This week, our team has been “settling” on Catan as our game of choice. A lot of thought went behind our selection, including factors such as how popular and complex the game is. We decided to use a decision matrix to rate our game based on different factors and give each factor a weight to indicate how important that factor is to us.

Upon choosing Catan, our next goal was to get a simulation running of the game. We need a simulation that provides an API for our AI model. Open-source simulations exist, though we may also have to consider the possibility of creating a simulation manually.

Additionally, we are preparing to present our design to our Sponsor. This involves making a detailed list of requirements and specifications. One example of a specification is our model’s win rate. Given that Catan is a 3-to-4-player game and requires significant strategic planning, it may be difficult to achieve even a 50% win rate. We’ll have to decide on a goal for our project, and then work to meet those goals.