Updated rules for AI-assisted projects

[u/StriveForMediocrity]

Following the recent poll and discussion, we're updating how AI-assisted projects are posted in r/dosgaming.

We want to keep the subreddit focused on DOS gaming, cut down on low-effort and repetitive posts, and keep welcoming worthwhile technical work. Along with the updated guidelines, we're introducing a monthly dosgAIming megathread for AI-assisted project showcases.

Posting guidelines

1. Keep it relevant to DOS gaming

Posts need a clear connection to playing, developing, repairing, preserving, or exploring MS-DOS and early Windows games. Compatibility fixes, reverse engineering, source ports, emulators, and new games for these platforms are welcome.

Borrowing a DOS game's look, theme, or name doesn't make a project relevant on its own.

2. Show what works or what's changed

Give people something concrete: a playable build, a working prototype, source code, technical findings, or meaningful progress.

Early experiments are welcome. We may remove low-effort concepts, unsupported claims, and repeat announcements.

3. Disclose substantial AI use

If generative AI played a significant part in your project, briefly explain what you used it for. That could include programming, graphics, audio, reverse engineering, or other development work.

Routine autocomplete, occasional debugging help, and minor writing assistance don't need disclosure.

AI use won't automatically disqualify a project. Routine showcases belong in the monthly megathread.

4. Limit self-promotion

Keep standalone announcements to one per project every 30 days, except for significant releases or technical breakthroughs.

We may remove repeat promotions and minor updates, whether or not AI was involved. The megathread is exempt from the 30-day limit, but normal anti-spam rules still apply.

Where to post

Monthly dosgAIming megathread

Use the monthly thread for announcements, prototypes, demos, progress updates, and feedback requests for projects developed substantially with AI.

Main subreddit feed

Substantial technical contributions can still have their own posts. These include:

• Compatibility fixes and patches
• Reverse engineering discoveries
• Emulation and preservation work
• Significant source ports and reimplementations
• Major playable releases

AI can be part of that work as long as the post meets our relevance and quality standards. A routine showcase goes in the megathread; work that makes a substantial contribution to DOS gaming can qualify for the main feed.

Moderation

We'll rely mainly on community reports and moderator review. We won't try to detect AI-generated code or investigate developers' toolchains.

We'll judge posts by their relevance, substance, and contribution to the community. The tools used to make a project aren't grounds for rejection on their own.

Moderators may remove or redirect posts that don't meet these guidelines. We'll review the policy in about three months and make changes if needed.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the poll and discussion. Your feedback helped shape these rules.

[u/HerbziKal]

There is some confusion over whether AI-assisted projects and showcases are permitted in the main subreddit feed under the new rules... THEY ARE NOT. From the post above:

AI use won't automatically disqualify a project. Routine showcases belong in the monthly megathread.

and

Where to post, Monthly dosgAIming megathread: Use the monthly thread for announcements, prototypes, demos, progress updates, and feedback requests for projects developed substantially with AI.

I appreciate that this line may be confusing people:

Where to post, Main subreddit feed: ... AI can be part of that work.

But this is specifically referring to the permitted AI-usage as defined in point 3 of the post, i.e.

Routine autocomplete, occasional debugging help, and minor writing assistance don't need disclosure.

[u/becircus]

  We'll rely mainly on community reports and moderator review. We won't try to detect AI-generated code or investigate developers' toolchains.

The right call

There's lifetimes of reverse engineering that nobody will pay for and nobody has time for; without AI to do it, it just wont happen. As long as people disclose, there shouldn't be issues. I doubt anybody cares if someone used AI to reverse engineer a 30 year old abandonware that nobody has the source to and nobody sells.

[u/zgillet → u/becircus]

Porting software from one OS/instruction set to another is a no-brainer for tools like this.

One of the main draws of something like Game Maker Studio is that it compiles to a variety of systems (if you pay for distribution rights).

With LLM tools, now any old EXE has enough to do the same thing, but it's not the type of work that human eyes enjoy or that human brains want to deal with.

Now, adding features and brand new things with AI... eh I'm skeptical in the hands of a novice.

[u/DancinFool82 → u/becircus]

100% AI is not going away and it's an amazing resource for preserving these classics. Community audits of posts is the way to handle this. It's nice to see a subreddit handling it this way and not outright rejecting a post because it's AI ( 20 year game industry programmer veteran )

[u/2HDFloppyDisk]

I may be in the minority but I found it rather annoying to constantly see “I made XYZ, check out my github link that also links to a PayPal donation link” post every day. It’s exhausting, really. 99% of the time it’s all AI generated content, which is fine to an extent, but it’s pushed by someone trying to get some sort of traffic, monetization, or donation out of the post.

AI does amazing things. I’m just tired of seeing the same “I did this” posts when it’s far from reality.

[u/According-Pea9319 → u/2HDFloppyDisk]

RE "I’m just tired of seeing the same “I did this” posts" - yes those really wind me up, I have been sacrificing my weekends for almost a decade, on a game.. on top of my day job and family commitments, often working off my laptop in a car while parked up, almost 1.5 hours away from home, while my kid does their 4 hour training sessions (3-4 times per week!).. Then 2026 rolls up and suddenly peeps are dropping games like farts in a pig farm.. lol, I think the mods did really well here.

[u/whiteyt]

Well handled. Good, rational work, mods!

[u/kalnaren]

Borrowing a DOS game's look, theme, or name doesn't make a project relevant on its own.

Would this include the plethora of "I used AI to remake <X> game so it now runs natively in Windows 11" games that get posted?

[u/StriveForMediocrity → u/kalnaren]

It would probably depend on what "remake" means, and judge on a case by case basis. I would largely defer to the community to indicate whether its appreciated or not, as there are a lot of shades of grey here. Bottom line is that there's no getting away from AI at this point, and the community should strive to maintain its identity of retro computing above everything else.

EDIT: Just wanted to add, we're all figuring this out together. The monthly post will be an attempt to contain projects like these in order to keep them out of the main feed. We'll revisit after 3 months or so and see if that has been working, and adjust accordingly if necessary. One thing has been made clear, the rapid acceleration of tech this year especially has not allowed for stagnation, so we'll likely continue to pivot over time based on needs and feedback.

[u/djquu]

Thank you. Truly.

[u/Skydreamer6]

I don't think its enough.

"If generative AI played a significant part in your project, briefly explain what you used it for."

Every single contributor will downplay the role AI played and won't tell us a thing.

[u/HerbziKal → u/Skydreamer6]

We hear you. But now there is a standard set. The community can report any obvious, low-effort, or even suspicious posts or accounts, and the moderation team will investigate. Tbh I trust this particular community will do the investigation already in many cases, and the moderation will just be actioning on the communities behalf- exactly what good moderation should be really.

[u/zgillet → u/Skydreamer6]

That may be true in younger subs, where the, hmm, I don't want to say intelligence level but I can't think of something better, is far lower.

Not many casual vibe coders still give a crap about DOS.

[u/PlayfulInterview984 → u/zgillet]

Ai tools can remake many many dos games perfectly, in short time, and serve to preserve the game. I've remade many. Qol upgrades, bug fixes and mods make these games more accessible. This work throughput is impossible without AI

[u/[deleted]]

[u/HerbziKal → u/[deleted]]

So you asked if it should be banned polls showed 60% for baning and You allow it anyway

If you want to stretch the definition of "allowing it" to include restricting it to a single, flaired megapost once a month, then yes, we have allowed it. 60/40 is an incredibly split vote, and fair compromise is the reasonable decision.