Do I need to worry about game/app testing?

Becjr

Hi, all! I've just discovered GameSalad yesterday and am researching everything I can about it... I'm tinkering with the creator as well as skimming the site for 411 on everything about it.

I've been trying really hard for the last couple of months to learn the necessary programming for creating iDevice apps the traditional way - Xcode. Like I said - TRYING.

So, my questions are:

Once I use GameSalad to build an game / app do I need to worry about using some code testing utilities to troubleshoot what I've done or can I implicitly trust the development of GameSalad to protect me from botching things up?

I'm really excited about this new prospect - coming from a more art driven background, this could really free up some of my time and confusion.

Thank you GameSalad!

P.S.:

Are there anymore tutorials available from "Yoshi"? His tutorials on the shoot 'em up game are fantastically top-notch!

expired_012

You don't need any code testing utilities. You can test your game on the GS preview and you can download the GS viewer onto your device so you can transfer you game to your device within seconds using the same network as your computer. Otherwise you can just make an ad hoc of your game and put it into your device through itunes. I recommend that you make an ad hoc at the end of the process of making your app because it's exactly how it will be when other users open it up on their device after they download it from the app store

SingleSparq

Testing on your hardware with viewer means you must be an iPhone dev($99) and be an GS express user ($99/y) also. Check out firemaplegames tutorials and t-shirt booths videos on YouTube

quantumsheep

SingleSparq said:
Testing on your hardware with viewer means you must be an iPhone dev($99) and be an GS express user ($99/y) also. Check out firemaplegames tutorials and t-shirt booths videos on YouTube

Yes, please test your games this way!

I'm sooooo tired of seeing buggy software - test till your fingers bleed!

Then test some more!

QS

SingleSparq

What bugs me QS is every time I fix the "final" bug another one shows up! It's the circle of insanity.

Yeah don't trust the on the mac that all is well. Currently the pre-viewer plays my game correctly while the iPhone viewer does not.

quantumsheep

@SS
I do know what you mean, but when it comes to bugs, you have to endanger species

I know it'll come back to bite me when i release a game and a bug slips through - but honestly, people don't play their own games nearly enough! I must test a feature, or the game progression, or the enemy AI hundreds of times - and I'm STILL worried something will get through - and it usually does.

Too many people play their games through once and think - 'Yay! It works!'

IntelligentDesigner

QS is right. Software development is 20% coding and 80% testing when done properly.