La Vie en Meow

I never really understood writing workshops when I was in my MFA program. I was too arrogant to really listen to people’s feedback on my work, and, when giving feedback to classmates, I got so tied up trying to balance praise with critical feedback that I never really took the time to experience the piece we were workshopping. Nevertheless, the writing workshop has always been my frame of reference when soliciting feedback on creative work. But now that I have shifted from writing poems to making games, I finally understand how critical this feedback is.

Of course, a beta tester’s feedback can sting as much as feedback from the brilliant classmate who you always saw at the smoking table in the intermission of readings and who asked you for a light that one time. So when sending my games out to be beta tested, I’ve developed “this weird trick” that I’ve found quite helpful: I pretend the game is a car I just built. The car is not running as well as I’d like it to, so I’ve invited experienced and knowledgeable mechanics to my garage to help me get it operating as well as it possibly can (which includes ensuring that it is as enjoyable to drive as possible).

Yay, thanks, Vin Diesel! Here’s how this analogy helps me:

• It forces me to think about the game as something completely separate from myself: (Remember, now: we’re talking about a Fast and Furious movie, not a David Cronenberg movie!) It’s easier for me to accept critical feedback when it’s directed at the “car” and not at me.

• It reminds me that beta testers’ goals are aligned with my own goals: We all want the game to be as effective as it can be (and in my experience with beta testing, I have found that this has indeed been the case). The testers and I are all circling the car, poking around under the hood.

• It makes revisions–even significant ones–feel achievable: Revising isn’t a matter of performing arcane rituals to summon the muse or whatever. Like fixing a car (or, rather, what I imagine fixing a car to be like) it’s a matter of taking something apart, and putting it back together step by step, possibly with different parts and/or in different configurations. 

This approach has served me well so far. That said, when it comes to waiting for feedback to come in, perhaps I should not be so quick to discount this other nugget of wisdom from the Fast franchise: open a Corona and say a prayer ;).

Here are some posts that have helpful information for people seeking feedback from beta testers:

• Drew Cook’s let’s TEST IF#2: playtesting your game

• intfiction.org thread: Regarding Public Beta Testing and Feedback