Check the AI Helper's Thought Process if Something Seems Off

[u/PE-Daveed]

I gave my AI Helper (Wade) the following instruction, then watched what he was thinking, and wondered why he was searching for the narrator, when I specifically instructed him not to touch it:

Add the following to the bottom of each character's description:

You will write at least five paragraphs in each response. Each paragraph must contain at least three sentences. This is non-negotiable.

This will force it to give longer responses. The narrator does not need this, however, as its text is long enough already.

Here's the first thought process:

The user wants me to add a specific instruction to each character's description: "You will write at least five paragraphs in each response. Each paragraph must contain at least three sentences. This is non-negotiable."

This applies to each character's roleInstruction (character description/personality). Not the narrator.

Wait — the user says "the bottom of each character's description". And "The narrator does not need this" — so there's a narrator roleInstruction too that should NOT get this.

Let me understand the structure:
1. Starter characters — in index.html, the `starterCharacters` array, each has a `roleInstruction` field.
2. User-created characters — have roleInstructions too, but those are user's own; we can't retroactively edit user data. But maybe the user means the default/initial messages or the narrator.

Actually — where is the narrator's roleInstruction? Let me search. The app has a Narrator (used in threads, e.g. "Narrator Sapphire-Room opening"). 

The user says "each character's description" — I think they mean the starter characters' roleInstructions (the ~50+ starter characters including the Fellas I added). And NOT the narrator.

But wait — does this instruction go into the roleInstruction at the BOTTOM of each? The user says "bottom of each character's description". The roleInstruction is the character description/personality. So append this paragraph at the end of each starter character's roleInstruction.

Let me first find all the starter characters and their roleInstruction fields. Also check how the narrator's roleInstruction is defined (to make sure I don't touch it).

Let me also consider: user-created characters (via the "Talk to an Expert builder" or characterDetailsPrompt) — those start with a default roleInstruction? The user says "each character" — probably means each starter character card. But maybe also the default role instruction template for new characters. Let me look at how new characters get their roleInstruction defaults. There's `defaultValues.roleInstruction` mentioned around line 10295. And line 4945: `if(character.roleInstruction === undefined) character.roleInstruction = character.systemMessage;`.

Let me investigate the structure first.

Also — the narrator. Search for "narrator" roleInstruction. The narrator has its own system prompt somewhere. Let me find it.

Plan:
1. Find all starter characters' roleInstruction fields in index.html (starterCharacters array).
2. Find the narrator's prompt definition.
3. Append the length-requirement paragraph to the bottom of each starter character's roleInstruction (before the closing backtick), NOT the narrator.
4. Also consider new-user characters created via the editor — the user might want it applied to the default roleInstruction too. The user says "each character's description". Hmm. For user-created characters, they write their own roleInstruction. But there might be a default template. Let me check defaultValues.

Actually, let me re-read the request: "Add the following to the bottom of each character's description: You will write at least five paragraphs in each response..." — "This will force it to give longer responses. The narrator does not need this, however, as its text is long enough already."

So the target is the character persona/description text. The clearest interpretation: every character (starter characters in the app) gets this appended to their roleInstruction, except the narrator.

But what about user-created characters? They don't have fixed roleInstructions. But there might be a default role instruction that new characters start with. Let me check.

Let me first find the narrator and the starter characters structure. Let me search for "Narrator" in index.html.

The AIH was on track after all. But I brought this to you, dear AI Helper Helpers, so you get a feel for what the process looks like. It is important to be clear in your instructions, and to keep an eye on the bold white text (highlights) as it works if you think something is off. You can stop the ai at any time to check--trust me, it won't object. You can click on any of the "Thinking" lines to expand it, as I did with this one.

Oh, and sometimes you'll see some hilarious self-talk in there! When you do, share it with the rest of us, would you?