Playing Video Games One Frame at a Time - Ólafur Waage - NDC Sydney 2024

Testing Automation

Discover the art of playing video games one frame at a time, exploring techniques like template matching, Coyote Time, and more to automate gameplay and create a deeper understanding of game mechanics.

Key takeaways

Playing video games one frame at a time allows for a deeper understanding of the game’s mechanics and can be a fun and educational experience.
The speaker shares their own experience playing a game called Doom, where they used a technique called “template matching” to automate the gameplay.
The talk is not about programming games, but about playing games programmatically, which can be a fun and educational experience.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the game’s mechanics and how they are implemented in the game’s source code.
The talk is also about the concept of “Coyote Time” in games, which allows for a certain amount of flexibility in the gameplay.
The speaker provides an example of how they used a tool called “bmbhook” to automate the gameplay of a game called Bejeweled.
The talk is also about the importance of understanding the game’s code and how it can be used to create a game or program.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of being prepared and having a good understanding of the game’s mechanics before attempting to play it programmatically.
The talk is also about the concept of “approval testing” in games, which involves checking the game’s output for correctness.
The speaker provides an example of how they used approval testing to check the game’s output.
The talk is also about the importance of understanding the game’s hardware and how it can affect the gameplay.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of being mindful of the game’s hardware and how it can impact the gameplay.
The talk is also about the concept of “hat hacking” in games, which involves using the game’s hardware to hack or mod the game.
The speaker provides an example of how they used hat hacking to modify a game called Doom.
The talk is also about the importance of understanding the game’s community and how it can be a great resource for learning and improving.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of being part of a game’s community and how it can help you learn and grow as a programmer.
The talk is also about the concept of “open-source hacking” in games, which involves modifying the game’s source code to create a new game or program.
The speaker provides an example of how they used open-source hacking to create a new game called “Play the Game”.

Playing Video Games One Frame at a Time - Ólafur Waage - NDC Sydney 2024

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