Skip to main content
unofficial.voyage wiki
Builder

AI

Story Instructions

`aiInstructions` is where you write the rules the narrator follows during play, organized into tasks each firing at a specific moment. This page covers the cross-task mechanics: processing logic and the two internal non-authorable tasks. Each individual task has its own page in the sidebar.

Story

The primary narration task. Fires most frequently during active play — keep instructions tight and protect this budget first.

Initial Start

Fires on the first scene of a new game only. Controls how the opening scene is constructed: structure, pacing, and first impressions.

Character Background

The aiInstructions task that generates the player character's backstory and appearance during character creation.

NPC Details

Fires once when an AI-created NPC first appears in scene with only minimal first-pass data. Generates the full basicInfo, hiddenInfo, personality, and `abilities` record. Distinct from `generateCharacterBackground`, which generates the player character's backstory and appearance during character creation.

NPC Updates

Fires when an existing NPC's state changes during play — location, mood, status, or relationship updates. Controls continuity: which fields can change, how quickly, and what in-scene evidence is required.

Location Details

Generates location descriptions, areas, and paths. Low priority: a well-written basicInfo carries most of the load. Use custom to add sensory layers, archetype integration rules, and atmosphere guidance.

Region Details

Generates region descriptions, `factions`, and `locations`. A content-generation task — not narration. Use custom to shape geographic identity, faction character, and location types for generated `regions`.

Faction Details

Generates faction details — hidden agendas, operating methods, and the gap between stated purpose and actual practice. Use custom to shape how `factions` are portrayed beneath their public face.

Encounters

Fires when framing an encounter. Low priority: `encounterElements` in Other provides the source palette. Use custom to set difficulty mix, creature behavior rules, and non-combat resolution conditions.

Item Generation/Usage

Provides context to generateItemDefinitions (newly created `items`) and generateItemUpdates (inventory changes). Not included for `generateActionInfo` or `generateStory`. The JSON key is `ItemGenerationAndUsage` — non-standard casing.

Image Prompt Configuration

Custom prompt templates for AI image generation per content category, plus toggles for Voyage's default character and location art style. Author-provided strings layered on top of Voyage's default image prompts for NPC portraits, location art, and region art.

Action Info

Fires on action resolution and combat. High priority: governs all mechanically-weighted actions — combat, spells, skill checks, and social rolls. Missing rules create inconsistent outcomes.

NPC Intents

Fires when the AI chooses NPC goals for a turn. Medium priority: near-constant in NPC-heavy play. Controls quality gates, escalation pacing, and per-scene-type intent logic. Supports multiple named keys for scene-type-specific behavior.

New NPC

Fires for first-pass creation of AI-improvised NPCs only. Does not apply to authored NPCs or quest-spawned NPCs. `generateNPCDetails` still runs on all NPC types on first encounter.

Story Memory

Custom guidance for how the AI summarizes recent and past story context. Use it to name the world-specific details summaries should preserve for long-term continuity, so key facts are not forgotten or garbled. Newly author-editable.

Learned Abilities

Evaluates story events for opportunities to grant new `abilities`. Low priority: most turns produce no output. Use custom to define the world's learnable ability families and acquisition methods.