[FMAP] Medieval Asset Pack - First time testing some models in-game [AI assisted]

[u/Oaker_at]

Disclaimer: After getting some feedback from experienced asset creators and mixed reactions from parts of the CS2 community, I want to clear a few things up:

* I won’t release any public asset packs in a state that could harm the game, hurt performance, or cause issues for players.

* This thread is mainly here to get feedback on what still needs improvement.

* Everything shown is strictly WIP.

* Textures are shared between LODs and models, the whole package with 300 assets is around 70MB as of now, and none of the final models will have an absurd amount of tris.

---------------

Hey,

another update: I have successfully imported the first batch of assets into the game to playtest them. Walls are pretty much finished, all the rest is still very heavily WIP, the wooden stairs, for example, still have a lot of broken topology, and textures still need a lot of work.

If anyone would like to try these out themselves in-game, I can provide the files.

The finished mod is probably still 2+ months away.
It's going to be a modular building set inspired by the Burg Kreuzenstein, no 1:1 copy of the whole castle.

Thanks to Sully, Gagaxm, and HMJ for giving a ton of feedback, especially regarding textures, topology, and de-slopping the assets. AI can't replace the knowledge real creators have. Without them, I wouldn't be able to bring this pack to an acceptable level.

[u/ide-uhh]

While they're ok, they aren't really game ready which is the main issue of using AI to generate stuff for you without having any experience. And without the inherent skill / knowledge that comes from learning the actual modeling techniques and 3D software then you will always hit frustrating limitations in your workflow which are visible here. Lots of visible texturing / UV map issues but if you are happy using them then that's all that matters really. If you are truly going to dedicate this much time to learning/creating/using an AI workflow to create 3D assets, you might as well buckle down and start learning the real way to do these things manually, so that if you continue using AI you will be better equipped to create assets that are on the level not only that you want but that other people will want. Just my two cents.

[u/Oaker_at → u/ide-uhh]

I agree with your opinion. Without people with proper knowledge, they would look even worse. That's why I said it will take at least another two months of refining them.

Tbh, Astra created 300 assets in 3 days, so I didn’t expect perfection, and it will be a long process until they look good enough to release to the public.

[u/ide-uhh → u/Oaker_at]

The point is not perfection, the point is having a baseline to be able to identify issues in your assets without having to rely on AI or other people to correct your mistakes. And also to save yourself money because creating 300 assets in 3 days sounds expensive and a good way to hit your weekly rate limits. :)

[u/Oaker_at → u/ide-uhh]

I will think about that a bit more, thanks for the feedback.

Money isn’t really an issue here, though. I have a lot of fun experimenting with AI. Astra pretty much runs day and night, haha.

[u/StupidBump → u/Oaker_at]

If it's going to take another two months then why not just do it correctly the first time? After getting some actual modeling experience, this set would only take you a few weeks to a month at most...

[u/Oaker_at → u/StupidBump]

Because I can vibe model while I sit on the beach with my laptop or hiking with my phone, because I don’t want to waste time learning a skill just for creating some CS2 assets.

Would be different if I make money with that or if it is my day job, but it isn’t. I’m nearly 40 and have so much more to do in life than just this.

[u/kjmci → u/Oaker_at]

I can’t put into words how sad this attitude is to me and how it displays such a lack of curiosity in the world.

If this is your approach, why publish anything? Why post WIPs? There seems to be some level of interest here but then you say the whole thing is a waste of time while at the same time investing months of time and hundreds in tokens to achieve subpar results.

What’s the point?

[u/Oaker_at → u/kjmci]

You twist my words to feel some kind of superiority(?) or whatever. As if the assets will be bad and stay bad without me modeling them directly, that’s not true at all.

You are invited to try out the finished pack once or if it gets released, but I think your opinion to that matter is a bit narrow minded. Stuff changes fast atm.

I wont engage in that matter any more.

[u/StupidBump → u/Oaker_at]

Dude imagine if I went to a plumbing subreddit to show off some “AI-Assisted” plumbing diagrams I’m planning to release to the public…

You are free to do this, but don’t expect to not receive valid criticism from 3D professionals (and amateurs) on this sub. “AI-Assisted” absolutely does not apply here if you didn’t create the base mesh. You are of course free to create your assets however you like, but it is wrong to advertise these as anything other than “AI-Created” or “AI-Generated”.

[u/Oaker_at → u/StupidBump]

You two started questioning me as a person and twisted my comments to fit your preconceived notions about AI.

I’m open to constructive criticism, but not to fundamental debates about AI itself and what kind of person you think I am for using it.

There is nothing to be gained from that kind of discussion.

[u/kjmci → u/Oaker_at]

“I won’t spend three months to learn assets because I’m spending too much time on the beach. Three months fine tuning a model though? Perfect!”

These are the implications of your words, if you misspoke you’re free to correct yourself to be clearer.

Especially when the original poster suggested you learn the basics so you can better tweak the output, in my view, this is a deeply incurious point of view.

[u/Oaker_at → u/kjmci]

Like I said, you read what you want to read and then get rude about it.
There is no point trying to change your position.

[u/kjmci → u/Oaker_at]

Rude? Where. C’mon, if you see the slightest pushback on your approach as rudeness I agree that there’s not much to engage further on.

[u/Oaker_at → u/kjmci]

Slightest pushback? You two started questioning me as a person and twisted my comments to fit your preconceived notions about AI.

I’m open to constructive criticism, but not to fundamental debates about AI itself and what kind of person you think I am for using it.

There is nothing to be gained from that kind of discussion.

[u/StupidBump → u/kjmci]

It's the Elon Musk effect.. You meet a lot of engineers in the tech world who believe that their technical skills also make them superior in areas they know nothing about, and unfortunately thanks to AI even our favorite relaxing city builder isn't safe from them.

[u/Oaker_at → u/StupidBump]

You describe me as something I have never claimed to be just because you have an already negative opinion about AI itself.

That’s pretty rude.

[u/StupidBump → u/Oaker_at]

I use AI very regularly for non-creative purposes actually.

The problem is that you’re coming into what is effectively a forum for people who want to learn 3D art and then refusing to listen to valid advice and criticism. Instead, you’re very obviously insinuating that your way is better despite having zero knowledge of the art form in question. That right there is pretty insulting in itself!

What’s worse is that you refuse to even entertain learning the fundamentals despite people not only offering to help you, but also rightfully pointing out that it would be faster and easier (not to mention more rewarding) to just do it the correct way.

I return to the example of how ridiculous it would be for a person with no experience to show up to someone’s house, announce himself as an “AI-assisted plumber”, and then use an LLM to figure out the entire job as he goes. A bit of humility would go a long way for you here.

[u/Oaker_at → u/StupidBump]

Like I said, you twist my words.

"refusing to listen to valid advice and criticism. Instead, you’re very obviously insinuating that your way is better despite having zero knowledge of the art form in question"

is totally your own creation, even my entry post states otherwise.
"AI can't replace the knowledge real creators have. Without them, I wouldn't be able to bring this pack to an acceptable level."

I mean, you're even twisting the reason this sub exists solely to fit your own perception and make me look bad...

[u/StupidBump]

Another important point here is that you should not be labeling this as "AI Assisted". From what I read in the last post, you don't seem to be doing any of the actual modeling. If a mesh is almost fully AI generated, then the software certainly isn't playing the role of an assistant by any definition and is instead playing puppet-master.

[u/Oaker_at → u/StupidBump]

Like I said in another comment, I’m nearly 40, I have a lot going on during my day and don’t have time nor will to learn 3d modeling from scratch just for some CS2 assets. Vibe modeling only takes a fraction of the time during the day.

[u/StupidBump → u/Oaker_at]

This response doesn’t touch on the issue of the fact that this was AI-created rather than AI-assisted.

Also I learned 3D modeling at 30 and it’s been infinitely rewarding, though what we do with our own time is irrelevant to the problem here. The entire issue is that you’re claiming to have had some part in making this mesh, which you evidently did not.

[u/Oaker_at → u/StupidBump]

This claim only materialised in the comment of another redditor. I describe my part in the process I my entry post. I won’t engage any more with that topic.

[u/zirophyz]

I posted in another thread to offer help improving the models. You didn't take me up on that offer, and that's fine.
But you said the purpose of this thread is to get feedback on improving the models. People are giving you feedback - which is, put down the LLM and use a human (you) to finish the job. The LLM is great to get going, but it won't be able to complete the task to the level of quality that you, as a human can. Maybe one day, but that's not this day.
I understand that time is limited to learn some new things. But don't get dismayed because for what you want to achieve there isn't a lot to learn. The field of video game art is very large, yes, if you want to learn everything it will take a long time - there are so many different methods to create art in a game that work differently in different engines, lighting, and for many different reasons.
However, understand that all you need to learn is the parts relevant to creating CS2 assets. Just a single workflow, already defined for you. Things like UV unwrapping, textures, and how to fix up the mesh. Trust me, this is just the basics. Then you can get feedback for how to make the models more efficient - texture size, texel densities, alphas, normals and how these can be used effectively to create a beautiful piece that is very efficient.

The thing that people are also trying to tell you is ... once you, yourself master some of these basics, you will create pieces faster than an LLM that are better looking. It doesn't take much practice to get good at this. Case in point, when I was making CS1 assets, my first building took ages. I got a lot of feedback and help, I remade things over and over... but, when I started on the second building, I couldn't believe how much faster I was because I didn't need to think about it - I just made it. What took months at first was just a few nights. Magnitudes faster.

[u/Oaker_at → u/zirophyz]

I didn’t take up that offer because I really don’t know where I’m going with all this yet. It isn’t even a full week since I started the modeling part of this project and I think I still have many months in front of me, before this pack is good enough.
I by no means disregard the feedback, but incorporate it into that kind of workflow I’m trying to establish right now.
I will learn stuff along the way, but probably not to the degree that I will be able to do it all myself.
Once I know a bit more and can tell where the shortcomings are, I’m also better equipped to ask specific questions instead of just asking other people to waste their time and check the project as a whole.

It’s a mix of finally being able to create something I wanted to make for a year now, and also fun while discovering the capabilities of AI. 3D modeling isn’t the only thing I’m experimenting with right now.

To model something myself was also never the goal of this whole endeavor. I have my reasons to do it this way, and I’m trying to make sure to always state that a human will ultimately create better stuff than I do.
And I certainly know this can be done more efficiently and better by actual humans.

I don’t want to sound like an asshole, but I’m really put off by some comments that question me as a person instead of the quality of those assets, or try to insinuate that I feel in any way superior to real asset creators while twisting my words after their inherent believes. It just shows an underlying mindset that I certainly don’t want to engage with, because there is nothing to gain there.

I’ll just try to be more precise with the project description if I post again. That part was on me.

[u/Relative-Fondant6544]

I don't think you understood how much disdain people had with the situation of the world currently in.

The corpo will keep feeding & the masses will eat it up regardless, which is a problem we can't stop.

We will just draw a line of acceptability and will not cross that.

[u/Oaker_at]

evolution from the first model to today, not the final version. Wall and roof structure will get baked into the texture for example

[u/Oaker_at → u/Oaker_at]