Going Down the Rabbit Hole with AI

 I was wondering where my November went.  After Fall-In (and the last AAU tournament for the fall), November was supposed to be relaxing with transporting kids to practices and and some weekend work at for the local rec basketball league.  I've blinked and we're already days into December thanks to AI  

I started using AI art generators with the Character Creation Challenge at the beginning of the year and for some on-the-fly art for our ongoing Gamma World campaign.  Depending on model, some of the early attempts were horrible, while others did the characters justice. 

My first attempt at AI Art, Norma Gimblespringer

I've been working with Nightcafe almost exclusively, and the results have been getting better, although it's not sufficient for a game like Gamma World unless the parameter prompts given are really specific.  *Minor spoiler* when the character encounter "living metal" RHA-9,  Nightcafe drew everything except what I wanted, so I simply sketched him in normal and colored pencils.. and I can't draw well.    Still the artwork has progressed nicely and if I ever decide on a paid subscription, I believe Nightcafe can do wonders with character images if I set up a model for each one.  

Chat GPT has been my rabbit hole, creating a vast host of opportunities for scenario development, campaign progression, even "off-table" conversations between characters.  You do need to put in significant data points in each "conversation"  (a continuing series of prompts), and the AI wisely avoids anything lascivious, violent, or harmfu, so handling something like, say, a D&D/Hackmaster campaign might involve some code words that the AI knows acknowledges something outside its parameters, and moves forward.    It's also allowed me an interesting look at "Alternate Timelines" seeing all the angles.  Although I haven't reached Doctor Strange's 14,000,605 possibilities, I have maxed out capacity on two conversations, which means you either summarize the converation and put the essential points in a new conversation to start it off, or start it could with basic data.    The only problems I've really had was the AI's penchant for changing names (usually surnames) and mixing up characters in some dialogue.  

This is Rebecca, a character I had Chat GPT create for my 90's Canadian Call of Cthulhu game.  I plugged the Chat GPT description into NightCafe, expecting a college woman, hair in ponytail, wearing an oversized sweatshirt and long jean skirt.   Apparently cosplay is popular in Medicine Hat, because this is essentially what I got from a rather mundane description.  I did edit some random faces and hands out from around the circle. 

The hope for AI for myself and gaming.  Perhaps some closure on the dream campaigns that will never run.  A little play-by-post or email for structure, but allowing the AI to progress through certain portions with human illogic entered into the algorithm.