The information in this thread is outdated, but may still be useful to some players. We now have a new dedicated bug reporting section in the CA Community, which you can find here.



WHAT IS A GAME BUG?


A GAME BUG, in general terms, is any issue in the game that results in unintended behaviours, balance, or experiences when playing. Bugs can emerge in any number of areas:

  • Audio Issues – anything related to audio: such as unit speech, battle sounds, music, etc.
  • Visual Glitches – any graphical problems with your units, the campaign map, the landscape, UI, etc.
  • AI Issues – any instances where the AI is not behaving as intended, either on the campaign map or battlefield
  • Gameplay-related Issues – a feature or mechanic which doesn't perform as intended
  • Crashes & Technical Issues– when the game unexpectedly shuts down/freezes
  • Performance Issues – problems which result in a drop in the performance of the game
  • etc.

They can also vary in severity: from issues you hardly notice—or which have little to no impact on your gameplay—to major problems that disrupt your game or which prevent it from working properly (or at all).


Bugs may only appear in specific circumstances or conditions unique to the player, which is why we rely on your detailed bug reports to describe any issues you counter. Taking the time to provide the proper detail helps our Quality Assurance (QA) team investigate, reproduce, verify, and report on the issue for a fix. This is why we’ve put together this brief guide, as understanding these steps will help you make the most of your reports when you share them with the team!


If you are encountering a technical issue purchasing, launching, or playing the game, it is recommended that you ask for help in the respective forum or reach out to the SEGA Support Team for troubleshooting steps, optimization tips, and other answers to common questions.

WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER AN ISSUE…


When you encounter a game bug, there’s a few details to collect when and while it’s happening:

  • COPY ANY ERROR TEXT. Error messages often expose the root cause of the problem. Be sure to grab a screenshot or copy any error text that appears so you can include it in your report.
  • TAKE A CLEAR SCREENSHOT (OR VIDEO) OF THE PROBLEM. An image or video is worth a thousand words, and sometimes highlights information that would otherwise be missed.
  • TAKE NOTES. Write down any relevant notes about what happened, when it happened, and any circumstances that may have caused it to happen. Simply reporting that you encountered an issue is rarely enough for us to identify the problem…explaining what you encountered and how you got there gives us a better chance of understanding what causes the problem.
  • CREATE A GAME SAVE (OR REPLAY). If the issue occurs in a campaign, create a save file that you can share with the team. If it occurs during a battle, save the replay so you can share it with the team.


⚠ BEFORE YOU POST


Before you create a new post on the forum:

  • ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS! SEARCH FOR SIMILAR REPORTS. Search for EXISTING discussions about the same issue. If a thread already exists, add your report as a REPLY to that thread rather than creating a new thread.
  • CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING NEW. Share your experience; add new details that add your personal experience to the conversation and helps to explore solutions.


CREATING YOUR BUG REPORT


If nobody has posted about the issue you encountered, it’s your time to shine! Here's what you should aim to provide in your bug report post:

  1. TAG THE GAME AT THE START OF THE TITLE. For example, include [PHARAOH] at the start of the title to clarify where you encountered the problem.
  2. CREATE A CLEAR, CONCISE TITLE. Make sure others know *exactly* what the thread is about before they even open the post.
  3. INCLUDE THE GAME BUILD NUMBER. The version or “build” number ensures that we know when the issue happened. It can usually be found on the game’s home screen or in the settings menu.
  4. EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM. Provide as many details as possible: Where did it happen? When did it happen? What circumstances may have led to the problem?
  5. PROVIDE STEPS THAT EXPLAIN HOW WE CAN REPRODUCE THE ISSUE. List out as many steps as you can of what led up to the issue. This will help us reproduce the problem in our internal environments.
  6. INCLUDE AN IMAGE. A picture is worth a thousand words; a video or gif clearly highlighting the problem is even better!
  7. ATTACH YOUR SAVE FILE, REPLAY FILE, AND/OR CRASH MINIDUMP. Zip any relevant files into a compressed folder and attach them to your post.
  8. ONE THREAD, ONE ISSUE. It can be hard to respond to bugs when there are a hundred listed in a single thread... Try to keep each thread focused on one problem at a time.

> REMEMBER: The more information you provide, the more likely we'll be able to identify and fix the problem.

Thank you for your diligence and help making the game the best it can be! ♥