Gues nobody remembers that time when a dev got trolled in div 1 by a gank squad using the DeadEYE meta to prove that it was an issue right after he said "you just got to have pay attention to counter DeadEYE".
Also didn't devs do small personal streams somethung like thursdays or sundays sometimes? well i think hamish did it but not after the current 'rona situation.
Even if they do play, whatever major problems needing to be fixed is probably not their call to make at this point in the game's life.Originally Posted by Metal_Greg Go to original post
This is why you pay QA people. Just sayin.Originally Posted by SevenNVD Go to original post
There are many reports that QA contractors are some of the most badly treated employees in the industry. Which probably explains why so many games get launched in such horrible states.
QA should be valued as one of the higher paid positions in a game's development and support cycle. It should be an ongoing position, just as important as lead developers or project leads. The head of QA should share an equal seat on any meetings, not to effect the direction of the game, but as a voice pointing out and criticizing whatever state development is at.
We all know that doesn't happen though.
I don't think QA contractors need to be "paid well"*, seeing as they get paid to play video games. I bet right now you could find a ton of folks willing to do it for $15/hr, health insurance and a PS5/XboxX/5600x+6800XT [since they have the AMD splash logo]
Hell, I bet you could find a ton of HS or college students to do it for $15/hr + Hardware.
The key, is to listen to the QA team and have folks dedicated to fixing the issues.. the problem, is that this is Ubisoft, where it seems Ubi Execs have too much sway..
*Never know what some thinks this means
See...this right here is everything wrong with the current state of QA.Originally Posted by LateNiteDelight Go to original post
No...they don't "get paid to play videogames". They get paid to professionally hunt down bugs, gameplay issues, balance problems, QoL issues, while also compiling those things into a format that can be effectively reported to a project lead in an understandable fashion with context.
It is work. A completely different mindset from relaxing on your couch after work.
Thinking QA is just paying people minimum wage to play your game is probably a large reason why games continue to be in such a rough unfinished state.
It's sad you think people making minimum wage can't do good workOriginally Posted by Sircowdog1 Go to original post
They hunt down bugs, report them to a supervisor who competently tracks them and grabs the relevant video, then passes it up the chain. This isn't rocket science, this isn't a long term career - this is the perfect job for HS/College kids who have goals of getting into the industry [learning an important part of the studio from the inside] or an alternative to other hourly wage jobs.
The problem is on the other end of the scale, Executives pushing deadlines to hit personal bonus targets. They are the folks who don't allow the Devs to prioritize bugs. They are the folks modeling how the employees are treated. They are the folks pushing the CBA that says it's not worth the money for something that has no trackable ROI for them to pass up the food chain.
It's sad that you think good work should only make minimum wage. :/Originally Posted by LateNiteDelight Go to original post
It's sad that ANY job associated with multi-million-dollar projects like AAA videogames makes minimum wage. Especially one that can DIRECTLY effect the enjoyment and sales of said game.
Sure, you can treat QA as a minimum wage job and get away with it...and end up with something like the Division 2. That's my entire point: Garbage in, garbage out.
I 100% agree!Originally Posted by LateNiteDelight Go to original post
The accountants and executives who are even MORE disconnected from the production end are absolutely the source of the problem. But sometimes you still have to treat the symptoms in order to defeat the cause of the issue.
Hell, no.Originally Posted by Sircowdog1 Go to original post
Not quite.They get paid to professionally hunt down bugs, gameplay issues, balance problems, QoL issues, while also compiling those things into a format that can be effectively reported to a project lead in an understandable fashion with context.
You don't listen to the QA team, as in take advice or suggestions from them. QA teams are there to test an implementation, and to report on their findings; and these tests are usually very specific and (depending on the company) well documented on both sides.Originally Posted by LateNiteDelight Go to original post