Skyland has been written using the authors' own system which bears up fairly well to TADS, though not nearly as versatile or as friendly, it serves its purpose competently enough and, for the most part, doesn't present much of a problem. One thing I did like that I've not seen before, is that when you, for example, go south, a short message along the lines of "You fight your way through the crowds to the south." appears before the next description. This of course varies with the location and the relative happenings in that area.

The time limit is my main moan with the game, I have never liked being penalised for examining the surroundings by having precious minutes deducted. Some might argue it adds to the realism, but for me, it is just an unnecessary obstacle. Of the the eleven hour time limit, one minute is deducted for every turn you take, making a total of 660 turns before the game ends. The game also ends with monotonous regularity with you dying, usually suddenly.