The experiences of a lowly playtester

[Cantousent]

Well, I have to say that it isn't quite so bad as that here, Bok.

 

Also, what you've described is exactly what people here do, Sand. However, if you lack basic interpersonal skills, you probably wouldn't survive in a job like this. I mean, it really depends on what you mean by "sugar-coating."

 

Meta is entirely right. If you are unmanageable, your value is limited.

 

EDIT: QA my own post.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Cantousent

[Sand]

Making the bugs don't sound as bad as they are. I mean I wouldn't be screaming, kicking, or use profanity, just be making a straightforward and succinct report of everything I find wrong in the game, with the worse game stopping bugs priority over superficial material, and if it is within my area of expertise give suggestions on how to rectify the problems I find in a clear and constructive manner. Don't mix my antics here as my work ethic in real life. I take every job I have had very seriously and I take the first to show and the last to leave mentality in every task I am given.

[Gorgon]

That's why they wouldn't hire you (categorised under "unmanageable").

 

;p

Actrually I think the vast majority of games would benifit from the Sand version as opposed to the glazed over version.

 

Dood. the pathfinding sucks, the camera angles are a joke, the avatars are butt ugly - to a man ! - the engine is less efficient than a seamstress with parkinson's.

 

...And you don't think that QA haven't said all those things for years about any number of games? If pathfinding sucks for you on the first run, how do you think it sucks for someone who must run through the same areas several times? You think the avatar is ugly on your run? What if you had a run of some months watching the same hated avatar?

 

I don't think Hades would survive well at a job if he were completely obnoxious about the bugs. On the other hand, I don't think he would be. He'd find the line and dance on it, maybe, but he's too smart to get himself fired almost immediately as insubordinate.

 

Also, I think it's ridiculous to make such observations about QA people in general. Me? I'm an intruder here, so you can say what you want about me and I won't much care. I'll just keep posting my experiences. However, you're dead DEAD wrong about the QA people here DO rail about some of these things and go out of their way to find every possible thing they can to log into bug reports.

 

Maybe I'm the glazed over version to Hades' blast them with sand and be formally reprimanded on the first day style, but the other folks here do their jobs very well.

 

With that all said, I've logged everything from suggestions regarding punctuation to potentially game crashing bugs. Why? Because it's my job. I'm going to find every single possible thing to log as a bug because that's what I'm supposed to do. Writing nasty email and making rude comments would only serve to get me fired and THAT would clearly end any positive influence I could possibly have.

Just to clarify, I wasen't talking about you specifically. I have seen many games where it seemed like the developers had just trudged on and ignored the most obvious. How can you go through the trouble of making an entire game and then having a totally screwy viewport ?. I surely don

[Fenghuang]

@Child: No, I applied for an adjunct faculty position at Cal Baptist. I did not get the professor position, but they did hire me. I worked there one school year a few years ago. I'm lucky enough to have the luxury to try a bunch of different things. My wife really doesn't care where I work or if I work at all.

 

Ah so you got a sugar momma!

[Cantousent]

Ah, well then, I think you'd be great at testing, Hades. You'd probably enjoy it. It's a job where being critical truly helps. To be clear, I'm not piling on Sand. I think he's actually well suited to the job. He's got a lot of eye for detail. He wants to get rid of bugs. He's not afraid to speak his mind. These are all imperative.

 

...And I don't have a sugar momma. hahaha I just have more opportunity to follow my own particular desires. Believe me, my wife doesn't make enough money at her job to be a sugar momma. Unlike her brother and his wife, my wife works for her money.

 

Finally, I had an experience today that makes the crappy drive and other things worth it. It was truly a transcendant experience. I'm going to figure out a way to relate the experience without breaking my "oath of silnce!" dum dum duuuuum In the meantime, I'll cotinue from where I left off tomorrow morning. The drive is a real grind, I'm telling you.

[Fenghuang]

What does QA stand for again?

 

 

 

Anyways, that must be a nice job...

 

'Quite Awesome'

[Wistrik]

I also make a living with by paying attention to detail, but there's no way I could put up with being QA of a software house because I'd have no leverage, no way to ensure the bugs I reported would get fixed. With my current job I have federal and international law requiring accuracy and correctness (penalties include fines and prison time), and my supervisor backs me up 100%. Nothing gets past me that isn't compliant, and I love it.

[Walsingham]

I also make a living with by paying attention to detail, but there's no way I could put up with being QA of a software house because I'd have no leverage, no way to ensure the bugs I reported would get fixed. With my current job I have federal and international law requiring accuracy and correctness (penalties include fines and prison time), and my supervisor backs me up 100%. Nothing gets past me that isn't compliant, and I love it.

 

*hides inside dustbin*

[metadigital]

I've logged everything from suggestions regarding punctuation to potentially game crashing bugs. Why? Because it's my job. I'm going to find every single possible thing to log as a bug because that's what I'm supposed to do.

[Enoch]

Finally, I had an experience today that makes the crappy drive and other things worth it. It was truly a transcendant experience. I'm going to figure out a way to relate the experience without breaking my "oath of silnce!" dum dum duuuuum

Free doughnuts in the break room?

 

 

Seriously, though, best of luck to you. Based on what I've seen of LA-area traffic in a couple of visits, you have my deepest sympathies on your commute.

[Wistrik]

I also make a living with by paying attention to detail, but there's no way I could put up with being QA of a software house because I'd have no leverage, no way to ensure the bugs I reported would get fixed. With my current job I have federal and international law requiring accuracy and correctness (penalties include fines and prison time), and my supervisor backs me up 100%. Nothing gets past me that isn't compliant, and I love it.

 

*hides inside dustbin*

If I don't find you, customs will. "Your papers, please, or we will have to shoot you!"

[Cantousent]

Finally, I had an experience today that makes the crappy drive and other things worth it. It was truly a transcendant experience. I'm going to figure out a way to relate the experience without breaking my "oath of silnce!" dum dum duuuuum

Free doughnuts in the break room?

 

No, that's every Tuesday and Thursday.

 

BTW: I love the new avatar. Wistrik's also.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

You could always write your message and replace any words that break said oath with ******.

[metadigital]

******

[Cantousent]

You know, traffic is odd. You can start out at 7:15 every morning and have wildly different experiences every day. Today, being a Friday, I made it to work very quickly, about an hour. That gives me time to write down a little bit about my experiences. Since this is something of a record of my journey on the path of playtesting, I'm going to talk a little bit about my peers and supervisors.

 

First of all, I really don't interact with the assistant (associate?) producer at all since being hired. They sat in on the meeting. They called to offer me the job. Since then, I haven't done anything more than exchange greetings with them.

 

As far as my other two supervisors go, the publisher is really more hands-free. I asked them how my bug logs were going and they said,

[Volourn]

QA is cool.

[Jast]

I want to become a video game designer once I get done with college. Do I HAVE to start off as a QA tester though to get into the field or is there some other things I can do?

Edited May 25, 2007 by Jast

[Cantousent]

I can't really offer any insight. I wanted the experience, and I know some of the people in various positions at this developer started in QA, but I know how common it is or if it's necessary.

[metadigital]

You know, traffic is odd. You can start out at 7:15 every morning and have wildly different experiences every day.

Traffic flow varies according to people's weekly timetables, too; people who have a day or more telecommuting from home tend to take their work-from-home day on the days adjacent to the weekend. Hence Friday traffic is typically a lot less than other days.

As far as my other two supervisors go, the publisher is really more hands-freeoff. I asked them how my bug logs were going and they said,

[Cantousent]

Yikes, meta. These are all good folks. I agree with you that the real problem with my fellow temps is that all of them want to advance and we are all in competition with one another. One thing that will help is that I won't steal their bugs or try to make them look bad. It's actually quite a competive atmosphere. No biggie. I really have nothing to lose at this time. Until I advance, I really don't have a lot of vested interest in this position outside the experience and wanting to do a good job wherever I work.

[Fenghuang]

You know, traffic is odd. You can start out at 7:15 every morning and have wildly different experiences every day.

Traffic flow varies according to people's weekly timetables, too; people who have a day or more telecommuting from home tend to take their work-from-home day on the days adjacent to the weekend. Hence Friday traffic is typically a lot less than other days.

 

This. Especially on the second and fourth Fridays of every month as in California these are the days that are 'set' as State Sanctioned telecommuting days.

[Cantousent]

I managed to get into a couple of conversations with co-workers today and I think they're thawing. I like folks, which makes it easier. Not only that, but I understand that these things take time and patience. Once you get past all that, we've got a friendly team. It was also pleasant to hear from some of you fellow board monkies about your experiences in QA.

 

Overall, I think the developer is pretty much awesome. While I don't have any doubt regarding my place in the food chain, everyone has been respectful to me at work, in all levels of the organization. I just thought I'd add these comments so folks understood that I'm not in a hostile environment. It's a good place to work. No, it doesn't make a lot of money, but I've been learning a lot about game development there.

[theslug]

From what you have seen so far is this game you are working on going to be especially good and worth a buy? Is it going to be more traditional or innovative and original or what? More details on the game plz (don;t have to throw out its name or anything crazy but you know maybe some hints at the quality of the game.)

[Cantousent]

I can't think of a way to write about my actual game experiences without divulging more than I intend. I can say, with all sincerity, that I'm not sure I would have purchased the title if I hadn't had this job. This has the potential to be the best game I've played in years. I will do everything I can to help it reach that potential, meager though my influence may be. It will be worth buying.

 

This thread is about the playtesting experience, not about the game itself. For that reason, I'm going to avoid addressing actual game issue. However, folks who know me best will know exactly why this game appeals to me as much as it does. They'll be able to list reasons at every step.

[Gorth]

However, folks who know me best will know exactly why this game appeals to me as much as it does. They'll be able to list reasons at every step.

It has Boobies in it

 

Btw. I don't quite get the subtitle of your thread, isn't it CANT Does, not CANT do?

 

Congratulations and may you have a long and interesting career in the world of entertainment

 

I can definitely appreciate it when people takes chances and do things with their lives, instead of just sitting around and daydreaming about it. I've been told stuff like that made the country you currently live in