I'm burned out - also, there's a rat in my wall.

peachpellen

Alright, first up - there's a rat living in my wall. This happens kind of a lot - the house is clean but old and small, so I guess they seek out the warm in Winter. The problem is, because I refuse to kill them (they aren't like sewer rats; they look more like hamsters - they're native/bush rats) I have to now attempt to lure it out and catch it.

The last time I did so it took me 4 hours. In the cold. Trapped in the bathroom. (It's the best room to catch them in because they cant' get out or hide anywhere once they're in there.) I should specify that I use my hands (in gloves, of course) as I don't currently have a humane trap.

Anyway, that's irritating me a bit - but not the main reason for the post.

I've been waiting to test my games for a long, long time - and currently I can't as I don't have an iDevice - and no one I know has one either besides my sister, who lives interstate and has the original iPod Touch - but she NEVER updated it. So she doesn't have apps. Apple doesn't even seem to have the option on their site any more for firmware 2.1.0 or whatever it was.

I am getting an iPhone 4 when they come out here - hopefully later this month and I am well on track to get an iPad for my 21st (the 5th of August, so not far off either) - however I have been waiting so long that time is just draggggggggggggggggging on.

Because I can't test I am getting really burned out; I find myself having an OK idea but then realize I don't even know if the other 4.5 I've made work OK on a real device yet.

Bah.

I guess what I really want to know is, how do you deal with it when you get burned out?

Also, on a side note, is it possibly to train sheep to catch rats without harming them? I feel as though it's time QS did something around here other than designing elaborate obstacle courses for Gary :S

AfterBurnett

Hang on... doesn't your partner develop iApps? Surely he must have n iDevice to test on? Sheep can't be trained... they are rubbish. No offence, QS :P

quantumsheep

Feels like it's 'bash the sheep day today'

I am rubbish at catching rats. Gary's really good at it, mind, but I haven't seen him in a few days. I think he's lost in one of the obstacle course mazes. I hope he took enough food in with him...

What you could do, Peach, if you have an apple dev account, is make ad-hoc builds and send them to people who *do* have devices.

You'll need to ask people to send you their UDID numbers.

Then add these to the devices tab on the apple dev site.

Then make an adhoc version of your games with a provisioning profile for each, and email them to your victims - did I say victim? I meant 'testers'!

Then wait for feedback!

Hope that helps,

QS

peachpellen

@Polygame - he's slowly but surely developing his first proper one - he hasn't got any on the app store or at that stage yet; he knows how to code like a genius but his app is large so will take several more months yet - then he'll get an iDevice - but alas, not until then >:(

@QS - Now, now, QSheepy - it isn't bash the sheep day, it's just wonder-why-all-my-stuff-is-missing-then-get-annoyed-when-its-been-used-to-make-a-moth-maze day. Did you really need to take my keyboard for that?

xSlamGx and QS - As I haven't actually put anything on a device before I know I'll run into difficulties the first time and don't want to give anyone else that kind of headache >.<' - Also, I guess there's just something about seeing how you own game *FEELS* or the like. I am paranoid about buggy little issues and yeah - I dunno.

I will consider it if the iPhone doesn't come out here soon.

Oh, on a side note - xSlamGx - is Greece one of the late July countries? If so, I've heard the 23rd looks promising - you can't get a 1 on 1 with a Genius that day AND I know at least one person who works in a phone store who said they all have to come in early.

Fingers crossed - I want to test

gyroscope

Hi peachpellen, your rat problem is easy: set the thermostat to your radiators to interpolate: other.ratsinwall to self.timer for five minutes, raising the temperature to other.temperatureratsinwallcantstandsothey'llrunoutintotraps. Works every time! There's also ratsinwall.com, where you can learn to converse with them; perhaps persuade them out.

Sorry you're a bit burned out; plenty of orange or apple juice and a sit by the sea will sort you out! (Or sangria, etc.)

quantumsheep said:
Gary's really good at it, mind, but I haven't seen him in a few days. I think he's lost in one of the obstacle course mazes. I hope he took enough food in with him...

That's just it, QS; his food is in the teeny tiny backpack you made him. Even he can't find it in the mazes. Poor Gary.

:-)

quantumsheep

I wonder if anyone would buy a 'Gary and Sheepy' game?

design219

peachpellen said:
I guess what I really want to know is, how do you deal with it when you get burned out?

Try shooting computers.

peachpellen

gyroscope - I never have juice here, I wish I did - I'm typically very poor though and juice isn't real cheap; OJ is the best though ^-^; - maybe I'll see if anyone has some sangria for me to steal :P

As to the suggestion of conversing with them, this would be ideal and I must try it. I would make them my minions. There was one here that I refused to catch and relocate as it used to hide all day when just my partner was up, but then when I got up it would come and sit on the ground next to where I am on the couch - I liked talking to it.... I miss that fat little furball. (Again, these aren't like sewer rats - they're usually brown with pale bellies. Quite cute, if you like hamsters :P)

QS - I'd totally but it when I have my iDevice(s?) and a few bucks spare ^-^; It could be the next big thing!

xSlamGx - I'm not buying one outright; I haven't got the cash for that - plus buying it on one of the plans that is available here means you effectively get the phone free but pay it off over two years - the total plan cost is only slightly higher than to buy one outright, but you also get a gig of data per month, unlimited texts, etc. Which will be awesome as I haven't had a working phone in ages.

Design - I may have to consider this as a serious option ^-^; Thank you.

debugdesign

I feel for you... I understand what its like to be burned out...

but the only way from here is up and I would just think of it as part of the game design development cycle... with most games, play testing is the final 10% of the game building process. Try and use your time gathering SFX and music, tweaking graphics, twisting the storylines, preparing a marketing plan and then when your iphone arrives you can spend lots of time playing knowing you don't have to do all the boring stuff!