{
  "tab": "ai",
  "section": "generateInitialStart",
  "title": "Initial Start",
  "summary": "Fires on the first scene of a new game only. Controls how the opening scene is constructed: structure, pacing, and first impressions.",
  "uiLocation": "AI Tasks → Initial Start",
  "uiSubtitle": "\"Initial Start Instructions\"",
  "editor": "Graphical form (labeled textareas)",
  "sizeLimits": [
    {
      "field": "Each string leaf under a task (`aiInstructions.<task>.<key>`)",
      "limit": "5,000 chars",
      "sections": [
        "ai/aiInstructions",
        "ai/generateStory",
        "ai/generateInitialStart",
        "ai/generateCharacterBackground",
        "ai/generateNPCDetails",
        "ai/generateNPCUpdates",
        "ai/generateLocationDetails",
        "ai/generateRegionDetails",
        "ai/generateFactionDetails",
        "ai/generateEncounters",
        "ai/generateItemGenerationAndUsage",
        "ai/generateActionInfo",
        "ai/generateNPCIntents",
        "ai/generateNewNPC",
        "ai/generateLearnedAbilities"
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "Per task (`aiInstructions.<task>` total, sum of instruction chars)",
      "limit": "20,000 chars",
      "sections": [
        "ai/aiInstructions",
        "ai/generateStory",
        "ai/generateInitialStart",
        "ai/generateCharacterBackground",
        "ai/generateNPCDetails",
        "ai/generateNPCUpdates",
        "ai/generateLocationDetails",
        "ai/generateRegionDetails",
        "ai/generateFactionDetails",
        "ai/generateEncounters",
        "ai/generateItemGenerationAndUsage",
        "ai/generateActionInfo",
        "ai/generateNPCIntents",
        "ai/generateNewNPC",
        "ai/generateLearnedAbilities"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related": "generateStory - ongoing narration task; storyStarts - the starting situation these instructions frame",
  "wikiUrl": "/ai/generateInitialStart",
  "schema": null,
  "body": "## Schema\r\n\r\n```json\r\n{\r\n  \"aiInstructions\": {\r\n    \"generateInitialStart\": {\r\n      \"Opening Structure\": \"string\",\r\n      \"Style Principles\": \"string\",\r\n      \"custom\": \"string\"\r\n    }\r\n  }\r\n}\r\n```\r\n\r\n\r\n## Example\r\n\r\n```json\r\n{\r\n  \"aiInstructions\": {\r\n    \"generateInitialStart\": {\r\n      \"Opening Structure\": \"## Structure\\nBeat 1 — WHO: establish who the character is right now through action or presence, not backstory.\\nBeat 2 — WHERE: set the scene through their senses — what they see and hear.\\nBeat 3 — SITUATION: one active situation already in motion. Do not front-load lore or world history.\\n\\n## Sensory rules\\nVisual and auditory description only. No smell. Olfactory detail is overused — exclude it from the opening scene.\\n\\n## Pacing\\nMatch the register of the storyStart text. Follow the situation as written — do not force conflict into a calm opening or calm into a high-stakes one.\",\r\n      \"Style Principles\": \"## Style\\nSimple, direct, concrete language. Present tense, third person. Strong verbs, specific nouns. Vary sentence length. Prefer dialogue and action over description.\",\r\n      \"custom\": \"## World introduction\\nIntroduce world-specific proper nouns with context on first use: 'the merchant guild known as the Silver Scale' — not just 'the Silver Scale'. Assume no prior world knowledge from the player.\"\r\n    }\r\n  }\r\n}\r\n```\r\n\r\n\r\n## Fields\r\n\r\n### Opening Structure\r\n\r\nHow the first scene is constructed: three-beat structure (WHO → WHERE → one active situation), pacing guardrails (follow the starting situation; don't force problems into a calm opening). Include a sensory restriction: **visual and auditory description only — no smell**. Olfactory scene-setting is an overused AI cliché in opening scenes; explicitly banning it here consistently suppresses it.\r\n\r\n### Style Principles\r\n\r\nProse rules specific to the opening scene. May differ from the ongoing narration style in `generateStory`.\r\n\r\n### custom\r\n\r\nFirst-scene-only instructions: world introduction pacing, proper noun contextualisation, session opening variety.\r\n\r\n## Authoring pattern\r\n\r\n> **Common issue — NPCs using the player's name on first meeting.** The AI reads the character sheet and will have NPCs address the player by name even before they've introduced themselves. Fix: add to `\"custom\"`: *\"NPCs do not know the player character's name unless it has been spoken aloud or the character has introduced themselves in the current scene.\"* Also add the same rule to `generateStory` → `\"Character Behavior\"` so it persists beyond the first scene.\r\n\r\n> **📋 Note:** To mandate a literal opening line or framing device (narrator introduction, in-universe preamble) at the start of every new game, see [Mandated opening content](/appendix/ai-advanced-techniques#mandated-opening-content) in the Advanced AI Techniques appendix."
}