Dumb but: how do I test my loooong game?

[Adrian_DVL]

Hi! I know it's a bit of a stupid question but I've been coding what will be a long game for weeks and I have to initialize new variables at game start as new content is being added to the game. I have no choice but initialize many of them at game start and not in other labels, in order for the game to work properly.

Although I have many saved games, I usually start a new game in order to test features that require a global variable to work, and at first it wasn't a problem at all, but now that my game has hours of content, it is a real pain to have to start a new game and go through all the content I had already coded and tested in order to test a new major feature. I almost spend more time testing than coding...

Am I being dumb and there's another simpler way to do this? Or do I have to test my game this way even if it has 100 hours of content?

[Matalla]

I am also working also on a big project, not 100 hours, but probably more than 2 or 3 in a single playthrough, with many branches... Skipping text takes me to any point in little time, also with the console (Press shift+D and choose it) you can go to any point. Or you can put a provisional jump at the start.

[Adrian_DVL]

I am also working also on a big project, not 100 hours, but probably more than 2 or 3 in a single playthrough, with many branches... Skipping text takes me to any point in little time, also with the console (Press shift+D and choose it) you can go to any point. Or you can put a provisional jump at the start.

Yeah, I know I can use the console and skip parts and go directly to any label, but since my game has many choices, items and quests, and, truth be told, I'm way too cautious and don't want bugs or mistakes if I can avoid them, it takes me too long to test the game. I wish there was a button to initialize variables with an already saved game, or something like that...

Anyway, thank you!

[Imperf3kt]

You can cheat.

Let's say you have a section where "Fred" eats the last cookie.
The variable cookie goes to 0 and later in the story, let's say "Mary" reacts to the missing cookie poorly.

You can add a developer only bit where you could fiddle with the variable at will by simply wrapping it in a conditional:

Code: Select all

    if config.developer:
#        adjust variable here however you want.

It won't show in built games, so put whatever cheat or shortcut necessary, inside the config.developer block.

[Adrian_DVL]

You can cheat.

Let's say you have a section where "Fred" eats the last cookie.
The variable cookie goes to 0 and later in the story, let's say "Mary" reacts to the missing cookie poorly.

You can add a developer only bit where you could fiddle with the variable at will by simply wrapping it in a conditional:

Code: Select all

    if config.developer:
#        adjust variable here however you want.

It won't show in built games, so put whatever cheat or shortcut necessary, inside the config.developer block.

Ohhh! That's a resource I didn't know about!! At first glance I can only think of specific ways to use it, but I'll mess around with it, I'm sure it'll make my testing easier! Thank you very much!

[trooper6]

You can also just set your variables how you want in the developer console and then jump to which ever label you want.

[Adrian_DVL]

You can also just set your variables how you want in the developer console and then jump to which ever label you want.

That's what I usually do. The thing is that my project is a sandbox game, and thus, I have to take into account every possibility when testing. So simply going to a label is not always suitable. But yes, in order to look for thypos, incoherences, or music/sound linking, that's what I do

[trooper6]

Well, you game has to be written with labels, so tve labels have to be there.

I made a flow chart of every single choice and how they impacted each variable, so I had a list of every single variable combination and where they would sit on the flowchart.

So if I wanted to test someone visiting the forest tve second time, if they hadn’t found the potion, but were in love with the elf, but had died three times, and had betrayed the queen and were also a hunter...I set those variables and then jump to the forest, or tve image map where I do my sandbox or whatever.

But your game may be more special and impossible to test.

[Adrian_DVL]

Well, you game has to be written with labels, so tve labels have to be there.

I made a flow chart of every single choice and how they impacted each variable, so I had a list of every single variable combination and where they would sit on the flowchart.

So if I wanted to test someone visiting the forest tve second time, if they hadn’t found the potion, but were in love with the elf, but had died three times, and had betrayed the queen and were also a hunter...I set those variables and then jump to the forest, or tve image map where I do my sandbox or whatever.

But your game may be more special and impossible to test.

Yeah, that's what I mean, a lot of variables that can make a single lable have a lot of ways to go through.

I like the idea of a flowchart! Seems quite a lot work, but it may help me to keep everything tidier.

Thank you!!

[Imperf3kt]

Hehe yeah, many variables gets difficult.
Reminds me of last night where in testing my minigame, I had to somehow create a random choice from three options and compare that with three other options and then compare the result against 16 outcomes to give a final result.

So that meant there was a total of over one million possible outcomes I had to test. @_@
(according to https://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatoric ... lator.html)

[Adrian_DVL]

Hehe yeah, many variables gets difficult.
Reminds me of last night where in testing my minigame, I had to somehow create a random choice from three options and compare that with three other options and then compare the result against 16 outcomes to give a final result.

So that meant there was a total of over one million possible outcomes I had to test. @_@
(according to https://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatoric ... lator.html)

Oh yes, the infamous permutations and combinations... If I start calculating them I think I would die from just knowing the result hahaha

[isobellesophia]

I am also working with my long novel, but when i wanted to test it, i just skip some parts and save it. My novel also has variables in it, testing it everytime just to save and skip only i do. Errors is always my enemy.