Dev Blog, January 21 2017

[Tagamogi]

http://projectgorgon.com/blog/entry/alpha-qa-and-why-we-need-you

Since this blog entry never got an official discussion thread, I'm just going to make a thread and use it to ask some questions about bug reporting that I've been saving up:

How can we submit better bug reports? I know there is character information attached to an in-game bug report that includes the location, but what else can you easily see and what should we include in the report? For example, if I report a problem with aggro switching, does it help you if I include the numbers from the autopsy report, or can you just easily bring up my most recent combat log and I can save myself the typing? If we report a problem with a gear mod, should we include the exact effect of the mod in case level matters and the exact piece of gear it's on, or is a general description like "the armor restore mod for surge cut doesn't seem to work" helpful enough?

Are there any changes planned for the bug reporting tool in the new UI? I have a whole wish list:
I'd like it if there was some kind of severity rating or category on a bug report, e.g. instead of just "bug", also have the all-important category "I am not sure this is a bug but..." which may make people feel less hesitant about putting in just slightly weird stuff. Plus it would save me a lot of typing. :) A category for "trivial/typo" might also be a nice presort - I felt a bit silly putting in a bug report for a typo in a hangout right after the big Gazluk patch was released.

It would be really nice if we had the ability to see the bug reports we put in (maybe at least the recent ones), and were able to either update the reports or possibly even delete them if we discover that a bug wasn't really a bug two minutes after we submitted it. I've also sometimes just forgotten whether I've already submitted a bug report on something or not...

I'd also love to be able to paste text into the bug reporting window. The report window is slightly smaller than the actual text area for me, so I have problems re-reading what I typed at times since little things like an "a" at the beginning of a line tend to disappear.

[cr00cy]

http://projectgorgon.com/blog/entry/alpha-qa-and-why-we-need-you
It would be really nice if we had the ability to see the bug reports we put in (maybe at least the recent ones), and were able to either update the reports or possibly even delete them if we discover that a bug wasn't really a bug two minutes after we submitted it. I've also sometimes just forgotten whether I've already submitted a bug report on something or not...



This, so much this. Having this options (an really all that you mentioned) would be really helpfull.

Especilay "not sure if its bug" one.

[srand]

Since this blog entry never got an official discussion thread, I'm just going to make a thread and use it to ask some questions about bug reporting that I've been saving up:

That's my fault. I still haven't figured out how to cross-post between the blogs, and I didn't want to do the discussion thread until I figured it out ... and then I forgot about it. (Bad dev! Bad!)



I know there is character information attached to an in-game bug report that includes the location, but what else can you easily see and what should we include in the report? For example, if I report a problem with aggro switching, does it help you if I include the numbers from the autopsy report, or can you just easily bring up my most recent combat log and I can save myself the typing? If we report a problem with a gear mod, should we include the exact effect of the mod in case level matters and the exact piece of gear it's on, or is a general description like "the armor restore mod for surge cut doesn't seem to work" helpful enough?

The report includes your location, active skills, and form. (And remember that these are all based on when you file the report, so if you've changed your location or your skills between the time you saw the bug and when you filed the report, please mention that!) Right now, it's not feasible for us to look up your combat log or gear, so the more detailed info you can give the better. In particular, please include exact mod effect and the name of the equipment it's on. (We can often figure out what you mean without a problem, so if you forget to report until later you should still send in everything you remember, but if you can - the more details the better!)



Are there any changes planned for the bug reporting tool in the new UI? I have a whole wish list:

So do I! :) Believe me, the current report system is just as alpha as the game - it's missing a lot of features that it absolutely needs. How fast we can get those online is a trickier question, but I'm pushing on it.



I'd like it if there was some kind of severity rating or category on a bug report, e.g. instead of just "bug", also have the all-important category "I am not sure this is a bug but..." which may make people feel less hesitant about putting in just slightly weird stuff. Plus it would save me a lot of typing. :) A category for "trivial/typo" might also be a nice presort - I felt a bit silly putting in a bug report for a typo in a hangout right after the big Gazluk patch was released.

I'll be honest - it always seems weird to me when people worry about reporting something that isn't a bug, or reporting minor graphics problems or typos. We need to know about those too! But I get it, I think. And I think some more categories there might be useful. A "Minor/Typo" sort of category does appeal to me. I dunno - what do other people think about that? Would you use it? Would it encourage you to report more minor problems?



It would be really nice if we had the ability to see the bug reports we put in (maybe at least the recent ones), and were able to either update the reports or possibly even delete them if we discover that a bug wasn't really a bug two minutes after we submitted it. I've also sometimes just forgotten whether I've already submitted a bug report on something or not...

<nod> That one will take more than a new UI, but it's definitely something I want. In the meantime, I encourage you to flood us with reports. :) "Hey, that thing I just said was wrong" or "Did I tell you this or not?" or "Turns out that bug I reported is caused by <mod name> and not <mod name>!" When I shove the reports into the bug database, I search for other reports from you so I can cross-reference if I need to. It's more human-time-intensive, but it's what we've got right now.



I'd also love to be able to paste text into the bug reporting window. The report window is slightly smaller than the actual text area for me, so I have problems re-reading what I typed at times since little things like an "a" at the beginning of a line tend to disappear.

Now this one should be a simple UI thing! <snort> But seriously, if the new UI doesn't fix this - and I think it will - I'll be digging into the code myself to get it fixed.

[alleryn]

A "Minor/Typo" sort of category does appeal to me. I dunno - what do other people think about that? Would you use it? Would it encourage you to report more minor problems?
Seems like a good idea just to make it quicker to prioritize reports. I've been reporting the few typos and minor things that i've noticed, so i doubt i'd send in any more reports, personally.

[Tagamogi]

I'll be honest - it always seems weird to me when people worry about reporting something that isn't a bug, or reporting minor graphics problems or typos. We need to know about those too! But I get it, I think. And I think some more categories there might be useful. A "Minor/Typo" sort of category does appeal to me. I dunno - what do other people think about that? Would you use it? Would it encourage you to report more minor problems?


My usual thought process is that I want to be helpful by reporting bugs. Reporting something that isn't a bug is non-helpful because then I waste your time by having to read my bad bug report. So, if I run into something where I have no idea if it's a bug or an intended game mechanic, I can spend a lot of time dithering over whether reporting it is a helpful thing or not.

And yes, you've repeated "report it" often enough by now that it is very, very slowly sinking into my head that I should just report it. :p

I'm not particularly hesitant to report super minor bugs as long as I feel confident they are bugs. However, I was thinking more categories for actual bugs might help you prioritize things if you have lots of incoming reports. Of course, you then have to rely on us to actually pick the correct category for a bug...



But seriously, if the new UI doesn't fix this - and I think it will - I'll be digging into the code myself to get it fixed.
Ooooh. Thank you!! Just being able to read the essay I typed up will make bug reporting so incredibly much better. :D

[LaRaj]

Would it be possible to take screen shots to include into a bug report. That might be helpful in reporting landscape malfunctions IE: going under ice, invisible land, monster stuck under land, etc. I also like the severity option, and someway of seeing previous sent reports. I to sometimes forget whether I have already reported something or not.
-LaRaj