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Hey l1f3l, Zak here.

I'll try to keep this my final response regarding AI, because it’s really not the main focus of what I’m trying to build. But I do feel the need to clarify a few things. 

First, regarding your feedback of the game itself:
You might be right, maybe it’s not great. Maybe it’s not as different or clever as I hoped. That’s fair. Everyone has different tastes and standards and I fully respect that. 

But I am trying to build something that feels reactive, personal and story-driven. Curious enough, I did talk a lot about that evolution in my latest devlog and i need to make a new post about it, where I explain how the branching structure is built and why I’m constantly tweaking how feedback and consequence are handled. It’s a work in progress, but one I care deeply about. So even if the game isn’t for you, your feedback helps me understand what might not be working for some players.

Now, regarding my team:
I have two close friends who are just as passionate about this project as I am. And then there’s Marc, our GUI artist, whom I’ve been paying out of pocket until now but we finally managed to reach enough support on Patreon to start covering his work.

And here’s where I have to point something out... I’ve been working on Trueclash for 6-7 months now. Around 80% of my free time goes straight into the game because it’s something I really love doing. My net income from it? Still negative. And realistically, it would remain negative because now that we can finally pay Marc, I was willing to once again, to pay yet another artist out of my own pocket until Patreon support could cover the expenses in the long run. 

But then at certain points (such as your comment) I have to stop and think: I’m earning zero from this. And so are the two people who’ve been by my side from the beginning. So is it fair for me to be searching for another person to join when I still wasn’t able to compensate them? Shouldn’t I be focusing first on paying the people who already believed in this from day one? What am I doing? You’ve got more than a point on this one.

And about AI:
Trust me, I’ve watched a lot of videos on the topic. I’ve watched, thought about them and formed my own opinion (because there might not even be a right answer). The opinions that stuck with me the most weren’t from random tech bros or companies (which I tend to not like) but from artists themselves, people with real experience and history in the field.

There’s one particular perspective that really shaped how I view this:

“When colored paints started being sold in supermarkets, traditional artists complained. They said it lacked soul because the artist wasn’t making the pigments themselves anymore.”

“When photography came out, people said it wasn’t real art. It could never replace a portrait artist and how unfair it was.”

“When digital drawing became mainstream, many artists who painted by hand rejected it, saying it wasn’t true art because there was no need to correct smudges creatively, or let a mistake lead you to a new idea. You just hit ‘undo.’ Where’s the soul in that?”

And now… we have AI.

People say the same thing again, that it isn’t real art.

And honestly? In my opinion, art is art the moment a human being is behind it, with a vision of what they want to create and the will to shape that vision into something meaningful. Is there a lot of AI content out there that’s soulless, cheap, or mass-produced with zero care? Absolutely.

But then again we already have plenty of so-called “art” like that in the world, AI or not.

At the end of the day, what matters to me is this:
Did a person put their time, care and creativity into crafting something they believed in? Do other people take joy in watching, playing or experience what they created? If the answer is yes, then I believe it deserves to be called art, even if the tools they used are controversial, still evolving or even not that good to begin with.

And let's be honest, Trueclash wouldn’t exist without AI. I don’t say that to provoke, I say it with humility.

It’s thanks to AI and the hundreds of hours I spent learning how to use it well that I could create the visual identity needed to tell this story. Art and artists are expensive. If I had to commission every CG at €200+ per image, I’d need a team and a budget I simply don’t have. I’m just a regular guy, with a day job and limited income, trying to build something special and share it with others. And although the visuals started with AI, I’m just so glad I can finally pay Mark with the game income.

And if you’re saying I should have waited, that I shouldn’t have started this project at all unless I had the means to hire a traditional artist from the start, then you’re saying that 1 artist’s loss is more important than the hundreds of people who are now following, supporting and enjoying this game. They would have lost the opportunity to experience this journey they seem to like as it is.

And with respect, I have to disagree with that point of view.

And even so, I’m also trying to give opportunities to artists. I’ve posted job offers, I’ve searched, and I’ve even been ghosted by artists I tried to hire. And yet I still kept going. I’m not here to replace anyone, I’m here to create something and to grow. And to hopefully open doors, not close them.

Last but not least:

Thank you for your message. It really gave me a lot to reflect on. Not just about how I approach the development of this game, but also about how I manage the team and share resources. And I have to admit, you’re probably right: maybe my focus should first be on properly compensating the people who’ve been with the project since the very beginning (myself included), rather than going even deeper into the red to bring in someone new at this stage. 

Trueclash is a project built with passion, not shortcuts. And I hope, whether people agree or not with these points of views, they can at least feel that behind it. 

With the best intentions,
Zak