About Generative AI

Heirless uses generative AI for illustrations on the following components:

• (TODO: number of cards) Workplace Cards
• (TODO: number of cards) Bandit Upgrade Cards.
• (In the future, unknown numbers) Rulebook illustrations.
• (In the future) 3 Location Tiles.

While having access to a real artist would be preferable, the upfront cost of replacing these would exceed my yearly salary multiple times over. For those unaware, each illustration would be around 100E.

As such, there are only so many possibilities:

• Use generative AI, which has the downside of alienating people and show minor style inconsistencies.
• Not have any complex illustrations, effectively removing a good chunk of the game’s theme.
• Use free images found here and there, leading to distractingly inconsistent illustrations.
• Become the artist, which would mean spending years of working on just the art.
• Sell the game to a publisher, which transfers the issue unto them, but also control of the game.
• Not make such an advanced game.

Generative AI was selected as the less problematic solution, with free images being used when possible. A compromise for Heirless not to fall, if you will. However, given how cleaving generative AI is for board games, steps are taken to ensure players and potential buyers are aware of its presence as early as possible.

If you would like to give away the hundred of thousands of dollars needed to overcome this issue, please consider more humanitarian causes instead. State taxes on donations I receive are at 60%, so it might not even suffice anyway. In fact, it would not be reasonable for me to spend so much money on the board game in any case, even if it were available.