dgbaumgart
@dgbaumgart.bsky.social
artist, game designer, art director, writer, independent game developer, he/him
working in games since 2007
formerly Gaslamp Games, currently mostly Starsector
https://www.dgbaumgart.com/
https://dgbaumgart.itch.io/
working in games since 2007
formerly Gaslamp Games, currently mostly Starsector
https://www.dgbaumgart.com/
https://dgbaumgart.itch.io/
Pinned
dgbaumgart
@dgbaumgart.bsky.social
· Dec 13
I put together a version of my free hex/square painterly tile sample pack for Itch.io. This is like a little mini-tour through all my terrain tilesets, and best of all, they're gratis!
Get it here -> dgbaumgart.itch.io/hex-and-tile...
(Guess I should tag stuff,) #gamedev and #indiedev I think.
Get it here -> dgbaumgart.itch.io/hex-and-tile...
(Guess I should tag stuff,) #gamedev and #indiedev I think.
Happy Goblin Friday - and a new Goblin Year!
Today: among other things, shifting around locations to fit adjustments to how bridges work (they need two sides) in order to fit in the ending of the tutorial scenario on Troll Bridge, West.
(I should not have drawn the map so detailed so early, argh!)
Today: among other things, shifting around locations to fit adjustments to how bridges work (they need two sides) in order to fit in the ending of the tutorial scenario on Troll Bridge, West.
(I should not have drawn the map so detailed so early, argh!)
January 2, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Happy Goblin Friday - and a new Goblin Year!
Today: among other things, shifting around locations to fit adjustments to how bridges work (they need two sides) in order to fit in the ending of the tutorial scenario on Troll Bridge, West.
(I should not have drawn the map so detailed so early, argh!)
Today: among other things, shifting around locations to fit adjustments to how bridges work (they need two sides) in order to fit in the ending of the tutorial scenario on Troll Bridge, West.
(I should not have drawn the map so detailed so early, argh!)
Reposted by dgbaumgart
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
"Horrible", "boring", and "cheap": Experts pan new chatbot NPCs, but some leave room for optimism
We speak to a collection of developers and AI experts about the potential impact of LLM-powered NPCs in videogames.
www.rockpapershotgun.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
Reposted by dgbaumgart
Another day, another mobile game using @dgbaumgart.bsky.social 's tilesets. I swear to god these might be some of the most prolific assets in games
December 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Another day, another mobile game using @dgbaumgart.bsky.social 's tilesets. I swear to god these might be some of the most prolific assets in games
Happy Goblin Friday!
Whew: NPCs having interlude conversation without player involvement during a phase after the player's turn ends.
Playing with a viewpoint allowed to fly around (vs. the fairly strict player-character dialogs of Starsector).
("Meanwhile..." is straight from Monkey Island :D )
Whew: NPCs having interlude conversation without player involvement during a phase after the player's turn ends.
Playing with a viewpoint allowed to fly around (vs. the fairly strict player-character dialogs of Starsector).
("Meanwhile..." is straight from Monkey Island :D )
December 19, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Happy Goblin Friday!
Whew: NPCs having interlude conversation without player involvement during a phase after the player's turn ends.
Playing with a viewpoint allowed to fly around (vs. the fairly strict player-character dialogs of Starsector).
("Meanwhile..." is straight from Monkey Island :D )
Whew: NPCs having interlude conversation without player involvement during a phase after the player's turn ends.
Playing with a viewpoint allowed to fly around (vs. the fairly strict player-character dialogs of Starsector).
("Meanwhile..." is straight from Monkey Island :D )
Reposted by dgbaumgart
I spoke to a dozen professional concept artists working in games about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs easier, even if it's just used in "very early ideation stages."
Zero said "yes." Most said it made their job harder.
I learnt a lot about concept artists. You should too!
Zero said "yes." Most said it made their job harder.
I learnt a lot about concept artists. You should too!
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Concept Artists Say Generative AI References Only Make Their Jobs Harder
“The ‘early ideation stages’, when worlds are being fleshed out by writers and artists, are literally crucial to the development of a game’s vision,” said one artist.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I spoke to a dozen professional concept artists working in games about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs easier, even if it's just used in "very early ideation stages."
Zero said "yes." Most said it made their job harder.
I learnt a lot about concept artists. You should too!
Zero said "yes." Most said it made their job harder.
I learnt a lot about concept artists. You should too!
This one's for everyone who has folks back in the Persean Sector during this cycle's holiday season
December 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM
This one's for everyone who has folks back in the Persean Sector during this cycle's holiday season
Reposted by dgbaumgart
Jeff spitting facts!
Gonna parrot this-- when I was teaching, I would tell my students to not look solely at what other concept artists/popular illustrators were doing to inform their own designs. Go to your local museums and galleries, look at different mediums and fields, broaden that reach.
Gonna parrot this-- when I was teaching, I would tell my students to not look solely at what other concept artists/popular illustrators were doing to inform their own designs. Go to your local museums and galleries, look at different mediums and fields, broaden that reach.
always advised ppl to not look at (A)rtsta(I)on too much when looking for inspiration, looking at other mediums and other perspectives historic or cultural or individual origin will produce better designs. Anyway what do I know
December 17, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Jeff spitting facts!
Gonna parrot this-- when I was teaching, I would tell my students to not look solely at what other concept artists/popular illustrators were doing to inform their own designs. Go to your local museums and galleries, look at different mediums and fields, broaden that reach.
Gonna parrot this-- when I was teaching, I would tell my students to not look solely at what other concept artists/popular illustrators were doing to inform their own designs. Go to your local museums and galleries, look at different mediums and fields, broaden that reach.
Reposted by dgbaumgart
(just gonna note, btw, that @dgbaumgart.bsky.social paid for my art tests on dredmor and I've, in turn, made sure anyone I ever asked for an animation test during a hiring process was paid for it. it's possible for us to do better, people just have to care to make it a priority)
December 16, 2025 at 7:34 PM
(just gonna note, btw, that @dgbaumgart.bsky.social paid for my art tests on dredmor and I've, in turn, made sure anyone I ever asked for an animation test during a hiring process was paid for it. it's possible for us to do better, people just have to care to make it a priority)
Okay so: seeing talk of game companies using "AI art" - I think it's actually really damaging to the team-based/collaborative design process.
It provides a polished-looking average of visual solutions from by the averaged infringement of all of artstation.com - management with no training loves it.
It provides a polished-looking average of visual solutions from by the averaged infringement of all of artstation.com - management with no training loves it.
December 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Okay so: seeing talk of game companies using "AI art" - I think it's actually really damaging to the team-based/collaborative design process.
It provides a polished-looking average of visual solutions from by the averaged infringement of all of artstation.com - management with no training loves it.
It provides a polished-looking average of visual solutions from by the averaged infringement of all of artstation.com - management with no training loves it.
Happy Goblin Friday!
My approach: play the game until I hit something that breaks or annoys me, or hit a spot that still needs to be written.
We're up through stealing the turnip (though need more fail cases), and now the NPCs aren't triggering their events (which will probably explode, also).
My approach: play the game until I hit something that breaks or annoys me, or hit a spot that still needs to be written.
We're up through stealing the turnip (though need more fail cases), and now the NPCs aren't triggering their events (which will probably explode, also).
December 12, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Happy Goblin Friday!
My approach: play the game until I hit something that breaks or annoys me, or hit a spot that still needs to be written.
We're up through stealing the turnip (though need more fail cases), and now the NPCs aren't triggering their events (which will probably explode, also).
My approach: play the game until I hit something that breaks or annoys me, or hit a spot that still needs to be written.
We're up through stealing the turnip (though need more fail cases), and now the NPCs aren't triggering their events (which will probably explode, also).
Starsector: I really hate getting like halfway through implementing a mission using its acronym everywhere to tag dialog keys, then coming up with a better name for it. And then I want to use that original name for the immediate follow-up!
Ugh, what a mess.
Well, whatever. It's all one arc anyway.
Ugh, what a mess.
Well, whatever. It's all one arc anyway.
December 9, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Starsector: I really hate getting like halfway through implementing a mission using its acronym everywhere to tag dialog keys, then coming up with a better name for it. And then I want to use that original name for the immediate follow-up!
Ugh, what a mess.
Well, whatever. It's all one arc anyway.
Ugh, what a mess.
Well, whatever. It's all one arc anyway.
Reposted by dgbaumgart
New Starsector blog post: Support Fleets!
Calling in friendly fleets to help resupply or for combat support, and: a side bonus of pawning off all that useless metal to a scavenger.
fractalsoftworks.com/2025/12/08/s...
Calling in friendly fleets to help resupply or for combat support, and: a side bonus of pawning off all that useless metal to a scavenger.
fractalsoftworks.com/2025/12/08/s...
December 8, 2025 at 9:20 PM
New Starsector blog post: Support Fleets!
Calling in friendly fleets to help resupply or for combat support, and: a side bonus of pawning off all that useless metal to a scavenger.
fractalsoftworks.com/2025/12/08/s...
Calling in friendly fleets to help resupply or for combat support, and: a side bonus of pawning off all that useless metal to a scavenger.
fractalsoftworks.com/2025/12/08/s...
Reposted by dgbaumgart
sorry I'm late! I have at last broken my silence on Pantone's Color of the Year johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/cloud-danc...
'Cloud Dancer': A Measured Response
Regarding Pantone's decision, and so on, and so forth
johnpaulbrammer.substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:55 PM
sorry I'm late! I have at last broken my silence on Pantone's Color of the Year johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/cloud-danc...
Happy Goblin Friday!
Got a couple shots, and:
- set up framework for dialog text styles that can be set via script, here used to add tutorial text
- drew portraits for Farmer Grubb and his Large Son, who will appear in the tutorial
- (the farm background illustration is still, however, not done!)
Got a couple shots, and:
- set up framework for dialog text styles that can be set via script, here used to add tutorial text
- drew portraits for Farmer Grubb and his Large Son, who will appear in the tutorial
- (the farm background illustration is still, however, not done!)
December 5, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Happy Goblin Friday!
Got a couple shots, and:
- set up framework for dialog text styles that can be set via script, here used to add tutorial text
- drew portraits for Farmer Grubb and his Large Son, who will appear in the tutorial
- (the farm background illustration is still, however, not done!)
Got a couple shots, and:
- set up framework for dialog text styles that can be set via script, here used to add tutorial text
- drew portraits for Farmer Grubb and his Large Son, who will appear in the tutorial
- (the farm background illustration is still, however, not done!)
Tracked down a Starsector scripting error: I was trying to call "dripCheck" when I should have been calling "fitCheck".
Shameful!
Shameful!
December 4, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Tracked down a Starsector scripting error: I was trying to call "dripCheck" when I should have been calling "fitCheck".
Shameful!
Shameful!
Not a dig at anyone, but weird memory: I've become forever paranoid about trending quiz/whatever result-posting to socials after an incident on LJ 20 years ago where a quiz with an inscrutable results chart did the rounds then three days later swapped goatse for the results images. (Yes, lol-owned.)
December 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Not a dig at anyone, but weird memory: I've become forever paranoid about trending quiz/whatever result-posting to socials after an incident on LJ 20 years ago where a quiz with an inscrutable results chart did the rounds then three days later swapped goatse for the results images. (Yes, lol-owned.)
I just realized why the Unity login screen annoys me- the guy looks like post-apocalyptic Sam Altman.
December 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I just realized why the Unity login screen annoys me- the guy looks like post-apocalyptic Sam Altman.
Happy Goblin Friday!
Was going to show something cool, but realized inventories need to store items by slot position index (and those must save/load!)
Lots of overhauling. Then, while testing, found that SOME scripts aren't loaded after certain strings in prev. script lines! oof
(Bear with me.)
Was going to show something cool, but realized inventories need to store items by slot position index (and those must save/load!)
Lots of overhauling. Then, while testing, found that SOME scripts aren't loaded after certain strings in prev. script lines! oof
(Bear with me.)
November 28, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Happy Goblin Friday!
Was going to show something cool, but realized inventories need to store items by slot position index (and those must save/load!)
Lots of overhauling. Then, while testing, found that SOME scripts aren't loaded after certain strings in prev. script lines! oof
(Bear with me.)
Was going to show something cool, but realized inventories need to store items by slot position index (and those must save/load!)
Lots of overhauling. Then, while testing, found that SOME scripts aren't loaded after certain strings in prev. script lines! oof
(Bear with me.)
Happy Goblin Friday!
Easy morning: messed w/ visual effects & story script review.
Set up "vibes mode" button that turns off the UI so you can just hang out in a location and chill. Thank you to @mesotronik.bsky.social / soundcloud.com/mesotronik for the sound loop!
vid: youtu.be/17diA0A4kzw
Easy morning: messed w/ visual effects & story script review.
Set up "vibes mode" button that turns off the UI so you can just hang out in a location and chill. Thank you to @mesotronik.bsky.social / soundcloud.com/mesotronik for the sound loop!
vid: youtu.be/17diA0A4kzw
goblin swamp
YouTube video by David Baumgart
youtu.be
November 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Happy Goblin Friday!
Easy morning: messed w/ visual effects & story script review.
Set up "vibes mode" button that turns off the UI so you can just hang out in a location and chill. Thank you to @mesotronik.bsky.social / soundcloud.com/mesotronik for the sound loop!
vid: youtu.be/17diA0A4kzw
Easy morning: messed w/ visual effects & story script review.
Set up "vibes mode" button that turns off the UI so you can just hang out in a location and chill. Thank you to @mesotronik.bsky.social / soundcloud.com/mesotronik for the sound loop!
vid: youtu.be/17diA0A4kzw
Yeah. Imagine if laws applied to SV startups.
Or rich people, at all. *distant look*
Anyway, back to actually making art!
Or rich people, at all. *distant look*
Anyway, back to actually making art!
This is bullshit.
"absolutely no genAI in games" is the middle ground.
"how many years in jail should Sam Altman get for knowingly stealing all data ever" is the somewhat more extreme stance I personally adopt.
"absolutely no genAI in games" is the middle ground.
"how many years in jail should Sam Altman get for knowingly stealing all data ever" is the somewhat more extreme stance I personally adopt.
"Surely there's a middle ground here?" The CEO of Helldivers 2 studio Arrowhead says people "jump to extreme takes" when debating generative AI, and that there needs to be more nuance in the discussion.
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/surely-...
www.videogameschronicle.com/news/surely-...
November 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Yeah. Imagine if laws applied to SV startups.
Or rich people, at all. *distant look*
Anyway, back to actually making art!
Or rich people, at all. *distant look*
Anyway, back to actually making art!
Goblin Friday!
Look: it says "Continue Last Game" at the top of the main menu and the button *works* (at this point,) with the one save slot.
(... Except for map fog and character status effects. Sorting those out.)
Also: untangled a lot of turn state and UI state logic for save/load, whew.
Look: it says "Continue Last Game" at the top of the main menu and the button *works* (at this point,) with the one save slot.
(... Except for map fog and character status effects. Sorting those out.)
Also: untangled a lot of turn state and UI state logic for save/load, whew.
November 14, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Goblin Friday!
Look: it says "Continue Last Game" at the top of the main menu and the button *works* (at this point,) with the one save slot.
(... Except for map fog and character status effects. Sorting those out.)
Also: untangled a lot of turn state and UI state logic for save/load, whew.
Look: it says "Continue Last Game" at the top of the main menu and the button *works* (at this point,) with the one save slot.
(... Except for map fog and character status effects. Sorting those out.)
Also: untangled a lot of turn state and UI state logic for save/load, whew.
Probably obvious, but #Starsector dev thought: putting just a little time into dev-mode test tools to enabled quick set up of a variety of in-game situations pays off fantastically as QA/testing is made way faster and - this is important - less boring.
(If you're bored when testing, you miss stuff!)
(If you're bored when testing, you miss stuff!)
November 13, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Probably obvious, but #Starsector dev thought: putting just a little time into dev-mode test tools to enabled quick set up of a variety of in-game situations pays off fantastically as QA/testing is made way faster and - this is important - less boring.
(If you're bored when testing, you miss stuff!)
(If you're bored when testing, you miss stuff!)
Goblin Friday!
Save/load backend basically works, yay!
Then! In testing I discovered gaps in UI display vs state when transitioning between turn state modes over time ie fading in or out. Oof.
OK, root issue: turn state handler only hackily supported transition times. Fixed that up. Now: testing!
Save/load backend basically works, yay!
Then! In testing I discovered gaps in UI display vs state when transitioning between turn state modes over time ie fading in or out. Oof.
OK, root issue: turn state handler only hackily supported transition times. Fixed that up. Now: testing!
November 7, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Goblin Friday!
Save/load backend basically works, yay!
Then! In testing I discovered gaps in UI display vs state when transitioning between turn state modes over time ie fading in or out. Oof.
OK, root issue: turn state handler only hackily supported transition times. Fixed that up. Now: testing!
Save/load backend basically works, yay!
Then! In testing I discovered gaps in UI display vs state when transitioning between turn state modes over time ie fading in or out. Oof.
OK, root issue: turn state handler only hackily supported transition times. Fixed that up. Now: testing!
Writing new Starsector story things: There's always room for Finlay Siyavong to show up!
(And yes, you can also bring this to Arroyo if you want to give him a headache.)
(And yes, you can also bring this to Arroyo if you want to give him a headache.)
November 4, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Writing new Starsector story things: There's always room for Finlay Siyavong to show up!
(And yes, you can also bring this to Arroyo if you want to give him a headache.)
(And yes, you can also bring this to Arroyo if you want to give him a headache.)
Took some time off Goblin Friday to do more money-making work with expectation of Bad Foundation Repairs. Things seem... okay for now, so I'm getting back into Goblins.
Doing some "boring" save/load infrastructure, though it's a good re-entry into all the data structures.
(no fun pictures however)
Doing some "boring" save/load infrastructure, though it's a good re-entry into all the data structures.
(no fun pictures however)
October 31, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Took some time off Goblin Friday to do more money-making work with expectation of Bad Foundation Repairs. Things seem... okay for now, so I'm getting back into Goblins.
Doing some "boring" save/load infrastructure, though it's a good re-entry into all the data structures.
(no fun pictures however)
Doing some "boring" save/load infrastructure, though it's a good re-entry into all the data structures.
(no fun pictures however)