Cleanroom Testing - Game Testing All in One - page 246

Button Masher : Values speed and repetition over caution and defense. Wears out
the A button on the controller to run faster, jump higher, or strike first. Will run out
of ammo. The advent of the Nintendo DS ™ may also breed the Button Masher's
cousin; the Stylus Scratcher .
Customizer : Uses all of the game's customization features and plays the game with
custom elements. Will also incorporate unlocked items, decals, jerseys, teams, and
so on.
Exploiter : Always looking for a shortcut. Will use cheat codes, look for cracks in
zone walls, and pick off opponents from a secret or unreachable spot. Creates bots
to craft items, earn points, and level up. Uses infinite card combos against AI and
human Collectable Card Game (CCG) opponents.
Real-Life Usage
Some games now have a built-in mechanism for capturing your preferences and making
the information visible to you. This mechanism can also be used for capturing or
downloading your friends' tendencies when they play on your console, allowing you
to practice against a “virtual�? friend when they are away. Likewise, the tendencies of
coaches and celebrity game players can be stored and delivered with the game so you
can try out your own strategies against their unique styles of play. ESPN NFL 2K5 has
such a feature known as the VIP Profile. Figures 12.1 and 12.2 show graphics compiled
from the game that chart two players' tendencies. You can compare Haiken's tendencies
on the left to coach Danny's play patterns on the right.
Figure 12.1 NFL 2K5offensive tendencies for players Haiken and Danny.
In Figure 12.1 you see Haiken's preference for using the ball carrier's shoulder maneuver
(Y button) versus Danny's preference for juking (L or R trigger). Haiken taps the A
button almost exclusively to gain speed, while Danny holds down A to charge about
5% of the time.