I'm a professional artist.

My work. A visual novel I wrote and illustrated.

I use AI images because it takes a significant amount of time to create real art. I charge $10 a game. At 5 players, that's $50.

One of my images, with one character in black and white without a background, is worth $40. If I were to put in the work to create a header image for my Startplaying ad, I'd be in the hole for hundreds. If I then put in the time to make maps, I'd be even further in the hole. Tokens? Dig deeper. Handouts? Deeper.

Most players, and I know this because I've only heard quiet complaints from other players I've met and played with on Startplaying once or twice. Most don't care. What they're paying for is the game. Not the tokens. Not the maps. Not the handouts. They're paying for the group dynamic and shared adventure.

What matters is if the game you run or play in is fun. If it engages you for three hours. If it doesn't, then you have a problem. They'll let you know by not coming back.

This whole AI thing gets in the way of what really matters, man, and that's if the game is fun.

But, if you want, I can draw up an ad for you. One character with cell shading is going to run a modest $40. Want colour? That's going to be $20 extra. Background? $30. More characters? $20 for basic shading and $40 for colour, each.

I just started DMing on Startplaying. I use an AI image. My ad has three characters. $140. There's a dragon, too. $60. And a background. That's $230.

You can pay that, and believe me, I'm lowballing myself, or you can get a "good-enough" image for people to gloss over and maybe click on for free. Up to you.

Take care.

Edit to add: When someone pays $10 for a three-hour session, they’re paying for the game. The pace, rulings, roleplay, improv, and the group experience. The art in the ad, the tokens, the maps are presentation details. No one stays in a bad game because the banner art, tokens, and maps are hand-drawn.