When I was hogging the grid I mostly would do a square or two, then let it sit for hours, then do a couple more, ...hours pass..., a few more.... I'm pretty sure it would often take a few days. Then once I had done an entire level in this way, I'd sometimes want to do the next entire level by myself, figuring that since there wasn't really collaboration (except "collaborating" with myself over time - more of a blending exercise), then it wouldn't be too disrespectful to the rest of the community to stack a quick level on top where I could try to figure out a way to evolve the images from the previous level. The Mikecosm was the same kind of challenge. Obviously, I've still got a long way to go before I can really do it justice.

I don't mind 1 square per artist per level, but sometimes it's so much easier to do a couple to allow more complicated transitions from one square to another. So on a technical level, it would be more difficult to make blendy levels even with willing players. But it could be worth it. I'd rather have no more than two per level per player (rather than 1), but I don't mind 1. I mostly just try to blend these days anyway, now that the inspiration isn't sweating me as hard.

What about a gridhogcosm for the overly enthusiastic? Where there are no limits in the structure and gridhogging is fine as long as its done collaboratively (and tolerated in any case). So you could have participants taking whole levels successively but still collaborating to make an image, like AUS and I did on 476, 477.

MKC