1. CISC 105: Intro to Game Modding
Lecture 11: Implementation
Charles Palmer – Fall 2013

2. Implementation

3. Implementation
Let’s talk about progress
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Where are you in the development process
Where do you go for help
What’s next on your list to accomplish
What can I do to help?

4. Building a section of your mod
For the remainder of the class we’ll be building a
section of your Skyrim mod. Your grade will be based
on your ability to produce these items at each
milestone.
Build a
location from
your world
map
Place enemy
units, loot
drops, and at
least one trap
Add NPC
dialogue
Test Mod

5. Test early and test often…
• More than just a mantra
• Used to
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identify programmatic defects
gauge quality
check for inconsistencies
Uncover design or programming issues
Save development time
Not just for programmers
• Formally handled by the Quality assurance department/team

6. Types of industry testing
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Functionality testing is most commonly associated with the phrase "game
testing", as it entails playing the game in some form. Functionality testing does
not require extensive technical knowledge. Functionality testers look for
general problems within the game itself or its user interface, such as stability
issues, game mechanic issues, and game asset integrity.
Compliance testing
Compatibility testing
Localization testing
Soak testing
Beta testing is done during beta stage of development. Often this refers to the
first publicly available version of a game. Public betas are effective because
thousands of fans may find bugs that the developer's testers did not.
Regression testing is performed once a bug has been fixed by the
programmers. QA checks to see whether the bug is still there (regression) and
then runs similar tests to see whether the fix broke something else. That
second stage is often called "halo testing; it involves testing all around a
bug, looking for other bugs.
Load testing
Multiplayer testing

8. Assignment
Continue building your mod with the Creation Kit.
By this time you should have a good bit of your mod mocked up. Now it’s time
to see if your mod accomplishes what
you’ve expected. To prove this
assumption, create a test log that can
be used to collect feedback from your
users and categorize user feedback.
Remember the purpose of a play test
is not to show how cool your product
is, this is a chance to find out how you
can make it better.

9. Assignment
This first play test should answer some simple questions. Check for things
such as
o Can the player navigate the space
• Do they get lost
• Do they get stuck
o Are there problems with the environment
o Are the creatures too hard
o How long does it take to complete the task
The important thing is to let your tester explore
so you can document their progress and record
any problems.

10. Assignment
When you are ready to evaluate your mod, use the Testing Log template to
conduct five play test sessions. During the play test, your role is just to listen.
Try not to direct the player’s action (unless they feel frustrated) or
engage in too much conversation. Once the session is over, either by
completing the objective, giving up, or reaching a pre-determined stopping
time complete a log entry for each player.
After testing with five players, upload
the Testing Log to Moodle
(DWilliams_CISC105_11.xls)