Love and Hate relationship between....

                                      Developer AND Tester

Err... did i just burst the bubble? What else would you expect from someone working as a tester at Realm Of Empires for last few years with developers round the globe !

A developer codes according to requirements outlined, meanwhile the tester writes test cases according to the requirements. The product is ready for testing and the developer is quite happy with the job done saying it should be a smooth sail and no testing is required at his end
AND  lo !!   there comes the trouble maker.. err.. i mean the tester who is already prepared to break the code. Uhh.. what a destructive mind the tester has...

Now begins the warming up session !!

Tester : There is bug in this X browser, the image is not loading

Developer :  Really ! you must be on an outdated version of the browser.Try a newer one. It works on my machine.

( Anyways , he knows that something is wrong so he asks to assign a case to him ;)

Tester : I *think* this feature in not working according to requirement. ( gives complete explanation ) btw, i usually use this word *think* even if i am sure of a bug, because that renders the blow a little softly on the developer. Actually i sypathise with the developer. NO ONE on this planet like their mistakes to be pointed out.
Developer : Umm... this is technical.. hmm.. technically what is done is correct.. anyways assign the case to me , i will try to see if i can simplify it.

The warming session is over now. Tester can now sense a subtle hint of the developer being irritated.... anyways

Tester : This page should not be accessible by everyone. Only admins should be able to see it but everyone can view it.
Developer : Yea, I know. Only admins can see it. How can others see it ?

Tester : By direct URL
Developer : Who will give them the direct URL ?

Tester : The way I found out :)

Developer : Not too happy to listen to this. Mumbles something under his breath and says he will look into it. 

Oh My God .. how much he HATES the tester at this point of time ! Damn , he had thought of taking an off and go on a date !! but the tester still continues......

Tester : The feature should accept only definite number of characters but it is accepting everything on the keyboard and is giving weird results.

Developer : ( by now he know he should have run a few tests himself ) With a resigned tone he says the code will be ready to check again in a few hours or a day or two

After a few days .......

bugs resolved and new code released... Looks much better. some small bugs are there which are soon resolved. The product is released...

Everyone is lavishly showering appreciation on  the Developer's performance on delivering such an amazing, smooth, bug free product. AND now comes the LOVE relationship. While gathering all the compliments he is saying to himself " Thank God, the tester saved me and i am a Hero today! "

The Developer /Tester relation is like lightning and  thunder. None can exist alone. But, after all the thunder and lightning the rain that follows is blissful and has a calming effect enjoyed by both of them together.

Always remember that Developer and Tester have joined hands to achieve a common goal. A good harmony always brings in the ‘success’

Realm Of Empires

Come and experience the success story of  Developers. New , exciting dynamics being rolled in less than a month.

 

Game Developers Conference 2011

Being a member of the gaming community, team member of Realm Of Empires, and closely watching the debates and discussions in GDC 2011, there are a few things in my opinion which are intangible assets and the key to success for small and mid sized gaming companies.

Team Work : The intangible aspects of 'Team spirit' and 'Emotional commitment' is the catalyst that has made even small teams successful. The team's passion and determination can help you ride through all crests and troughs of the challenging business.

Persistence and Resiliency: Be patient. In business, most overnight success takes seven to 10 years ! It's like nurturing a child day and night. Totally out of context but an example to mention. David Seidler is the oldest person to win the the best original screenplay category award for “The King's Speech”. Fruits of patience and hard work are always sweet.

Positivity : It is rightly said, we become what we think and aim for. Think big and expect to win. Losers lose Be in the company of winners and smiling, positive people.Winning is contagious! Nevertheless, there will be many a times you will fall and fail. But if you have even one winner to look up to it is guaranteed you will get up to join the race.Be gracious when losing in business, but never ever be satisfied with it. 

Act is if : In any business this is something to develop within yourself “act as if." Even if you do not have the experience yet to pull off being the Chairman or a key manager of a company, act as if you fit the part. Think as the CEO. Think ahead. Practice the walk of CEO and you will become the CEO.

Marketing yourself : First, create your own brand image. Be known within your community. Don't brag but share yourself and your knowledge. For this BE PREPARED ALWAYS ..to speak about yourself and your work. Easy it may seem but I have seen many a robotic and ineffective introductions and others making there impacts ONLY with their first interaction. You never know who is watching you. It may not be the person whom you are talking to. Be prepared in every situation even if it is a surprise. Practice, practice, practice. Always remember to thank someone known and important in the community. He could be someone you look up to or someone who has helped you in establishing your business. This is called 'piggybacking marketing'.A very effective way to market small businesses.

Timeliness and Quality : These two things should go hand in hand. Never compromise on Quality in the run to get the product ready on time.Deliver quality work. There is NO substitute to Quality work.However, pushing your boundaries, coming out of comfort zone and adhering to the committed time is worth the effort to create trust within the community for timeliness and quality work.

 

Lastly,very important for over all success. 

Stay abreast with the latest technology.Be flexible and adapt yourself to this dynamic world.Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.