To get behind the scenes in your favorite game, it often requires a
person to really get to know the individuals creating that game and
discover how their personailty affects the creation of that world. The
developers at Cryptic Studios have been hard at work allowing gamers
this sort of intimate access into their personal thoughts and feelings
about Champions Online. Recently, the Cryptic development team unveiled
their latest developer profile, which focuses on Alan Salmassian, the
acting quality assurance lead tester, and Ten Ton Hammer has posted the
interview for you to enjoy!
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Does Alan Salmassian,
Acting Quality Assurance Lead Tester
Q: What do you do for Champions Online?
A: I'm responsible for overseeing the
testing of all
aspects of the game, from writing test plans to finding bugs,
organizing bug reports, checking play balance and –
ultimately – making
sure the game is fun.
I do that by scheduling the other QA testers and balancing their
workloads, so they can work relatively uninterrupted. When some crisis
comes up, though, it's up to me to allocate a portion of our QA
resources to take care of the issue while still staying on track with
the project. I also manage testing of our software tools and web sites.
Basically, QA makes sure everything works as it should, and tracks down
the right people to fix any problems that are found.
Q: How long have you been working in gaming, and what did
you do before working on Champions Online?
A: I've been working in the computer games
industry
for about three years. I actually started out in the sports department
at Accolade many years ago, but then I decided to work in the music
industry because "it would be more challenging." (Ah, the folly of
youth …) Eventually, I decided to go back to my main passion
(and
actually get paid), and started testing at Atari. A while later, I ran
into a friend at a Detroit Cobras concert in San Francisco, and she
told me that she was working at Cryptic and that I should apply there.
I didn't believe her at first – it was too good to be true
– but I have
since apologized. Sometimes opportunities do fall into your lap!
Q: What is your typical workday like?
A: I get to work early, before the
craziness kicks in,
so I can plan the day for myself and the department. If we've got
something pressing, I'll let the other QA folks know what to work on
first, and then I go to a couple of different meetings. When I get back
to my desk, I reassess what needs to be done – especially
after the
morning e-mails start coming in – and make sure tasks get
completed.
Folks from other departments will casually stop by and ask if we can
take a look at something or another, and I sort those requests in with
the others. After we are done testing a particular software build or
new feature, I'll take the report and post it on our internal network
for future reference. After lunch, I usually do more of the same. If
the day hasn't been too hectic I can usually go home at a normal hour,
but if we are in a crunch I'll stay late to take care of business.
Oh, and sometimes I actually get to play the game!
Q: What's the weirdest bug you've found?
A: Most bugs are just simply annoying to
one degree or
another, but every now and then something spectacularly unexpected
happens. Case in point: There's one power we have that sends a ball of
energy out to damage your opponents. You don't need to target them,
because the ball will travel to the nearest foe. However, there was an
issue with the artificial intelligence where the bad guys would start
to run away from the ball, and it would follow them! It made it really
easy to clear a room. But that's not the weird part. The strange thing
is that the AI started affecting placed objects, such as signs, barrels
and computers, so that when you activated the power, not only would all
of the enemies run away, but so would many of the inanimate objects! I
asked if we could get the Benny Hill theme, "Yakkity Sax," to play
while it happened, but I think they're just going to fix it instead.
Q: Who is your favorite Champions character?
A: My favorite character was one my
brother made many
years ago when we played the pen-and-paper version. I'll never forget
Animan, the alien surfer who could change shape to become any animal my
brother wanted. Of course, he didn't want to use the points to make
giant versions of the animals that would scare bad guys and be useful
in game terms; he just wanted to make regular animals.
I hope that someday we can provide everyone else with that amazing
power framework, too. The genius part is that you can't really nerf it,
'cause it's already so soft and cuddly.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: When I'm not preparing for our weekly
hockey game
with the Cryptic team, I'm thinking about professional hockey and my
hometown team, the San Jose Sharks. I'm also thinking about going to
the pub – I'm thinking about it right now, but I'll put it
off until I
have some free time.
Q: What superpower would you want and why?
A: The power to control minds would be
extremely useful. "Fix your bugs, now!"
Q: What's the last book you read?
A: As much as it would be nice to mention
something like Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian,
the truth is that I don't read novels very much. I usually read
reference books, technical manuals or game rulebooks. Going with that,
I'll honestly say that I've been reading up on the fourth edition of
the Warhammer 40,000 rules to compare it with
reports of how the new edition will be different. The next book I'll
read will be How Not to Pick Up Girls: Deluxe Edition.
Q: What are the three things that get you through the day?
A: Coffee, dark humor and the most awesome
job ever.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to break
into gaming?
A: First of all, remember that this is a
business. As
laid-back as it seems compared to the insurance industry, if you want
to get ahead, you'll need to be a professional. That means you'll have
to do what you say you're going to do and when. Secondly, you'll have
to pay your dues, which means that you'll probably have to work for
less money than at some other, more boring job. You'll have to be the
one who decides what standard of living and quality of life you will
accept. Thirdly, while you don't need a college degree, having any
college degree shows to a prospective employer that you can finish a
project that will take many years to complete, which is exactly what
most games are. Follow your heart, but make sure that you are prepared
to take advantage of the opportunities that appear.
Q: Do you have anything else you would like to add?
A: I've said too much already, but thanks
for asking!
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Champions Online Game Page.
