The TesterTron 3000™

by Ron Gilbert
Jun 11, 2016

While you're waiting for me to get off my lazy beep and edit the podcast, please enjoy this bonus video of the TesterTron 3000™ finding bugs so you don't have to.

- Ron

Retro - Jun 11, 2016 at 17:49

So many questions! What the beep is going on? Is it a random combination of verbs and objects? Is somebody looking over this footage to see if everything is OK? Does the AI have a goal or just goes into whatever direction the dice fall? What is the probability of a computer finishing the game this way? And finally, is the robot apocalypse finally upon us?

Rob Osinga - Jun 11, 2016 at 17:53

Great testing method. Checking al the Doors? Also in everything possible way possible? Do you use math to check al possible combinations?
Anyway, we won't expect any bugs in TP. But if we do, we'll Get a message to you.

Rob Osinga - Jun 11, 2016 at 17:53

Mattias Cedervall - Jun 11, 2016 at 17:54

TesterTron 3000™ is Skynet.

Carlo Valenti - Jun 11, 2016 at 19:07

I thought Genisys was Skynet. Thank you Mattias.

Mattias Cedervall - Jun 12, 2016 at 01:32

That's what Skynet wants you to believe. We humans (are you human, Carlo?) has to stick together!

Mister T - Jun 12, 2016 at 18:53

Before AI becomes a real danger, it will become a nuisance: It will solve the game by brute force, post walkthroughs and spoil the best bits in online forums before the game is even released.

Assaf - Jun 11, 2016 at 18:07

God the new UI looks fantastic

Zak Phoenix McKracken - Jun 11, 2016 at 18:51

I want to try myself to enter the elevator, push a floor button and escape before the doors close!

Hanon Ondricek - Jun 11, 2016 at 19:10

Yay for the music! I can't wait to play this with the voice acting off (the first time at least) to enjoy the flawless text comic timing.

tcmsurfer - Jun 11, 2016 at 19:41

This looks fantastic. Graphics, music and atmosphere!

Great bug btw.... or is it? Don't tell me one of the puzzles is to escape the elevator before the door closes completely!

BTW, since bugs are nothing but hidden features, why not all it FeatureFind'o'mat(tm).

Ron Gilbert ✓ - Jun 11, 2016 at 20:08

The bug starts when the doors open to a black room. There should be an image of the hall back there, so it went to an undefined floor.

The error message was: HotelElevator.nut:433: the index 'hotelHallElevatorInside' does not exist

Probably due to the object being null. It's the kind of bug TesterTron™ is great for. Most likely a click in the 1 frame before something should have been clickable.

tcmsurfer - Jun 11, 2016 at 20:59

Thanks for the explination, Ron.

I've been following all your articles with interest.

Since I'm a developer myself (for embedded Systems for Television Software tough), I can relate very well. Usually those kind of edge case crashes need a decent look at the assembler code in my case.

I'll be sure to check out the engine once you've released the code.

Best wishes,
Andreas (ger)

tcmsurfer - Jun 11, 2016 at 21:04

One more thing though.... in this test case, ttron leaves the elevator after pushing a button. Then calls it back, does the same stunt again and then enters the elevator once more. You can see though that the elevator actually moved one story already when ttron tries to get back in.

So you have 3 errors in total (where two might be the same issue):

Leaving a closed elevator
Reentering a closed elevator when it was already traveling
Entering an undefined room

Gzurl - Jun 12, 2016 at 01:51

NUT? New Utility for Thimbleweed park?

Nor Treblig - Jun 12, 2016 at 02:27

It's just what Sqirrels like to digest.

Toothless Gibbon - Jun 11, 2016 at 19:57

TesterTron displays more personality that most Lets Play hosts.

Nor Treblig - Jun 12, 2016 at 02:31

Is the colour of the mouse cursor changed depending on the location of the error or is it just ashamed?

Also the cursor never moves. I think TesterTron 3000™ is cheating and should be banned from online play.

Paul Jacobson - Jun 12, 2016 at 04:04

Man that sort of thing would make an awesome game for control freaks who just need to dive in and take over... Aggghh you're doing it wrong here let me show you :)

Gene - Jun 12, 2016 at 05:51

No parallax for the stars in the window?

Steffen - Jun 12, 2016 at 06:28

You're right - for me as an astronomy fan that's a nogo! I cant buy a software with such an obvious bug! *LOL*

btw @Ron & team: When answering it shows a wrong comment date. In this case: "Gene - Dec 31, 1969 at 19:00"

Big Red Button - Jun 12, 2016 at 06:46

It's just because the camera doesn't move. It's only a panning, so there can't be any parallaxing.

Ron Gilbert ✓ - Jun 12, 2016 at 09:24

Good catch. I think there is a bug about that.

Aubrey - Jun 30, 2016 at 16:44

There so far away, how much of an effect can you have?

Big Red Button - Jun 12, 2016 at 06:35

Strange bug. I hope you get it fixed easily!

Nice artwork, by the way!

Is the corridor a pseudo room, just as the hotel rooms themselves? Are there differences between the floors, e.g. in terms of the wall paper damages?

What about a curtain at the window? I think, it would make the corridor look even more homelike.

Gffp - Jun 12, 2016 at 08:42

Guybrush & Elaine are in love!!! Pretty clear I don't understand nothing about programming...

Roman - Jun 13, 2016 at 02:21

Let me guess...with that speed...she's looking for a rest room.....

Gabarts - Jun 14, 2016 at 07:10

What if TesterTron 3000 ™ takes control of the elevator and kills the character? :)

Be aware of mighty technology!

Akolade - Jun 14, 2016 at 17:29

Love the elevator music, it brings back good Leisure Suit Larry memories for me.

Geoffrey Paulsen - Jun 27, 2016 at 21:38

As a fellow software developer, I have to deal with bugs and hangs as well. I think it's so hilarious that when YOUR software hangs, you actually have elevator music. haha.

Nor Treblig - Jun 27, 2016 at 22:55

You could do this too from now on! Add a watchdog thread to your applications and when it detects a problem it starts playing elevator music (but does nothing else).