Scribble Labs - Final Report

[TPG (2)]

Yippee!! I told you this would be fun!!

HEY LITTLE ONES HOW GOES THE HOMEWORK - OH WHAT THE DICKENS IS GOING ON HERE

BREAKING MY SACRED SCRIBBLE STANDARDS ONCE MORE ARE YOU? IN MY OWN ROYAL BASEMENT? IT WAS A MISTAKE TO SHOW YOU MERCY, YOU'VE ONLY SHOWN FLAGRANT DISRESPECT IN RESPONSE!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DEFY MY ORDER?

N-no! We were j-just having some fun! You can't possibly be so cruel!

HAHAHAHA YOU GUYS ARE SO SCREWED. KINGSBOURNES (THE REAL ONES), COME KILL THESE GUYS

finally! some action
finally! some action
finally! some action
finally! some action

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Round - Palette Swap - has begun. We're going back to basics with traditional (2 hour) Scribble rules, with just one twist - you have to use the color of your opponent instead of your own. For the first time, you will no longer have the comfort of using the color you signed up with.

You will be able to find your opponent's colour in the Sign-Up list at the start of this forum thread, or in the matchup chart posted above.

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The prompt category is:
Revenge of the Kingsbournes
e.g. OOMPAH LOOMPAH BEATING ME TO DEATH, BOMB THREAT, WORKING FOR LUCIFER, etc.

In 2022, I hosted Scribble Showdown with the help of my Kingsbournes, loyal friends who I could call upon to immediately back up or replace the occasional missing Scribble. After years of spectating, they have grown weary of the delicately curated and themed prompts, and have given me a few dozen prompts that they want to see included in the game.

I make no promises. Expect Kaizo-tier shenanigans.

Round submissions end:
Apr 22, 2024 at 6:00 PM
​

 

[BEEEEEAAARRRS]

 

[TPG (2)]

Round submissions end:
Apr 22, 2024 at 6:00 PM

Since this is a bonus round, there's no pressure to Scribble this week, and sitting out is completely ok!

There's a lot of people I'm waiting on though,
and I'll need to sort out backups, so;

If you don't have plans/aren't able to Scribble this week, please react with a Sad emoji.

If you aren't playing, would like to contribute a Scribble as a guest artist to replace someone sitting out, and can do this before the time posted above, please react with a Wow emoji.

This will help me co-ordinate the final round a little better, and I won't need to scramble at the last second to replace people who have sat out without saying.

 

[Lakituthequick]

I have received word from the orb.

The orb says that TPG says that the voting will be delayed by about two hours while backup scribblers finish up their vital work. The orb also says that TPG will collapse if he tries to post this message (read: kill a million attachments in a WIP post).

The orb also says to ponder it.

 

[TPG (2)]

Prompts from the minds of the Kingsbournes

Thank you all so much for taking part these last 5 weeks! Let's see what you came up with for this bonus round.

(Note; a few people decided to sit out this round. They have been replaced by volunteer Scribblers, whom I can't thank enough for quickly responding to the call to action and keeping the match-ups full.)

(For the last-minute replacements made by Gabumon and myself, we restricted ourselves to drawing with our non-dominant hands and under a 20 minute time limit.)​

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- mario dies and DOESNT COME BACK -

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- Soul Pit -

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- trouble in the beer factory -

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- Fizzy Drink Warfare -

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- The best meal you ever had -

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- mr tree hugger 4000 -

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- stand-up comedy in HELL -

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- a night of Gammon -

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- bastards vs monsters -

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- THE CREATURE IS JOYOUS -

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- Great Yearning -

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- Bowser gets huge news that will change the world forever!! -

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- HOMEWORK SUCKS!! I HATE HOMEWORK!!! RAAAHHHHH -

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And, introducing two guest artists...

- Valentine's Day at the zoo -

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​

Click here to vote! Voting will last: Apr 23, 2024 at 6:59 PM

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Bonus content:

Spoiler: Extra Prompts

THE BIGGEST SCARE OF YOUR LIFE
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DRAW?
MALE BUSINESSMAN, TIRED, WORN DOWN, ORANGE HAIR, SUSPENDERS, DAY TRADER, NIGHT TRADER, ANTIQUE DISNEY ANIMATION, CONCEPT ART, ILLUSTRATION,
SENOR UGLY
OOMPAH LOOMPAH BEATING ME TO DEATH
FUCK OFF STUPID CHICKEN
ELITE STRIDER
LITTLE DEMONS IN MY LITTLE COMPUTER
DRAW YOUR OC AS A HOMESTUCK GOD TIER https://homestuck.net/tools/classpect-quiz/
MOON SCHIZO
SOLVE POLITICAL CRISIS OF CHOICE
KILLING STAR WARS
THE CONQUEST OF THE BLENS
BOMB THREAT
THE BILLION DOLLAR DONUT
FUNKO POP DESTRUCTION (YOU CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER CHARACTER THE FUNKO POP IS)
KRAMER STRIKES BACK
WHERES WALLY
WHERE IS KRAMER RIGHT NOW?
WORKING FOR LUCIFER
KRAMER'S LAST DANCE
THE SKY IS FALLING
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR ARE TRIED IN COURT

Here's some of the prompts I decided to spare you from. If you're ever bored or want to do more Scribbling, try one of these! I'd be happy to see them posted here whilst we wait for results. You can use any of these prompts alongside any of the weekly rulesets we've been trying out here.

 

[Lin Beifong]

Bonus content:

Spoiler: Extra Prompts

THE BIGGEST SCARE OF YOUR LIFE
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DRAW?
MALE BUSINESSMAN, TIRED, WORN DOWN, ORANGE HAIR, SUSPENDERS, DAY TRADER, NIGHT TRADER, ANTIQUE DISNEY ANIMATION, CONCEPT ART, ILLUSTRATION,
SENOR UGLY
OOMPAH LOOMPAH BEATING ME TO DEATH
FUCK OFF STUPID CHICKEN
ELITE STRIDER
LITTLE DEMONS IN MY LITTLE COMPUTER
DRAW YOUR OC AS A HOMESTUCK GOD TIER https://homestuck.net/tools/classpect-quiz/
MOON SCHIZO
SOLVE POLITICAL CRISIS OF CHOICE
KILLING STAR WARS
THE CONQUEST OF THE BLENS
BOMB THREAT
THE BILLION DOLLAR DONUT
FUNKO POP DESTRUCTION (YOU CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER CHARACTER THE FUNKO POP IS)
KRAMER STRIKES BACK
WHERES WALLY
WHERE IS KRAMER RIGHT NOW?
WORKING FOR LUCIFER
KRAMER'S LAST DANCE
THE SKY IS FALLING
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR ARE TRIED IN COURT

Here's some of the prompts I decided to spare you from. If you're ever bored or want to do more Scribbling, try one of these! I'd be happy to see them posted here whilst we wait for results. You can use any of these prompts alongside any of the weekly rulesets we've been trying out here.

DRAW YOUR OC AS A HOMESTUCK GOD TIER
https://homestuck.net/tools/classpect-quiz/

​

 

[Lin Beifong]

MOON SCHIZO

I hope I'm not somehow misinterpreting this call to action.​

 

[TPG (2)]

ROUND - RESULTS
The winning Scribbles are shown below.​

MCD vs TURB and HOODED PITOHUI vs NINELEVENDO were both very close matchups - their vote difference was just 1.

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Congratulations to Gabumon, this season's only undefeated player!
Final results and other treats will be posted soon. Stay tuned.

Thank you all so much for playing. If you want to give feedback, please use this form. I'll summarise the feedback here in a report about a week after the final results, and will send over all feedback and suggestions to our incoming Scribble 2024 host, Toadbert.​

 

[Sir Pentious]

TPG is the rule when you win a scribble game you need to host the next one

 

[TPG (2)]

It's more of a curse than a rule

originally GBA planned to host scribble 2022 as well but had to drop out due to akgo taking up more energy than expected. I offered to take over hosting as the "winner" of the previous year on a whim, and the tradition stuck

Its not set in stone or anything but its pretty funny. idk if it applies to offshoot games

 

[Lin Beifong]

To be honest, I'm probably going to do it anyway; I want to try my hands at doing a Scribble Labs experimentation kit too.

Not now though. Next game is going to be Toadbert's take on the mainline annual Scribble event using the standard format.

 

[TPG (2)]

Whilst you await the final results and ending...

THE BONUS ROUND is now open! With over 100 Scribbles and dozens of Scribblers, you get the chance to say, "Hey! You! I liked this one the most!". For each Scribbler, you get to vote for your favourite Scribble that they made this year!

Vote for your favourite Scribbles using this form!
Voting will last a few days, basically as long as it takes for me to wrap everything else up.​

EDIT: Voting link fixed

 

[TPG (2)]

SCRIBBLE LABS 2024 - FINALE (Part 1 of 3)
Each player's top voted Scribble and final result is shown below.​

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[TPG (2)]

SCRIBBLE LABS 2024 - FINALE (Part 2 of 3)

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Standing champion alongside the Scribblers he fought with, the Octomagnet begins to pulse with a Deep Fathom Green, whilst the hues of his opponents overflow and swirl around him. Growing, truly embodying the draconian forme he always had, he directs his stern gaze towards the enemy.

Oh shit. The King's seen this before, once - his own ascension. Could this power outbid his own claim to the throne? The King gathers the Kingsbournes close - even poor Beta, who, despite it all, was still his son. Together, they pray, and prepare for the worst.

Light engulfs the basement, and the Octomagnet-turned-Dragotron begins to rearrange the very essence of reality around itself. When the ink settles, the King and his subjects find themselves in a very, VERY, unfamiliar setting.​

A cosy counselling office.

The dragon speaks.

"Look, I may just be the immortal soul of an ancient wizard possessing an ocean-themed refrigerator magnet hijacking a dragon-shaped parcel delivery robot, but I sense some deep-seated emotional fractures within this family unit that I believe it would be prudent to discuss."

"So I would like to begin this session with a trust exercise I've read about in a magazine once, wherein..."

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~ Family Therapy ending unlocked ~​

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Once again, thank you all so much for tagging along on this adventure. It's been amazing.

I'm going to continue collecting feedback on this game until Tuesday, after which I will present the findings of this experiment formally, in the last part of this finale.

If you haven't yet, have a look at that feedback form. It's not too long, and getting as many opinions on this experience as possible would be ideal.​

 

[TPG (2)]

SCRIBBLE LABS 2024 - FINALE (Part 3 of 3)​

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Scribble Labs 2024 - Final Report
Kingsbourne Beta

Fort Neverset, Kingdom of Scribbles

(Dated: May 1st, 2024)​

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1. Introduction
Scribble Labs 2024 was an experimental offshoot of the Scribble tournament format, testing the value of several rule changes and twists on the formula. When the game ended, feedback was collected formally through an online form, collecting responses from 10 players and 3 spectators. Informal feedback, collected privately, will also be included in the presentation of these results.

By analysing and examining the total collected feedback, future tournaments can make informed choices about what special rounds to include, if any.

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2. Round-Specific Feedback

This section will go over specific feedback for each round. Information in italics is taken directly from the feedback form without considering informal feedback.

2a. Shared Palette
Percentage of people who would want to see it again: 100%

Generally, this was a very effective and well-received round. Three rounds this game were based on changing or altering the colours players use - Shared Palette is the only one that completely levelled the playing field between opponents, forcing them both to engage with the palette they created together. Even if the combined palette wasn't the most pleasant (see; FWD vs TB) the challenge then becomes how to best utilise the combination in service of your drawing.

Being forced to use a palette instead of being given freedom to pick your own is an additional restraint on top of the already strict rules and prompts, but this was generally seen as a positive challenge. Some pieces of feedback noted that the palette they had allowed them to take their Scribble in a direction they wouldn't have thought of if just using their base colour and the prompt.

People generally appreciated the 'additional colour' rounds, though general preferences seem to be in favour of this one over Tricolor or Palette Swap, potentially due to the more accessible nature of this round.

2b. Speedy Scribble
Percentage of people who would want to see it again: 69.2% (60% of players, 100% of spectators)

Each round aimed to shift the balance of which 'skills' would be most effective when Scribbling. With a 20 minute time limit, the balance moves away from detail and composition, and gives an advantage to being able to quickly come up with and execute an idea. This benefitted some and was an issue for others - those who struggled to come up with ideas quickly noted their frustration at losing essentially half of their time to thinking.

Due to the more punishing nature of this round, it may not be worth keeping on as part of a more competitive tournament. To quote one of the responses;

There's a bunch of doodling games and challenges that enforce super strict time limits (gartic phone etc.) and I feel like it works there since the atmosphere is usually more relaxed and the competition is kind of rapid-fire by design, but for a multi-week tournament where people tend to generally become pretty invested this kind of "think fast" gimmick might lead to some frustration. It was fine and honestly pretty fun this time, but with enough future repetitions I'm worried someone's otherwise good run will be ruined by a tough prompt or a bad day or something unrelated to their actual art skill.

Similar sentiment has been expressed to me in private, which I agree with.

The feedback form also asked for other suggestions for a similar 'altered time limit' round. The feedback here was extremely varied, ranging from 3 minutes to 4 days. Perhaps more experimentation is required.

2c. Complete the Scribble
Percentage of people who would want to see it again: 92.3% (100% of players, 66.7% of spectators)

A very unique and well-received round. Conceptually, I think this one is the strongest and one that has the most potential in future experimental games, even if it's too wild for the mainline series.

One note I got - people generally preferred the more abstract, loose prompts instead of the objective ones, as it gave them more freedom to play with different ideas. I think there's merit to the objective ones, but the matches with those prompts essentially boiled down to 'whoever disregards the "objective" in the most creative way wins'. Abstract is likely the way forward here.

A contentious point is how the rule 'preserve the essence of the base image' should be interpreted. There's no easy way to talk about this without pointing fingers, so I'm going to bite the bullet and single one out.

Citri's Scribble was well within the bounds of the rules for this match. You can see clear care being put into how this image was composed, with each part of the base prompt being represented in some way in her image, even if things don't line up perfectly. The rules here were vague for a reason, and her interpretation here was definitely more... generous, I guess, compared to the others. But the overall impression I got from feedback here is that a line should be drawn to make people be less generous with their interpretations in the future.

The balance here is tricky to land - using the prompt as a compositional guide gives players a lot more freedom to do what they want, but that level of freedom can also be seen as going against the spirit of the game. Some players indicated to me that they really liked having to get creative to work around the restrictions, and would have done something a lot more predictable if they were to just use the prompt as a compositional guide.

I think the rules should be firmer and should explicitly ask Scribblers to keep the majority of the lines intact, but better and more curated prompts should be made to allow for a wider variety of compositions and interpretations (I loved the Dodo vs BBQ Turtle for this reason - two very different takes on a more simple, abstract prompt).

I personally loved this round, but agree that the rules need to be firmer moving forward. Thankfully, there was a huge variety of styles and interpretations here, so it should be pretty easy to make an informed decision about how to host this round in the future.

2d. Tricolor Mania
Percentage of people who would want to see it again: 84.6% (80% of players, 100% of spectators)

Many of the 'Best of 2024' winners were from this round, which goes to show how effective palette choices can be. However, this round is not without its criticism.

Like with the Shared Palette round, additional colours can be utilised well to make stunning visuals and set unique moods. However, a lot of feedback both on the form and in private emphasised that there was too much freedom here, and the palette chosen by the player would pretty much make or break their entire submission. A bad palette can destroy your chances of winning much more than a bad drawing ever could (not naming names).

Moving forward, this round could be made more suitable by reintroducing more restrictions, such as forcing players to pick their palette when signing up, forcing players to use the same tricolor palette as their opponent, etc. I personally don't think this round should be seen again without better balancing. A good way to start would be making players include their base colour as part of their tricolor palette.

2e. Palette Swap
Percentage of people who would want to see it again: 100%

Colour choice in a Scribble tournament is an understated factor - the contrast your colour has with black and white will affect the overall balance and composition of the artwork. Things like saturation and lightness will also come into play here. Players who have been more or less Scribbling with the same colour since 2021 may get used to how to best Scribble with their chosen hue. Forcing them to go without that colour will also force them to experiment with a different style, a different mood, which can make or break their submission.

Some players appreciated the opportunity to experiment with a new colour, and noted that it changed the way they approached their submission, which is great and exactly what I was hoping for with this round. Personally, I think this is a pretty tame but interesting round concept. I'm not sure if you could do much else with it.

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3. General Game Feedback

This section will go over feedback for the general running of the game.

3a. Time Limit

In the feedback form, I asked how people felt about the change to the time limit from 4 to 2 hours. Here's the key data:

There's been a lot of discussion between me and players in private about the merits of different time limits. Longer time limits allow for more thinking time and gives less experienced artists the bonus time to catch up with more experienced artists, who use the back half of the time limit to focus on details and tweaks instead of building the image. However, a longer time limit also increases the amount of commitment needed, makes it harder to find the time to Scribble, and puts pressure on more competitive players to use the full time limit against their opponent.

It seems 3 hours is the sweet spot. When I did my backup Scribble against Toadbert, I felt that the 2 hour limit was good, but I certainly would have appreciated another hour. 4 hours was really difficult for me in 2023.

3b. Number of Rounds + Matchmaking
Not much to say here; 5 rounds seems to be perfect as-is, with most people wanting to keep it at that number. In terms of matchmaking, the number of rematches from earlier years was personally a bit disappointing. If I was hosting again, I'd definitely move towards curating the matchups myself to avoid repeats. This sentiment is generally shared across the feedback responses.

3c. Prompt Categories
In Scribble 2021 and 2022, prompts were largely based on things from the Mario series, with a few exceptions (Kaizos are usually much easier to interpret without using Mario, and the COMMUNITY and ABSTRACTION rounds from 2021/22 were also a departure from the typical prompts). Scribble 2023 took a different approach, basing the prompts on ideas and scenarios instead of objective Things From Mario.

As this was an offshoot game, I reused a mix of prompts from the 2021 and 2022 games for the first two rounds to save time and effort, and to avoid coming up with new categories that future hosts might want to use. The third, fourth and fifth rounds used original prompts that didn't have much to do with anything, by their nature. I've gotten a few notes about this with mixed feedback - some people didn't like the randomness of the final three prompt categories, and others didn't like the return to relying on Mario-based prompts.

Prompts are very important to the game - a bad one can ruin someone's week - and it's vital to select prompts that inspire creativity. This can be creativity in interpreting the prompt, such as in the Kaizo rounds, or creativity in how you present the prompt, if it's a more objective one. Personally, I think a bit of Mario is fine as long as the prompts are still easy to creatively interpret. 2022's 'GAME GENRE' round (Olympics, Parkour, Parties - things that Mario does in his games) seems like a good compromise.

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4. Conclusion
Scribble is pretty fun!