Progress Update #58 🛠️ – Use of AI for Board Games and Video Games is Good and If You Don’t Think So, Just Read This

Fantasy Tabletop Devlog – Why AI in Board Games is Good, AI Art Controversy, Indie Game Development & The Future of Game Creation

Okayyy! Today’s devblog is going to be a little bit different.

We are going to be basically talking about Frozen Realms and the scaryyyy topic of using AI XD Well, at least for a considerable amount of people the topic is controversial, so let’s go and talk about it, cause why not?

So from when we started we were always very transparent, as yes, we do use AI for Frozen Realms. That is for the graphical side of things. We hired artists, that is true, but there are some AI graphics. What is our reasoning? Well… to us controlled use of AI is okay in the product, no questions asked. We make some graphics with the help of AI and then approve, enhance and change them and we don’t see any problems with that approach. If you think differently, go ahead, drop your thoughts in the comments.

But to get to the point. The only reason why Frozen Realms can exist the way it does, why it made it to the prototype stage, is thanks to AI tools. Before you start, ask yourself: do you really think MTG doesn’t use AI in their cards? Please XDD It’s laughable. Each big company uses AI. If you think any different, then you need to do some research. Take a look at this Spider-Man card from MTG which had some major drama on Reddit. If you still don’t think it’s AI, well, look at the flag and the fact that Spider-Man somehow has 4 fingers instead of 5. You can see that for yourself XD

Spider-Man card from Magic: The Gathering – Image © Wizards of the Coast.

But that is not the point. The critique here could be that they should have had better quality control and done some graphical changes. It’s not that they used AI, it’s that they should have checked the image it made. Now, there are barely any indie games without AI, because the graphical side costs so much that very few studios have the finances to get a project off the ground by self-financing it. They either need a sponsor, investors, or money from somewhere else. But there is a way you can use AI and, in our mind, it’s completely fine. If you control what you make, check it later, enhance it, make it fit the world, there is no issue.

And the arguments against AI? That it steals art? XD That’s one of my favourites actually. So laughable that it’s crazy. And you don’t steal it? What… you just came from the womb with your own ideas and no inspiration? You haven’t checked any other works from anyone and never got inspiration from them? Please… That’s exactly what AI does. It does what you do when you learn to draw, but much, much faster.

Another one – bad for the environment? Okay, sure. And you when you use Google? When you use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube, play games, use Steam, whatever, that is not bad for the environment? What, so you think all of those applications and websites just run in the air or what? No. They use huge datacenters that are not exactly environmentally friendly either. Just so you know. So if you don’t want to be a hypocrite, then maybe go ahead, disconnect yourself from any web services and live in the woods. You can’t buy food either, cause those are factories, you know, they are very bad for the environment too XD. Okayy, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration XD But you get the point.

Artists are losing jobs. That’s true. But no one ever said not to hire them. We did, many times during this project. But not for every single illustration, as we have close to a 1000 and we simply can’t cover those costs. So when we get bigger, we will still work with artists, absolutely. But we will also use AI. If you don’t, you will simply get buried, as the bigger companies are using it too. So your product will simply be too costly in comparison to theirs if you don’t use it. As easy as it gets.

AI gives a chance to smaller developers to deliver a good game and have a real shot on the market and challenge the bigger players. It gives new possibilities that were not there before. And it also allows bigger companies to spend money in different areas too. It boosts everything. With AI you can do more and better quality work, if – and that has to be remembered – IF you know how to use it. If you control it and not just completely rely on it. Because that’s a sure path to low-quality so-called “slop”. Man do I hate this “slop” being thrown around left and right XDD

So yes, that is to all of the anti-AI people. You… are hypocrites, as you accept it when big companies make it, but when some indie game uses it, it suddenly becomes a witch hunt. Anyways, just wanted to talk a bit about it, as we got a lot of comments regarding that. Hope it clears things up and you know where we stand. See you next week! Ohh, and the campaign is still on:)

PS: In the end people are people. They will always complain and there will always be a big group of haters who want things to stay the way they were, but they won’t. It’s like when the printing press was discovered. What, do you think all of the scribes were happy? No, they weren’t XD There was a huge drama. If you want to read about it, just Google scribes. And where are the scribes now? Yeah… And what was their main argument? Loss of quality and artistry XD. Here you go. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? XDD

Here is the link to the wiki if you want to read more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press

Just scroll down to Contemporary criticism.

Okayy, and that’s it, cheers! 🔥