Hey, I’ll be honest. I’ve always been 100% against AI usage like create full illustrations with it and stuff like that though I'm not against in receiving some help from it, but despite that, I ended up trying the game… and I loved it. As long as everything else isn’t AI-generated, I can accept it. I get that illustrations take a lot of time and effort to create, and considering the game is completely free, I understand why AI might have been used. Soo, what really pulled me in, was the story, it’s genuinely compelling. I’m a huge fan of things related to boxing, and the aesthetic of the game is just incredible. The way the characters are written also blew me away. There’s real personality and emotional depth there, and that’s what left me in awe. But, if I’m being really honest… the first thing that caught my eye before even playing was how freaking HOT Matt is. I was shocked! AI or not, he’s stunning. I’m dead serious when I say I need a full-body image of him, because I’m already thinking about making a dakimakura so I can cuddle with him 😭 It feels like this game was built for my tastes, and that’s just wild. I’ll absolutely be supporting you and keeping an eye out for new updates ( I’ll be waiting for new patches desperately!). You’ve created something really special here and that's not sth you see everyday.
Hi Drift3404
Zak here!
I honestly can't describe how it feels to read what you wrote... It makes me genuinely happy to see people enjoying the experience.
About the AI topic... yeah, it’s a tricky one. I've even questioned myself about it many times. First and foremost, I fully respect everyone who chooses not to support or play games that use AI-generated assets. That’s more than fair. I know a lot of people feel that way, and I’m very aware it adds an extra challenge on our side.
Before releasing the game, I spent a lot of time thinking about whether to use AI or not. One of my biggest fears was being harassed or people assuming that using AI meant "no effort, easy cash grab." And honestly? Maybe they’re not entirely wrong to think that. I’ve tried some games with careless AI use where you could feel the lack of soul and care in them. So I get why that association exists and might even be justified.
But on my side, I can promise you something: Alex (when he’s able to help me) and I spend a lot of time working on the character sprites and their expressions. We use advanced techniques to generate visuals that match our style and quality, do a ton of Photoshop editing, cut and mix parts, tweak facial expressions and we really try to polish them so they feel consistent and alive. Yesterday when I was editing Harry in photoshop I noticed how much I’ve improved since when I made his first sprites. So yes, it hurts a bit when people assume it’s all just a button click, but I do understand why that perception exists.
For example, I’ve been spending weeks trying to finalize a sober version of Harry that I’m happy with. And only yesterday, after a full day of testing, I finally got something that I feel works. And even then, I still have concerns about some details. I'm scared people won’t like the sprite because he looks taller and more composed when he's not drunk (which is actually intentional). So yeah, I lose countless hours making sure the characters look and feel right. And ironically, it still might not be enough.
Now, does this level of work compare to what a traditional artist can do from scratch in Illustrator or similar? Honestly… I don’t think so. They spend years mastering their craft, and there’s a level of skill and expression I don’t feel comfortable comparing myself to. Even though I put a lot of work in, it’s a different process.
But I won’t lie about it. Without AI, TrueClash wouldn’t exist. And that is why I was so divided between starting this project with AI or not starting at all. But I decided to take a leap of faith. If I have to choose between creating something some people will like, or creating nothing… I preferred to risk it and create something. And why don’t I hire artists to help me with all the artwork ? Mainly because I don’t have enough money for that and because before AI tools were available, I actually tried to hire artists to kickstart the project. I spent around 500–600 euros out of pocket… and unfortunately, I had no luck. Some artists ghosted me, others didn’t quite deliver what I needed. In the end, I was left with one or two sprites and gave up. Maybe I was just unlucky, because more recently we hired Mark to redesign the GUI for version 0.3 and he’s been absolutely amazing! He is super talented and reliable.
As for AI in other areas: yes, I’ve used it to learn how to code and to speed up minor edits. But now, I often turn to forums for help since the AI doesn’t quite cut it anymore. It’s actually funny looking back at my old code and seeing how much more I can do on my own now! (I talk a bit about this in today’s public devlog — which should go live tonight or, at the latest, tomorrow morning.)
Writing is something I’ve been trying to improve a lot. I really like how things turned out in version 0.2 (which drops next week!) and 0.3. Creating the characters, their personalities, and their storylines has grown out of my experience as a D&D Game Master. I watched a ton of videos on personality building, character consistency, worldbuilding, creating engaging narratives, and so on. I try to apply all of that now in TrueClash. And honestly, the more I write, the more I realize how much more I still have to learn. Even now, when I write for the characters I ask myself, “Am I really capturing their personality well enough?”
And about Matt: yes, he is very hot! Haha. I’m really happy you want to make a dakimakura of him. I can totally send you the full images in 4K if that helps! Most of the ones in-game are downscaled to fit full HD, so the higher-res versions should be perfect. Also, in version 0.2 (coming next week) and version 0.3 (Patreon), there will be more CGs focused on him 😉
I hope I haven’t said anything bad on this mountain of text. Me and the team (I can say that now) will keep trying to make this game better after each update. I hope you like 0.2 coming out to public next week and I really want to hear your feedback on it !
The fact that you took the time to explain everything in such detail just shows how much love and care you're putting into TrueClash. I really, really respect that. 🙏 The AI topic is indeed complicated. Like yeah, there are definitely games out there that feel soulless because they just slapped AI content in with zero effort. But that’s not what this is. I was able to feel the difference and I had no idea how much Photoshop work and tweaking goes into making everything feel right. That sounds exhausting but also super impressive. Like, spending weeks on sober Harry? That’s dedication. It honestly sucks that people assume it’s just “click a button, boom, finished.” From what you’ve said, it's clear you're putting in way more effort than most people realize and your honesty about not comparing your work to traditional illustrators? Mad respect. You're being real about your limitations and your growth, and that’s rare. I also had no idea you tried hiring artists before and got ghosted, that sucks. It’s incredible that you were able to keep going after that, most people would’ve given up. I’m really happy you found someone like Mark for the GUI work though! Sounds like things are moving in a great direction. Now… Matt 😭 Yes, I’m 100% taking you up on those 4K images because I need that dakimakura. If you’re ever up for it (no rush at all!), maybe you could send over the poses you personally think would work best for it? You know him better than anyone, so I totally trust your taste. Something that really shows off his charm—and maybe even a couple spicier poses, if you're feeling generous 👀 Just whenever you feel like it, no pressure at all. I’d love to make it perfect, but I know how busy things must be and I can’t wait to see the new CGs of him in 0.2 and 0.3! Anyway, I seriously appreciate the honesty and vulnerability in your message. You didn’t say anything bad, just real stuff and that’s honestly the best kind of message to get. Thanks again and please tell the rest of the team they're doing an incredible job.
Hey! Sorry for the delay. It’s been a couple of crazy days 😅
I really do enjoy talking about the creative process… maybe a little too much sometimes. I can get totally lost in it, haha.
But just to clarify something I might not have explained properly:
Yes, I spent weeks working on sober Harry… but that doesn’t mean I was only working on him the whole time! 😅
It was more like: I’d come back to him from time to time between writing and other game tasks, doing little experiments here and there.
That said… there were intense bursts.
This past Sunday I spent 4 full hours on him, then 6 more on Monday, and the rest of the night yesterday.
I finally feel good about the result now. The line work, the pose, the outfit, all improved. I still need to polish the expressions a bit more, but that’ll come with time!
It’s true that some of that slowness probably comes from my own limitations.
Over time I’ve learned some shortcuts and tricks, and I can definitely do things faster than before. But yeah, it's still a process.
I’ve already sent the updated Harry to Alex and Viv so they can schedule a preview post whenever they’re ready. I don’t want to mess with their rhythm 😅
Viv actually told me I should do a behind-the-scenes video showing how I build images from scratch.
But my PC is currently bugged when it comes to screen recording (Photoshop just shows a black screen), so I’ll need to fix that first.
Now, about visual design:
There were times where I spent weeks just trying to get one character’s design right.
And let me tell you… I don’t recommend that.
Not for your mental health, and not for the quality of the final result.
When I first created Harry, I needed something very specific — someone who felt a bit lost but still gave off positive energy.
That’s really hard to get with AI tools, because the results often feel too "default", and if you push it too much, you risk breaking the art style entirely. (at least that's my experience)
I actually went through 3 or 4 full design variations before I got to the one we now know. Some of them didn’t even make sense but I was so fried I couldn’t think straight anymore. That could honestly make for a fun dev post 😅
And yeah, I know I have limitations. I can’t compare myself to a traditional illustrator who works magic with their hands.
But I do feel proud seeing how much I’ve improved across all areas. Step by step, it’s getting better 💙
As for Matt and the 4K images, I actually talked to Alex yesterday and he told me he was already planning to include high-res images in future Patreon collections. So that’s in the works!
Now, regarding a custom full-body 4K Matt image... right now, I’m honestly not able to deliver that the way I’d want to.
It’s probably a mix of my own limitations and the tools I use, but getting that quality at full-body scale takes a lot of effort, and I’d hate to send you something that feels rushed or underwhelming.
Especially after this little sober-Harry marathon, I really need a bit of a break from visual designing and go do some writting 😅
That said, if there’s an existing image of Matt that you really love (either current or one of the new ones coming soon), let me know and I’ll happily send you a 4K version of it!
Oof yeah, I totally get what you mean. Makes sense that you’d come back to him in between other stuff rather than just grinding nonstop. Still, those editing sprints sound intense . But hey, now I’m even more curious to see the final version. Also Viv is right, a behind-the-scenes video would go so hard. Even if it’s just like a casual walkthrough or timelapse once your setup stops being cursed, I think a ton of people would appreciate seeing how the process goes. And yeah, no stress at all about the full-body Matt! I’ll totally keep my eyes peeled on patreon for new CGs and future high-res drops. Anyway, glad things are moving forward and that you’re giving yourself a bit of breathing room too. You 100% deserve it. Can’t wait for the new update!!!