One of the reasons I'm hyped to get back to work is Stable Diffusion - the AI thing that generates images.

I want to share for which areas of development I will use it. Sort of a “work planning” post. Maybe it can give someone an idea about the use of AI, or at least encourage someone to look into this tool. Anyway, I'm excited and I'd like to share with you why, guys.

My game format is different from regular RPG Maker games. Aside of many subtleties, I use older size standards in the newer engine with a larger aspect ratio, which makes the game look zoomed out. This makes lack of NPC crowds in public places noticeable.

To avoid settlements look like ghost towns, I prepared hundreds of NPCs to include.

It's not necessary to make all the non-important NPCs look different, in a game. But, since this is a game with an important sexual factor, I wanted to have a variety of chicks to check out if they have a hot profile pic, in case the outfit on one of them interests you or something. Shamelessly honoring the basic impulse of human interaction.

With different women, men also had to look different, so you won’t find two civilian NPCs looking the same in the game, unless it's intentional (or overlooked).

Initially, I planned to leave drawing their portraits for later. Because wasting time on 200+ faces to draw - I got other shit to do. But then AI got released! And, shortly after, Akabur's lora got released!

 These are examples of random faces you'll be seeing in the game. The result still requires some fixes, but overall, it's better than I'd ever wished for from a program. With Akabur's permission received, you'll be having no such thing as looking at mere text when talking to somebody.
AI can't replace me from drawing everything (yet?), but still it's like having a second guy who helps you occasionally by throwing-in concepts or even improving stuff you draw.  

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It's not all that smooth, to be frank. Almost all the results it gives require fixing - this thing isn't perfect. Like, I had to construct the sword from pieces of few sword results it gave me. And I edited the new helmet significantly so it would look like old self more.

But every edit rarely takes more than 10 minutes.

That's pretty much it: It gives me poses for dialogue busts, it gives pics for randos and it upgrades my old shit. I'm sure I'll find other uses for it in future. All in all, AI is a godsend for a project like mine.

Some say it's iffy to use it. Yeah, I'll be iffly using the tits out of it. There are concerns some artists/writers/coders are expressing that “AI will take our jobs”, along with battle of versions about how AI will actually turn out.

People tend to afraid a new thing. But, ultimately, they're right to be worried if they want things to stay the way they are. Progress is relentless.

I think, eventually it will all flow into us adapting to this tool, using it everywhere where it can be incorporated. Speeding up workflows. It's its secondary primal purpose, I believe. The first one is to generate boobs.

Speaking of boobs, let's get back to building you a game now.

It's great to be back! Didn't know I missed this so much.

See you soon, guys! Take care of yourselves!