itch.io

sent a friend request over discord and i created the discord channel for the project added a link to it to the project page 

What would be the best way to get in contact discord? 

I think we actually agree on more than it seems. You said Expedition 33 is legitimate because AI was only used as a tool and the rest was made by human artists. I agree completely. So I want to ask genuinely: whose art am I replacing?

I'm a solo developer so far, and I want to be as direct as possible about that. There is no artist on this project I pushed out. There is no job I took. If I wasn't actively collaborating with AI tools and genuinely enjoying that process, those elements simply wouldn't exist at all. The alternative isn't "a human artist makes it." The alternative is it doesn't get made.

This project isn't just tolerating AI, it's intentionally built around it. Because I genuinely believe human and AI working together can produce something beautiful. Not AI instead of human creativity, but the two in real conversation with each other. AI isn't making art here without me. I am making art, and the AI is part of how that happens. That excites me. That's what this project is actually about.

I appreciate you engaging with me on this. The offer stands, I'd genuinely love to be friends.

And one last thing. You speak confidently about what "real artists" think, what "actual talent" looks like, who belongs here and who doesn't. So I'm genuinely curious: who appointed you the arbiter of that? Art has always expanded to include new voices, new tools, new methods, usually over the loud objections of people who were absolutely certain they were protecting it. You might want to consider which side of that history you're on.

For what it's worth, I do genuinely appreciate this conversation. Pushback like this forces me to think more clearly about why I believe what I believe, and I'd rather have my ideas tested than just agreed with. So thank you for that, even if we're not going to see eye to eye. And honestly, I'd love to be friends.

I actually share your concern about transparency, the hiding of AI use is a real problem, and I think that's a legitimate thing to push back on. I'm not hiding anything. My original post said outright that AI is part of this workflow. That's the whole point.

But I'd push back on the idea that any use of AI automatically constitutes theft or erasure. Look at what just happened with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. One of the most critically celebrated indie RPGs ever made, nine Game of the Year awards, a game people described as emotionally devastating and deeply human. It came out that the devs briefly used AI-generated placeholder textures in early 2022, most of which never even made it into the final release. The ones that slipped through were patched out within five days. The result? Two awards stripped by the Indie Game Awards, widespread calls for boycott, and a studio that by any measure poured enormous human craft into their work getting labeled "AI slop."

That reaction, to me, is the tragedy. A tiny studio with a limited budget used a tool to prototype faster and still made something genuinely extraordinary. The outrage didn't make art safer — it just punished people who were honest about their process.

I'm not a studio trying to replace artists. I'm one person building something ambitious because I love it, using every tool available to me. If that's disqualifying to you, I respect that… but I don't think it should be.

I'm looking for people who love the idea of space exploration expansive galactic empires, theoretical technologies, the kind of stories told in The Expanse, Pandora's Star, He Who Fights with Monsters, The Last Horizon. People who get genuinely excited about building something in that spirit.

I believe people have value in themselves… not just in what they can produce or what tools they use to produce it. I respect artists, coders, and writers deeply. And I think there's genuine beauty in creation with new tools as they emerge, just as there was with digital art, photography, and synthesizers before them.

If you're someone who shares that excitement, I'd love to work alongside you. If you're not, no hard feelings — this project just isn't for you.

Thanks, I am looking for friends being direct and honest and the first response feels like an attack figures.

Hey everyone! I'm working on a 4X space strategy game called Stellar Dominion — think Stellaris but built from the ground up in Godot 4, with its own mechanics and identity. I'm at the stage where the bones are working: galaxy map, system view, colony management, ship movement, a full resource economy. But there's a lot left to build and I'd love some company doing it.

I want to be upfront about a few things before you click through:

This is a learning project as much as a game project. I'm not looking for professional hires or people who need to perform. I'm looking for curious people who want to dig into something ambitious together, figure things out, and have fun doing it. If you're learning Godot, learning game design, or just want to see how a complex system gets built piece by piece — that's exactly the kind of energy that fits here.

This project also makes extensive use of AI tools across every part of development — code, art, music, design documentation, all of it. AI is a genuine part of the workflow, not something bolted on. If you're interested in what AI-assisted game development actually looks like in practice, this is a good place to see it up close.

If any of this sounds like your kind of project, come check it out: https://arthreal.itch.io/stelar-dominion

Drop a comment there or message me directly. If there's enough interest I'll set up a GitHub repo and open up the Discord so we can actually work together properly. No pressure, no commitment required — just come say hi.

Sure, though my focus is on blender mostly I could do texturing and normal mapping perhaps lighting in a 2D pixel game

3D Blender Artist primarily Props Backgrounds environments and buildings. I am also learning Animation and would be willing to try and do some animations no promises on the quality. ; )I love working on UV textures and normal map vector math, some of my favorite games include Subnaudica, Slay the Spire, Frostpunk, Stelaris and Inscryption and would love working on games that take some inspiration from any of them.  I would love to join a team for a Game Jam upcoming or ongoing 

Please reply here or contact me on discord Arth3513 Thanks!