Gat Story

Story

Codex Runtime

This skill is fully contained in the installed .agents directory. Resolve all linked resources relative to this SKILL.md; do not read workflow resources outside this packaged directory.

Before acting, read GAT Workflow. Read Directory Structure or Workflow Catalog only when their structure or ownership details are needed.

Use these packaged role profiles for every role-specific pass:

• gat-writer
• gat-designer
• gat-artist

When the workflow says to spawn one of these roles, create a Codex subagent with that exact task name when collaboration is available. Give it the complete role profile, relevant source documents, confirmed decisions, template, and exact target paths; wait for it and review its result before continuing. This skill explicitly authorizes those named workflow subagents. If subagents are unavailable, perform the same pass yourself using the packaged role profile.

Treat the directory containing .agents as the repository root. All GAT project documents live under that root's gat/ directory. Use Codex filesystem tools and the environment's supported patch editor while preserving unrelated user changes.

Interpret AskUserQuestion in the procedure as a single concise user question. Use a structured choice UI only for a genuine 2-3 option decision; otherwise ask in ordinary dialogue and wait. Command examples use Codex skill syntax ($gat-*).

This skill explores and documents a game's narrative through open-ended writer interview. Spawn gat-writer for narrative reasoning. Spawn gat-designer or gat-artist only when story choices need design-system or visual-direction checks. Pick questions from the angle table below — follow the conversation, not a script.

Phase 1: Resolve Mode

• If argument is discuss → Mode: discuss (no files written, exploration only)
• If argument is a hint or empty → Mode: story (produces narrative docs under gat/narrative/)

Check whether these files exist:

• gat/overview/game.md
• gat/overview/systems-index.md
• gat/overview/art-direction.md
• gat/narrative/story.md
• gat/narrative/world.md
• gat/narrative/characters.md
• gat/narrative/quests.md
• gat/narrative/dialogue.md

If foundational overview docs exist, read them before asking questions that they already answer. If they are missing, proceed only with high-level narrative brainstorming and note that final narrative docs may need revision after $gat-brainstorm establishes the game overview and systems.

Phase 2: The Interview

Core Rules

• One question at a time. Never batch. Wait for the answer before the next question.
• Provide a recommended answer with each question. Explain the narrative reasoning.
• Prefer open-ended questions. Let the user type free-form responses. Reserve AskUserQuestion for concrete options where the user needs to choose.
• Pick angles, don't follow steps. Use the angle table as a menu. Jump to whatever dimension is most useful next.
• If a question can be answered by reading existing files, read them instead of asking.
• Spawn gat-writer when you need narrative synthesis: premise, tone, character arcs, world logic, quest structure, dialogue voice, or consistency checks.
• Spawn gat-designer when narrative choices affect mechanics, system ownership, progression, player agency, or content volume.
• Spawn gat-artist when narrative choices affect visual identity, character/world art hooks, readability, motifs, or asset groups.

Drilling into Vague Narrative Ideas

When the user has a fuzzy story idea, make it playable and specific through curious questioning.

How to drill:

• When the user says the story should feel a certain way, ask what event, character choice, or player action creates that feeling.
• When the user mentions lore, ask how the player encounters it: dialogue, quest, item text, environment, UI, systemic event, or cutscene.
• When a character is named, ask what they want, what blocks them, how they pressure the player, and whether they change.
• When the user references another work, isolate what to borrow: structure, tone, world texture, relationship dynamic, mystery shape, or dialogue style.
• When a branching idea appears, ask how many branches must be produced and whether consequences are cosmetic, systemic, or story-changing.
• When a world fact appears, ask what it causes in daily life, factions, resources, locations, or mechanics.
• If an answer opens three new questions, resolve the one that most affects player role, stakes, or content scope first.

Signals that something is still vague and needs more drilling:

• The user uses abstract story adjectives without concrete beats behind them ("dark", "emotional", "epic", "mysterious", "cozy")
• The protagonist, antagonist, or player role lacks motivation
• The world has lore but no player-facing delivery method
• The story can be summarized but not played
• Branching is proposed without content-budget boundaries
• Tone conflicts with gameplay, art direction, or target audience

Seed Extraction

If a concept hint was provided, first spawn gat-writer to extract what the hint already answers. Briefly summarize what's established so the user can confirm or correct before diving in. Skip if no hint.

Interview Angles

Pick questions from any angle below. There is no fixed order — follow the thread that matters most at each moment. The table is a palette, not a checklist.

Navigating the Interview

• Start where the energy is. If the user leads with a character, start there. If they lead with setting, start with world rules. If they lead with mechanics, start with player role and story delivery.
• Drill, don't move on. When the answer is abstract, ask the follow-up that turns it into a beat, role, rule, or delivery method.
• Ask open-ended, resolve with options. Most questions should be dialogue. Use AskUserQuestion only when choosing among concrete narrative proposals.
• Spawn gat-writer mid-interview when you need a concise story proposal, character arc set, quest structure, or consistency pass. Present the result, then ask what to keep or change.
• Loop back naturally. If a later answer contradicts an earlier canon point, point it out and resolve the tension.
• Know when to stop. The interview has covered enough when:
  • The player role, premise, conflict, stakes, tone, and theme are clear
  • The story delivery method is known
  • The world has enough rules and locations for the game's scope
  • Major characters or factions have motivations and functions
  • Narrative content volume is bounded
  • The user starts repeating themselves rather than adding new information

Phase 3: Write or Summarize

If Mode is story

Before writing, summarize what's been decided across premise, world, characters, structure, delivery, scope, and open questions. Ask:

"Ready to write the narrative docs?" Options: Yes, write them / Let me keep discussing

If yes, read the relevant templates:

• ../../assets/templates/design/narrative-story.md
• ../../assets/templates/design/narrative-world.md
• ../../assets/templates/design/narrative-characters.md
• ../../assets/templates/design/narrative-quests.md
• ../../assets/templates/design/narrative-dialogue.md

Spawn gat-writer to write the narrative docs under gat/narrative/.

Always write or update:

• gat/narrative/story.md

Write or update these only when the game needs them:

• gat/narrative/world.md for setting rules, factions, locations, culture, or environmental storytelling
• gat/narrative/characters.md for named cast, factions-as-characters, voice, arcs, or relationships
• gat/narrative/quests.md for authored missions, story objectives, progression beats, or branching consequences
• gat/narrative/dialogue.md for conversations, barks, VO, UI narrative text, or reusable voice rules

Pass all interview answers, existing overview/narrative files, and the selected templates. Instruct the writer to preserve template metadata and source-reference sections, mark uncertain material as open questions, and keep outputs concise.

If Mode is discuss

Summarize what was decided and what remains open. No files written.

Suggest:

• $gat-story (without discuss) to turn this discussion into narrative docs
• $gat-milestone to plan milestone slices after overview (and narrative, if needed) are ready

Phase 4: Hand Off

Summarize what was created or discussed.

If narrative docs were written, suggest next steps:

• $gat-milestone to plan milestone slices (milestone planning runs BEFORE per-system design; do NOT run $gat-design directly from here)
• If story revealed or changed systems, update gat/overview/systems-index.md (via $gat-brainstorm or directly) before planning milestones