Whose bug is this anyway?? (2012)
Patrick Wyatt shares bug experiences from game development, including issues in StarCraft and Guild Wars. Compiler problems caused bugs, emphasizing the need for consistent tools and work-life balance in development.
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In the article "Whose bug is this anyway?!?", Patrick Wyatt shares experiences from his career in game development, highlighting challenging bugs encountered during the creation of games like StarCraft and Guild Wars. Wyatt discusses a bug in StarCraft where a compiler issue led to incorrect code results, initially attributed to Microsoft but later found to be a mistake in his own code due to exhaustion from long work hours. Another bug in Guild Wars caused game servers to crash, ultimately traced back to a compiler bug in Microsoft Visual Studio 6 that went unnoticed during testing. Wyatt emphasizes the importance of consistent tool versions across all development environments to prevent such issues. Additionally, he reflects on the complexity of debugging and the need for developers to maintain a work-life balance to avoid making errors due to fatigue. These anecdotes underscore the intricate nature of software development and the critical role of thorough testing and attention to detail in ensuring smooth game performance.
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