Use AI for realistic regen faces

[PerrySpurs]

That's it basically lol.

The current regens still look like cartoons but we know AI these days can make MUCH better images, surely the game can integrate that and make better looking faces?

[scythian12]

It would be quite amazing if SI would implement just a small bit of what the community behind Zealand did. However, it would cost a lot to book computer hours with a provider for a few 100.000 faces, as I expect SI does not have the capability to do it on their own as the community did with the massive pack Zealand championed. Another issue is with copyright and licence if you go to an established AI image generator and want to use the images in a commercial product. In the most ideal case, the game would generate images then and there when the regens spawn and they would be truly unique to the save. But if you calculate with a few cents for ai computing time per image as costs, you very quickly end up with similar costs as the retail price of game itself just for regen face generation for a large database save over a few seasons. Maybe a consideration for a DLC? But in this case, it must be this second approach in terms of uniqueness. Could be a fun project for an intern to implement in half a year.

Buuut what SI could and should do, yet I don't expect them to, would be to licence a human face model which is less  - hmmm, disturbing may be the right word - than what is used in FM right now, such as Crusader Kings' III ageing model (although then again, that one is not particularly good with African faces)

Edited September 1 by scythian12

[El Payaso]

I'm honestly every time amused when I see someone using the faces generated by the game. They weren't up to the standards when first introduced and even less now almost 20 years later. Ticking off the game-generated faces is always the first thing I do when installing a new version of the game. It's good that these can nowadays be replaced in 5 minutes. 

[damiendada]

Nowadays AI can create very realistic images.

 

_{Mini Militia App Lock}

Edited September 7 by damiendada

[Deloma]

Current FaceGen should definitely be either replaced or removed. 

[Wolf_pd]

Let's hope that improved faces is part of FM25.

[Dotsworthy]

I don't mind using Zealand's face pack (although it is very samey) but I can't really enjoy the other face packs. I hate the super glossy look that gen AI puts on every image.

Miles did suggest that the move to unity would improve face generation as they'll have more scope to provide features. I wouldn't be surprised if they avoided AI for a good few years until we know what the cost implications of incorporating it into the game will be. It's easy to do it while it's (mostly) free but that will change once OpenAI and others are required to break even or make a profit.

[Micho21]

Some sport management games such as F1M 24 already included AI regen faces. Don't think it could be very hard to implement.

However, with Zealand's pack and and equivalent I don't mind if they spend their resources on other things.

[scythian12]

To be fair, whilst Zealand's pack is miles better than what is in the game, it could be enhanced further, best by an official solution by SI.

 

1): matching hair colour to the 3D models / db data as well as facial hair

2) better ethnicity types: East Africans and Polynesians / Pacific Islanders (and some South Africans) do not look like West Africans. Yet they all get West African faces. Same with Central Asians getting Asian faces and Asians, SE Asians in general need deblobbing for a proper solution, as Japanese, Koreans, Chinese (even within the country) have different appearance. Also mixed-race images are complicated and the middle Eastern / North African types are definitely off (for instance for Cyprus, Israel or Turkey)

3) With a bit more effort, you could have ageing faces. So generate images with the same prompt (and seed) with the descriptor for example 15-18-21-25-30-35-45-55-65 old for proper looks throughout the playing and staff career of a regen.

 

Here an exeamle with 15-20-25-35

 

[NoirChrist]

16 hours ago, scythian12 said:

To be fair, whilst Zealand's pack is miles better than what is in the game, it could be enhanced further, best by an official solution by SI.

 

1): matching hair colour to the 3D models / db data as well as facial hair

2) better ethnicity types: East Africans and Polynesians / Pacific Islanders (and some South Africans) do not look like West Africans. Yet they all get West African faces. Same with Central Asians getting Asian faces and Asians, SE Asians in general need deblobbing for a proper solution, as Japanese, Koreans, Chinese (even within the country) have different appearance. Also mixed-race images are complicated and the middle Eastern / North African types are definitely off (for instance for Cyprus, Israel or Turkey)

3) With a bit more effort, you could have ageing faces. So generate images with the same prompt (and seed) with the descriptor for example 15-18-21-25-30-35-45-55-65 old for proper looks throughout the playing and staff career of a regen.

 

Here an exeamle with 15-20-25-35

 

Did you generate these images yourself?

 

Edited September 5 by NoirChrist

[scythian12]

6 hours ago, NoirChrist said:

Did you generate these images yourself?

 

I used Midjourney

[Kickballz]

Very impressive.

I certainly think SI could benefit from entering a partnership with an expert like that, but I doubt they consider it a priority.

[Aim_Less]

Including such feature is a nightmare rights wise .

SI would be liable for copyright infringement if it there was a dispute in how it was trained.

Not to mention a bad PR move