| [ about | the team | Paul Field ] |
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Quality Assurance Manager
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Paul Field works in quality control. Manager of Team17's Playtest Department, Paul is responsible for making
sure that there are no bugs in the game. With the wealth of options available in Worms Armageddon this proved
to be a big challenge as Paul will explain.
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Paul, tell us a bit about your background. What did you do before you came to work for Team17?
I used to work in the Brewery Trade for Tetleys before entering into the Computer Retail Sector working for an
outlet of 'The Computer Store' (then part of Guildhall Leisure) in the sunny climes of Leeds. The MD of Team17,
Mick Robinson, phoned up the store on spec one day and offered me employment through a recommendation he had
received from a friend of mine for an upcoming playtest position. That was that really, before you could say
'test this' I was sat transfixed in front of a monitor straining to keep my eyes open eagerly scrutinising
games. Prior to Worms I mainly started off life testing Alien Breed Tower Assault and Super Stardust on the
Amiga, answering the Support Helpline and sorting out the snail mail (we had no email in those days!). Over a
long period of time I worked up through the ranks so to speak, to the eventual position of QA
Manager.
Your job was to oversee the testing of Worms Armageddon, did this prove to be easy or difficult?
In computer games such as Worms, as opposed to other software applications, utilities and programs a large
portion of the information contained within it is intentionally hidden from the User. In Worms, a lot of this
access is purposely minimised and disguised in order to generate a sense of atmosphere, mystery, fun and a
greater feeling of immersion into the gaming environment. It really annoys me when people say that Worms has
'simplistic gameplay'. Worms has hidden depths and is more complex a program than most people can really
appreciate unless they have played it extensively, this is especially in the case of Worms Armageddon. All you
die-hard Worm fans know the score with that though.
Playing Worms competently takes a considerable amount of skill and when testing it this is even more requisite,
it is a most difficult and more demanding a job than most people possibly realise. When testing Worms we
interact with a game interface that intentionally alters the way it appears and acts constantly. It was on
occasions nearly impossible to know if the results you saw depicted on the screen were exactly what you were
supposed to be actually viewing. A lot of the time involves checking not just that all core areas of the
program are stable and fully functional, but to ensure that they indeed stay that way. It is also not just down
to the fact of finding 'bugs', during testing as the QA Team had regular discussions regarding the impression
and overall design that the product exhibits. In turn they can submit literally hundreds of design improvement
recommendations during the testing of a Worms title.
Overseeing testing of a product such as Worms Armageddon is a nightmare task to undertake. It is most helpful
that Team17 QA staff have an excellent degree of professionalism, knowledge, understanding and perform tasks to
the high standard that is ultimately expected of them. They are an excellent team and to say that they are the
best I feel in the industry at what they do really has to be commented upon. Sure we have slight problems, but
considering the multitude of possible system configurations out there we do a pretty good job.
What makes this the best Worms game ever?
Mainly, personally I think it's because the game in this final incarnation is basically what the fans have
really asked for. It is a culmination of months of positive (and negative) feedback from players out there who
exhibit as much enthusiasm as the Development Team to heighten and improve the Worms gaming experience in
general. We have listened to a lot of requests and this has, we feel, and we hope that you feel, has ultimately
spawned the best and most playable Worms game to date. Try it yourself I'm sure you'll agree.
Is the games industry as glamorous as it's made out to be?
Nope, well yes, in some respects. From experience the life of a tester is not just purely 'playing games' and
is a very demanding position requiring a tremendous level of commitment. Testers must be hardworking, possess
an in-depth knowledge of computer hardware and operating system software, have an excellent attitude, a
meticulous eye for detail and provide positive criticism to help create the ultimate gaming experience.
Most of all though when working on Worms, or in fact QA in general, you have to possess excellent playing
abilities coupled with a high degree of enthusiasm of actually playing games in general. I would say that
testing is thought by many to be a 'cushy job' and I have to say it is very far from that.
Games are obviously very different now compared to the days when the Amiga ruled. Have things changed for
the better d'you think?
Definitely, no disrespect to Amiga owners out there, a lot of us owned (or still own) an Amiga at one time or
another. The available hardware and software technologies, especially in that of the PC market has improved
most dramatically over the years, opening up a whole new wealth of gaming possibilities. As a result from a
creative aspect it has allowed us to improve the content and complexity of the games that we produce in direct
parallel with this.
You've tested a lot of Team17 games, what was your favourite product to test? And what was the
worst?
Original Worms on the Amiga I think, although the game has changed so much since its first incarnation, it
still holds a fond memories to me as it set a new landmark for Team17 as a company and as a Games Developer in
general. A fondness that is, as in I suppose Amiga Worms now in car equivalent terms would probably be a trusty
old classic Morris Minor, whereas Worms Armageddon in relation is a Lamborghini Diablo!
Work aside, what do you do in your spare time?
Spare time, what's that then?
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| [ about | the team ] |
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Since the release of the original Worms, the game has grown and the number of people who've contributed
to the game has also grown. As with all Team17 games, Worms Armageddon was a team effort. We've managed
to track down some of the team to ask them what makes this the best Worms game ever. Just click their
names to read their interviews.
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| Producer |
[ Martyn Brown ]
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| Assistant Producer |
Craig Jones
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| Design |
John Eggett
Porl Dunstan
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| Artists |
[ Jan Ruud ]
Mission Graphics
[ Rico Holmes ]
Additional Graphics
[ Paul Robinson ]
Additional Graphics
Danny Cartwright
Tony Senghore
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| Programmers |
[ Colin Surridge ]
Menu System
[ Phil Carlisle ]
Network & Additional Programming
[ Rob Hill ]
DX Interface Implementation/Code Support
[ Martin Randall ]
DX Interface Implementation/Installer
Karl Morton
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| Sound and Music |
[ Bjorn Lynne ]
Matinee Studios
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| Web Design |
Paul James
Guy Palmer
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| Quality Assurance |
[ Paul Field ]
Kelvin Aston
[ Mark Baldwin ]
[ Grant Towell ]
[ Andy Aveyard ]
Brian Fitzpatrick
[ Paul Webb ]
[ Kevin Carthew ]
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| Localisation |
Paul Sharp
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| Original Concept |
[ Andy Davidson ]
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