, the player can save money to buy a variety of weapons and armor, or food to keep the Food bar from depleting. Other gameplay items include magical potions, scrolls, and wands (which can help to replenish the status bars, increase their length, or aid in fighting monsters) as well as useless items which can only be eliminated by recycling them. The player also can cast one of several preset spells, or one of several hidden spells