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Play Testing

Play Testing. Software Testing Play Testing Team Structures. Software Testing. Goal: “Prove” that the software works Matches the functional specification Matches the performance specification Real Proof: NP-Hard problem Simulate all the possible runs Exponential growth in testing time

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Play Testing

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  1. Play Testing Software Testing Play Testing Team Structures CS4455

  2. Software Testing • Goal: “Prove” that the software works • Matches the functional specification • Matches the performance specification • Real Proof: NP-Hard problem • Simulate all the possible runs • Exponential growth in testing time • Each branch point multiplies possible program state by 2 CS 4455

  3. Testing Method • Run the program using a suite of data • Data suite exercises as much of the program’s code as possible • Each data set is accompanied by expected results • Where the results are unexpected, there is a bug! CS 4455

  4. Generating Test Suites • Black Box Testing • Generate test data based purely on interpretation of the specifications • Don’t look at the code! • Code is a Black Box CS 4455

  5. Generating Test Suites • White Box Testing • Use the code to generate tests with the purpose of exercising all blocks of code • Central concept: Coverage • Cover all of the parts of the programs code • Ensure that all lines of code run at least once CS 4455

  6. Combine Both Approaches • Black Box + White Box test suites • Complementary roles • Hard to tell from the data what approach was used • Aims to generate that ever-elusive “proof” • Test suites: • Great for testing Compilers • Perhaps not so great for interaction and games CS 4455

  7. Random Testing • Some applications are hard to test: • Random test • Give up the idea of formal coverage • Hope for stochastic coverage! • Sometimes this depends on actual human interaction • Need to get lots of people • Beta testing by customers CS 4455

  8. Play Testing • What is it? CS 4455

  9. Play Testing • Play testing follows software testing • Overlap of phases • Software Testing + More • Tuning game play • Tuning that Flow experience! • Discover Intellectual Space • Does the player Get it?? • Less important in established genres CS 4455

  10. Team Structure • Fundamental issue: Willful blindness • Don’t fall in love with your code! • Having testing team members be different from your coders is vital • A Software Testing team • A Play Testing Team CS 4455

  11. Play Testing Team • Internal team • Manages play-testing people • Does own play tests • Recruits outsiders for a week or two • External team • A population sample • Varying skills • Unfamiliar with product • Not in love with your product! • Not yet bored with the product CS 4455

  12. External Testers • Do they like the game? • They may lie to you • Politeness effect • If they can’t say why they like it, you have a problem • Do they get frustrated? • What common areas? • Often skill-based • Internal team judges player’s skill, also CS 4455

  13. External Testers • FAQ • Be prepared to deal with the frequent questions in the final game CS 4455

  14. External Testers: Half-Life • People near Valve’s offices who sent in registration cards • Designers sit quietly while player struggles • Designer takes notes • Typical 2-hour session • 100 action items • First 20-30 sessions absolutely vital • Learn what was fun • 200 sessions total CS 4455

  15. Half-Life: Fine tuning • Add instrumentation • Player position, time, health, weapons • Activities: • Game save, dying, being hurt, solving a puzzle, fighting a monster… • Graph series of sessions together • Spot too long with no encounters • Spot long periods of too much health • Spot long periods of too little health CS 4455

  16. Half-Life • Most important playtesting outcome: • Clearly identified good and bad ideas • Allowed people to… CS 4455

  17. Half-Life • Most important playtesting outcome: • Clearly identified good and bad ideas • Allowed people to Abandon Bad Ideas • Playtesting provides the evidence needed CS 4455

  18. Advice • Don’t get defensive! • The tester opinion is important • Testers: Stick to your findings! • Respectfully point out problems • Mix up the hardware • Be honest about the specs on the box CS 4455

  19. More Advice • Discourage Legacies • Don’t let bad decisions live forever! • MS-DOS! CS 4455

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