ParasiteInfection
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AI Explanation
🕑 Added 2024-12-27 05:32:38 +0000 UTCI wanted to drop the subject but I feel like people are not understanding the situation.
I was really fortunate with the first game to get the absolute pinnacle art style I wanted for this genre. It wasn't too detailed, it wasn't too cartoony, it was just perfect and ModeSeven (the artist) was amazing and did incredible work. The pictures were expensive but worth it.
But the time was really backbreaking. Sometimes they wouldn't respond for months at a time, and sometimes it would take like half a month just to get one pic correct. I never complained, they took on this project out of interest and everything he drew was magnificent. But he has his own stuff going on - he actually has no need of the money from this project, even though it was expensive for me it did feel like charity work from his vantage point.
At this point he has stopped responding to image requests completely. I don't feel bad - it's a very niche subject and they have their own universe of art they are creating. The issue is that all the artists (probably 10 or 12 over the years) I've attempted to recruit to replace or supplement their work have not created the same level of artwork and have not had nearly the same quality/price ratio.
It's my opinion that this is a situation where AI artwork, trained on the original art, can provide a huge value without replacing or displacing any real life artists.
So that's my stance on the subject. I'm not turning to AI art as some sort of low-effort method of vomiting art out into the game. We're going to have very specific imagery and it's going to be very specific to the plot, and it's going to be very high quality.
Comments
Captain Casual
Mmh, i get it. We used AI art for a bunch of our music releases because you need some kind of cover for every release, and paying an artist is just not in the budget for the time being. Much as we'd love to. We switched to a minimalist, silhouette-artstyle that we can do ourselves now, but that probably wouldn't work out for this kinda project. Tell you what though, do what we do: Consider commissioning an artist as a possibility, or even a goal, for the future, eh? Heck, they might not even need to draw new images. Maybe if someone were willing to take the existing AI art and touch it up, getting rid of odd artifacts and adding some human touches?Just a tought, though. Not sure if artists would generally be willing to do that sort of thing.
futaba66
I'm not a big fan of AI Art, mainly because people use and see it as convenient tool to speedrun a work without spending effort on it. But at the same time I understand that it's hard to recruit artist on niche subject, even more when you don't have any garantee they will stay in contact... I will see how your work turn before judging anything out of respect for your first work
Anon Smith
The new game should be coming out in May or potentially sooner
The Wieg
As a side note, it's really hard not to get up on a soap box about this, as it is really a matter of personnel responsibility in the use of a tool that is the crux of the ethics debate and not the tool its self as I see it. Read Ray Bradbury, There Will Come Soft Rains to maybe illustrate the point.
The Wieg
Over the years I have been working with various performers and artists (making props, stage work, creating tools and such), and consistency is one of the hardest things to get and even harder still to maintain. I like the idea that xoe_a presents, and I wholeheartedly agree with your use of AI in this context. Ethically, noting what models and LORA's your using in the credits section to me is more then enough. As you are not spamming pictures out, but taking considerable time (I would invite everyone to experiment with how limiting image gen is) to produce an image, I am inclined to classify what your are doing as informed art. That is, subject C in the style of person R to create a X scenario. It tells a story using methods from others. Quinen Tarrantino has made a killing doing just that. Banksy is another, and you Anon are acknowledging just that.
PurpleWalker
Understandable. Also, do you know or have an estimate when the next release might be coming out?
Michael Hannan
I understand, and support the decision. It was a last resort thing for you, and it's not affecting any real artists by you using it, so I find it perfectly acceptable.
xoe_a
If this is the case, it might be good to have an option to turn off art, as even beyond the moral/ethical discussion the distinct visual artifacts of generative AI art can be very distracting and off-putting for some.
Jurriën Dokter
I get your choice and I support it. As long as we get a good looking game, I could not care less :D <3
Kazard
The game doesn't need art. If you can't find someone who wants to do the work then no art is by far the letter alternative.
Viola
I'm not a hardliner against AI, I prefer supporting real artists but given the context to your situation I think this is the best choice moving forward. It is an extremely niche space and I understand the difficulty in finding an artist that fits your needs/quality and budget. I hope others can get on board with your situation and you don't lose supporters, you probably will though unfortunately. Many people fight the good fight and it can at times hurt projects like yours.
RHüz
It's disappointing but I get it. Needs must.
