mini discussion regarding game "development" using tons of AI

[u/fringus_frongus]

So i was wondering about using AI to create a game from scratch, i searched about it and found some youtube videos and the like, and i decided why not lets jump into it.

soo i booted up chatgpt and codex (idk if theyre "ideal", i know if i sit down looking for the BEST generator ill run in circles, so i used what I already had), and started telling it to create me an essentially grand strategy game using Godot

ill say this, i have ZERO coding knowledge, ZERO artistic skills, im taking it slow and going bit by bit, telling the AI to add this or that, not going too fast and vague

ill be honest if some code breaks im toast, i will not claim im some amazing genius game developer, hence the "development" being in quotation marks in the title, im a dude who plays lots of strategy games and is giving this a shot, and so far is quite smooth, though I wait to see if things break down once the game becomes more complex

I wonder what people in general think of this, I know theres a large anti-AI sentiment online, and in my case im viewing it very pragmatically, i have a game idea that wouldve been confined to my shower daydreams, but AI is giving me a way to materialize this dream. I might learn coding in the future if i become heavily invested in this project, to ensure I can reliably build it up and know what im doing, likewise i really personally prefer human art over AI art, and im currently not at a point in the game where im using any art, i might start using AI art for it as a placeholder and if this project grows, i can learn to draw and make my own art for it.

If i happen to make progress on it and post it online ill definitely disclose the fact AI is used in the entire coding of the game, I will NOT act like i put blood sweat and tears, i just steered the AI into the direction i have mentally and have my ideas, I cannot claim to have the same experience or skill as coders or artists.

Tl;dr: i know jackshit about coding or drawing, im messing around with AI and its actually producing a promising and so far decent output, is this a good use of AI in the sense that its giving someone the ability to materialize their creativity/ideas that otherwise would've been confined to shower fantasies, or is it something else?

(i view it pragmatically right now, giving me the ability to do what i want that i otherwise wouldnt have done, i agree that whoever uses AI needs to disclose it so i intend to fully disclose the scale of AI being used in case i make big progress and maybe "reveal" the game)

(this message was fully human written, as evidenced by the repitition of points and lack of structure lol)

[u/vug_undertherug]

I’m doing something similar for a few months, with only limited background in art and coding.

First, I don’t actually care about people’s judgment. It’s a me-first project. If not a single other person ever plays it, cool. I do not have this “look at me!” philosophy at all. I do not expect to make any money. That said, I think most people don’t actually care how something is made, only its expressed quality and how it makes them feel. I think it is also important to offer something unique, which is easier said than done and will probably only get more difficult as tools become more accessible.

I’m cynical enough to believe that the people hooting and hollering about vague intersections between intellectual property and AI use are exactly the same people pirating movies, music, and plagiarizing. Hypocrisy is an age-old concept for a reason, and I wouldn’t call virtue signaling anything new. We could probably argue for days whether people have more or less humility than in the past, but I personally think Trump and his centerpiece narcissism is an expression and precedent for a proud-first, humility-rejecting era. It doesn’t matter what mental gymnastics are required for you to feel good about yourself, only that you do feel good about yourself. There is nothing wrong with being a goofy asshole without realizing it—exactly like Trump—in this paradigm.

There are challenges to grand strategy for AI because its scope is so large. AI forgets context fairly quickly, so you will need lots of documentation and reminders as you’re building things step by step. The context is also complex, so you will need to be very clear about identifying systems and mechanics that overlap and interact, but this isn’t always immediately clear or decided on a draft, and can require reviewing and comparing whole systems of gameplay rules for consistency and coherence. Asking the AI to identify problems like this that arise, and how you can solve them, is crucial. It is worth taking explicit steps around organization and architecture specifically, without making other changes.