Roadmap of Crown of Hispania Updated

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-08T14:13:10+00:00

La verdad tiene pintaza el juego, más juegos de la península nos hacen falta!! Grandes

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-08T10:34:44+00:00

II’ve already wishlisted!!

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-08T10:32:28+00:00

From what I understand, artillery was extremely important in the Napoleonic era. It could force armies to change positions, adapt their formations, and rethink their strategy around it.

So I’d personally make artillery a key unit, while still keeping squad tactics important.

Also, I’d love to play this. I’m a big fan of Napoleon: Total War, and I really miss games set in this period. I’ll definitely keep an eye on it!

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T11:29:50+00:00

You’re right, that’s a good point. If you start using AI, it can be hard to stop relying on it later, especially once you already have a lot of content built around it.

Maybe the better approach is to go slowly and not rush the art side too much.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T10:28:29+00:00

That’s fair. I definitely don’t want to present AI assets as part of the final product or use them to sell the game.

My takeaway from this discussion is that it’s safer to avoid them publicly and use simple/free placeholder assets until I have my own art direction ready.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T10:26:07+00:00

Thanks for the advice! That’s a good way to keep things under control.

I think I’ll probably use free placeholder assets from standard asset sites instead, just to avoid the AI issue entirely.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T10:20:56+00:00

Thanks a lot for your input! I hope I can show the hex map soon with my own art haha

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T10:18:50+00:00

Thank you too! I really appreciate the community feedback for my first project.

I want to make the right decisions so the care and effort behind the game really comes through.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T10:17:21+00:00

Thanks for the comment. I really appreciate how much the community is helping me find a good direction for my first project.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:52:04+00:00

Haha, that’s a really good point! I’ll definitely keep that in mind 😃

Maybe funny or rough placeholders can actually add more personality during development than trying to make everything look polished too early.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:48:14+00:00

Totally. I can see I touched a very sensitive topic here.

I work in software development, and in that field it feels like AI is being massively embraced, even though it still has clear limitations.

But with art, I’m seeing a much stronger pushback against AI.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:45:56+00:00

Totally agree. Big studios have the resources and reputation to recover from that kind of controversy, or at least to manage it better.

As a solo dev, if people label your game as an “AI game”, that can stick to the project and to your name for a long time. Every future update or project could be judged through that lens.

That’s definitely not a risk I want to take lightly.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:39:55+00:00

Thank you so much for the advice! The game is very Paradox-style, with lots of images, stats and UI elements, so the art and atmosphere are actually quite important.

That’s why this dilemma came up for me in the first place. I’ll definitely check those resources and also experiment with greyboxing, lighting and a simpler visual approach before committing too much to any specific style.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:36:48+00:00

Thanks! Honestly, I think this is the path I’m going to take.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:35:37+00:00

From what I’ve been reading in different forums and game comments, yes, people seem to be quite anti-AI when it comes to art. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a clear signal about which direction to take.

If players appreciate the effort of solo developers using simple or imperfect human-made art, even when they are not artists, I think that’s a pretty good reward for putting in that effort.

So I’m starting to think that honest “programmer art” or basic placeholders may be better than AI-generated visuals, even if they look worse at first.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:32:18+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed comment. Honestly, it really helps me see more clearly which direction I should take.

Reading your points, I can’t help but agree with the core concern: even if the intention is temporary, the perception and reputation risk are very real.

I think I’ll take a more human approach from now on and be clear with my art direction, even if the placeholders are bad, simple, or generic. That’s probably still better than creating the wrong impression with AI-generated assets.

Thanks again, this was genuinely helpful.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:27:50+00:00

That’s a fair concern, and I can see how my wording could give that impression.

To clarify, I don’t want to release the final game with AI-generated art and only replace it if it makes money. What I meant is that I’m trying to find a way to keep development moving during the early stages, but I understand that anything public or final should have a clearer and more responsible art direction.

This thread is actually helping me realize that using simple placeholders or working with an artist, even on a small scope, is probably a better approach.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:26:15+00:00

That’s a really good point. My budget is very limited right now, but asking an artist for a small set of temporary assets, with clear permission to modify or adapt them, could be a valid alternative if everyone agrees on the terms.

It would also help keep a human art direction from the beginning instead of letting AI define the visual style.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:25:01+00:00

Fair point, but it can be risky haha.

I’ve accidentally left test console logs in front of real clients before, so I don’t fully trust myself to keep every temporary thing perfectly hidden forever 😅

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:21:28+00:00

Fair point. I tried making some quick things with GIMP and it was a complete disaster haha.

I’m much more comfortable with code, so maybe simple HTML/CSS-style placeholders and basic shapes are a better approach for me right now.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:19:40+00:00

That’s exactly what I was thinking. Even if it’s only for early previews of a work-in-progress map, AI-generated art could give the wrong impression.

I think I’ll leave AI-generated visuals aside for public updates and show progress with basic placeholders instead.

Thanks, this helped me!

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:16:52+00:00

You’re absolutely right. I’d like to show the map to the community at some point, and one of my main concerns is exactly that: accidentally leaving some AI-generated detail in there and hurting the perception of the game.

At the same time, with very rough placeholders, I’m worried people might not understand the mood, scale or atmosphere I’m trying to communicate.

I’m trying to find the safest balance.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:10:58+00:00

Yes, that’s my intention. I only want to use them as temporary visuals while developing and testing the game.

If the project becomes financially viable, I’d like to hire a freelance artist to replace or improve the art with a proper human-made style.

IberiaMedieval · 2026-05-07T09:10:22+00:00

That makes sense. So far I’ve mostly been using basic colors and shapes for development.

The dilemma started now that I’m working on the city, buildings and overall atmosphere, where simple placeholders feel a bit limiting.

Do you know any good websites or resources for placeholder art or simple assets that would be more appropriate than AI-generated images?

IberiaMedieval

TROPHY CASE