AI-driven picture creation has grown to be a potent tool for game makers. AI tools like MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, or DALL·E can save time and boost creativity. They can assist you with character design, concept art exploration, and environment prototypes. But the quality of the result depends largely on how you write your prompts.
Let’s delve into the main features of prompts, common mistakes to avoid, and practical life hacks to make AI-generated images truly useful in game development.
Key Characteristics of Effective Hints
1. Be Specific, But Not Too Specific
AI models do best when given explicit, detailed instructions. For instance:
- Rather than: “castle“
- Use: “a medieval stone castle on a cliff at sunset, with flags flying, realistic style.”
However, keep in mind that overburdening the model with features (“every window has gold frames with dragons on them, and in the background it’s raining with glowing torches…”) might cause confusion and subpar output.
2. Style tags are crucial
Add a style keyword such as “Pixel art,” “low poly,” “anime,” “photorealistic,” “flat illustration,” etc., to get a certain look.
This makes it easier to match the AI’s output to your game’s intended artistic approach.
3. Utilize compositional indicators
Consider your prompt to be a director’s cut of a snapshot. Add cues like:
- “isometric view,”
- “top-down perspective,”
- “close-up portrait,”
- “wide cinematic shot.”
These assist the AI in producing assets that are appropriate for your intended usage.
4. Prioritize the subject
Sometimes, AI models pay more attention to the background than the main topic. The subject should always come first.
- “Warrior character in shining armor, full-body, centered, fantasy style.”
5. Include lighting and mood
Lighting has a significant impact on tone. Compare:
- “Forest landscape”
- vs. “Dark, misty forest with eerie blue moonlight.”
The second tip creates an atmosphere that is closer to what you want in concept art.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being too vague
Prompts like “make a cool character” produce random, generic results. - Overloading details
Adding 15 adjectives usually makes images worse, not better. - Forgetting the use case
A “concept art” prompt looks different than a “game icon” prompt. Tailor the style to the output’s purpose. - Ignoring model features
Some models have problems with hands, text, or symmetry. Keep this in mind when designing. - Lack of iteration
Many users give up after one bad result. AI prompting is iterative: refine, test, and adjust.
Lifehacks for better prompts
- Use keywords: “Studio Ghibli-style” or “retro JRPG cover-like” can solidify the result.
- Add negative tips: Many tools allow you to exclude unwanted elements (e.g., “no text, no watermark, no blur”).
- Refine incrementally: Start with a general vision and then add details step by step.
- Think modularly: For more lucid results, make backgrounds, objects, and characters independently.
- Use seed values: If you like one image, reuse its seed number to get consistent variations.
Final Thoughts
Artificial intelligence-generated imagery won’t replace skilled artists, but it can significantly speed up the creative process in game development. The secret is to become proficient in operational writing, which respects the constraints of AI models while focusing on clarity, organization, and concentration.
At Melior Games, we combine human skill with AI tools. This allows us to prototype faster and achieve more visual diversity. For clients, this provides creative opportunities that are affordable without sacrificing quality.
