Testing on iOS
This part of testing is always the most exciting (at least, i think that!) I have been testing Arctic Submerged for Android for many months already - but now, for the first time, i can test it on my iPhone as well! This game is planned to be released to both systems: Android and iOS. The coming phase is perhaps the most intense: Optimizing. Ironing out bugs, reducing lag and making the game experience smooth.
I managed to build the game - AND - export it into TestFlight in the same process. Quite handy, and i’m just as surprised and hyped up now, as i was the first time i managed to do it.
TestFlight is Apple’s testing-grounds for developers and testers alike. Almost like Google’s Internal Testing track through Google Play.
After a few minutes of testing, i have identified some things that concerns me: The game lags, like: Insanely much. I’m currently looking into it - and think i might have figured it out.
Optimizing an app
Optimizing is often used as a more “pro-word” of testing and improving performance. You check something out, it isn’t working as intended, or it creates laggggg, you fix it. Instead of that sentence: Optimizing. In my case, i have a “routine” of how i check my apps for optimizing. I build them for Android with my new changes, and check it on my Galaxy phone. If it “passes” there, which means: excessive testing and verifying that my fix(es) actually solved the problem(s) related to performance or functions; THEN i will build it for iOS and test it on the iPhone.
Why? Well, building for iOS and for Android (although in theory the same) are different processes, depending on your engine of choice for game creation. In my case, building for iOS is more intensive, whereas building for Android is much easier and takes less time and effort.
I port it as a aab-file, so that i can directly upload it into Google Play Console in the Internal Testing track. This pretty much mimics the ways of a “real” app-updating process done on Google Play; except it’s in a closed environment.
Timeframe?
This phase can vary extremely when it comes to time. Usually, most of the game (functions, art, systems) are done at this stage. Although; that can change. This phase is usually the phase where the “yay/nay” stuff is being clarified and potentially altered or expanded upon.
I guess - and i mean; guess, that Arctic Submerged will spend approx 4-6 weeks in this phase.