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How does version control work in AAA game dev? (Spoiler: there's usually a progression of "main" > "test" > "cert" branches for each project) https://t.co/cV7e2espxm

How does version control work in AAA game dev? (Spoiler: there's usually a progression of "main" > "test" > "cert" branches for each project) https://t.co/cV7e2espxm

  • askagamedev
    Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
    How does version control work in AAA game dev? (Spoiler: there's usually a progression of "main" > "test" > "cert" branches for each project) https://t.co/cV7e2espxm

    • Chadd Nervigg
      Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
      @askagamedev Whoa. This is completely different from anything I've experienced, or heard talked about elsewhere. Sounds like this might be specific to released-once-and-then-done games?

      • askagamedev
        Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
        @Celestalon I've worked on variations of this paradigm for live MMOGs/lifestyle games as well

        • Chadd Nervigg
          Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
          @askagamedev How does that paradigm work with versioning? Is it some sort jagged array? Some complex 2D version structure? This sounds like an absolute nightmare (even more so than regular version control). How is it not an endless mess of extra work, conflicts, and unforeseen interactions?

          • askagamedev
            Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
            @Celestalon No, not really. Versions go through the same process. Big updates (e.g. expansion packs) typically live in a separate branch like I mentioned with the large changes that get integrated from (and eventually back into) main

            • askagamedev
              Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
              @Celestalon Smaller updates live in main and the changes are collected and integrated to test (and eventually cert) by the producers/build engineers

              • Chadd Nervigg
                Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
                @askagamedev Wait, you *don’t* version by… version? For every version? https://t.co/VdNIjMYWPn

        • askagamedev
          Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
          @Celestalon Another "style" for this on live games is a similar chained branch structure where each branch in the chain is a major content update instead (e.g. patch 3.3 > 3.2 > 3.1) with live patches having their branches retired and new branches being created for new content releases

          • askagamedev
            Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
            @Celestalon In effect, however, this is has pretty similar results - the closer you are to live, the more stable your branch has to be and the fewer people are allowed to touch it

            • Chadd Nervigg
              Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
              @askagamedev This is what every game/product I’ve seen does… because it’s required for versioning anyway? What you initially described must be an additional layer on top of that?
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