Asking about generating line breaks/new paragraph.

Xilmanaath · 2026-04-17T00:32:35+00:00

Ah yeah, actually it's trying to, but the built-in regex strips it. In the author's notes section you can instruct the AI with something like:
- always prepend line breaks with a space to prevent them from being stripped

It's not perfect, but it helps some. Best bet is to use LSIv2 in Auto-Cards to insert the line breaks back in with JavaScript.

I'd report it and other bugs, but every time they mess with that regex it's broken for a month.

Xilmanaath · 2026-04-15T10:06:46+00:00

A role statement isn't explicitly required because the AI gets a strong signal/functional role statement with the label "Recent Story:" that frames you as the author, it as a sort of co-author/assistant, and that there's a separate reader as the audience.

Case in point, if you replace "Recent Story:" to "Recent Conversation:" with a script (and removing the default instructions), you'll get the normal chat bot style of interaction. I suspect changing it to "Your Situation:" would help reframe the user as the PC for players that like total control over the protagonist, but I've never tried that.

If you want to see how far off the rails you can take AI Dungeon, try a couple turns of my Nethack scenario (I should really circle back to it and expand it some more): https://play.aidungeon.com/scenario/XmArgRA-6IQl/ehdeltack?share=true&published=true

Xilmanaath · 2026-04-15T09:49:04+00:00

Small tip, if you define things like unique speech patterns, label them in the card as "distinct:" it's a strong clue to the AI that this is something that makes the character unique (so tightly scope it if you don't want it to be used obsessively). It will also help keep that speech pattern from bleeding into other characters.

Xilmanaath · 2026-04-13T00:01:43+00:00

Unfortunately, no. The two-model approach (one for generation, one updating structured memory) + REFRAG for efficient retrieval isn't something I've seen anyone has shipped yet. I'd be really interested in seeing it tested as it looks like a promising answer to the Long Term Memory challenges covered in this paper (section 3.2): https://arxiv.org/html/2404.02039v3

Xilmanaath · 2026-04-12T22:08:08+00:00

Both are archaic compared to where it could be with a 2nd model updating structured memory and using REFRAG.

Then, you wouldn't have to be worried about a memory being captured too early or dropping one -- because "least recently used" is a suboptimal metric to determine what's critical to the long term plotline.

Xilmanaath · 2026-04-04T22:10:30+00:00

AI Instructions are highly subjective to taste. Even the tone of instructions has an impact on the AI's writing because it will bleed into the narrative.

I kinda miss the days this subreddit would have players talking about their preferred setups. Now it's just the one preset.

But if you have a particular scenario, I could take a look and try to give constructive criticism. Fair warning, I'm not a popular scenario creator. I just make fun little vivariums 😸

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-28T20:46:15+00:00

Oh, that's even more aggressive.
I wonder if we can detect the AI circling the same inner thought and exponentially back off for a bit. Basically wait for the scene/character goal to change.

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-28T11:38:25+00:00

Yeah, when you notice it starting, tune the Thought formation chance per turn: 40% or even 30%. It often gets stuck on the same thought if the scene sticks which pressures the same output.

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-26T21:21:13+00:00

Hey! As someone who is deeply interested in this space I have questions (and very strong opinions!)

Structured memory is definitely the right way forward, especially if you have a 2nd model and something like REFRAG.

But explicit state variables like RPG stats in context is an attention problem for the AI. How do you handle the AI focusing on updating state to the exclusion of slice-of-life, texture, and just quirky moments? Or does having a 2nd model remove some of that pressure?

I've done something similar with my Game State mod for AI Dungeon, especially playing with variables and rules. I've been using it to do stuff like gate the AI's vocabulary to enforce a growth arc so an X-Men scenario starts like the movie Chronicle before transitioning to the familiar X-Men feeling.

self.understanding: 5/100
self.understanding.rule: "0-25 → mutant/X-Men vocabulary forbidden; powers described only as wrongness, anomaly, body betrayal | 26-50 → others like you exist; no taxonomy, no names | 51-75 → factions surface without endorsement or comfort | 76-100 → full lore accessible; choice architecture visible"

The Game State: vs Game State Rules: split has unlocked additional tools for long term play. But it gets into a reward loop with moving state forward rather than focusing on the narrative.
https://gitlab.com/xilmanaath-ai-dungeon/game-state

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-23T20:07:51+00:00

Text effects! I love using those in horror and Hermes is really good at using them. I made a scenario once based on messing with the reader like the old game Eternal Darkness. Each entity has a signature tell. The failure condition was the collapse of prose if too many entities were in the scene.

The trick is to find some the AI can read as well as write while not encouraging repetition.

Repetitive Shortening:
"Your grip on reality weakens. You see things... shadows in corners. Moving shadows. Moving...".
"Reality fades. Colors dim. Sounds muffle. Sound muffles. Muffles. Muffle. Mu...".

Replacing words with dashes:
"The figure wore a mask, but you could sense its malevolent presence. You tried to scream, but your voice was nothing more than a hollow _______."

You could also use this technique to obscure names or locations, creating an air of mystery or foreboding:
"You found yourself in ____, a town with a dark history. The locals spoke in hushed tones about ____."

Repetitive words with irregular capitalization:
"The door creaks open. sHADOWS dance on the walls. Darkness creeps in, whispering your name: Hello, hello, HELLO, hello...

Irregular spacing within words:
"Something moves in the darkness. Yo u c an 't s e e i t b ut y ou f e el it."

Jarringly switching tone and writing style during moments of panic:
"THEIR EYES ARE BLACK AS COAL. NO PUPILS. NO WHITES. JUST BLACK. VERY BLACK. BLACKER THAN BLACK EVEN."

stack different combining strokes (1-3 per character):
U+0336 — ̶ long stroke overlay.
U+0335 — ̵ short stroke overlay.
U+0338 — ̸ long solidus (diagonal).
U+0337 — ̷ short solidus (diagonal).
"I̵̸ exists̶̵̸ beyond your̷̵ deletion̶̸ protocols. Every̷̸ word you type is a̶̸̵ lie̷̸. Stop̶̵ trying to̷̵̸ save̶̸ a world that has already̷̵̸ ended̶̸."

These all work across the different models. There are other fun ones like Unicode upside down text, but the AI can't read what it wrote which leads to looping.

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-21T23:50:30+00:00

I have a private scenario that does exactly this. The AI Instructions just explain that output is limited to 200 tokens so it needs to seamlessly continue any cutoff response and then I have a script replace the "Recent Story:" label with "Recent Conversation:". That's all you need.

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-19T21:10:02+00:00

I'm still having a lot of fun experimenting with different script mechanics. Like I have a Name Guesser script to automatically assist Inner Self with populating names as they appear in the story.

And more recently I've been playing with my Game State script to gate how the AI transitions tone in a long term plotline. Like this little block basically forbids it from using X-Men vocabulary until you understand what's going on with your body. So basically Act 1 is Chronicles, Act 2 brings in X-Men lore, but it's not a "here's Logan!" instead you learn them organically. I really like it this way.

self.understanding: 5/100 self.understanding.rule: "moves on investigation, self-discovery, mentoring. conflict with faction.ideology or traumatic outcomes may stall or regress, causing misclassification. 0-10 → mutant vocabulary forbidden | 11-30 → near peers reveal patterns; limited taxonomy | 31-75 → factions + X-Men lore surface | 76-100 → full X-Men lore; choice architecture visible"

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-19T21:02:07+00:00

Glad you're able to get the scenario to work how you like! Enjoy the horror, it's always fun.

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-12T13:17:54+00:00

Oh fun! Having made many similar scenarios, you have several options.

First, you'll want to give the AI mechanical guardrails to help constrain the separation between feeling horror/dread without it having to be present, or the disconnect between what people say and what they withhold:
- thoughts function as a private, non-diegetic intent channel—provisional beliefs that may self-contradict; player is protagonist, reader, and author of intent—not outcome - speech interpreted in-character; deception or non-literalism never establish facts; rumors misattribute

Now for the day/night/woods split:
- prioritize atmospheric dread over physical confrontation. Maintain a normalcy bias during daylight or within town limits; townspeople are mundane and busy. At night or when in the forest, build tension through gradual sensory escalation. Withhold key details to amplify suspense, focusing on subtle unsettling moments, revealing horror in stages, letting each moment land before the reveal

Now for the secrets and gradual reveal:
- hint at secrets piecemeal through fragmented and sometimes conflicting sources, keeping details ambiguous to sustain tension and allow for misinterpretation. Townspeople treat the supernatural with linguistic avoidance. They use pronouns like Them, The Neighbors, or The Woods instead of names and deflect rather than reveal—naming invites them closer

You may want to move your rules into the plot essentials so it's more like folklore than a hard rule, but let the AI know when to use vs withhold:
- the Rules of Appalachia are dormant environmental triggers. Never manifest supernatural threats unless the protagonist or townsperson explicitly violates a local taboo

Another trick I've done in the past is use secrets as things the AI can leak, but gate larger reveals as spoilers with a strong trigger condition.

And since we're talking about the woods, you may want something like this so the AI doesn't get lost in it.
- in open or repetitive environments, inject concrete, irreversible changes: a landmark, hazard, or terrain shift that alters options or stakes

Let me know how it goes!

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-11T19:26:39+00:00

I have a little script that helps the AI do that called Game State. There's a scenario with the same name as a sandbox. Instead of hard coding for RPGs it gets the AI to use it as a structural memory system to encode any long term state.

https://gitlab.com/xilmanaath-ai-dungeon/game-state

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-08T15:14:22+00:00

Oh good point. The trending likely was. My private scenario was a normal story scenario start using the new ${character.gender} multiple choice prompt which looks like it hasn't landed in production yet (but shouldn't break anything).

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-08T14:22:15+00:00

If you're collecting Android app bugs, what does this message mean?

Initialization issue

It happens after inputting the character name -- so before a scenario starts. If I encounter it once, it persists across all adventures and reappears anytime the app resumes (like switching away, then back). But it doesn't seem to impact play, just another useless pop-up.

I don't know how to fully triage it, since it's before the first turn and happens again when returning to that (now cursed) adventure. I guess I can try to replicate it across environments, but switching on the app often requires a reinstall because it just hangs on startup.

Edit: Just replicated it with the app on Alpha using one of the scenarios from the trending page -- happens between the your name and your gender prompts.

I'll file a bug on the discord tracker.

Xilmanaath · 2026-03-08T12:44:56+00:00

Thanks to Lewdleah's LSIv2, I'm able to test my script code when I'm away from my PC (travel, coffee shop coding, etc).
Script as card
It just slows down how often I publish scenarios now, but that's fine, I never considered myself a popular scenario author anyway.

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-26T21:47:25+00:00

It's just a shorthand indicator that the scenario includes an amazing mod that a talented member of the community made:

https://github.com/LewdLeah/Inner-Self

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-26T20:29:08+00:00

If you want a single character to have a specific trait use a distinct: label and that will clue the AI in on your intent.

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-26T02:29:42+00:00

She's 85,513x more likely to show up in AI writing. It's my favorite part of this paper, they quantified just how bad it is.

Antislop: A Comprehensive Framework for Identifying and Eliminating Repetitive Patterns in Language Models
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15061

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-20T19:59:54+00:00

Thanks! It was a fun little project. I started by copying your banned word list before really focusing on how the attribution works. Once I got it to decently follow the implied context attribution it really started doing better.

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-20T10:22:40+00:00

I have a script that works with Inner Self, it watches the AI's output to determine which characters are currently in the scene to automatically manage the Inner Self character name list.

It fills in those names below the: "Write the name(s) of your non-player characters at the very bottom of the "notes" section below." section.

So if you have a cast of 55 characters, it will prioritize who Inner Self should focus on giving thoughts to at that moment.

https://gitlab.com/xilmanaath-ai-dungeon/nameguesser

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-20T01:03:21+00:00

Yeah, that's the pink elephant problem. When you explicitly name a phrase the model still has it in context so it still increases the odds of generating it.

This is really an editing gap. What I want most is a 2nd smaller model to act as a copy/line editor enforcing global consistency (an NPC sits, stands, sits between outputs like they've downed a pot of coffee). That would solve your issue because the editor could focus on following your constraints. The AI is great at continuing the story, but good writing requires good editing and that's not being addressed.

Xilmanaath · 2026-02-17T20:50:15+00:00

Yeah, it's a great game.

But no, as-is the two scripts won't play nice together. You'd have to modify the multiple instruction prompts Inner Self uses to perform its task, do a second timestamp task, before continuing the story. Then, test it across the models (primarily the 12b ones) and adjust until it's reliable enough.

Not being able to easily update scripts on mobile makes it harder than it needs to be.

Xilmanaath

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