User:Fab4187/enes100/poppit

Link to project cjf team page.

Write problem statement
Develop the best approach to play the strategy game poppit that will result in the least number of balloons left over.

Assign Task1
The task was assigned was was to play the game of poppit and develop several different approaches that would result in the least number of balloons remaining once the game was finished. The data was recorded and the results reported to the team. An approach was identified that led to the best results.

The goal was to play 100 games divided into 5 different strategies.


 * Method 1: Begin at the top left corner work to the right eliminating only the top row.  Jump to the next row when there are no more like-color groups of balloons to pop.  Again start at the left corner.  If a group of like-color balloons forms in the top row jump to the top left and start the process over.


 * Method 2: Begin at the top right corner work to the left eliminating only the top row.  Jump to the next row when there are no more like-color groups of balloons to pop.  Again start at the left corner.  If a group of like-color balloons forms in the top row jump to the top right and start the process over.


 * Method 3: Begin at the bottom left corner work to the right eliminating only the bottom row.  Jump to the next to last row when there are no more like-color groups of balloons to pop.  Again start at the left corner.  If a group of like-color balloons forms in the bottom row jump to the bottom left and start the process over.


 * Method 4: Begin at the bottom right corner work to the left eliminating only the bottom row.  Jump to the next to last row when there are no more like-color groups of balloons to pop.  Again start at the right corner.  If a group of like-color balloons forms in the bottom row jump to the bottom right and start the process over.


 * Method 5: Locate the largest group of like-color balloons and pop them. Continue to locate the next largest group of ballons and pop them.  Continue this approach until there are no more like-color balloons grouped together.

Compare actual work done to Task1
The goal of 100 games was not reached. A total of seventy games were played. Twenty games each were played using method 1 and method 2. A total of ten games each were played using method 3-5.

Week1 Narrative
After testing all five methods it was determined that method one was the best approach. The average number of balloons remaining for method one was 15.7. The worst method of the five was number three. The average number of balloons remaining for method three was 24.4.

The averages of method one and two were similar as expected. The results of methods 3 and four were also close.

Method five, with some further study, should prove to be the best.

Poopit Stats:

Week1 Peer Review

 * Felix was great to work with. Very organized and helpful throughout the poppit project. Jhasslinger 01:33, 19 September 2011 (UTC)
 * User_talk:Fab4187/enes100/poppit -- By CR