To begin with, it looks like you spent more time reading the itch comments than actually playing the game. And let’s be clear, no one ever said AI wasn’t used. It was obvious from the start, and people have talked about it openly many times.
About the minigame, it isn’t just random luck. In v0.3 at least, the opponent reacts to the choices you keep using, which makes things harder if you get predictable.
What I do find ironic is how you criticize the writing and the game being made by an amateur, while at the same time asking why he didn’t hire an amateur artist. So which is it? Is the creator not allowed to be an amateur, but artists are? That’s a contradiction, or just plain bias.
As for the team, the only person brought in from outside was the UI artist, paid with his own money and Patreon support. And everyone knows a UI artist doesn’t cost the same as a full sprite or background artist. Considering the game is free, maybe a volunteer artist looking for experience could have stepped in too. In fact, it’s ironic you even bring this up now, when Trueclash has been openly asking for artists precisely to move away from AI.
“I don’t want to be too mean,” you said, and yet here we are. Honestly, you just sound like you're trying to pick a fight and not being fair at all
Finally, Zak, the game is good. You said it would be slow burn, and it is. You said choices matter, and they do. I found it phenomenal the way Matt is introduced gradually, even if Ren already knows him. So keep up the excellent work. And ty you for the FREE game.
Signed, a player who has followed Trueclash since day one.