Frequently Asked Questions (for QA)
How can I tell if this is a bug or just unfinished?
Really depends on what it is! As you get more familiar with Skywind and the team, you’ll get a better handle on what is/isn’t supposed to be done yet. If you aren’t sure, ask on the server (in #dev_chat or #qa). It may be helpful to know that the basic game was imported from Morrowind, so a number of models are only placeholders until they're replaced. Some things that are not finished as of June 2022 and do not need to be reported as bugs:
Red Mountain, Ald’ruhn, Maar Gan, and Ebonheart landscaping, also large parts of Grazelands and Ashlands. (other regions may still need finalization, but have generally at least had a first pass)
Strongholds, Redoran buildings, and imperial "castles", all both interior and exterior. (models/textures are not finalized yet, and generally still use Morrowind models/textures)
Some daedric ruin interiors/exteriors, Vivec City interiors, and Velothi tower interiors still use ported assets and have not been remade in the new tilesets yet.
Navmeshing in many areas (meaning NPCs will not move or follow--however this should be completed in areas where you're testing landscaping)
Many stairs are too steep for the player and NPCs to easily walk up them
Most voice acting not in-game (turn on captions to get around this)
Some Morrowind models not yet replaced
Some textures not yet implemented (will appear blue/purple)
Some creatures not yet with correct models, sounds, and animations (e.g. kwama workers appear as floating red diamonds that make bear sounds...)
Models with the want_to_remove texture are placeholders and should be ignored (unless you are testing level design/landscaping; they should not be present at that point)
Enchanting/alchemy/smithing/spellmaking systems all heavily WIP
Combat and economy balancing
We also can’t fix many Skyrim physics/engine bugs, unfortunately. In general, unless you've been specifically asked to test an area or system, you don't need to report bugs about it.
Also remember that some genuine bugs are already known--always double-check Github before reporting any issues!
Why is someone else also assigned to this card?
Is it a landscaping card? Landscaping cards frequently still have the landscaper or navmesher assigned to the card. If you have a question about some aspect of the card, you can always reach out to them and check.
There’s no landscaper on this landscaping card/the landscaper is too busy to work with me right now/the landscaper isn’t responding to my messages!
Open issues in Github instead. Try to work with landscapers if it's a recently-completed interior, but when it isn’t possible, we still need to record the issues.
What’s with the checkboxes on my card?
For landscaping cards, ignore them--the Landscaping department uses the checkboxes but we don’t. For other cards, such as questlines, use the checkboxes to track your progress. Don’t check something off unless it is 100% complete, with no open issues.
Why is there a broken link to a different repo on this card?
We used to use a different repo for issue tracking… it’s a long story. These are outdated links. Search the new repo for the issue, and if you can’t find it, talk to the QA leads to hunt down the right one. As of 2022 there shouldn't be any of these left. If the link is pointing to Gitlab, search for the same issue number in our Github repo.
How much testing should I do before moving a card to Testing Blocked/transferring back to Landscaping?
Test as much as you can! The idea is that once the issues linked to a card are resolved, someone can quickly retest the card and complete it.
I found several related bugs. Should I create one issue or multiple?
There’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but if the issues are very similar and stem from the same problem (e.g. “several clipping issues in one cell” or “disposition doesn’t work at multiple points throughout the same quest”), create one issue. If they’re distinct (e.g. “clipping issues in three unrelated cells” or “disposition doesn’t work on this quest and also your journal doesn’t update properly”), create multiple issues. Particularly if they involve multiple departments (e.g. a broken model (3D), a quest-giver not giving a reward (coding), and floating furniture (level design)), split the issues up.
What should I do if I find an unrelated issue while testing a feature card?
Open an issue for it in Github, but don’t link it on the feature card.
I'm working with a landscaper, but I also found a non-landscaping bug. What should I do?
Report the non-landscaping bug directly on Github. Landscapers aren't able to fix things like broken textures (3D), missing collision (Implementation), bad rigging (Implementation), quest design (Coding), etc.
Landscaping is responsible for things like scripting/triggers (e.g. traps or ambushes), the local map, objects clipping into each other, animated containers facing the wrong way, NPC/enemy patrolling, lighting problems caused by too many light sources, visible gaps in the world, etc.
What if there are two issues for the same problem in Github?
If you come across a duplicate issue, take the initiative to keep Github tidy! First, read each issue carefully to be sure they're identical, and not similar but distinct issues. Then add the Duplicate label and close the issue with a comment linking to the other issue.
When deciding which issue to mark as the duplicate, prioritize keeping open the issue that:
Is the most comprehensive in describing the problem (e.g. most extensive repro steps, screenshots, videos, etc.)
Has recent Github activity (i.e. comments)
Was opened first, if all else is equal.
If it would be helpful, you can copy over additional details/screenshots/etc. from the duplicate to the main issue.
How can I become a more effective tester?
Learn to use the Creation Kit! It’s a big help for looking up IDs, figuring out why a bug is occurring, seeing if something is broken or just not done yet, etc. Install it, check out some tutorials, and play around a little. Plus, if you have interest in helping us fix bugs, you'll need CK experience!
I made a fix for a bug/landscaping. How can I submit my fix?
Add a comment to the bug ticket in Github, using this template. Be sure to attach your plug-in/fixed assets/whatever you did to fix it. It'll be reviewed by the coding or landscaping leads, as appropriate.
(if there's no bug for the thing you fixed, create a bug first!)
I have more questions!
Ask in the #qa channel on Discord or DM alynnidalar or Spectral! We're always happy to help.