[MUD-Dev] Quality Testing

[Nathan F. Yospe]

Dave Rickey <daver at mythicentertainment.com> said:

> I wasn't kidding when I said that if Camelot hadn't been made by a
> team of 30, it would have needed over 100.  That's if it could be
> done at all, the way that traditional QA would have slowed down
> the revision cycle might have made it literally impossible to
> *ever* release it (by stretching out development to the point that
> by the time the original design was ready, it was outdated).  We
> ran a turnover cycle (concept to code to content) *daily* at some
> points.  In a traditional QA approach, it could have taken a week
> just to figure out how something was going to be documented.

> But Michael is totally correct, such a development approach
> demands that everyone on the team act like a mature, responsible
> adult, with no agenda beyond getting the game out and making it
> good.

I'm currently working for a (non gaming industry) company that fits
that model.  15 developers, 2 application experts (we interface with
a couple of major commercial applications) a sysadmin, a jack of all
trades (that troubleshooter who bridges the gaps) three sales, two
marketing, and the exec/owners and two personel/personal support
people (you know, hold our calls, make sure there's soda in the
fridge, handle paperwork) competing head to head with a bunch of red
ink bleeding 200+ developer comanies we beat the pants off of on a
regular basis.

The secret?  We accidentally evolved into a sort of hybrid best-role
and extreme programming outfit, with single-man efforts checked by
partnered projects and three to five man brainstorming
sessions... and the workers are all of the highest quality.  The
interview was mindblowing, the room for mediocracy nonexistant, the
tolerance for unwillingness to show your weakness and ask for help
next to zero... fifteen of the brightest, most adaptable programmers
I know.  Working reasonable hours, for good pay, a nice amount of
respect and appreciation, on a product without glamor.  I don't know
if I'm perplexed or amazed that it works, but it does work.

If this company made games, we'd probably be destroyed.  We sell
clients on our innovations... and I doubt we'd be willing to make
just another-.

--
Nathan F. Yospe - Physicist, Artist, Programmer, Writer, JOAT with a SAK


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