The Business: A Detailed Analysis of Bot Impact on The Hobby

Introduction

Tabletop adventure games have long been a bastion of human creativity, where Referees and players compete for mastery of fantastic worlds. However, the advent of artificial intelligence has introduced transformative changes in design and publication, potentially altering the hobby in ways that are irreversible. This survey note explores how bots have impacted the hobby, drawing on recent trends and community discussions, and argues that these changes are likely beyond human capacity to revert.

Bot Transformation of Product Design

Bot has revolutionized product design by enhancing the creative process, particularly for Referees. Research suggests that bot tools, such as ChatGPT, act as digital muses during the "Dreaming Phase," providing data-driven inspiration for worlds and scenarios. For instance, bots can draw from vast databases of lore, mythology, history, and culture to generate detailed environments, as seen in campaigns like "Valley of the Lost Orcs," which used bots for a North African tribe-based setting Chain of Thought Prompting and PCTET prompting approach. This speeds up scenario-building and introduces coherence and detail, offering templates, frameworks, premises, and maps.

In the "Building Phase," bot streamline content creation by generating lifelike NPCs with objectives, motivations, and secrets. It ensures scenario coherence and adjusts difficulty to maintain player agency, as evidenced by prompts like those in 5 ChatGPT Prompts to Start a Fight in Your D&D Campaign. Bots also allow conversation with campaign content for consistent NPCs and experiences, enhancing the depth of character development. For example, players can chat with bot-trained characters that remember past sessions, facilitating personalized arcs and adaptive world reactions- all enhancing solo play.

During the "Running Phase," bots act as a co-GM, providing real-time support for improvisation, managing logistics like stat blocks, descriptions, and dialog, and resolving rule disputes. This enhances live sessions, as seen in the first encounter of "Valley of the Lost Orcs" with an AI assistant Using ChatGPT in Live D&D Sessions for Enhanced Character Roleplay. AI also enriches storytelling by generating immersive narratives with minimal preparation, focusing on narrative depth, as exemplified by the player view of the "Elven Trees of Travel" artefact with image and description.

Finally, bots foster a collaborative environment through platforms and tools, enhancing community engagement. This includes sharing campaigns (assets, NPCs, foes, items) on platforms, turning solitary creation into collaborative experiences, such as sharing "Valley of the Lost Orcs" with friends.

Bot Impact on Hobby Publication and Marketplaces

The publication of products has been democratized by bots, lowering barriers for independent developers. Bots enable creators to generate art without hiring artists, crucial given financial and time constraints, as noted in discussions on AI’s Role in Tabletop Games. Platforms like Dungeon Masters Guild see an influx of bot-assisted creations, fostering a more diverse ecosystem. For instance, Quest Bound plans to incorporate bot tools, starting with writing companions and Referees for solo play, eventually including image generation, with labeled rulesets for transparency.

However, this shift has sparked controversy. The Conventional Play community has had strong reactions, with some subreddits like the largest subreddit for Dungeons & Dragons banning bot-involved work due to fears of displacing artists. Community debates focus on balancing support for independent creators and artists, with no clear answers, promoting ongoing discussion. Creators are encouraged to ask, "Am I able to include an artist? If not, does the value balance the lack?" while players should consider, "Does the publisher have means to include artists? If so, did they?" when backing Kickstarters or buying modules, pressuring intentional bot use.

Bots also impact publication through art generation, lowering costs for indie publishers with tools like Midjourney for maps, patterns, and textures. Interviews with 10 TTRPG designers, artists, and actual-play actors highlight ethical concerns, such as copyright, IP risks, and artist economies, with questions raised like "How close to theft?" Bias with bots, such as struggles with nonwhite faces and whitewashing Indian characters, and potential misuse (e.g., fetishization, found nude AI illustrations in 22 seconds) add complexity. Legal uncertainties, like Disney vs. indie RPGs and DMCA notices, further complicate the landscape, with Midjourney considering blocking its name.

Why These Changes Are Irreversible

The changes are irreversible due to several factors. First, bot integration into workflows is deep, with tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney becoming indispensable for efficiency. Independent developers rely on bot to compete, making it unlikely they will abandon these tools. Second, community adoption is significant, with players and GMs expecting features like bot-generated NPCs, dynamic encounters, and real-time assistance, as seen in platforms like Quest Bound. Reverting would require a significant cultural shift, which seems unlikely given the ongoing adoption.

Third, technological advancements continue to push boundaries. Bots are integrating with augmented reality, enabling 3D game environments and interactive puzzles, and supporting autonomous NPCs like NPC-GPT for dynamic conversations without GM input. Future products could feature 6-second turns with pause options, blending turn-based and real-time play, and virtual world-building with thriving economies, as envisioned in Revolutionizing TTRPGs: AI, Augmented Reality, and the Future of Role-Playing — Mind the Dungeon. These advancements suggest a future where bots are central, making reversion impractical.

Community and Ethical Considerations

The Conventional Play scene is divided, with some embracing bots for their potential and others worried about losing the human touch. Ethical concerns, particularly around AI-generated art, are prominent, with projects like "The Zone" initially using AI art (Disco Diffusion) but later replacing it with human illustrations due to sourcing and artistic impact concerns. This reflects ongoing struggles to balance innovation with respect for human creativity, with calls for systemic solutions like universal basic income and better working conditions to support artists.

Conclusion

Bots have already irreparably changed the hobby, transforming design, publication, and gameplay in ways that seem beyond human capacity to revert. While controversies persist, the convenience, efficiency, and new possibilities offered by AI, coupled with its deep integration and community adoption, suggest a permanent shift. The challenge is to harness bots thoughtfully, ensuring it enhances human creativity and maintains the core values of collaboration, storytelling, and imagination.

It's not like the majority of people can tell the difference between bot-generated and man-generated content anyways.