CptBluebear's recent activity
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Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
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Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentI stipulate this should be the option for people that can't pay the artists, not for the ones that can. It's more of a hope than an expectation. Yours is not the future I'm looking forward to...No one is going to pay artists
I stipulate this should be the option for people that can't pay the artists, not for the ones that can.
Your expectation that AI will improve enough that it can be used to generate distinctive art for a videogame yet people will still choose to pay artists if they can doesn't seem consistent with the realities of videogame development in a capitalist society. Eventually the artist would be an added cost but bring no additional value.
It's more of a hope than an expectation. Yours is not the future I'm looking forward to though, and it's an uncharitable interpretation of what I've said previously. Which, please don't get me wrong, I completely understand. There are a lot of people that do think artists will just land on their feet after their entire industry has been rocked and your outcome is the likely one.
On the flipside, there's a very strong argument to be made that we can't put the genie back in the bottle either and within this capitalist system I would rather see garage devs use AI to win, instead of sitting on their principles just so they can lose to the AAA behemoths that unscrupulously do it anyway and lay off the paid artists.edit to add: commers r hard yo
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Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentCheck their FAQ, they don't even really know what constitutes indie. Their first line starts with: "It's a tricky question without a strict, black-and-white answer."...What qualifications does one currently need to enter a game for the Indie Game Awards?
Check their FAQ, they don't even really know what constitutes indie. Their first line starts with:
"It's a tricky question without a strict, black-and-white answer."
https://www.indiegameawards.gg/faqGames developed by studios and published by Devolver Digital are considered indie games, but major standalone studios like FromSoftware are not. Why? Hell if I know.
I mean I agree, nobody would consider Elden Ring indie, but there's little rhyme or reason to it if you truly think about it. -
Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentWeight classes is genuinely not a bad idea though part of the magic of indie is that you can create Vampire Survivors with $1500 and still beat other high budget games. You'd also be surprised how...Weight classes is genuinely not a bad idea though part of the magic of indie is that you can create Vampire Survivors with $1500 and still beat other high budget games.
You'd also be surprised how many games will end up in the heavy weight class. Hades is estimated to have cost $15 million. Silksong 5ish. CO33 10mil. TECHNICALLY Star Citizen is an indie at $900 million dollars.
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Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentI think you're mixing concepts here about what AI enables. Consider someone with a physical defect unable to create a drawing to save their life but with oodles of vision that an AI can realise. I...If you have so little vision for your game that you prefer to resort to having a magic 8-ball make milquetoast visuals for it instead of giving it a go yourself, why even bother? I would prefer programmer art.
I think you're mixing concepts here about what AI enables. Consider someone with a physical defect unable to create a drawing to save their life but with oodles of vision that an AI can realise. I do consider that something we should celebrate.
Now I also don't think we're at the point yet it's worthwhile doing so, "milquetoast visuals" is more than an apt description of what AI now produces, but there's a specific distinction I'm trying to make between people with art skills and art vision.
which devalues artists
I wouldn't be able to pay an artist on this shoestring budget anyway. AI use is all about being responsible and I know people find that difficult because there is indeed a real danger it devalues real artists' work (see the EA example), but being so vehemently against it when that might mean missing someone's brilliant artistic vision because they can't hold a pencil is a step in the other direction I find difficult to accept.
And yes of course, if you can pay the artists you should pay the artists. -
Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentIsn't it? An EA sacking all of their artists to replace it with an AI is a problem. A lone coder without the money to hire an artist and without the skill to create more than programmer art now...Isn't it? An EA sacking all of their artists to replace it with an AI is a problem.
A lone coder without the money to hire an artist and without the skill to create more than programmer art now has a competitive edge.Though it also simultaneously creates a rift between indies that do and indies that don't. What I don't want is that indies should feel pressured to use AI or fall behind other indies.
There's a fine line there and I don't particularly fault an award show for taking a hardline stance, but it does feel a little stifling. -
Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentI saw a video on YouTube a while back that talked about how CO33 came to be, and a lot of it had to do with the creator selling an idea to investors. That idea is what got them that budget. Purple...I saw a video on YouTube a while back that talked about how CO33 came to be, and a lot of it had to do with the creator selling an idea to investors. That idea is what got them that budget. Purple blobs do not sell an idea.
There was a lot more to it so I'll try to find the video but that's the gist.
Edit: Found it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e57JN5V6NbM
You can see a lot of early footage in that video and more than plenty is Unreal Engine placeholder assets. If they truly only used AI for placeholder purposes I think we should consider engine assets to be in the same vein. You need to have something to show to people or your game goes nowhere.
Also, pretty good video in general. -
Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentMoney isn't the qualifier for being indie or not. I can independently produce a game with my own stack of a billion dollars and it'd still be indie. Clair Obscur was independently developed even...Money isn't the qualifier for being indie or not. I can independently produce a game with my own stack of a billion dollars and it'd still be indie. Clair Obscur was independently developed even if they had a bunch of money come from a lot of places. Indie budgets are significantly higher than they used to be already. A budget of a couple of million isn't even that farfetched.
Take Silksong. Independently developed with a monstrous budget. But nobody will tell you that Team Cherry isn't indie nor that they aren't professional developers.The image we have for indie games is often different from reality. What made them stand out is that CO33 was developed like a high budget AA(A) game* which draws some ire when the image of your award show is games like VVVVVV and Hollow Knight or Blue Prince.
*Even that is hardly quantifiable.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentNew round, new rules. I have updated the list with a short description of the game making your choice perhaps a little easier but require more introspective answers as the challenge.New round, new rules. I have updated the list with a short description of the game making your choice perhaps a little easier but require more introspective answers as the challenge.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentWonderful. That must be a special memory. I was hoping for stories of all kinds, even saccharine ones. They are all what makes us human. (sorry for being sappy)Wonderful. That must be a special memory.
(sorry for being saccharine)
I was hoping for stories of all kinds, even saccharine ones. They are all what makes us human. (sorry for being sappy)
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentPerseverance pays off! I'm sure the next time you will be prepared. Thank you for the funny story. I changed the rules after posting the ratings but didn't signal it properly so I'll send you #1!Perseverance pays off! I'm sure the next time you will be prepared. Thank you for the funny story.
I changed the rules after posting the ratings but didn't signal it properly so I'll send you #1!
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Comment on How Wall Street ruined the Roomba and then blamed Lina Khan in ~tech
CptBluebear Link ParentThat's genuinely surprising to me. I haven't seen any misplaced reviews myself, and I'm of half a mind to consider the incredibly frustrating and opaque naming schemes of the vacuum models as the...That's genuinely surprising to me. I haven't seen any misplaced reviews myself, and I'm of half a mind to consider the incredibly frustrating and opaque naming schemes of the vacuum models as the main culprit, but hey they can be wrong too. Carpets are difficult to assess too, as how they're made differs so much that one easy to clean carpet doesn't mean the other one is.
Robot vacuums are in a weird position where they are overall worse than if you would do it yourself and their value derives from the ease of use and frequency of vacuuming.
I see it as an increase in baseline cleanliness, and a big one at that, while still needing to clean behind things.Unfortunate that yours is a miss.
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Comment on How Wall Street ruined the Roomba and then blamed Lina Khan in ~tech
CptBluebear Link ParentYou're going to be stuck with Valetudo for anything open source of self installed. Unfortunately it's limited to certain models only. For anything else I tend to check vacuumwars.com as they're an...You're going to be stuck with Valetudo for anything open source of self installed. Unfortunately it's limited to certain models only.
For anything else I tend to check vacuumwars.com as they're an independent reviewer of robot vacuums that quickly updates their lists with new models, price changes, and other interesting changes in the market.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentCongratulations! Wife can take some strange turns. Uh, life I mean! DM Sent.Congratulations! Wife can take some strange turns. Uh, life I mean!
DM Sent.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentOh man you've hit the one game that's strangely relevant to your story and your musings on Asian death. Maybe in name only but still! I hope you will feel good enough to christmas-dinner your...Oh man you've hit the one game that's strangely relevant to your story and your musings on Asian death. Maybe in name only but still! I hope you will feel good enough to christmas-dinner your digestive tract into cooperating with you. Anyhow, if you've been good healthwise in 23 and 24 that's double the time spent feeling well! That means something.. right?
DM sent!
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentNo worries but thank you for the story. I was looking for a bit of humanity in the responses when I asked for an anecdote and yours is lovely. Thank you for sharing a little bit about your...No worries but thank you for the story. I was looking for a bit of humanity in the responses when I asked for an anecdote and yours is lovely. Thank you for sharing a little bit about your happiness. Maybe the next one is two birds! Or a really strange one that doesn't actually fly.
DM sent!
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentAh birds! Interesting animals. They can really connect to people in strange ways. Be kind to them and they will remember. Try not to get him too fat ;) Let's hope it's a pair and seal the deal...Ah birds! Interesting animals. They can really connect to people in strange ways. Be kind to them and they will remember. Try not to get him too fat ;)
Let's hope it's a pair and seal the deal with a lottery using number 2!
DM sent. -
Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentThank you for sharing! What makes that worthwhile is the time spent together I assume. What was your favourite question he asked? If you want to share of course. I can imagine keeping the memory...Thank you for sharing! What makes that worthwhile is the time spent together I assume. What was your favourite question he asked? If you want to share of course. I can imagine keeping the memory for yourself.
I have sent you the name of the game over DM. If you already own it or really don't want this game I have a backup list of codes available (and if I remember your preferences correctly, this may be a bit out of your wheelhouse).
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentWas this difficult for you?Was this difficult for you?
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2025 in ~games
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentNot quite an anecdote! I'll mark it because you wrote something, but I still think an anecdote about you or something you've seen is necessary for the goal. Can be as short and simple as the...Not quite an anecdote! I'll mark it because you wrote something, but I still think an anecdote about you or something you've seen is necessary for the goal. Can be as short and simple as the blackbird above too. No personal information necessary of course.
All games are in competition with each other. An hour playing Megabonk is an hour not playing Battlefield. Time is the most important currency, and an even playing field gives your multimillion dollar marketing budget a run for its money when it competes against a Silksong.
I understand my line of thinking is easily characterized as centrist or fence sitting, but I disagree. Purposefully not participating in the system just makes you lose. Ethics don't exist in a vacuum. An automated machine that blandly homogenizes art isn't on the extreme end of my scale, since I can see some use as a good thing for people that might otherwise struggle to make something of themselves. I find it unethical if we prevent some people the tools they might need, more than I find it unethical that machines train on artwork. Mainly because the average artist won't be able to ask an image generator to "create something in my style".
It's late, I'm finding it difficult to create coherent thoughts around ethics and philosophy. I hope the above makes sense. If it didn't make sense, your takeaway should be that I'm voting against the current system while participating in it to make the best of it as long as it exists, I'm also mostly against all the generative AI stuff but see some potential upsides for individuals.
Though most of all I just want it to go away forever, it's so divisive while being barely more than a feature on my phone I rarely look at.
I'm so tired of everything AI.