So much slop (rant about The Breach makerworld contest)

Davyd · June 9, 2026, 12:00pm

Commence Rant

I don’t know what I was expecting, given the fact the contest description was just a massive piece of AI generated slop, but as a dungeon master I was quietly excited about the latest MW contest. That excitement was quickly dashed when I saw it as 90% AI generated slop. The same homogenous looking, low effort crap.

I get that MW doesn’t object about AI generated content given they have a vested interest in it via their makerlabs tools. I just want some reliable way of filtering it out. Like, tag your models as AI so the people who don’t want to see it, don’t. This benefits everyone—the slop peddlers and second-hand thinkers don’t get the negative comments and the like, and the rest of us can get away from being deluged with procedural garbage.

Rant Over - Apologies

RetroSharky · June 9, 2026, 1:10pm

The topics of AI and as well contest have both been hot topics for years.

Combine the two and you get the worst of both worlds. People get upset about every contest and every decision that Bambu makes in favour of AI - and rightly so.

As I said, take a look around the forum - there seem to be about a hundred threads on this topic.

I understand your frustration, but I would strongly advise you to avoid any contest, whether as a participant or a visitor.

GeorgeTDS · June 9, 2026, 1:18pm

What I really find frustrating about the AI generated models is that if I wanted to use them, I could go ahead and generate my very own the exact same way! Why should I settle for using someone else’s prompt generated models when I could customize them myself?

I understand that Bambu wants people to print models, and that MakerWorld wants downloads in hopes of generating printer sales. I think it would better for all of us if they instead of allowing people to share AI models MakerWorld encouraged generating your own. It might be mutually beneficial to partner with AI tools that MakerWorld does not already have to open up avenues for personal creation. If MakerWorld replaced every instance of AI generated models with an “ad” example of something you would want and then direct you how to create your own custom version I think that would be much more acceptable than what we have now. Heck, if you want to keep the AI models on the site, maybe have them further down one layer, and after explaining how to make your own keychain allow users to browse keychains others have already created.

I am not sure I actually want to be click on ads instead of models on one hand, but I would rather that then have to constantly filter through stuff that really worth printing at all.

I am a hobby creator who has shared some models on MakerWorld. My models are amateur and only somewhat better than some AI stuff. So when I say I find it frustrating to know that the limited resource of points available to be collected on MakerWorld being stolen by low effort offerings I know that those points would not have gone to me anyway. All the same it seems to me that we all would be better off with being able to have the best of both worlds. The real people created models should be the easiest to find, and the best quality of those at the top. The AI generated models really should be created ourselves for personal use, but if we want the option to download someone else’s it should be something we seek out on purpose, not by accident.

MZip · June 9, 2026, 1:22pm

Had to look and who knew we had so many prolific 3d sculptors in residence?

This one was funny and there are multiple like it - AI generated models -and- workbenches! This artist has multiple entries and the workbench is different in each.

Looks like an easy print with near guaranteed success, too!

Neiljt · June 9, 2026, 1:23pm

Ive noticed most contests are being sponsored or hosted by creators , have you considered contacting them ? for differing rules or how they plan to judge them , if thats what those hosting them entails

RetroSharky · June 9, 2026, 1:25pm

Has anyone actually really dug into this topic to figure out what it really means? How much influence the creator has, and so on?

MZip · June 9, 2026, 1:28pm

Unfortunately this. The contests have been mismanaged IMO and not curated well enough to where the only contest seems to be posting the most ineligible slop and getting away with it.

Contests need help and TLC or this is all they will be eventually. Some good models get lost in the junk.

TeamPuddlePuppy · June 9, 2026, 1:28pm

I fully agree, I was going to compete until I saw the AI

Neiljt · June 9, 2026, 1:31pm

It used to be makerworld would obtain the right to publish, even if models were deleted from contests / site , so i wouldnt consider them mismanaged .

MZip · June 9, 2026, 1:39pm

It used to be makerworld would obtain the right to publish, even if models were deleted from contests / site , so i wouldnt consider them mismanaged.

I wasn’t referring to anything about publishing rights in the contests though. I was speaking more generally about how the contest entries don’t benefit most entrants because their work gets buried in noncompliant slop.

Specifically what I was referring to was declaring a contest, not pruning the ineligible models, but cherry picking the best and putting them in their own carousel promotion for the contest. They just leave the slop with the complying entries but short circuit interest in seeing all the entries with a separate, “clean” promotion that has no slop because it’s curated to look the very best.

Davyd · June 9, 2026, 1:39pm

Oh, I know AI is a prevalent blight on contests, I just didn’t expect it to be so bad this time. But I guess given it’s a non-functional focused comp, that opens things up for the GPTidiots more

Davyd · June 9, 2026, 1:41pm

Oh, 100%. MMF is great for good quality stuff, but there are some talented people on MW too. It’s just a shame they get drowned out by the slopmerchants

RetroSharky · June 9, 2026, 1:57pm

Exactly - MakerWorld is definitely a dumping ground for miniatures. No one who’s seriously interested in tabletop stuff would say, “Hey, let’s go to MakerWorld.”

I’ll post the links to some really useful websites:

Tons of tabletop models:

https://www.myminifactory.com

Subreddit dedicated to FDM miniatures printing

https://www.reddit.com/r/FDMminiatures/

A designer specializing in creating miniatures that require no support structures and are therefore perfect for FDM. An expert in this field:

Another designer who has made a name for himself, primarily through his outstanding FDM Bambu print profiles, but also through his miniatures: He really brought FDM and miniatures to the forefront - at a time when people still thought it wasn’t possible.

TeamPuddlePuppy · June 9, 2026, 4:26pm

I see what you are saying, I dont mean i would use AI. I would design something myself, but I dont like competing against AI. I think I am going to keep working on my new home design model.

Josh-3D · June 9, 2026, 5:12pm

Hahahha, not me. I think all of the miniatures that get dumped on Makerworld are AI slop through and through. I look at the files, and there’s always issues that the slop creators completely ignore because well, they are slop, not just the art they create, but they themselves are slop. It’s so stupid.

I don’t really bother with the contest, but I went and looked it up. My gawd, even yeah, the description of. It reminds me a lot of the annoying way that AI writes. Haha. I went and looked at the discussions though and the first one some guy like “Guys should I make this?!” Like give me a break, you’re just gonna run the image through your mesh tool, you’re not making crap. You’re asking everyone if you should hit the submit button. We don’t even need that dude at this point because he gave us the image he used to generate his slop on our own!

I looked at the model the dude generated, and yeah, it’s slop. It’s so stupid. Like it’s just obviously different, and with the AI tumor blobs, and they just do not care. These AI slop artist do not care. They do not care that the work they put out there is garbage, slopppy, junk. It’s fine if you’re an individual making stuff for yourself, but as something you put out there for others, you’re just spreading digital trash around.

Half the time they post the picture they use, so it’s like yeah. Why even bother downloading their crap?! I can just take their image and generate my own model.

My eyes fall out of my head from all the eye rolling I was doing.

I just find this topic especially annoying at times. I’ve worked with a lot of actual good 3d sculptors. It’s incredibly insane to me that these AI slop artist come in acting like they’re hot ■■■■, like they’re anything at all, like there is any talent to what they are doing.

It’s not even that they use these tools to generate meshes. Fine, that’s some pretty cool stuff (The tech that can generate those meshes/sculpts), but that it’s that they take that raw output and shove it down our throats while screaming about how they’re a real artist now daddy, and we’ve gotta respect them. ■■■■ no. Even a junior artist has at least enough talent to clean the damn thing up, these slop artist have no concept of that, they have no idea how bad that output can be. They’re just… slop…

Josh-3D · June 9, 2026, 5:20pm

Now those look good. I was checking out the Brite Minis. Just obvious right away that it’s someone that cares about what they’re doing.

everythingDND · June 10, 2026, 8:45pm

Hi @Davyd

I must say, as the contest owner - and a fellow dungeon master, i’m quiet offended by your post.

The “story” or prolog if you will, is written by me - only me. Is the banner made with AI? sure, because im not a graphic designer and i think it looks quiet nice.

You blatantly saying: “contest description was just a massive piece of AI generated slop”, is untrue and quiet hurtful. I have spend hours creating this contest. From creating the theme, writing all rules, guidelines, rewards, schedule etc. I guess you have read it, unless you also assume that is AI generated.

Most of the requirements is not something AI would even be capable of doing (to my knowledge).

I want to reassure everyone that the contest rules already address this:
**
Model Requirements**

Models must be designed and optimized for FDM 3D printing
A thoroughly tested print profile is required
Submissions must include clear images of the printed model
Entries must follow 28–32mm tabletop scale
Entries must fit the contest theme

Originality & AI Use

Entries must reflect meaningful creative work
Models clearly generated entirely by AI without refinement will not be considered

I will personally be selecting all winners, and I can assure you that creativity, effort, and craftsmanship will be rewarded.

Simply generating a model and uploading it without consideration for scale, printability, paintability, playability and THEME will not be enough.

I, sadly, have no power to remove entries from the contest, but rest asure that no AI generated models is going to win the contest.

Disclaimer: I don’t gain any benefits from hosting this contest other than added exposure.

I sincerely hope this atleast clears up something

everythingDND · June 10, 2026, 8:52pm

The banner meaning the image where the “The breach” story is on.

The banner for the contest is a real image, that Bambu put a new background on instead of the white i had originally.

RetroSharky · June 10, 2026, 9:41pm

Just some general advice: Try not to take things too personally. You need to distinguish between comments directed at you (spoiler: very few) and those directed at the MakerWorld contest in general (most of what’s written here).

On top of that, there’s the factor - as you yourself describe - of things over which you have absolutely no control.

MakerWorld contest had a bad reputation ever since it began. This is due to a variety of factors, including rules that aren’t followed, questionable winners, and the flood of AI entries. You won’t probably find anyone on this forum saying anything positive about the contests, and the general opinion is clear: avoid them!

However, as I said, you have to distinguish between what is directed at you and what is generally against the competitions. This is extremely important, both so that you can understand others and for your own well-being. Just so you know, the frustration isn’t directed at you personally, but rather at MakerWorld.

On top of that - and this is something you obviously can’t control - your contest has been flooded with AI entries. Saying a clear ‘no’ to AI might have improved the quality of the entries. Perhaps, but that’s just speculation.

I hope I’ve given you some insight into the fact that most of this criticism is aimed at MakerWorld, not you. Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone, only myself, but perhaps you can understand why the tone of the forum is slightly more critical. Especially since you just signed up.

By the way, I think it’s great that you’re giving us some insight into this - it’s something that rarely happens, and contests like this are often completely lacking in transparency.

Edit: I completely forgot to say: “Welcome to the forum.”

RetroSharky · June 10, 2026, 10:01pm

And now, for my second post, I have a few more serious words to share. When people look at your profile and see a mix of 50% real photos and 50% AI-generated images, renders or Photoshop edits that don’t reflect reality, you can’t really blame them for getting that impression.

Let me give you some example, a cover from one of your designs:

…and that’s the real picture:

…or here’s another misleading cover image.

…another cover:

Just like the banner on your profile - just look at those broken dice…

Edit: There was a comment here about AI, but I didn’t realize until later that everythingDND had already admitted in his statement that he uses AI for his 3D models, too.