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emidas
Testing and Leagues?
March 30, 2010 at 10:59PM View BBCode
First of all, I'd just like to commend your hard work on sim football and how great it looks. I have that excitement about football that I did when I first joined SD 6 years ago. With that being said, is there any timetable available for when testing will start, and when pay leagues will become available? Thanks!
celamantia
Note that, at least early on, testing may not be a picnic, as games will not run on any normal schedule, I may need to manipulate teams and/or players to match a necessary testing configuration, and the league could restart/redraft at any minute. This first test will definately be an Alpha test, not a beta test, and once I have my testers I will likely close down public access to the Testers board until we are ready to move to a beta test.
By the end of April, we should have a good enough idea of where everything stands to start scheduling the first live leagues.
--Chris
April 05, 2010 at 11:22PM View BBCode
The easiest answer to both is "As soon as possible. I know I will need testers within a week or two, and that I will be using a 16-team leaue as my test platform, of which about 6 teams are accounted for by myself, Tyson, and a few other early volunteers, so I'll be looking for about 10 testers.Note that, at least early on, testing may not be a picnic, as games will not run on any normal schedule, I may need to manipulate teams and/or players to match a necessary testing configuration, and the league could restart/redraft at any minute. This first test will definately be an Alpha test, not a beta test, and once I have my testers I will likely close down public access to the Testers board until we are ready to move to a beta test.
By the end of April, we should have a good enough idea of where everything stands to start scheduling the first live leagues.
--Chris
Jon
April 06, 2010 at 08:21AM View BBCode
You can totally count me in whenever you start testing things.
The_Old_Bear
April 09, 2010 at 12:19AM View BBCode
Would love to be in a football test league if you still need someone.
cy511
Testing and Leagues
April 10, 2010 at 02:49PM View BBCode
I would like to be a part of the beta testing of SDFL.
tjfla1
Will give me something to do on my boring weekdays:D
April 10, 2010 at 06:05PM View BBCode
Count me in too ChrisWill give me something to do on my boring weekdays:D
happy
QUALIFICATIONS
- computer science degree
- video game enthusiast
- way too much time on my hands
- constant poster
April 11, 2010 at 05:41AM View BBCode
I would like to apply for testing. I present to you this resume:QUALIFICATIONS
- computer science degree
- video game enthusiast
- way too much time on my hands
- constant poster
CCondardo
Can pursuing a MIS degree count? If not... lame.
~Corey
April 11, 2010 at 06:37PM View BBCode
Originally posted by happy
I would like to apply for testing. I present to you this resume:
QUALIFICATIONS
- computer science degree
- video game enthusiast
- way too much time on my hands
- constant poster
Can pursuing a MIS degree count? If not... lame.
~Corey
celamantia
Thank you all for your interest!
--Chris
April 13, 2010 at 12:42AM View BBCode
We have 35 people looking to fill ten spots! I've got a few things I have to nail down before I can extend testing invitations, but I'll have it all squared away in a day or two.Thank you all for your interest!
--Chris
bpearly69
April 13, 2010 at 01:02AM View BBCode
basically, my name having 69 at the end of it is the main reason I should be invited :)
jetpac
I'm curious, though, how much a tester would even do? Just use the site as a normal customer would and say something if it breaks?
April 13, 2010 at 01:43AM View BBCode
oh, if we're talking qualifications, I'm almost halfway done with a Computer Science degree of my own, and have been around SimDynasty for only a little bit less than happy (also, I was never banned ;) )I'm curious, though, how much a tester would even do? Just use the site as a normal customer would and say something if it breaks?
celamantia
Effectively, yes, most of the job is to simply use the site the way a user would. Ironically, during development, the programmers spend so much time writing code and testing internals that they spend little time just playing. This goes for non-game fields too... I'm sure you all have used custom software for some job and wonderdd "Do the developers actually use this?" But in addition to people who will use the software as intended, there is always a need for those mavericks who must try to get away with everything: "So what happens if I fill every slot in my depth chart with a punter?"
In these early phases of testing, though, there may not be much "play" involved. I may have the testers sign up ten times while I tweak the initial draft, or a bug in the code might make all Week 12 games run for 17 quarters and the schedule needs to be wiped and reset. Baseball's been running for almost ten years so we don't see these things anymore, but even though football superficially looks like the rest of Sim Dynasty, it's 90% new code. Early on, the game also won't be very interesting, as I (intentionally) only have one offensive and one defensive formation right now because it makes testing and spotting problems easier. Salary stuff won't be in place for initial testing, and I'll probably leave scouting turned off because with more people able to see everything, glitches in player creation and development will be easier to spot.
A lot of the testing process is also about getting suggestions. I know how I want the game to play, but the game is not about me, it's about you. Things I have put a great deal of time into you may not care about at all, and things I have glossed over could be very important to you. Sim Dynasty is what it is today because Tyson's greatest skill as a programmer is listening to his users, and I hope to emulate that example.
So the requirement is not just to say something if it breaks, but to comment on what doesn't break. "I was able to put in my draft preferences but I was expecting to be able to do {something I hadn't thought of}". Now, some things are going to be a given, like "There should be more plays". but even then you can still nit-pick: "I should be able to run the A-11." (Bad example, though, that's just not going to happen.)
April 13, 2010 at 05:54AM View BBCode
Degrees are certainly not necessary.Effectively, yes, most of the job is to simply use the site the way a user would. Ironically, during development, the programmers spend so much time writing code and testing internals that they spend little time just playing. This goes for non-game fields too... I'm sure you all have used custom software for some job and wonderdd "Do the developers actually use this?" But in addition to people who will use the software as intended, there is always a need for those mavericks who must try to get away with everything: "So what happens if I fill every slot in my depth chart with a punter?"
In these early phases of testing, though, there may not be much "play" involved. I may have the testers sign up ten times while I tweak the initial draft, or a bug in the code might make all Week 12 games run for 17 quarters and the schedule needs to be wiped and reset. Baseball's been running for almost ten years so we don't see these things anymore, but even though football superficially looks like the rest of Sim Dynasty, it's 90% new code. Early on, the game also won't be very interesting, as I (intentionally) only have one offensive and one defensive formation right now because it makes testing and spotting problems easier. Salary stuff won't be in place for initial testing, and I'll probably leave scouting turned off because with more people able to see everything, glitches in player creation and development will be easier to spot.
A lot of the testing process is also about getting suggestions. I know how I want the game to play, but the game is not about me, it's about you. Things I have put a great deal of time into you may not care about at all, and things I have glossed over could be very important to you. Sim Dynasty is what it is today because Tyson's greatest skill as a programmer is listening to his users, and I hope to emulate that example.
So the requirement is not just to say something if it breaks, but to comment on what doesn't break. "I was able to put in my draft preferences but I was expecting to be able to do {something I hadn't thought of}". Now, some things are going to be a given, like "There should be more plays". but even then you can still nit-pick: "I should be able to run the A-11." (Bad example, though, that's just not going to happen.)
happy
Well if you can go 0-162 in football I'll be suitably impressed. :) That'd be over 10 seasons without a win... :D
[Edited on 4-14-2010 by celamantia]
April 14, 2010 at 03:16PM View BBCode
Originally posted by celamantia
we regularly try to test the limits of the game by doing ridiculous stuff like going 0-162.
Well if you can go 0-162 in football I'll be suitably impressed. :) That'd be over 10 seasons without a win... :D
[Edited on 4-14-2010 by celamantia]
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