When In Doubt, Break Everything | Exploring the World of Bugs
So you've finally jumped into the amazing world of VR! It's incredible, right? But sometimes, things can get a little... glitchy. For no apparent reason, your boundary wants you to play from inside your oven. Maybe your perfectly constructed burrito, a culinary triumph in the Dimensional Double Shift diner, suddenly takes flight into the great unknown of who knows where. Probably ALICE’s fault somehow!
It's not always a perfectly smooth ride, but it's always an adventure (and still ALICE’s fault). A little seasoning of the unexpected in your otherwise familiar game experience. Let’s dive in and explore the mad mad world of bugs!
The "Feature, Not a Bug" Paradox
Ah, the glorious dance between "Oops!" and "Aha!". We always aim for the pristine perfection that our Conglomni Corp overlords demand, but let's be real, sometimes the most core memory game moments bloom from the fertile soil of a good ol' glitch. To chaos, we say Yee’ haw!
And here's the juicy bit: sometimes, diving down into the rabbit hole of "what went wrong?" leads to the most brilliant "what if...?" moments.
Take that time in the Treeattle diner, for instance, when QA decided to see what would happen if you stuck an egg on the spray gun. According to Lead QA, Jess Fly, the discovery of this now-beloved feature started with a bug. “I made a bug that was for an affordance, that when an egg is attached to the water gun in Treeattle and sprayed at the stove, eggs did not form on the stove like they would if you cracked the egg on top of the stove…so I made an affordance for that, and it was made into a feature.” she explained.
Pure unhindered curiosity born from a potential "bug" And now? BAM! A new combo was born so you can spray your eggs like a pro directly on the stovetop. It's like the game whispered, "You thought this was a mistake? Think again! Now go forth and unleash your eggy Jackson Pollock like a true inner-dimensional pro!" So yeah, sometimes those "bugs" aren't breaking the game; they're just showing us (and you!) a brand new, delightfully unexpected way to play.
The Art of Bugging in VR
Multiplayer VR throws open the virtual doors to a whole new universe of potential bugs and delightfully wacky ways to recreate and test them. After all, VR is the only world where even your sleeves could be the problem!
Ever wondered how our team tackles the challenge of finding those elusive bugs? QA Lead Jess Fly says she takes a uniquely gamified strategic approach: "For myself, I kind of liken it to the way I play chess... the way I play chess is that I will look at the board and just look at every piece and try and see every path that might happen..." Can they eat it, throw it, combine it, cook it, open it, or spray it? The endless possibilities are tested and retested to create the most epic experience for all players.
It's still the virtual Wild West out here, and a few tumbleweeds made of broken code are bound to roll on through. These little surprises peel back the curtain to the wonderfully weird and wildly complex engine humming beneath the surface, giving us (and you!) something truly unique to bond over.
Embracing the Absurdity - Play, break, share!
When reality gets a little... wonky, it’s a great moment to dive face-first into the dimensional deep end and immerse yourself in the exploration of unintentional chaos. You're not just playing our games; you're actively participating in the glorious tradition of "Wait, did that just happen?!" moments that make Owlchemy Labs games so unique.
Our recent favorite you’ve discovered? HAS to be dunking your head in the blood cauldron to turn your game into 50 shades of whatever color goop you’ve recently created from spirits, mayo and who knows what else. Now THAT is truly a feature.
A close second? When the community decided to combine their trusty Toadtorial to the end of a spray gun. TOAD JUICE MAYHEM ENSUED and we loved it. Now that’s a way to really keep your tutorial tips extra juicy.
Your Passion Fuels Our Innovation
Every single one of you brave souls who don a headset and plunge headfirst into our virtual dimensions are crucial to the evolution of our games. Your borderline unhealthy obsession with playing and breaking everything? It's our fuel. You're the caffeine to our coding, the butter on our cornbread. Well, you get the idea. Our players are a key piece to building unforgettable experiences.
So remember, YOU are the future. The omniverse is ever-expanding, and you’re helping us lead the way to VR for everyone! Now go forth, and break things!