I spent probably the first five minutes just trying to nail down the data model before writing any logic, which I think was the right call but I second-guessed myself the whole time.
Start by clarifying the game rules and defining a clear data model for the board, stacks, and ownership. Then outline the move execution logic, including toppling and capturing, and finally discuss how to determine the winner or current state.
Pro tip: Demonstrate foresight by discussing edge cases like invalid moves, board boundaries, and stack overflow, and suggest a modular design that separates game logic from data representation for easier testing and extension.
Ask questions to confirm ambiguous rules: board size, move format, toppling mechanics, capture conditions, and win conditions. Ensure you understand the expected output format.
Define classes or structures for Board, Stack, and Player. Decide how to represent ownership (e.g., player ID on each piece) and how stacks are stored (e.g., list per cell).
Process each move: place a piece, topple the stack in the specified direction, and handle captures. Update the board state accordingly, managing stack sizes and ownership changes.
After all moves, evaluate the board to check for a winner (e.g., most pieces, specific capture condition) or return the current board state. Consider if the game can end early.
Walk through a simple example to verify logic, and discuss potential edge cases like invalid moves, boundary conditions, and stack limits.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.