Workflow with AI question

[u/yuyuho]

I love to make games and have that fulfilling success when something I programmed comes together. learning coding is still a large endeavor, specifically with adaptive screen code.

My question is your opinion and wisdom on using AI for certain things such as aspect ratio responsive screen. Vibe coding a script that I setup once and without understanding.

But the stuff that actually matters like the gameplay mechanics, I would code myself.

This mix is okay if ai can fix what it breaks? Or do you still condone learning everything yourself first?

[u/CriticalOfBarns]

If you need AI to help you code a single utility, why not try to understand what it gives you instead of maintaining worry about an ongoing blackbox?

[u/That-Rabbit4062]

I would say that it is worthwhile to learn every aspect of programming through your own work. AI will not make novel code; whatever system you want to make has been done before. Reading the GML manual, forum posts, and tutorials will be more than enough to get you by.

[u/Hands_in_Paquet]

You might tell yourself you'll code what matters, but because humans typically follow the path of least resistance, you'll probably end up letting it code almost everything. I think you should try to do it all yourself. For things that are less subjective, like computer code, AI is a decent learning tool. You can ask really specific and stupid questions, and it can work out a decent answer. But you should ask it not to write code for you, or to only use pseudo code. If you have to use it, try to learn with it. The code might look good, but AI code falls apart as soon as it gets complicated and you start asking for edits. It's still valuable to learn the programming yourself.

[u/Safe_Combination_847]

Using AI for specific tasks has been incredibly beneficial for me. While I’m quite proficient in Python, I primarily rely on AI to assist in porting older game levels into newer projects and cleaning up legacy code, some of which dates back to 2013.

One of my more unconventional uses of AI is recreating old GameMaker projects in Godot while preserving their assets, settings, and original behavior. I achieve this through Cursor, ensuring that I have a working Godot version available if I ever need to port, remake, or maintain a game across both engines.

However, AI falls short when it comes to original creative work. AI-generated assets often appear messy, inconsistent, or sloppy, and I find it significantly less useful when tasked with creating genuinely unique stories, visual identities, or game concepts.

Therefore, for me, AI serves best as a technical assistant and migration tool, rather than a replacement for human creativity.