DZ Files 4

[DarkZtar]

Edit: Have decided to pull the release for now. Will release when I've had the time to actually make proper gfx.

Edit2: Pack has been re-uploaded.

Pack 4: Mix of dump/tech files that I've made over the past 5ish years. Special thanks to Mipha and Fisu for playtesting (and double thanks to Mipha for collabing w me on Wildanes). If you did dl the prev version before the re-upload, delete it and re-download. (unless you want to keep the earlier version for whatever reason)

Click banner to download.

Pack 4: Alter Paradox

[Elite Ninja]

epic paq

[Lights]

a pack worth derusting for

[Xellanoir]

Nooo, I saw this at work and was going to download it when I got home. Now I have to wait for the gfx update

[DarkZtar]

Originally Posted by Xellanoir

Nooo, I saw this at work and was going to download it when I got home. Now I have to wait for the gfx update

Sorry about this.

For context on the decision: Received blowback immediately about the usage of AI art for gfx, with people in the discussion channels bringing up good points that I didn't consider. The original thought process was that as a solo project, it'd be neat to have more of the pack be my own "work" if I generated art to use for gfx (I realize how dumb that sounds now). Reading discussion feedback made me realize that is not the case, as usage of AI art just comes off as lazy/uninspired (even though I did spend far more time tweaking models and adjusting images to get stuff that I thought was at least half-presentable at the time) and is entirely against the spirit of using art in any medium (even for something as simple as stepchart gfx). I figured taking the pack down, owning up to my misguided thought process, and putting in the effort to overhaul the gfx would be much more preferable than have the pack be released in the current state.

For the few people that dl'd the original pack, I won't ask you to delete it if you want to play it in the meantime, but I do ask that you not share the pack with anyone else, or post scores publicly for now. I apologize again for this and hope that people will still be willing to dl / play the pack once I overhaul gfx.

[Mollocephalus]

so let's just be honest here and say that the critique of AI usage for a stepmania pack of all things is beyond retarded

[Mollocephalus]

unless you're some sort of da vinci who also draws/designs his own stuff, you're just going to steal and manipulate some graphics from the internet, how is that better? as a matter of fact, it's worse because you're directly using someone's work without permission (not that you should give a fuck), while at least with AI, while we know the sources also steal from content on the internet, at least the final result is new.

[Lights]

owo tappies 2 used some AI generated content in its banners. I personally don't see anything wrong with it and intend for future packs to do the same.

[ositzxz369]

quite the strange overreaction on this AI banner gfx stuff. Did anyone have any criticism about the files themselves?

[ToonE156]

this is beyond stupid. its either using AI or directly taking art from online, which isnt alot better.

[Klarion]

Good on you taking the right path with replacing the gfx and actually respecting work people put in, unlike some sad pathetic people here.

That's all I gotta say see ya in another half year

[Xellanoir]

I'm just trying to figure out who is getting disrespected in this situation. The music artists?? The steppers???

We will find out all of this and more on the next episode of

Also I wanted to edit this to say that pathetic is not a nice word

[Matthia]

Nothing is morally incorrect when it comes to generating background/banner images for stepmania packs. Every pack maker has the right to do whatever they like with the pack in the way they see fit, as long as it follows the rules on EtternaOnline for releases. Bashing on someone's pack because of something that doesn't break the rules is foolish behavior.

[gold stinger]

Originally Posted by Klarion

Good on you taking the right path with replacing the gfx and actually respecting work people put in, unlike some sad pathetic people here.

That's all I gotta say see ya in another half year

Literally 99% of all art for Stepmania banners is stolen, edited in Photoshop, and reused without their consent along with 99% of all music charted and stepped for the game. And the fact that SimfileDB no longer exists due to copyright takedown notices is proof that we're all in the wrong for it and yet we continue to do so to this day.

[Fantasticone]

Complaining about AI art when graphics are stolen all the time, too funny.

[Lights]

Originally Posted by Fantasticone

Complaining about AI art when graphics are stolen all the time, too funny.

hello mr. Cone c:

[Coolboyrulez0]

Originally Posted by Klarion

Good on you taking the right path with replacing the gfx and actually respecting work people put in, unlike some sad pathetic people here.

That's all I gotta say see ya in another half year

XD

[aperson]

please replace all of the background art with pictures from darkshark's portfolio


besides, if we didn't steal art how would we end up with memes like

[DarkZtar]

Pack has been re-uploaded. dl and give it a try if you want.

also fwiw, i never intended for this to turn into a discussion on ai art usage or w/e. point is i probably should have known that ai art was touchy subject/viewed in a negative light by a sizeable amount of the community given i was asked to change bgs for mwc stuff and i didn't take the hint. no, using images taken from various artist pages online isn't any better, but i threw in a gfx txt info file this time around to at least give credit this time around. also i still have 0 gfx/art skills, have been dealing with a sprained wrist, and have been running on <4 hours of sleep per night for basically the past 3 weeks at this point so don't expect much.

[Mollocephalus]

Originally Posted by aperson

please replace all of the background art with pictures from darkshark's portfolio

based