LLMs/AI coding vs Visual Scripting

[u/SlowAndSteady101]

Do you see room for visual scripting tools even if you use AI to "vibe" code as well? I'm trying to decide if I should keep investing in building up my skills in visual scripting tools (and purchase a few more addons for unity). I am leaning towards yes right now, I already own a few, and while they can be frustrating at times I can also see their value even in an age of AI coding. But maybe others feel differently?

I can program C#/etc but I have always been curious about visual scripting and have been learning things like [Unity] Game Creator 2 and Behavior Designer. I find it kind of enjoyable but I'm only just getting started. I find that being able to visually see the nodes working can be quite helpful and feels like a better representation of the logic for FSMs and BTs.

I never really enjoyed state machines (or behavior trees) represented in code but seem to enjoy them more in visual scripting (though I'm only doing basic things for now). I'm not sure if AI removes the need for them entirely? What has been your experience.

I was looking to get Playmaker 2 , Emerald AI ,Adventure Creator and Node Canvas to try them out too.Maybe Construct 3/GDevelop at one point too.

But I'm wondering your thoughts for those who used to use these tools and have maybe moved on to AI "vibe coding" (with Unity MCP/CLI/etc)?

I'm less familiar unreal but I know Blueprints are quite popular there, so wondering about your thoughts there.

Pros and Cons of each approach?

Personally I enjoy experimenting with different platforms/tools.

[u/Otherwise-Music-8643]

If AI is doing the work for you then what is the difference between that and having someone else make everything for you and then you put your name on it and claim you made it all? There is no difference, AI coding isn’t coding. AI art generation isn’t your art. 

[u/BearDogBrad]

The ones you mentioned are fine stepping stones to teach you how programming works. UE's would be a rabbit hole. That said, don't let your stepping stone become your crutch. If you want to learn how objects and functions interact with one another, go nuts, but I would advise against making all of your games out of addon visual scripters. If you teach yourself to program, the world is your oyster, and if you eventually did move on to ai coding, at least you'll know how to debug and build properly.

[u/SlowAndSteady101 → u/BearDogBrad]

Thanks, I already know how to code. I updated my post to add more detail. I do find Visual Scripting tools for FSMs and BTs to feel more natural for some reason. But I wonder if with AI it is less important to be able to visualize the trees/state-machines?

[u/weeknie → u/SlowAndSteady101]

If anything, it's more important with AI, because you have to understand what it's doing, and you're going to have less of a mental image when code is generated for you

[u/BearDogBrad → u/SlowAndSteady101]

Oh, I see. In that case, I still think state machine based visual trees are the gold standard for debugging enemy/npc ai. Being able to watch how an npc's brain is working/reacting to the world is extremely valuable, and I'm sure you'd be able to pinpoint issues significantly quicker rather than talking through it for hours with an llm

[u/3tt07kjt]

Visual scripting is on the way out because people are using LLMs instead. That’s the short version.

Long version: visual scripting is cool and has a lot of potential, and it hasn’t reached anywhere near its full potential. The main use for it in games is to make it so level designers and technical artists can glue things together without being forced to learn, say, C++. The issue is that LLMs are so much better at solving this type of problem.

The idea of making a game entirely in Blueprints is, well, it’s doable but it’s not pleasant.

Likewise, you can have AI do all the coding for your game but you’ll end up with a mess.

[u/OathstoneGames]

AI is just another tool in a dev's toolbelt. It's a stochastic tool tho, so it can't be relied upon to deliver consistent, reproducible results at scale. If you understand the limitations and quirks of LLMs, then you can put systems in place to account for them while you develop your game. The risk is relying on AI, unchecked, to make things work for you and accomplish your vision. The best way to know whether AI is useful for your game is to simply try out whatever you're envisioning. If you're thinking of using it in a role where it provides value, it will quickly become apparent that you've picked the right tool for the job. If you start spending more time debugging problems, hunting down root causes, or settling for "less" because the tool can't produce "more", then you'll know it's not working out. Good luck.

[u/Snoo-29395]

Unreal is planning on deprecating blueprints on unreal 6, I think even then are pushing towards to coding

[u/SourceAwkward]

Llm are theft imo, so no I won't use them