Game testing : all in one / Charles P. Schultz, Robert Denton Bryant.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schultz, Charles P., author.

Bryant, Robert Denton, 1963- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Video games--Design.

Video games.

Video games--Programming.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (404 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

Third edition.

Place of Publication:

Dulles, Virginia : Mercury Learning and Information, 2017.

Summary:

An updated version of the bestselling Game Testing All In One, Second Edition, this book equips the reader with the rationale for vigorous testing of game software, how game testing and the tester fit into the game development process, practical knowledge of tools to apply to game testing, game tester roles and responsibilities, and the measurements to determine game quality and testing progress. The reader is taken step-by-step through test design and other QA methods, using real game situations. The book includes content for the latest console games and the new crop of touch, mobile, and social games that have recently emerged. A companion DVD contains the tools used for the examples in the book and additional resources such as test table templates and generic flow diagrams to get started quickly with any game test project. Each chapter includes questions and exercises, making the book suitable for classroom use as well as a personal study or reference tool.Features: * Uses a wide range of game titles and genres, including newer gaming experiences such as social networking games, games utilizing music and motion controllers, and touch games on mobile devices * Includes a new chapter on Exploratory Testing * Includes test methodology tutorials based on actual games with tools that readers can use for personal or professional development * Demonstrates methods and tools for tracking and managing game testing progress and game quality * Features a companion DVD with templates, resources, and projects from the bookOn the DVD: * Contains the tools used for the examples in the book as well as additional resources such as test table templates and generic flow diagrams that can be used for individual or group projects * All images from the text (including 4-color screenshots) * FIFA video from a project in the book eBook Customers: Companion files are available for downloading with order number/proof of purchase by writing to the publisher at info@merclearning.com.

Contents:

Intro

Halftitle

Title

Copyright

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Two Rules of Game Testing

Don't Panic

Unfamiliar

Unprepared

Under Pressure

Unrested

Late Night Testing Checklist

Pre-Test

Post-Test

Nearsighted

Trust No One

Balancing Act

Word Games

Last Chance

Trust Fund

Give and Take

The Rest of the Story

Summary

Chapter 2: Being a Game Tester

Playing Games

Identifying Bugs

Here Comes the Judge

Amplifying Problems

Early Bird

Places Everyone

Notifying the Team

Describe

Pick a Severity

Prioritize

Be Helpful

Pass or Fail?

Testify to Others

Verify the Fix

Exercises

References

Chapter 3: Why Testing is Important

Who Cares?

Defect Typing

Functions

Assignments

Checking

Timing

Build/Package/Merge

Algorithms

Documentation

Interfaces

Testing Happens

Chapter 4: Software Quality

Game Quality Factors

Game Quality Appraisal

Walkthroughs

Reviews

Checklist-based Reviews

Inspections

Game Standards

User Interface Standards

Coding Standards

Game Quality Measurements

Six Sigma Software

Phase Containment

Quality Plans

QA Personnel

Standards

Reviews and Audits

Feedback and Reports

Problem Reporting and Corrective Action

Tools, Techniques, and Methods

Supplier Control

Training

Risk Management

Chapter 5: Test Phases

Pre-Production

Planning Tasks

Determine the Scope of Testing the Project Will Require

Assign a Lead Tester

Determine Phase Acceptance Criteria

Participate in Game Design Reviews

Set Up the Defect Tracking Database

Draft Test Plans and Design Tests

Testing Before Testing Begins

Test Kickoffs

Alpha Testing

Alpha Phase Entry Criteria.

Beta Testing

Beta Phase Entry Criteria

Design Lock

Letting Bugs Go

Gold Testing

Last-Minute Defects

Release Certification

Post-Release Testing

"Live Teams"

Chapter 6: The Game Testing Process

"Black Box" Testing

"White Box" Testing

The Life Cycle of a Build

Test Cases and Test Suites

Entry Criteria

Configuration Preparation

Smoke Testing

Regression Testing

Testing "Around" a Bug

On Writing Bugs Well

Just the Facts, Ma'am

Brief Description

Full Description

Great Expectations

Habits to Avoid

Chapter 7: Testing by the Numbers

Testing Progress

Testing Effectiveness

Tester Performance

Chapter 8: Combinatorial Testing

Parameters

Values

Defaults

Enumerations

Ranges

Boundaries

Constructing Tables

Combinatorial Templates

Combinatorial Test Generation

Combinatorial Economics

Chapter 9: Test Flow Diagrams

TFD Elements

Flows

Events

Actions

States

Primitives

Terminators

TFD Design Activities

Preparation

Allocation

Construction

A TFD Example

Data Dictionary

Data Dictionary Application

Data Dictionary Reuse

Data Dictionary Example

TFD Paths

Minimum Path Generation

Baseline Path Method

Expert Constructed Paths

Combining Path Strategies

Producing Test Cases from Paths

TFD Templates

To TFD or Not to TFD?

Chapter 10: Cleanroom Testing

Usage Probabilities

Mode-Based Usage

Player Type Usage

Real-Life Usage

Cleanroom Test Generation

Cleanroom Combinatorial Tables

Cleanroom Combinatorial Example

TFD Cleanroom Paths

TFD Cleanroom Path Example

Flow Usage Maintenance

Flow Usage Profiles

Inverted Usage

Calculating Inverted Usage

Combinatorial Table Usage Inversion.

TFD Flow Usage Inversion

Chapter 11: Test Trees

Test Case Trees

Tree Feature Tests

Test Tree Designs

Chapter 12: Ad Hoc Testing and Gameplay Testing

Ad Hoc Testing

Free Testing Comes From the Right Side of Your Brain

"Fresh Eyes"

Directed Testing Makes Order Out of Chaos

Set Goals and Stick to Them

If You're Not Recording, You're Not Testing

Avoid Groupthink

Testing as Detective Work

How to Be a Repro Man (or Woman)

The Scientific Method

Gameplay Testing

A Balancing Act

"It's Just a Suggestion"

Making a Game Easy Is Hard Work

External Testing

Subject Matter Testing

External Beta Testing

Who Decides?

Chapter 13: Defect Triggers

Operating Regions

Pre-Game Operating Region

Game Start Operating Region

In-Game Operating Region

Post-Game Operating Region

The Triggers

The Configuration Trigger

The Startup Trigger

The Exception Trigger

The Stress Trigger

The Normal Trigger

The Restart Trigger

Classifying Defects

Defect Triggers and Test Designs

Combinatorial Design Trigger Examples

TFD Trigger Examples

Chapter 14: Regression Testing and Test Reuse

A-B-C's

Defect Modeling

Time Keeps on Ticking

Expanding Possibilities

Test Reuse

TFD Design Patterns

Looking Back and Forth

Combinatorial Expansion

Chapter 15: Exploratory Game Testing

Exploratory Testing Overview

Sports

Stadium Tour

Player Tour

Manager Tour

Combat

Military Tour

Side-Scroller Tour

Medic Tour

Energy Tour

The Couch Potato Tour

The Rained Out Tour

The Taxi Cab Tour

The Prior Version Tour

The Obsessive-Compulsive Tour

Recording Exploratory Tests

Exploration Tips

Reporting Exploratory Results

Filing Bug Reports.

Session Based Testing

Appendix A: Odd-Numbered Answers to Exercises

Appendix B: Basic Test Plan Template

Appendix C: Combinatorial Test Templates

Appendix D: Test Flow Diagram (TFD) Templates

Appendix E: On the Companion Disc

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Other Format:

Print version :

ISBN:

9781944534424

1944534423