Assignment 77 : designing tests for computer games
Assignment 77: Designing Tests For Computer Games
In the test phase, you start with preparation. In the preparation stage, the leader gives their groups each a specific area of testing. for example, they would have some people checking for U.I. defects, some checking for A.I. defects, some checking map defects, etc. they must also document everything they find so that when it comes to fixing up the game. they can get it all sorted out without the hassle of having to remember which parts were broken and also it helps so they don't accidentally break something that wasn't broken in the first place.
When developing a game, it must go through tests to ensure that it is ready and stable enough for release. These tests are taken at different times throughout developing the game so that it can be tested and each stage to ensure each part of the game is stable and does not have any game breaking glitches.
PREPARATION:
preparation is the first stage of testing as you have to get ready for all the testing by getting the documentation ready and all the equipment ready for when you start testing. this is getting things like bug logs ready, powerful PCs and development kits.
once this I has finished you can start creating the game and continue with the rest of the testing and creation.
ALPHA TESTING:
alpha testing is when the basic premise of the game is built into an early build which is then given to testers, which could be pre-order bonuses or just people who get paid to do it. this build is then checked for bugs and is to make sure that it is ready for beta testing.
BETA TESTING:
beta testing is when the game is in a much more stable state and it is usually given out to the public to test. this helps them find bugs as there are many more people playing the game the way they would which means more unique results and overall more coverage on which bugs need fixing. beta testing is closer to release and is to help them with customer satisfaction as well.
GOLD TESTING:
gold testing is when the game is released to the public and is finished but there is the chance that players may still find bugs and so patches are released to fix the new bugs found by the players. these can be map bugs such as collisions or AI bugs such as not being able to interact with NPC or even enemies but they are usually smaller things that get passed the previous tests as they are not massive things.
END OF CERTIFICATION:
the end of certification test is when the game is finished and the publishers have to check to see if the game matches the criteria for it to be able to be published on to a platform. this is done to make sure that the game is up to standards with the publishers and platform owners so that when it is released it makes money and it isn't a failure.
PLACEHOLDER ASSETS:
placeholder assets are used during the creation of the game to do tests and to see if everything works as it saves time instead of spending time on modelling and then having it not work in the first place. this helps save time and keep the game creation process at a pace that's controllable.
REGRESSION:
regression testing is when a new version of the game is released they check to make sure it is stable enough and that the bugs they fixed are fixed and that they haven't created any new bugs. this is good as releasing a patch that introduces loads of new bugs is inefficient and time wasting.
PROCESSES
SMOKE TESTING
Smoke testing is the test of all the important functions such as character movement and expressions, the environment and world settings such as gravity and collisions. this is done to ensure the build is stable and also lets the developers know if they can carry on with testing or if they need to redesign the build or fix the current build to carry on with testing.(1) The advantages of smoke testing are:
This is beneficial as it can prevent bugs from evolving into something worse and also catching them early means they're easier to find as there is less to the build to spot.
WHITE BOX TESTING
White box testing is the testing of the games code and is used to find out code syntax errors, logical errors in codes and conditional errors as well as internal security holes and poorly structured paths in the coding. The programmer works out and output and then does the input on the software and if the output is as expected then the coding is fine and there is no bug, but if the output is not as expected then there is a bug and then it must be fixed before compiling the game.(2)
BLACK BOX TESTING
Black box testing is like white box testing but does not focus on the internal knowledge of the software. this test only looks for the software requirements and specifications. to carry out black box testing the tester would find out the software requirements and specifications and from there they would make some valid inputs to test. they would then test their inputs and see if their outputs matched the actual outputs of the test just like in white box coding. then if there are any defects they would be fixed.(3)
CLEAN ROOM TESTING
Clean room testing is testing the game as if you were the player to find any defects within the game and also to find if the game or maps fit the play style you wanted. this is good as it is a different approach to testing which opens up new ways to find defects and problems before releasing to the public. for example, the coding will not tell you that the maps will not fit the certain play style you want it to.(4)
PLAY TESTING
play testing is when a group of people are allowed to play a version of the game and they can give feedback back to the developers to help them fix the issues that people have found. this can be defects but also people can get parts of the game changed that they didn't like such as map changes and also things like currency changes, like if the currency you earn a game is too low and people complain the developers can choose to fix that.(5)
this is good because it allows the developers to get on with other things while players enjoy their game and help them with the problems that need fixing. also, it allows the developers to understand what the players want from them and their game so that the players will be happier with their product.
AD-HOC TESTING
ad-hoc testing is an unplanned random test that the developers do to check random things to see if they can find any defects. this is helpful as an unplanned test can save a lot of time and help them check things they normally wouldn't and fix them on the spot as they do not register/ document unplanned tests.(6)
PLAYER TYPES
player types are the types of players that developers build their games around. there are 4 types of players.
a minor patch is when small fixes known as hotfixes are implemented which usually fix smaller bugs and aren't usually massive downloads. for example in overwatch, a hotfix was released to fix mercy's rez ability. this is good as players don't want to have to do massive downloads every day or so. so in hotfixes allow for the players to play faster and still fixing the minor issues.
MAJOR PATCH:
major patches are like minor patches but are bigger downloads and usually fix multiple bugs at once. for example, in the sims, a major patch could be that people were experiencing multiple problems with ai and they all get fixed in the one big patch update.
(1) http://softwaretestingfundamentals.com/smoke-testing/
(2) https://youtu.be/3bJcvBLJViQ
(3) https://youtu.be/Wi75S5TTfQ0
(4) http://what-when-how.com/Tutorial/topic-102/Game-Testing-All-in-One-268.html
(5) https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27197/playtesting
(6) https://www.guru99.com/adhoc-testing.html
LIFE CYCLE
PLAN AND DESIGN TEST:
the plantest is like the preparation phase but done later on as it is important to revisit it nearer to finishing to see which feature that you listed before have changed or if things need changing.
PREPARE TEST:
the prepare test is when they get the bug logs ready and state which areas they are going to check and document. this is so it is organised when it comes to it later and they need to know what has been fixed and what still needs fixing.
PERFROM TEST:
this is when they run the tests they have noted down in the prepare stage and start to fix the bugs and write down what they have fixed and what else needs fixing up until it is all fixed and no bugs have appeared from a knock on effect.
REPORT TEST:
the report test is when you note down everything that you fixed/changed in the log so that it can be checked and reassured that all bugs are fixed.
RETEST:
the retest is when they go over all the bugs fixed to make sure they are fixed and they haven't created any new ones.
When developing a game, it must go through tests to ensure that it is ready and stable enough for release. These tests are taken at different times throughout developing the game so that it can be tested and each stage to ensure each part of the game is stable and does not have any game breaking glitches.
PREPARATION:
preparation is the first stage of testing as you have to get ready for all the testing by getting the documentation ready and all the equipment ready for when you start testing. this is getting things like bug logs ready, powerful PCs and development kits.
once this I has finished you can start creating the game and continue with the rest of the testing and creation.
ALPHA TESTING:
alpha testing is when the basic premise of the game is built into an early build which is then given to testers, which could be pre-order bonuses or just people who get paid to do it. this build is then checked for bugs and is to make sure that it is ready for beta testing.
BETA TESTING:
beta testing is when the game is in a much more stable state and it is usually given out to the public to test. this helps them find bugs as there are many more people playing the game the way they would which means more unique results and overall more coverage on which bugs need fixing. beta testing is closer to release and is to help them with customer satisfaction as well.
GOLD TESTING:
gold testing is when the game is released to the public and is finished but there is the chance that players may still find bugs and so patches are released to fix the new bugs found by the players. these can be map bugs such as collisions or AI bugs such as not being able to interact with NPC or even enemies but they are usually smaller things that get passed the previous tests as they are not massive things.
END OF CERTIFICATION:
the end of certification test is when the game is finished and the publishers have to check to see if the game matches the criteria for it to be able to be published on to a platform. this is done to make sure that the game is up to standards with the publishers and platform owners so that when it is released it makes money and it isn't a failure.
PLACEHOLDER ASSETS:
placeholder assets are used during the creation of the game to do tests and to see if everything works as it saves time instead of spending time on modelling and then having it not work in the first place. this helps save time and keep the game creation process at a pace that's controllable.
REGRESSION:
regression testing is when a new version of the game is released they check to make sure it is stable enough and that the bugs they fixed are fixed and that they haven't created any new bugs. this is good as releasing a patch that introduces loads of new bugs is inefficient and time wasting.
PROCESSES
SMOKE TESTING
Smoke testing is the test of all the important functions such as character movement and expressions, the environment and world settings such as gravity and collisions. this is done to ensure the build is stable and also lets the developers know if they can carry on with testing or if they need to redesign the build or fix the current build to carry on with testing.(1) The advantages of smoke testing are:
- Exposing integration issues
- Uncovers problems early
This is beneficial as it can prevent bugs from evolving into something worse and also catching them early means they're easier to find as there is less to the build to spot.
WHITE BOX TESTING
White box testing is the testing of the games code and is used to find out code syntax errors, logical errors in codes and conditional errors as well as internal security holes and poorly structured paths in the coding. The programmer works out and output and then does the input on the software and if the output is as expected then the coding is fine and there is no bug, but if the output is not as expected then there is a bug and then it must be fixed before compiling the game.(2)
BLACK BOX TESTING
Black box testing is like white box testing but does not focus on the internal knowledge of the software. this test only looks for the software requirements and specifications. to carry out black box testing the tester would find out the software requirements and specifications and from there they would make some valid inputs to test. they would then test their inputs and see if their outputs matched the actual outputs of the test just like in white box coding. then if there are any defects they would be fixed.(3)
CLEAN ROOM TESTING
Clean room testing is testing the game as if you were the player to find any defects within the game and also to find if the game or maps fit the play style you wanted. this is good as it is a different approach to testing which opens up new ways to find defects and problems before releasing to the public. for example, the coding will not tell you that the maps will not fit the certain play style you want it to.(4)
PLAY TESTING
play testing is when a group of people are allowed to play a version of the game and they can give feedback back to the developers to help them fix the issues that people have found. this can be defects but also people can get parts of the game changed that they didn't like such as map changes and also things like currency changes, like if the currency you earn a game is too low and people complain the developers can choose to fix that.(5)
this is good because it allows the developers to get on with other things while players enjoy their game and help them with the problems that need fixing. also, it allows the developers to understand what the players want from them and their game so that the players will be happier with their product.
AD-HOC TESTING
ad-hoc testing is an unplanned random test that the developers do to check random things to see if they can find any defects. this is helpful as an unplanned test can save a lot of time and help them check things they normally wouldn't and fix them on the spot as they do not register/ document unplanned tests.(6)
PLAYER TYPES
player types are the types of players that developers build their games around. there are 4 types of players.
- Killer: interfere with the functioning of the game world or the play experience of other players
- Achiever: accumulate status tokens by beating the rules-based challenges of the game world
- Explorers: discover the systems governing the operation of the game world
- Socializer: form relationships with other players by telling stories within the game world
a minor patch is when small fixes known as hotfixes are implemented which usually fix smaller bugs and aren't usually massive downloads. for example in overwatch, a hotfix was released to fix mercy's rez ability. this is good as players don't want to have to do massive downloads every day or so. so in hotfixes allow for the players to play faster and still fixing the minor issues.
MAJOR PATCH:
major patches are like minor patches but are bigger downloads and usually fix multiple bugs at once. for example, in the sims, a major patch could be that people were experiencing multiple problems with ai and they all get fixed in the one big patch update.
(1) http://softwaretestingfundamentals.com/smoke-testing/
(2) https://youtu.be/3bJcvBLJViQ
(3) https://youtu.be/Wi75S5TTfQ0
(4) http://what-when-how.com/Tutorial/topic-102/Game-Testing-All-in-One-268.html
(5) https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27197/playtesting
(6) https://www.guru99.com/adhoc-testing.html
LIFE CYCLE
PLAN AND DESIGN TEST:
the plantest is like the preparation phase but done later on as it is important to revisit it nearer to finishing to see which feature that you listed before have changed or if things need changing.
PREPARE TEST:
the prepare test is when they get the bug logs ready and state which areas they are going to check and document. this is so it is organised when it comes to it later and they need to know what has been fixed and what still needs fixing.
PERFROM TEST:
this is when they run the tests they have noted down in the prepare stage and start to fix the bugs and write down what they have fixed and what else needs fixing up until it is all fixed and no bugs have appeared from a knock on effect.
REPORT TEST:
the report test is when you note down everything that you fixed/changed in the log so that it can be checked and reassured that all bugs are fixed.
RETEST:
the retest is when they go over all the bugs fixed to make sure they are fixed and they haven't created any new ones.
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