As a practical part of the DECOI summer school the participants had to design and implement a strategy for the "capture the flag" game. The 'capture the flag' game is a simplified derivative of the well known outdoor game 'living stratego': In the game, two teams each consisting of an equal number of players and a flag, play against each other. The objective of each team is to locate the opposing team's flag, capture it and return it to their own flag-point as fast as possible. The first team to succeed in doing so wins. Additionally, different ranks can be assigned to the agents within a team. These ranks trigger the interactions between agents of opposing teams. Regarding a ranks effectiveness (i.e. how many other ranks it can take out), a price is assigned to a rank. A team is not restricted to a certain amount of ranks but it can choose which ranks to use individually as long as it meets its rank-budget. This gives the team the opportunity to incorporate rank selection and use within its strategy.
This task was chosen as a practical part of DECOI2006, because it nicely represents the challenges of designing a collective intelligence. Since the agents in this game only have local knowledge of the environment and their opponents, a smart strategy is needed that involves searching, communicating, avoid-attack strategies and collaboration (i.e. a collective intelligence).
The "capture the flag" game and the team strategies where implemented in Breve, a 3d simulation environment for Mult-Agent Simulations and Artificial Life.

Following teams submitted in a strategy:

1. Moral Winners
2. Team Canada
3. Team Portugal
4. Team Scout
5. Team Grieve
6. Team HvA
7. Team Groningen
8. Team Bomba
Team Bomba
Team Moral Winners
Team Portugal