Kingdom Come Dev Talks Risks And Benefits Of AI And Losing Players If Games Are Too Difficult

One of the new creative directors at Kingdom Come studio Warhorse, Prokop Jirsa, has commented on the hot-button issue of using artificial intelligence in game development. His comments come at a time when Warhorse was accused a firing a translator to help save costs.

Jirsa told PC Gamer that he understands why people hate when art is generated with AI, and that's because he hates it, too. While using AI to generate art that would be released to the public is not something Jirsa is interested in, he said the technology can be "really helpful" during development in other ways. That includes AI-assisted programming efforts and coming up with concept art with genAI.

"Even if you're not a programmer, for example, you can code little things that help you. Not necessarily something that will be used in the game, but, for example, you'll be able to access some information in a more comprehensible way … or, for example, quick generation of some concept art, so you can actually communicate better to concept artists what you need," he said.

Jirsa also echoed the opinions of many others in gaming in that he believes people are generally overstating what AI technologies are capable of. "These things used during the development are, I think, something that will be or already is helpful, but I don't think it is so far reaching as some other people think," he said.

He said he expects AI to follow a similar trajectory to the origins of the internet. Some people said the internet would change everything rapidly, and while the internet did change the world, it did not happen right away nor did every company that invested in the space survive. There was a dot-com bubble that ultimately burst, causing a sharp crash and lots of internet companies going belly up, and AI could play out similarly, he said.

"I think nowadays the hype is way too much. I think it will not be as useful as some people think, at least in the short term. I do think it's transformative technology and a lot of things, but it will be more gradual than people think," he said.

On the subject of Warhorse reportedly firing a developer to maximize money with AI, the developer said it cannot comment on the private personnel matter.

Also in the interview, Jirsa discussed how Warhorse approaches difficulty when it comes to game design. He said the company's playtesting efforts often lead to players encountering challenging sections where they get confused or angry. A percentage of testers report that they would stop playing a game at this point, and other developers might "get rid of the friction," Jirsa said. However, "We don't work like that," he said.

"We feel if you overcome the friction, or the friction is intentionally there … then the friction helps you," he said. "Because you overcome the friction, you feel better about yourself, you feel that you've actually overcome some actual problem or difficulty."

Jirsa also said he is OK if Warhorse's design philosophy with regards to difficulty comes at the cost of some people simply not playing its games. "You will lose some players that are really not there for any friction, they just want to have this smooth experience. And there's nothing bad about smooth experiences! They have their place … but we are intentionally different. And I think Kingdom Come 2--1 as well, but 2 mostly--works so well in this regard," he said.

Warhorse has released two games so far, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The studio is now working on a "huge, immersive RPG," and some believe it's a The Lord of the Rings game.