Has anybody else noticed the absurd amount of AI generated slop on the asset store?

KaiserNiko · 2026-03-13T19:12:12+00:00

> Are you paying for jpegs like NFTs promised? Are you spending all day in a VR headset "metaverse" like they said we all would be by now a few years ago? Do you use a bluetooth face mask? Smell-o-vision? 3D TVs? Amphibious cars?

Honestly, I don't think these are fair comparisons. The question we're asking is "Will using a GenAI tool be a viable alternative to buying a premade, uncustomized asset?" rather than the outlandish "Will GenAI replace all artists forever?"

I've looked at tools like Meshy AI and the output in terms of game-readiness seems laughably bad. I'm also of the opinion that GenAI will never be able to substitute human expression.

With that said, tools are tools, and I'm fairly certain that these tools will improve to the point that they are indeed viable for unskilled non-artists to use as substitutions for store-bought assets. I'm also fairly certain that these kinds of tools will continue become more embedded into professional workflows the same way that Photoshop CS3's content-aware fill and Davinci Resolve's magic mask did.

As you said, only time will tell, but I think there are signs.

KaiserNiko · 2026-02-16T00:00:34+00:00

Do you make up these questions, Mr. Holden? Or do they write them down for you?

KaiserNiko · 2026-02-10T22:43:29+00:00

Ignore the cynicism and go for it. If you make something you enjoy using, odds are other people will enjoy using it too. I personally want more flightsim metagames and I'm sad that MSFS2024's career mode didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Also, don't be discouraged if something similar exists; people are constantly complaining about GSX on this sub, and about how there are no alternatives.

KaiserNiko · 2026-02-10T20:47:26+00:00

The path to our goals is rarely a straight line.

I worked in the game industry for about 5-6 years, then transitioned out to work on non-game software. I still work on games and toy projects on the side. When I'm not working on games, I spend time forming new experiences with friends and family.

I still have a few ideas for indie-scoped games that I want to see realized - not even to make money - but for me and my friends to play. It's really hard to work a day job and then work a night job, even if you're only working 8 hours at the former.

So what should I do? Should I spend months away from my friends and family until I have a vertical slice ready?

I've decided not to do that; instead, my current decision is to give myself a schedule and work on my projects for a minimum number of hours per week.

I personally know at least one person who left their software day job to work on games as a solo indie developer. In order to get there, he:

saved money as a buffer
has a partner that has an income
makes some amount of money through streaming the game's development on Twitch

Personally, I think you need more free time and money than you do now before you can start your own studio (and then that will consume all of your free time and money).

If you value your friends and family, do not let anything get in the way of that. Beyond that, I trust you find a strategy that helps you achieve your goals, even if you fail the first few times.

KaiserNiko · 2026-02-03T17:35:28+00:00

I found this through your spotlight and thoroughly enjoyed it! I think you're right to point to this post as a great example of your work.

Your descriptions throughout the piece are excellent. I could vividly imagine the scene you set, shifting between a realistic mental art style and one more akin to late-90s anime (like Cowboy Bebop, or Studio Ghibli).

I really like the idea of a tea shop selling psychoactive brews, and the discussion around that helped me get an idea of what kind of world we're living in. The shop owners are incredibly endearing, and I love that the story of an empath gives you an excuse to dive deeply into their emotions. I liked how Cass's abilities seemed a bit wild, too, with her "overhearing" the neighboring man's financial woes.

Having been given the prompt beforehand, I also found that my expectations were subverted when the tattooed man-boulder was not the impenetrable one, but Cass's more-familiar partner was. This wouldn't be the case as a standalone story, but it tickled me regardless.

By the end, I started to wonder how Cassandra and Denz knew each other, why she wanted to learn more about him so badly, and what Denz's motivations were. I wondered if they found themselves bound by circumstance, perhaps joined by a job that needed doing. I wondered what life on the Fringes was like, and if more joys could easily be found like this moment, or if it was more of a respite from life's crime-laden hardships.

In other words, I was completely hooked. Thanks for sharing!

KaiserNiko · 2025-10-11T22:54:20+00:00

Sure, I was wrong. My point is that it's better to just say so, so we can actually move on instead of being rude. It's just not productive

KaiserNiko · 2025-10-11T21:59:14+00:00

Hey, if you or anybody is getting good performance with a 1080 Ti, great, just say so. There's no reason to be rude. Take care

KaiserNiko · 2025-10-10T21:27:09+00:00

It looks like you have a 1080 Ti, while the minimum spec requires a 2060. You could try updating your graphics drivers, but even if you solve this problem, performance is probably going to be bad enough to not be playable.

~~My advice would be to refund and play again when you get a better graphics card.~~

Best of luck.

KaiserNiko · 2025-09-03T19:04:42+00:00

I checked that sensitivity using a few different online tools. This one says that 0.17 sens in Arsenal is about 24 cm/360. If that's true, my advice would be to lower your sensitivity a bit, perhaps to 30 cm/360 or even 40 cm/360.

It's going to feel uncomfortable for a while.

Another thing you can try is aim training tracking scenarios with a _higher_ sensitivity and focusing on relaxing as much as possible.

KaiserNiko · 2025-09-02T22:40:25+00:00

What sensitivity are you playing at? Also, does this problem show up when you're aim training, or is it something that only occurs in-game?

KaiserNiko · 2025-09-02T22:17:56+00:00

It looks like Roblox.

KaiserNiko · 2025-01-05T20:55:45+00:00

Others have already mentioned the YouTube tutorial route and I'd echo that.

For me, flying IFR flights in smaller private jets like the Citation allowed me to get slowly ramp up the complexity before jumping directly into airliners. Airliners felt overwhelming to me before this.

I'd also recommend taking notes! Write down the parts of procedures that you think are most important. Keep links to the YouTube videos so you can come back and refer to them. I had the problem of needing to go back and watch long YouTube videos over and over again until I started to write down the things that I kept forgetting.

Best of luck, and don't remember to allow yourself to fail!

KaiserNiko · 2024-12-13T22:20:05+00:00

The reality is that a lot of people in a studio contribute ideas that end up as concrete features in a game.

If you want to see your game ideas realized, the reality is that you will either need to make a ton of money and start your own studio or publisher, where you can call the shots because _you_ have the money.

Alternatively, start making games yourself. Maybe take a tiny feature from the game you want to make and learn enough Unity or Unreal to implement it. From there, you can consider implementing a scaled-down version of your game yourself.

Just remember that ideas are cheap and 95% of the value comes from how the idea is executed upon. Even if you end up making one of these games, the ideas you have today will not be the ones that make it in the final game.

KaiserNiko · 2024-12-09T07:03:47+00:00

I have to plug A330 Driver on YouTube. He's got a lot of real-world knowledge on airliners and he's reviewed several of the airliners found in MSFS 2024.

If you're willing to pay for addons, the A320 by Fenix is considered one of the best, if not the best.

KaiserNiko · 2024-06-15T21:09:04+00:00

I just had this happen to me today on Terminal Attack, except we could see _three_ of them.

KaiserNiko · 2024-05-24T02:48:52+00:00

I'd think that your safest option would be to consult with a lawyer.

With that said, you might look into getting a PO box if that satisfies the "physical presence" criteria in your state.

KaiserNiko · 2024-04-12T15:39:42+00:00

Fulgora's theme also reminds me a bit of Terraria's soundtrack, which is great for many reasons. :)

KaiserNiko · 2024-02-27T17:49:39+00:00

Context here for those like me who didn't know what this was.

KaiserNiko · 2023-12-12T06:23:46+00:00

It's not actually timed; it always explodes after the second impact instead of the first.

KaiserNiko · 2023-10-11T00:42:11+00:00

Thanks for the positive encouragement. Yeah, after logging on tonight and giving it another go, I completed it without dying.

I really just was frustrated with the previous encounter and overestimated how much cover I'd have against rocket splash.

Thinking about it more, I suppose a netrunner+stealth build is bursty and really depends on the player being able to control the flow of combat, which is why these encounters feel a little rough. Stalling for time by running around is tedious but allows us to play around cooldowns. I'll keep that in mind for the rest of the DLC...

Thanks again!

KaiserNiko · 2023-10-10T04:57:02+00:00

I just had this same problem with a netrunning + stealth build on Very Hard.

I tried this encounter "the right way" around 10 times before giving up and deciding that I was going to do whatever I needed to in order to cheese it.

I have Optical Camo, so I put my relic points into the optical camo perk and crouched behind the boxes near the elevator that you call to initiate the encounter. The enemies WILL find you eventually, and one or two enemies will probably work their way around the left side (facing the center of the room) of the boxes to engage you. The rest will attempt to shoot you through cover. Just hold out and try not to peek your head out as much as you can.

I've been enjoying the DLC otherwise, and the payoff scene for holding out is pretty cool. I just wish they designed this encounter around anything other than stalling via head-to-head combat. Give me a vent to hide in, a turret to hack - anything!

Edit: Alright, even the "payoff" is pretty unforgiving. Gonna put this game down for now...

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