Ubisoft - living like a tester

15.12.2011

"Martin: continue walktrough Assassins Creed Revelation"

  

Yes, precisely this came today into my mailbox :-D

Third day at Ubi. Getting used to the environment.

Waking up at 6:30 is tough -  oooh so tough. Quick shower, clean your teeth and experimental breakfast. Sprint to the subway - Timpur Noi or Tineretului depends on how much delay I got :-) and 45 minutes of sweating in public transportation. Finally "1 Mai" station on the green line(M4) is welcoming Holistr with merciful fresh winter breeze. Quick peak to the left and right, across the street - 2OOm hurdles and finally building of Ubisoft.

8:05 - quite OK. Starting PC, reading mail. And what a surprise again the job description for today:

"Martin: continue walktrough Assassins Creed Revelation."

What can I say a dream job for gamer like me :-D

So I manage some mails, ask for details of working in internal BUGreporting system and continue walking through the most expected RPG action of the year 2011. Thumbs already get used to the controls of two joysticks and the whole game has great story full of twists. Not mentioning the "parkurelike" movements and exceptional killing animations :-P. At one time a pop-up showed "Overkiller - you have earned new award" It is so easy in this game. Maybe too easy for my taste.

8:50 - Breaaaaak! Going for smoke? NO. Never mind...just please do not play for 10 minutes. Why?! You know the policy, health issues and all the BS around playing games too much. Just take a rest for 10 minutes. OK - I can check the mails. Yes thats the time you can check you FB account and do whatever you want.

9:00 - Break over. Back from the cold refreshed by toxic cigarette smoke and ready to hunt the BUGS. Or in my case playing Assassins creed revelations to walkthrough after checking the mail and listen to Witchcraft from Pendulum.

9:50 - Breaaaaak!

10:00 - Break over.

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11:50 - My colleagues knocking on my shoulder. Taking of the headphones gazing on them with question in my eyes: "Whats up?" "Are you coming for a lunch with us?" -  "already!!!? Man I have not finished the quest yet, not to mention the achievement in killing guards with poisoned darts."

11:55 - Canteen queue. reading menu offers fro today. Yeah in Romanian, but I know PUI means chicken so no problem at all. Checking the look of meal over my colleague shoulder to make final decision.  

12:05 - Stress at the counter. English speaking guy is inside the kitchen and I have to negotiate with Romanian cook. 5 seconds of stress and hands with gestures walked us through the order. Taking salad and bread as a part of the menu. Than straight to the cashier - 9 Lei. Great. Taking my meal to the table. Debate already started....

12:30 - We agreed that boycotting the price rise is not adequate - meal looks good(usually), taste alright and kills the hunger for sure.

12:40 - Time to get the coffee from machine next to the entrance. small plastic cup filled in to one third with "piccololike" looking coffee. An Addiction is an addiction.

12:45 - Toilets are clean, toilet paper always full, water for hands hot, soup always available and for drying your hands there are towels. Do you need more? 

12: 50 - Time for another 10 minute break. Spending it at relaxation area playing few rounds of ping-pong.

13:00 - Official one hour break started - unfortunately localization team is one hour ahead so we just see all others on the space leaving for the lunch. lot of noise but with decent Panasonic headphones its a minor issue.

13:50 - I have not even warmed my self as Ezio Audiotore from Firenze and I have to have another break :-)

14:00 - Time for another round of parkour and killing - so called parkourkilling :-D

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16:10 - Time fill in daily report. Fortunately as a newbie I just join Cristina and try to understand what exactly we are filling in and what should be mentioned.

16:50 - FIFO system starts to work. Joseph leaves, than Radu followed by the Girls. I am trying to finish my quest before 17:00. And I know I am not gona make it. Asking Andrei if I can stay a little overtime...
"Sure, no problem - just remember the Ubisoft Christmas party tomorrow!"

17:00 - Lukasz, Sebastian and Virginia trying to persuade me to leave for home. Hmmm not today. Ezio have some more errands to finish:-)

17:30 - Memory synchronized on 100%. Time to switch to reality and head for subway station Unu Mai.

18:10 - Fresh air at Tineretului welcomes me and I drop by at Carrefour market to buy something for dinner. Dark Alexandrei street guides me to the marketplace where I am buying vegetables and eggs. One to the left, than one to the right, trough the archway and inside.

18:30 - Time for a cold beer and sharp knife (for cutting the vegetable of course:-).

To be continued...