Interview with a Programmer

Forget about Interview with a Vampire… you’re undoubtedly more interested in an interview with the elusive Play Buddy programmers! These mysterious team members not only work diligently to provide new game autos for Pogo, Yahoo, and MSN, but they are also responsible for programming improved updates to existing bots, and programming bug fixes associated with customer submitted bug reports. With all that work to be done, it’s no wonder we’re left wondering if they even exist!

Thanks to the willingness of one programmer to ditch his anonymity and answer my questions, Play Buddy fans now receive a behind-the-scenes look of Play Buddy’s goings-on through the eyes of a programmer (and receive confirmation of existence!). Here is my brief interview with one of Play Buddy’s programmers, Alex.

Me: How long have you been programming Buddies (bots) for Play Buddy?

Alex: I have been programming Buddies more than two years [almost three].

Me: Do you remember the first Buddy you programmed?

Alex: Yes, the Stackem Buddy was the first Buddy that I programmed. I remember it well since it was my first project of this kind, and the game was funny.

Me: Do you have a favorite Buddy that you programmed?

Alex: No, I like them all even if they are very simple. Sometimes the logic of the game is simple, but the recognition of the game board is a real challenge. Sometime it is hard to implement a perfect strategy. But the more complex the program, the more satisfied I am with the final result.

Me: Typically how long does it take you to complete a Buddy, from start to release?

Alex: It depends on the difficulty of the Buddy of course. Let's say it takes one month typically.

Me: Is there a step-by-step process you follow?

Alex: First I read the game's How to Play. I play a bit to learn the game rules. Then I program the game recognition and think about the best strategy in the meantime. And finally I start to implement the Buddy’s strategy. During the testing phase I usually need to correct recognition and even sometimes change strategy to find better results.

Me: What do you like the most about programming Buddies?

Alex: I like to see how the Buddy is working when it’s finished :) Finding the solution/strategy is the most interesting part.

Me: What do you like the least?

Alex: Game recognition is a boring part. Humans [recognize the game] automatically. But bots need a [programmer to tell them how]to do it.

Me: Is there anything you would like to say to the Play Buddy readers?

Alex: Have fun playing games with the help of Play Buddy!

Thank you Alex for your insightful answers! I for one am appreciative for the continued hard work that you and all of the Play Buddy programmers do – Play Buddy certainly would not be what it is today without you all. And I’m confident that I can speak on behalf of all Play Buddy customers when I say we look forward to your upcoming releases.

Questions for Readers: How does it feel to download a new bot for a game that you’ve been waiting for? If you could ask a PB programmer a question, what would it be? What bot do you hope the programmers release next?