Refactoring Legacy Code: Game Testing Methods and Best Practices

Introduction

Refactoring legacy code is an inevitable task, especially when maintaining long-running systems and projects. In this article, we explore how game testing methods can help you better refactor legacy code.

Why is Game Testing Important?

Game testing is crucial to ensure the quality and stability of the game. Through testing, the following key aspects can be validated:

Ensure the Game Runs Properly

Testing whether the game launches, whether it responds properly after completing tasks or levels, and whether it crashes or errors occur are essential questions that need validation.

Ensure the Game's Performance

The performance of the game directly affects player experience, especially for games requiring physics calculations. Testing includes game frame rates, latency, etc., ensuring the game's engine and software run smoothly.

Ensure the Game's Usability

Usability testing ensures the game meets player needs and game rules, preventing unnecessary confusion or frustration, which could ultimately affect player feedback.

How to Conduct Game Testing?

Game testing can be divided into “black-box testing” and “white-box testing.” Black-box testing focuses on whether the functionality meets the requirements, while white-box testing delves deeper into the internal logic and implementation of the code.

Writing Game Test Cases

Test cases are scripts or code used to check the functionality and correctness of the game.

public function testGameStarts(): void {
    $game = new Game();
    $game->start();
    $this->assertTrue($game->isStarted());
}

public function testGameOver(): void {
    $game = new Game();
    $game->start();
    $game->over();
    $this->assertTrue($game->isOver());
}

Manual Game Testing

Manual testing involves dedicated testers interacting with the game on actual devices or in a simulated environment, ensuring the game behaves as expected under various conditions.

Automated Testing

Automated testing uses scripts or tools to simulate various game interactions. It enhances testing speed, reduces human error, and accelerates feedback cycles.

How to Build Testable Games?

To make a game more testable, the following design and architecture optimizations can be implemented:

Game Design Patterns

Design patterns help create modular, extensible, and reusable code, facilitating maintenance and testing.

Using Dependency Injection

Dependency injection is a design pattern that simplifies testing by making external dependencies easily identifiable and mockable, improving the testability of code.

Architecting Games for Testability

By properly structuring game functionality, utilizing dependency injection, and following object-oriented design principles, testability and maintainability can be greatly enhanced.

Conclusion

By implementing the methods outlined in this article, you can more effectively test and refactor your game code, particularly for legacy systems. Using appropriate design patterns and dependency injection will significantly improve the testability and maintainability of the game, boosting both development efficiency and game quality.