Solving the problems of generative AI is everyone’s responsibility

As we look to the near future of generative AI, we need to decide what we want to do with it

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun

In Part 1, Our Generation , we discuss what we mean when we use the term ‘generative AI’.

In Part 2, The Art Of The Steal , we look at the issues with generative AI’s current training models.

In Part 3, Better Living , we imagine what life could be like if the best-case scenario for generative AI comes to pass.

In this final Part, A Short Distance Ahead, we look at what the near future of AI promises, and what we can do with it.

Welcome to the final part of Electric Nightmares , a short series about generative AI and games. So far we’ve seen the past, the present and the problems surrounding this new buzzword as it filters its way into our games and communities. In this final part of the series, I want to try and think concretely with you about what the future might hold; to go beyond what we think is just or legal, what we might be excited by or fearful of, and instead think about the practicalities of making and playing games today and how that might be impacted by generative AI’s growing dominance.

What does it take for a new technology to take root in our lives? In the late 90s, two science policy researchers proposed that there are two things you need: comfort and credibility. Credibility is about how good the thing is, the desire to actually have it in the first place. Comfort is about how easily you can integrate into your life. We see this all the time in games. VR is a good example – there are a lot of great VR experiences, and the technology is unusual and exciting to many of us, but it’s tiring to use, disorienting, expensive, requires a lot of empty space and is still prone to accidents. It might be a lot of fun, but over a decade on from the beginnings of the Oculus Rift, VR still doesn’t really feel like it’s found its feet. Other technologies have the opposite problem. NFTs actually became quite easy to use at their peak, and would’ve been quite easy to integrate into a lot of existing game stores - it’s just that no one cared. Every attempt to convince us that NFTs were going to add something to our gaming experiences floundered , and without that enthusiasm and excitement, it didn’t matter how easy or difficult it was to use.

Remember Spore? |Image credit:EA

Often with new games tech, it’s the quieter, smaller and more reliable systems that thrive in the long term. In his 2005 GDC talk , just before launching Spore , Will Wright spoke at length about what he saw as the power of procedural generation to solve the game design problems of the future, particularly the demand for larger quantities of high-quality content. Yet by and large, the solution companies found was to simply hire more people, and work them harder on bigger-budget productions. Procedural generation did break through to the industry eventually, but mostly in very specialised ways, in tools you may not have heard of or ever seen such as SpeedTree , a tool responsible for most of the video game forests you walk through. It worked because it was simple, specific and reliable.

We are beginning to see the first examples of generative AI tools that are more like this, such as Motorica . Motorica was born out of AI research at KTH, a university in Stockholm, and is now its own venture supported by Epic’s MegaGrant program. Their goal is to create a plug-in that can animate any 3D model in a variety of different styles, controlled through text input – so you can load in your big grumpy ogre that your 3D artist created, tell Motorica to animate it dancing a waltz, and you’re good to go. Motorica are building up their own databases of captured motion and gestures that they’ll have the full rights to both train on and license to game developers, with the aim of making “much of the work of a mocap-studio unnecessary”. Tools like Motorica aren’t free from the issues we’ve discussed throughout this series, especially if, say, you work at a mocap studio. But they may be free of enough issues to make their toolsets appealing to people who run publishers and developers, and that might be all that’s needed for generative AI to find a place in the industry.

Ultimately, the best insight into what the future holds for AI in games might be right under our noses. In 2019, OpenAI launched GPT-2, and with it they opened up API access for people to build apps using it. Most of the prototypes people made weren’t very good, but two demos went viral: one showing that GPT-2 could write simple programs, which would eventually lead to GitHub’s Copilot programming assistant , and another demo by Nick Walton which let you play an interactive fiction game that GPT-2 wrote in real-time. This latter demo was very quickly spun off into a game called AI Dungeon, with its own website, a company, Latitude, to develop it, and updates that expanded its knowledge of genres and styles. AI Dungeon was lauded as the future of gaming - Walton was interviewed and spoke around the world, Latitude hired and grew, and AI Dungeon repeatedly popped up in papers and talks about games research, design and development. This showed not only that AI could change how games were made, but that it was in high demand and successful.

AI Dungeon was once thought to be the future of video games. |Image credit:Latitude

Today, AI Dungeon sits with Mixed reviews on Steam . Negative reviews complain about the poor quality of the writing, the system’s inability to understand the player, the aggressive subscription plan that locks users out of high-quality AI dungeon masters, and the restrictive filtering on messages and output. That last point is understandable though – AI Dungeon most likely had to intensify their moderation when it was revealed the tool was being used to generate graphically violent abuse fantasies, and that it often tended towards writing sexual content with minors seemingly of its own accord. AI Dungeon is a good demonstration of how the dream of a new AI product sours over time. Maintenance costs rise because running models is expensive (at its peak, Walton estimates that AI Dungeon paid $200,000 a month just to make queries to OpenAI). Moderations and restrictions must be built-in to account for rogue user activity and catastrophic mistakes by the system, and because of the inherent unpredictability of such large AI models. There’s anecdotal evidence that many of these models degrade over time as they are iteratively trained on user interactions, too.

That doesn’t mean generative AI is useless or doomed. I don’t even think it means it can’t be applied ethically. What it does mean, though, is that we should be careful when exciting press releases and viral GDC demos promise us the moon on a stick, and when the real costs of that new technology are hidden from us. Generative AI hasn’t quite yet proven its comfort or credibility to either game developers or players yet. It remains to be seen if it will suffer the same fate as VR or, worse, NFTs.

In 1950, Alan Turing wrote of AI (before the term AI was even coined), “We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.” Turing was most likely thinking only about technical problems when he wrote that, but today I think it’s clear that the work we see ahead is the responsibility of all of us. As we’ve seen throughout this series, the answers to the problems we face lie outside of AI labs - they lie in courtrooms, in union negotiations, in investor pitch sessions and in fan-run Discord servers. AI researchers like myself are partly responsible for many of the problems we face today, but we are definitely not the only source of solutions. There won’t be a quick or easy answer to whatever issues we do end up facing in the video games industry going forward, but I do think there’s a path to be found toward a better future, if only we can work together to decide on where we want to go.

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.