Lady in Green - AGT
            (Text adventure for ST on Syntax PD260)

             Reviewed by Jean Childs on an Atari ST

I intend reviewing this game as if through the eyes of one unused
to the wonders and knowledge of computers. One who is content to
'shove' in the disc and switch on. The reason for this is, yes
you've guessed it, that's me. Having 'shoved' in the disc and
switched on, I'm faced with a desk-top with two icons. I double
click on RUN.TTP because that sounds like a program.  Up pops a
window headed OPEN APPLICATION. I just type '*' and away we go.
(OK I lied, I do know something about wildcards.) Actually it was
only when I was stuck on the game and was bored that I decided to
double click on the other icon REFONE.DOC and discovered
instructions on how to load and play the game.  It introduces the
game nicely and explains:-
'Because the game has alternative endings you will not be able to
visit all the rooms, even if you do attain a maximum score of 250
points.'

Also:-

'Because the game performs constant Disc Access, gameplay is
improved by using a Ram Disc if extra memory is available. If you
wish to use the one on the games disc just copy the files in the
Ram Disc Folder to the Root Directory.' (Thank you but how, and
what's a root directory?)

To be fair the author does conclude his introduction in REFONE.DOC
with his name and address and offers of help and is happy to
receive comments, suggestions and advice.

Now to the storyline and this is how it starts:-

'It has been a good week, but you are a long drive from home.
Friday night at a highly regarded 18th Century hotel is a reward
for exceeding your sales targets again. You know your expenses
will cover a gourmet meal in the Michelin 3 star restaurant.
Despite the meal to come you are looking forward to returning home
to your family tomorrow. A week's grass to cut, June's car to fix
and your wife wants taking into town for a new coat. You just
never see enough of them.  That new head office job in town might
be worth considering after all.'

Good start, I like a bit of humour and that shows now and again in
the game. Like in the car park:-

'You open the car door easily and realise that the œ200 alarm
system you installed is ineffective when the keys are left in the
ignition.'

While in the car 'the keys rattle impatiently'. You know that, as
you are at the beginning of the game, if you drive the car the
game will end prematurely. But you do it anyway, just to see what
happens.

The descriptions are poetic to say the least. There is one problem
however, and here is an example:-

'The delicate fabrics and soft sweet smells indicate that you are
trespassing in the bedroom of a Lady. Light from the deep leaded
bay window reveals a long green dress draped on the small, well
upholstered bed which blocks a locked door to the north. Opposite
the window you notice a china bowl standing on an oak sideboard.
Beside the bowl a jug of cold water partially obscures the last
inch of the well burned candle. A nightdress is draped behind an
open door to the south.'

The game does not understand the nouns window, bed, bowl,
sideboard, jug, water. candle or nightdress. If you type 'take
dress', it replies 'what dress - there is no dress here.' In fact
there was nothing I could do at this location, other than go
south. Generally speaking the input requirements were almost too
logical. The game was too easy to solve, apart from the final
movements, and that was 'different'. It would be easy for me say
that the game was not worth buying, but I still enjoyed playing
it. I actually solved it on my second attempt but scored only 240
out of 250. I was drawn to it a few times in order to gain that
elusive 10 points.  When I did, I could have kicked myself, and
with a little playing around I managed to score 260 out of 250!
But I only visited 42 locations out of a possible 49. Beats me
where the other 7 are.

It seems a shame that such a descriptive style of writing should
have been spoilt with so few puzzles and locations. But it was
fun. If someone was to offer me a similar game, written along the
same guidelines, would I buy it? No!