We’re wrapping things up on a high note! Our Final Design Review (FDR) presentation was a success, filled with positive vibes and great feedback. It’s been an incredible journey, and we’re so proud of what we’ve accomplished together.

Before we say goodbye, we wanted to leave you with something special. Our final video captures the heart and soul of our project, showcasing the passion and hard work we’ve poured into every aspect.

To everyone who’s been a part of this adventure, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It’s been a blast, and we can’t wait to see where our paths lead next.

Until we meet again,

Siimul8

This week, our team delivered a peer review presentation for the Final Design Review (FDR). While we received valuable feedback that highlighted areas for improvement in our presentation slides, we were pleased with our team’s strong presentation skills.

One of the highlights of the week was the opportunity to witness the impressive work of teams SurgiGauge and Parrotronix, who showcased innovative products despite not being software-focused teams.

As we wrap up this week and gear up for finals week, the workload intensifies. Our focus is on completing testing, optimizing our project, documenting our progress, and refining our presentation skills as efficiently as possible. It’s a busy time, but we’re committed to delivering excellence in every aspect of our project. As this week comes to a close, we gear up for the FDR next week, ready to showcase our progress and hard work.

This week was all about unleashing our team’s creativity as we delved into the exciting world of video production. We captured the essence of our prototype in a captivating video, giving a sneak peek into what we’ve been working on. Stay tuned because you’ll soon get to experience the magic of our final video! The video made its debut in front of all the other teams, receiving a warm round of applause as it concluded.

Additionally, we’re diving deep into optimizations for our MCTS (Monte Carlo Tree Search) algorithm. Testing is underway, and we’re fine-tuning every aspect to ensure smooth sailing as we progress towards our goals.

Our Prototype Inspection Day has come and gone, and we’re thrilled to report that it was a resounding success. The judges were genuinely impressed with the progress we’ve made and even had the chance to play-test our game, guided by our trusty MCTS (Monte Carlo Tree Search) assistant.

While the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, there were a few critiques regarding our graphics. However, we’re not too disheartened by this minor criticism, as our main focus has always been on the functionality and gameplay mechanics of the game.

Overall, it was a rewarding experience to showcase our hard work and receive validation from industry experts. This event has motivated us even more to fine-tune our project and take it to the next level.

This week marked a major achievement for our team – we successfully integrated the AI assistant into our game, and it’s up and running! It couldn’t have come at a better time, just in time for our Prototype inspection day. Now, everyone can use the AI assistant during playtesting to enhance their training experience.

However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves – the AI assistant isn’t flawless yet. There are still plenty of tweaks and adjustments needed in the game’s logic to ensure a seamless game flow. Balancing a game is no easy feat, and it’s a sentiment echoed by many game developers. It’s a continuous process of fine-tuning and refining to achieve that perfect balance and enjoyable gameplay experience.

As a team, we initially had concerns about the efficiency of the AI assistant during playtesting. The first run of the algorithm took over 20 seconds, causing some worry. However, we quickly realized that this delay was due to the printing of thousands of debug statements into the console. Once we removed these unnecessary prints, the AI assistant ran much more efficiently, significantly reducing the time needed for each simulation.

Throughout this week, our team has been analyzing the components required for the algorithm to function smoothly. The game state now accurately records the status of each turn. However, we recognized the need for further refinement in the game logic to ensure seamless operation of the algorithm. So, we took a step back and fine-tuned how the Red and Blue teams interact. This tweak makes it easier for the Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm to navigate through everything without breaking.

Oh, and let’s not forget about Thomas! He surprised the team with some new visuals for the game. He whipped up some awesome graphics to replace those old debug sprites, giving our project a whole new level of polish and professionalism. The best part about it? He did it in Microsoft Paint.

As spring break rolls around, it’s a time for relaxation, rejuvenation, and a break from our usual routine. For our team, it’s a chance to recharge our batteries and come back refreshed and ready to tackle the next phase of our project.

During spring break, our team took a step back from the hustle and bustle of deadlines and meetings. While we made some minor changes here and there, nothing major was tackled. Instead, team members had the freedom to work at their own pace and focus on areas of interest or personal development within the project.

Starting this week, the team is shifting its focus towards developing the AI assistant. This assistant is tasked with simulating hundreds of games without disrupting the current game state. To achieve this, we’re disconnecting any components within our code that could interfere with this process. This allows our algorithm to run simulations and provide users with the optimal choices that maximize the blue team’s chances of winning, all while maintaining the integrity of our ongoing game.

This step is crucial as we gear up for prototype inspection day, where the functionality and effectiveness of our AI assistant will play a significant role in showcasing the progress and potential of our project.

Additionally, we’ve enhanced our UI to display Blue Team defenses the user can select, machine health, and state, providing a comprehensive view for strategic decision-making.

As a final note, this marks our last week before heading into a well-deserved spring break.

This week marked a significant milestone for the team as we presented our project to the Qualification Review Board 2. We received fantastic feedback, and I’m thrilled to share that we managed to implement the new feature requested last week just in time for the presentation. The game is starting to take shape, and now our attention is turning towards an exciting new phase: integrating an AI assistant.

The AI assistant will play a crucial role in helping users make optimal decisions when defending against a Red Team attack – the main focus of our project. But here’s the thing – building this AI assistant isn’t a walk in the park. You see, we had to build the game from the ground up, along with all its components, to provide the algorithm with enough data to evaluate and make informed decisions. It’s been quite the journey, but we’re getting closer to our goal every day.

This week, we were privileged to delve into the enlightening topic of “Leadership in Engineering – Inclusion, Diversity & Implicit Bias,” graciously presented by Milliken & Company. The session provided invaluable insights that resonated deeply with the team, sparking thoughtful reflections and inspiring us to consider new perspectives as we navigate our project journey.

So, now our focus has shifted to QRB 2, and after touching base with our liaison, they threw a new feature request our way. They want to be able to peek into the red team’s network, so that’s become our side mission for QRB 2.

Moreover, amidst these preparations, our progress continues unabated. We’ve made significant strides, particularly in establishing the initial interaction between the red and blue teams, laying a solid foundation for further advancements.