Exercises

1. ‚	True or False: It's a good idea to keep the same tester performing the same test cases for the length of the assignment.
2. ‚	Why is it unwise for game testers to refer to their work as "playing"?
3. ‚	Discuss the differences (in both method and results) between free testing and gameplay testing.
4. ‚	What are two methods of expressing a defect's reproduction rate?
5. ‚	You and seven other testers jump into a deathmatch session of the online shooter you're testing. Once the game starts, it's a free-for-all, with each tester competing to win the session. Is this play testing or ad hoc testing? Why?
6. ‚	You've been assigned to test the gameplay of a Tekken -style fighting game and suspect that one of the fighters seems significantly weaker than the others. What ad hoc tests can you perform in order to confirm and quantify your suspicion?

Answers

1. ‚	False
2. ‚	Game testing is very hard and often tedious work. If the work of game testing is going to be valued (and compensated) fairly , game testers must do all they can to reinforce to non-testers the serious nature of their contribution to the production of games .
3. ‚	Free testing is an unstructured search for software defects. It results in additional bugs being discovered . Play testing is a structured attempt to judge the quality, balance, and fun of a game. It results in suggestions and feedback that the designers can use to tweak and polish the design of the game.
4. ‚	Either as a percentage or as X occurrences out of Y attempts.
5. ‚	This is play testing. The testers are playing the game, not testing the game.
6. ‚	Run the following series of tests in two-player mode. The tester should control only one character, so the other character just stands there and doesn't fight back. Count the number of punches it takes for the suspect character to kill the default character. Count the number of kicks it takes for the suspect character to kill the default character. Count the number of punches it takes for the default character to kill the suspect character. Count the number of kicks it takes for the default character to kill the suspect character. Repeat these tests several times, using three or four different characters against the suspect character. If the suspect character consistently needs more punches or kicks to kill an opponent that the average of the other characters, the suspect character may be underpowered.