The Taroda Scheme comes on disc in plain packaging with
an extremely useful leaflet which gives background information
and provides an atmospheric and amusing introduction to the
adventure. Comprehensive Help sheets are also available.
It's set in the year 10340 AD, long after the destruction of
Earth. Taroda is one of many planets to have been colonised
by humans centuries previously. It is now an important
source of methane gas and an ore known as Strykalite, which
is exported as barbeque lighting fuel to the planet Sartravaag.
Your mission is fairly mundane. It is to make the five-yearly
check on the system of Taroda to ensure that all is well - it
isn't.
You begin your adventure on the bridge of your spacecraft
on its journey to Taroda. A quick glance at the vide-screen
shows that something large and ominous is on a collision
course with your ship. This is akin to Robico's Enthar Seven
or The Hunt, as you scramble together belongings and find a safe way
to leave your doomed craft.
I suggest that you thoroughly SEARCH the desk in your
quarters, take the shower operating unit from the bathroom
and gain some sustenance before facilitating your escape.
On the planet you will soon discover the first of many
corridors which could pose a really suffocating problem. In
order to continue, you must find a plan and read it carefully! This is a variation of the Snark tunnel
problem in Acornsoft's Kingdom Of Hamil.
Room descriptions and messages are length, well-written
and you only have to EXAMine the items which are presented
in magenta text - a bit difficult with a green screen monitor.
Everything about this adventure contains a refreshing
smattering of wry comedy. The only time this sank to the
depths of lavatorial humour was when I discovered a suction
toilet in the bathroom "to avoid those low gravity accidents".
However, the following is a prime example of good response to correct input:
'As the soup touches your tongue, it liquifies and trickles down your throat. Suddenly, something hard and angular sticks in your mouth and you spit it out, choking violently. A wave of deja-vu hits you, with an image of a cold stone room.'
I must admit that I loved the idea of the MentOp system
which allows for ESP thought processes to operate equipment. I also chuckled at the kickerboots for which an
intergalactic soccer thug would give his one remaining
tooth. It is sobering to later find a compact disc as an
item of antiquity.
The Taroda Scheme has over 230 locations, nearly 100
objects and 200 messages, and should provide a real
challenge to any discerning adventurer.
Problem construction is excellent, although the parser
seems rather limimted, especially regarding synonyms for
the nouns. I did discover a few spelling mistakes, such as "hygene" and "liquify".
However, with a little more polish and development, Heyley
could soon challenge Robico, Level 9 and Infocom as a
serious producer of micro adventures.