Bug reporting should be done on the bugtracker at http://bugs.nsrealm.com/. Please be sure to search before you post, to see if something has already been reported. If so, add a bug note to the existing bug rather than starting a new one.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Bug Reporting
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LadyCheron
- Developer
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2003 8:23 pm
- Location: Central Illinois - Flatland
So you've got the famous Mantis Bugtracker link for Neversummer, and you're itching to report bugs... right? Well, buckle your seatbeats, ladies and gents for a little bit of Bug Reporting 101!
One of the biggest parts of reporting bugs are thoroughness: write down the exact error message, every step you took to make the bug work, etc. Something you can do to make it easier is to buy a small spiral notebook and a good pencil and keep it by the computer for all of your note-taking and/or bug-reporting needs. Very, very handy.
Another issue with bug reporting is the severity level. Mantis has an excellent system for sorting out the most problematic bugs so they can be fixed as quickly as possible. I just looked at the Bugtracker page and saw a Transport error listed as Minor, which clearly isn't right. Let me try to sum up how to fill out a bug report:
Category
Exactly what it says; choose a category the bug falls under.
Reproducibility
Reproducibilty is the key to being able to quickly fix a bug.
Always
Somtimes
Random
Have Not Tried
Unable to Duplicate
Minor
Minor bugs should include small things; race/subrace tweaks, spell tweaks, minor spawn tweaks and the like.
Major
Major bugs are things that can or will cause player disruption and possible disruption of the servers themselves. Items with properties they shouldn't have go here, as well do large spawn errors and factional errors (teleporting, faction NPC's killing you when you're set to their faction, etc). Area transitions should go here as well.
Crash
This is for bugs that crash the server, NWN, or your entire computer.
Block
These bugs are huge bugs that prevent anything from happening or progressing in either developing or playing. Big server crashes that don't recover go here.
Text
Small grammar errors in NPC speaches go here.
Tweak
Tweaks are small things like placeables being out of alignment or on top of other placeables.
Trivial
These are nitpicky bugs. Take it for what you will.
Feature
This is for requesting new features to be added. I wouldn't post this on the Mantis system; I would post it right here on the forum.
Summary
The summary is a one-line description of the problem. Please, be as descriptive as possible in this, but keep it as short as you can so the bug can be looked at without opening its file.
Description
A detailed description of the problem. As a rule of thumb you should always enter enough information for the developer to feel like he is in your shoes. Describe what you were doing, what you expected to happen, what should have happened, the error, software version(s), and possible ideas and suspicions.
Additional Information
Any extra information that you didn't put into the Description should go here. This might be a dump of your error, a proposed fix, or anything that is related to but not directly a part of the bug.
Report Stay
Report Stay displays a button that read "Report More Bugs" after you submit the bug. The button allows you to return to the report bug screen after submitting a bug and it will automatically fill in most of the pertinent settings from the previous bug (category, severity, and more). This is useful when inputting multiple bugs at once.
Hopefully this helps a little bit with the bug reports and that this makes it a bit easier for the bugs to be worked out.
One of the biggest parts of reporting bugs are thoroughness: write down the exact error message, every step you took to make the bug work, etc. Something you can do to make it easier is to buy a small spiral notebook and a good pencil and keep it by the computer for all of your note-taking and/or bug-reporting needs. Very, very handy.
Another issue with bug reporting is the severity level. Mantis has an excellent system for sorting out the most problematic bugs so they can be fixed as quickly as possible. I just looked at the Bugtracker page and saw a Transport error listed as Minor, which clearly isn't right. Let me try to sum up how to fill out a bug report:
Category
Exactly what it says; choose a category the bug falls under.
Reproducibility
Reproducibilty is the key to being able to quickly fix a bug.
Always
Somtimes
Random
Have Not Tried
Unable to Duplicate
Minor
Minor bugs should include small things; race/subrace tweaks, spell tweaks, minor spawn tweaks and the like.
Major
Major bugs are things that can or will cause player disruption and possible disruption of the servers themselves. Items with properties they shouldn't have go here, as well do large spawn errors and factional errors (teleporting, faction NPC's killing you when you're set to their faction, etc). Area transitions should go here as well.
Crash
This is for bugs that crash the server, NWN, or your entire computer.
Block
These bugs are huge bugs that prevent anything from happening or progressing in either developing or playing. Big server crashes that don't recover go here.
Text
Small grammar errors in NPC speaches go here.
Tweak
Tweaks are small things like placeables being out of alignment or on top of other placeables.
Trivial
These are nitpicky bugs. Take it for what you will.
Feature
This is for requesting new features to be added. I wouldn't post this on the Mantis system; I would post it right here on the forum.
Summary
The summary is a one-line description of the problem. Please, be as descriptive as possible in this, but keep it as short as you can so the bug can be looked at without opening its file.
Description
A detailed description of the problem. As a rule of thumb you should always enter enough information for the developer to feel like he is in your shoes. Describe what you were doing, what you expected to happen, what should have happened, the error, software version(s), and possible ideas and suspicions.
Additional Information
Any extra information that you didn't put into the Description should go here. This might be a dump of your error, a proposed fix, or anything that is related to but not directly a part of the bug.
Report Stay
Report Stay displays a button that read "Report More Bugs" after you submit the bug. The button allows you to return to the report bug screen after submitting a bug and it will automatically fill in most of the pertinent settings from the previous bug (category, severity, and more). This is useful when inputting multiple bugs at once.
Hopefully this helps a little bit with the bug reports and that this makes it a bit easier for the bugs to be worked out.
Whoever appeals to the law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward.
For a wounded man shall say to his assailant;
"If I die, you are forgiven. If I live, I.. will.. kill you."
Such is the rule, of honor.
For a wounded man shall say to his assailant;
"If I die, you are forgiven. If I live, I.. will.. kill you."
Such is the rule, of honor.
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Mokihana
- Wheres the donation box?
- Posts: 237
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 9:52 am
- Location: Deep Within the Earth
- Contact:
Nice info crymson
one other thing that is helpful. b4 you log in and submit your bug, see if someone already submitted the same one. read that report. if you can give the devs more info to fix the bug they willbe able to fix it faster. also it takes less times for the devs to put to gether all the pieces. If they have to read 10 different postings of the same bug they my not be gleening as much useful concise info.
one other thing that is helpful. b4 you log in and submit your bug, see if someone already submitted the same one. read that report. if you can give the devs more info to fix the bug they willbe able to fix it faster. also it takes less times for the devs to put to gether all the pieces. If they have to read 10 different postings of the same bug they my not be gleening as much useful concise info.
If it says Moki Moki Moki on the Label Label Label your gonna be in Trouble Trouble Trouble!!! 
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RumblingSky
- Noob
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:11 am
- Contact:
I wish I had read this earlier.
Basically, I reported a bug and then found a very similar bug (different subrace). I then wanted to close my bug report and add a comment to the one already there. So I apologize for submitting the new ticket.
My question, however, is how does closing a ticket work? Do you just click the close button and get on with life? I ask because there was a "close comment" field.
I know, this should be fairly obvious. I just didn't want to make another mistake and thought it would be better to ask rather than clog the system up further with more nonsense.
Basically, I reported a bug and then found a very similar bug (different subrace). I then wanted to close my bug report and add a comment to the one already there. So I apologize for submitting the new ticket.
My question, however, is how does closing a ticket work? Do you just click the close button and get on with life? I ask because there was a "close comment" field.
I know, this should be fairly obvious. I just didn't want to make another mistake and thought it would be better to ask rather than clog the system up further with more nonsense.
-= Rovilea Windrome =-
"Common sense is neither commnon, nor a sense."
http://rumblingmedia.beyondapoc.net
"Common sense is neither commnon, nor a sense."
http://rumblingmedia.beyondapoc.net
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DrakhanValane
- Arrogant Snob
- Posts: 1064
- Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:25 pm
- Location: Five Minutes Before the End of Eternity (or Maryland, take your pick)
- Contact:
Simply put the reason why you're closing the bug. "Repeat of bug #xxxx" is fine. I took care of it for you :)
If you tilt your head far enough and squint hard enough, anything becomes as simple or complex as you'd like--regardless of whether it is or not. -- A lesson learned from Stephen Wolfram's A New Kind of Science
Bug Reporting
Hey my first post, I'm so proud of myself 
Anyways, I have only reported one bug so far as others i found were already listed. My question is, if I find a bug already reported do I add notes to that bug# on my experience or since it is already there just leave it alone?
Anyways, I have only reported one bug so far as others i found were already listed. My question is, if I find a bug already reported do I add notes to that bug# on my experience or since it is already there just leave it alone?
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Brennan068
- Looking for group
- Posts: 140
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 8:50 am