QUALITY ASSURANCE
Best Practices
TWO TYPES OF TESTING
• Gameplay Testing
• “It’s too hard.”
• “The hats should be blue.”
• “Why can’t we have bigger guns?”
• Bug Testing
• “Game crashes when I do this…”
• “Quest giver doesn’t reward me after I turn quest in.”
• “Barbie says ‘Ima kill you!’”
IN OTHER WORDS
• Gameplay Testing is subjective and opinion based
• Bug Testing is objective and fact based
THE QA DEPARTMENT
• “The Ministry of Truth”
THE QA PROCESS
• Dev Team provides Test build
• QA Team Report defects
• Dev Team Fix defects
• QA Team Tests new build
• QA Team Verify or reject fixes
• QA Team Tests for new defects
QA TOOLS
• Bug Database
• Test Kit (PC, console, etc.)
• Test Plan
• Headphones
• Video/audio capture
WRITING A BUG REPORT
• Summary (Headline)
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected Result / Actual Result (when bug is not obvious)
TEST APPROACHES
• Structured Testing
• Using Test Plan
• “Ad Hoc” Testing
• Using Tester Instincts
TEST PLAN
• Written by Lead Tester
• Exercises every feature and asset in the game
• Used as the basis of check sheets
RETESTING
• Very important
• Random spot checking of old test plan items
BUG DATABASE
• Bug #
• Summary
• Steps
• Location or Component
• Repro Rate
• Severity
• Priority
BUG SEVERITIES
• A = (Blocker / Critical) Fatal flaw. No-ship issue.
• Crashes, freezes
• B = (Major / Normal) Serious flaw.
• Can’t finish game, features don’t work
• C = (Minor / Trivial) Minor flaw.
• Glitches in artwork, typos, minor annoyances
BUG RESOLUTION
• Bug Meeting
• Production
• QA
• Marketing
• Every Open Bug is Reviewed
• Must Fix
• As Is / ISV
• Patch
Q&A
• Further Reading
• Game Testing: All in One – Shultz & Bryant