All physical work on this topic can be found on page 8 of the black sketchbook, and page 3 of the black backlog.
Sketchbook (page 8)
Western States of the United States of America:
Washington
Oregon
Montana
Idaho
Wyoming
Utah
Colorado
New Mexico
Arizona
California
Nevada
Neighbouring states:
North Dakota (Midwest)
South Dakota (Midwest)
Kansas (Midwest)
Texas (South)
Oklahoma (South)
Missouri (Midwest)
(I mention the above states only because they border with the Western states and are frequently mentioned in various Western-themed media)
Backlog (page 3)
This small research exercise was simply to give a quick list of the Western states of the United States at a moment's notice.
Narrowing down what state you want to set your game in in this context gives more game design constraints, as some states were more developed than others. This means you can add features of that state as a game mechanic; for example some states wouldn't have certain breeds of cattle or would have more 'dry towns' than others.
This also adds historical accuracy to your game if you researched the state at the time of game setting.
Obviously, I have a set list of states to set my game in now.
These were the states being expanded and settled during the American frontier.
I have also included a small list of neighbouring and bordering Midwestern and Southern states alongside the Western ones as people from these states would journey into the west from their home states. They are also frequently mentioned in various Western-themed media. Their influence can be included in the game, as numerous breeds of cattle were driven from Texas, which is in the south.
Phase 3
20/11/2019
Week 6: 04/11/2019 - 10/11/2019
Week 7: 11/11/2019 - 17/11/2019
Week 8: 18/11/2019 - 24/11/2019
Week 9: 25/11/2019 - 01/12/2019