# Writing a Superb Bug Report
You have discovered something that is not working as expected, and you want it to be fixed as soon as possible. What should you do? Opening a bug ticket is the best way to report broken parts of the game. You can take it to another level by helping the staff members with accurate information. Before you proceed to write a bug report, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Has the intended behavior been changed?
Before you call it a bug, you can ask yourself whether it is indeed a bug. You can apply some common sense and think positively. You can look for indicators that hint about an addition. For example, a different music for the hammock tile. Similarly, if the glue bottle used to make items sticky but it no longer does, you can confirm this change by consulting help docs, change logs, and also discussing it with other players on the out-of-character chat.
2. Is the output different than expected?
For instance, if the help documentation mentions a specific method for crafting paper, such as placing a wet towel on the ground with "Alt + Space," but it does not work as described, you have found a broken part of the game and can proceed with opening a bug report. Likewise, you can try other methods of interaction, such as use (space), alternate use (alt + space), interact (t), and alternate interact (alt + t). If you find that the intended behavior is achieved with some other method of interaction, you can report a bug regarding the help library and mention the details that the docs suggest something different whereas the actual action is performed differently.
3. Is the issue specific to me only?
You can ask your friends or people on the out-of-character chat. For example, is cutting dead rabbits with a knife broken? Are clipboard-related keys malfunctioning? If you find that this problem is specific to you only or some other people have faced a similar issue, you can mention in the report that this issue is specific to you. Include additional details that I will discuss later.
4. Is it safe to discuss a bug with friends or people on the out-of-character chat?
I classify bugs into two categories: unsafe and safe bugs. Unsafe bugs, also known as critical bugs, are bugs that can be misused in any form. One should avoid sharing such bugs with other players. Instead, they should immediately report them to the game staff by opening a bug report. If someone is found to be using or sharing such bugs, they may face restrictions according to the game rules. Safe or less critical bugs, on the other hand, are bugs that cannot be misused and do not serve as a tool for cheating. For example, bugs like being unable to cut a rabbit or craft papers may not help anyone cheat in the game. However, bugs that provide more resources than expected or can harm other players in any form are considered critical bugs, and the use of such bugs is managed according to the game rules. You can read the rules in the help section.
5. Has STW staff mentioned somewhere regarding being aware of the bug?
STW staff can mention about unavailability of certain features, being aware of certain broken things, etcetera on their discord announcement as well as English Community channels. They can also publish announcements in the announcement section. Sometimes, they update the message of the day with the relevant information to inform players about the game status. Information that STW staff members share on out-of-character chat is also official; staff, make sure you also hold the responsibility while sharing anything. Please make sure that it has not been reported somewhere.
## Steps to Write a Bug Report
When writing a bug report, include the following information:
### Subject
A perfect subject helps the staff members get a basic idea of the issue. It can also grab their attention if you manage to describe the problem in a few words. Subjects like "help," "bug," "another bug," "bug again," "hi help," etc. describe nothing. Emotional subjects are just for enjoyment but do not provide an issue description. Here are some better examples of bug subjects:
- "Cannot interact with oyster using a knife."
- "Keyboard keys stuck when using JAWS."
- "Cutting animals while standing possible."
- "cup_of_soup doesn't decrease hunger or thirst."
- "Muting a group does not save across logins."
Tip: you can put either the problem statement or expected behavior in the subject.
### Description
The description helps to detail the bug if the subject cannot. You can organize your bug report to make it stand out and receive a prompt resolution. The bug report should consist of the following parts:
1. **Current behavior**: This is the current behavior that you observed from the action you are going to report.
2. **Expected behavior**: You describe the expected output that should occur but is not happening.
3. **Steps to reproduce**: If the staff members want to reproduce the bug, you can provide the steps they can follow.
4. **Any alternate fix**: If you know any method or have managed to achieve the desired results despite this bug, you can share that as well. This part is usually optional.
You are not required to write these headings explicitly. You can incorporate them into your sentences. Whichever way you choose, ensure that the report is written in clear English. Heavy vocabulary and pure technical language are not necessary. We expect detailed information regarding what is not working as intended. Criticizing, cursing, and adding negative words to the description not only gives a negative image but also hinders understanding. Both the subject and description should reflect your helpful attitude toward the game staff.
### Additional Data
There are some elements that you can include in your report to make it more detailed and help the staff members identify the problem. Here are some additional data points you can consider adding:
1. Share the raw item names in your reports. Rather than typing the item names, you can copy them from within your inventory. Open your bag and focus on the item you find an issue with. You can press the copy command (Control + C).
2. Try to reproduce the bug yourself just to confirm whether it is a bug and not a misconception. If the bug can cause a server crash, harm players, and make problems for others, it is better to report it.
3. If something fails and relates to navigation, you can start and stop looking at any player. Try reproducing that bug. If it resolves or changes the behavior, you can add such details to your report.
4. You can try going offline and online to retest the buggy situation.
5. It is also better to exit the client and relaunch it.
6. You can copy the error messages with the alt+F12 key rather than typing the error in your own words. If you use NVDA and the speech history addon, you may need to press NVDA + F2 before you press alt+f12 key. Pressing this keystroke copies the untranslated string to the clipboard. If you think a game message is broken, you can confirm with using the default English translation. If the message is broken in the default English, you can report it. It applies to the official translations as well. In case an unofficial translation is missing something, you can let the owner of the translation know about the broken, incomplete, or untranslated string.
7. If a specific bug is specific to your end, you can share your system specifications, such as machine (desktop or laptop), keyboard (internal or external), screen reader, and TTS in use.
8. You can share your clothing as well if you think it would be helpful.
9. Your direction or facing in degrees. Use compass for that.
10. Whether you were sitting or standing. Any additional information can be useful.
11. If you find a map related bug, you can also include the map location. To do so, you can go to "support and contact" and select "copy location code". This copies your current location to your clipboard. It will be a base sixty-four encoded string that staff members can use to know the location. You can paste this string to your bug report. It would be better if you wrote the location string at the end, not in the middle of the message.
Some tips before posting the bug report:
1. Make sure you report a single bug per report. Your ticket should not contain multiple issues. This applies to all the messages you send in a conversation.
2. It is better to author lengthy reports in an external text processing application. Writing in the game application can result in the loss of written text if you lose connection, the server restarts, or crashes.
3. Review your bug report before posting it.
4. Use simple, concise language in your report.
5. It is preferred that you post your bug reports in English only. You can use a translator to provide you with some help.
6. Do not post messages in bits and pieces like in chat applications.
7. Avoid spamming the conversation with follow-up messages.
There are some elements that do not fall into the category of bugs:
- Requests for new features to be added to the game: Everything related to adding, changing, and removing something from the game does not count as bugs. These fall under suggestions, and you should create separate suggestion tickets to share your ideas.
- Account/character-related issues: If the issue relates to your account or character, such as losing a death-free card or a compromised account password, it does not count as a bug. However, if something causes your character's death unexpectedly, you can report it as a bug.
- Player-related matters, such as cheating and misbehaving players: Actions related to player reports do not count as bugs. If you encounter someone cheating, you can report the ticket separately, providing the necessary details and referencing the ticket ID in the support ticket you create.
- Technical questions: Questions related to technical matters do not count as bug reports. If you have inquiries about how a certain feature works, what technology STW uses, or how to perform a specific action, you should not open a bug report but seek appropriate channels for technical support or documentation.
- Reservations about certain features: If you have concerns or reservations about certain features of the game, these do not qualify as bugs. You can express your opinions and feedback through other channels, such as forums or feedback forms.
By following these guidelines, you will be able to write a superb bug report that effectively communicates the issue to the game staff. Constructive feedback provided through bug reports helps in improving the game and creating a better experience for all players. We appreciate your dedication to making STW a great gaming environment!
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