Files
CharacterGardenStack/thoughts.md
spencer fc10e46ccc feat(interpreter): implement hybrid intent resolution with LLM and deterministic fallback
- Added new contracts for intent interpretation, including InterpreterOutput and ResolverMode.
- Implemented deterministic intent resolver with clarity checks for ambiguous references and empty input.
- Developed LLM intent resolver that communicates with an external model, handling JSON responses and fallback clarifications.
- Created an interpretTurn function to manage intent resolution based on the selected resolver mode.
- Introduced validation for interpreter output to ensure integrity before processing actions.
- Established a turn manager to orchestrate turn processing, including action validation and world state mutation.
- Added integration tests to verify the functionality of the new intent resolution system.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <copilot@github.com>
2026-04-26 14:06:14 -04:00

3.3 KiB

thoughts.md

Documentation Sync

  • Implementation plan refreshed in Implementation_plan.md to match current codebase state.
  • Next executable phase is Phase 1: Intent Interpreter Boundary Hardening.

Current Snapshot (April 2026)

What is now working

  • Rulebook-driven validation is active and editable through API/frontend.
  • Character authorization rules are in place (actorIdIn / actorNameIn).
  • take supports createIfMissing, gated by rulebook permissions.
  • transfer action is live with ownership + recipient + location validation.
  • Turn processing now goes through a dedicated turn manager layer.
  • Intent interpreter contract exists with resolved / needs_clarification / rejected statuses.
  • Interpreter envelopes are persisted per turn and surfaced to the UI timeline.
  • LLM resolver now calls an HTTP model backend (Ollama-compatible) with hybrid deterministic fallback.
  • Rulebooks now include a version field with backward-compatible DB migration.

Confirmed via containerized validation

  • Backend build passes in Docker:
    • docker compose run --rm app npm run build
  • Frontend build passes in Docker:
    • docker compose run --rm frontend npm run build
  • Host Node build is intentionally not relied on.

Architecture Feedback

Good decisions worth keeping

  1. Rulebook externalization
  • Pulling edge-case logic out of hardcoded truth engine branches was the right move.
  • It now supports editable policy without code deployment.
  1. Explicit authorization checks in rules
  • Authorization for creation-style actions now belongs to policy, not parser guesswork.
  • This aligns with deterministic governance.
  1. Introducing transfer as first-class action
  • This avoids overloading take semantics and keeps intent/action boundaries cleaner.
  1. Turn manager seam
  • processTurn delegating to a turn manager creates a stable orchestration point for interpreter upgrades.

Risks / cleanup still needed

  1. Frontend contract drift risk
  • App.tsx has historically duplicated blocks during rapid edits.
  • Keep one canonical component and avoid append-style merges.
  1. Interpreter observability depth
  • Interpreter traces are persisted, but aggregate analytics/counters are still missing.
  1. Rulebook migration strategy
  • Existing DBs may hold older rulebooks missing new action rule sets.
  • Need explicit upgrade path/versioning.

Path Forward (Next 3 Iterations)

Iteration 1: LLM adapter hardening

  • Harden prompt + response schema handling for model drift and malformed JSON.
  • Add environment-specific model/timeouts and failure policy guidance.
  • Add tests covering unavailable model backend and malformed payload fallback.

Iteration 2: Traceability + observability

  • Surface interpreter status in frontend turn log.
  • Add reason-code analytics counters for failed validations and unresolved intents.

Iteration 3: Rulebook lifecycle and test harness

  • Add policy packs (creation, transfer, social).
  • Add Docker-run integration tests for:
    • unauthorized createIfMissing
    • authorized createIfMissing
    • transfer success/failure matrix
    • clarification path for ambiguous/unrecognized input

Operating Guidance

  • Keep all build/test checks containerized.
  • Treat interpreter as replaceable adapter behind a stable contract.
  • Keep truth engine deterministic and side-effect free.
  • Keep mutation logic pure relative to validated actions only.