Evolution of a Challenge Entry

By Sealine

Inspired by @jmn blog on the subject. Lately, I see the challenge topic and I have two thoughts: First, what the heck? Second, how can I make something with such a narrow focus interesting and unique without being too far from what people expect. This is not an easy task. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not so much. The 'Human Chessboard' challenge was no different. I started trying to think of something different and interesting for the opposing sides. My first thought was fairies and trolls. Which resulted in the following image: As I'm looking at the image, some problems jump out that I want to change/fix. I don't like the diagonal layout of the board with the odd position of the pieces, and the background is vary closed off and boring. Made some adjustments and ended up with this image. Getting better but it's boring with the pieces lined up on opposing sides. Quick adjustment resulted in the following image: Since results are so unpredictable, I'm trying to not put too much time and effort into entries. I submitted with the caption 'A game of crowns and claws' and went to bed. By morning, my brain was realizing the challenge title was 'Human Chessboard' and perhaps this was stretching 'human' a bit too far into the fantasy realm and a new idea was born. Some minor adjustments here there and this image was created. I was tempted to change submission and be done, but the board still said fairy realm and the being in the sky was too far to back to be noticed or appear to be controlling the game. I had to sacrifice some of the background, but this was the final image: I swapped my submission and changed the caption to 'Heaven's Gambit'. At the time of writing, it's still undetermined when I might finish. I do peak in and see how I'm doing occasionally and voting is volatile. At one point, I wasn't sure I'd make top 10. A little later, it was looking like top 3. But now I'm back down again and still 7 hours to go. Will wait to post until voting ends so I can share results. For fun, here's some screenshots from along the way of my standings. I ended up finishing 4th in this challenge. Tough to know what voters will go for. As you can see, I had a nice win streak earlier today adding 20 wins to 7 losses, after that I went on a losing streak with 10 losses and no wins.

Comments (10)

DavidP

@Sealine thanks for sharing your process. I would have to disagree with "Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not so much." I think most times you are succesful, that's why last time a leaderboard was produced you were one of the leaders 😀 And you deserve this since based on this you put far more into creating your submission and thought about what might appeal to voters than I do. Would people have treated the theme quite literally so as to not pick trolls and faeries. My gut says no, but you never know. As for the final image. It is a good idea, fabulous image. Makes me think of Terry Pratchett in which gods do battle against each other through activities of characters in the Discworld (if I recall correctly). So two gods playing out the gambit with hapless humans would have been even better

Sealine

Thank you! Yes, I was running opposites through my head and what would look good visually. In the end, I was stuck on an actual chess board and didn't even consider the more human interactions with a chess influence. Seems most people went that route, and a number of those entries did well.

JMN

A great insight to your process and outlined rather well, even with vote tracking. Your final entry was great but ngl, I really like the fae vs troll idea! The human constraint got me too😖 In my mind, I was pitting all sorts of opposites against each other on the board😅

Unleashed

Being at 1611 and suddenly having a ten consecutive loss streak sounds like something fishy with the voting. Someone with ten accounts downvoting images that look like potential winners to give themselves a better shot. Your blog is well written and interesting. I gave your blog the clap.

TTRPG_Player

Great images! I have to read later...

Sealine

Appreciate the comment and feedback. I do usually consider what voters might vote for, but it definitely doesn't always work and it's not always what I create. I've been in the bottom half with something I thought would do well with voters, and in the top 10 with something I did for me and was sure they would hate. At the end of the day, some of use might be better at predicating what will do well, @velvet_hour_x comes to mind as being in the top a lot, but no one can always predict what the majority will go for.

DavidP

For sure, it's a bit of a lottery. Maybe because we've chatted about the Challenge, here and in DC, quite a bit I am more aware when you do well, and am not making notes so I lose track. You and GermanCowboy stick in my mind, and Wizfield. And being top of the leaderboard when Vrieming published that doesn't help 😀 So whatever you may think and say, I think you do better than most overall - and I am happy for you. Your images and consistently good, so it is well deserved.

Sealine

Hard to say, but voting does seem to go in clusters a lot. I really wish I could see all entries in the challenge before getting repeats. Glad you enjoyed the blog, thanks for reading.

Sealine

Thanks! I know I plan to read so many blogs and have trouble getting back. Never enough time in the day!