LLM World Engine Knowledge Base

intention

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intention= - Intent Property

ndl construct property

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Overview

The intention= property specifies why an action is being performed - the underlying purpose or goal behind the action. It provides context that helps the LLM narrate not just what happened, but the motivation behind it.

Syntax

do(action) intention="intent_value"

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
intent_valueStringYesThe purpose behind the action

Description

While manner (~) describes how an action is performed, intention= describes why it’s performed. This distinction allows rich, contextual narration that captures both the physical execution and the underlying motivation.

The intention is determined by game logic - the program decides what the character is trying to accomplish, and NDL communicates that to the LLM for natural narration.

Basic Usage

Simple Intention

do(attack) intention="intimidate"

LLM Output Examples:

  • “The warrior attacks, clearly trying to intimidate his opponent.”
  • “She swings her weapon in an obviously intimidating display.”
  • “He strikes with the clear intent to frighten his foe.”

Real Example: Search with Intent

search("pile of wood", intention="find makeshift club") -> result()

Actual LLM Output (Gemma 2 9B IT):

Your fingers sift through the rough-hewn logs, searching for something sturdy and manageable. You find it - a thick, gnarled branch, its ends still bearing the marks of the axe. It's not much, but it's better than nothing.

Explanation: The intention "find makeshift club" guides the LLM to narrate the search as looking for a weapon specifically, affecting both the description and what’s found.

Real Example: Failed Action with Intent

do($"you", "swing makeshift club against table's surface", intention="test club's combat readiness")
-> result("failure")
-> system_response("something goes wrong when you try to perform this action")
-> describe()

Actual LLM Output (Gemma 2 9B IT):

You raise the gnarled branch, hefting it awkwardly in your hand. It's heavier than you anticipated, the rough bark digging into your palm. You bring it back over your head, aiming for the tabletop. But as you swing, your momentum falters. The branch veers off course, catching on the edge of the chair.

With a sickening crack, the makeshift club splinters, breaking into several pieces. The impact sends a shower of splinters flying, scattering across the floor. You stare down at the useless fragments in your hand, your heart sinking.

Explanation: The intention "test club's combat readiness" provides context for why the character is swinging the club, making the failure narration more meaningful - the test revealed the weapon’s poor quality.

Intention with Manner

do(attack) ~ fiercely intention="intimidate"

LLM Output: “With fierce, intimidating strikes, the warrior attacks, clearly trying to instill fear in his enemy.”

Common Intentions

Combat Intentions

intention="kill"
intention="intimidate"
intention="disable"
intention="disarm"
intention="wound"
intention="capture"

Social Intentions

intention="persuade"
intention="deceive"
intention="impress"
intention="befriend"
intention="insult"
intention="comfort"

Information Intentions

intention="gather_information"
intention="distract"
intention="reveal_truth"
intention="hide_evidence"

Strategic Intentions

intention="create_opening"
intention="buy_time"
intention="provoke_attack"
intention="retreat_safely"

Advanced Usage

Complex Social Interaction

do(speak) ~ eloquently text="You make an excellent point" intention="gain_favor"

LLM Output: “‘You make an excellent point,’ he says eloquently, clearly trying to curry favor.”

Deceptive Actions

do(agree) ~ enthusiastically intention="deceive"

LLM Output: “She agrees enthusiastically, though her true intent is to deceive.”

Combat Strategy

do(feint) ~ convincingly intention="create_opening" ->
  wait(500ms) ->
  do(attack) ~ swiftly target="exposed_flank"

LLM Output: “He executes a convincing feint, deliberately creating an opening. In the brief moment of opportunity, he strikes swiftly at the exposed flank.”

Design Patterns

Intention vs. Outcome

Intention represents the goal, not the result:

# Intention: What character tries to do
do(persuade) intention="convince" outcome="failure"
 
# LLM might output:
# "She attempts to convince him, but he remains unmoved."

Layered Motivation

# Surface action with hidden intent
do(help) ~ reluctantly intention="gain_trust"

LLM Output: “He helps, though reluctantly, seemingly trying to build trust.”

Conflicting Signals

# Actions that don't match words
do(speak) ~ warmly text="I'm so happy for you" intention="mask_jealousy"

LLM Output: “‘I’m so happy for you,’ she says warmly, masking what seems to be jealousy.”

Common Intention Categories

Direct Intentions

Clear, straightforward goals:

intention="achieve_goal"
intention="solve_problem"
intention="complete_task"

Hidden Intentions

Concealed motivations:

intention="deceive"
intention="manipulate"
intention="distract"
intention="hide_truth"

Emotional Intentions

Feeling-driven goals:

intention="express_love"
intention="vent_anger"
intention="show_respect"
intention="humiliate"

Tactical Intentions

Strategic goals:

intention="gain_advantage"
intention="gather_intel"
intention="test_defenses"
intention="lure_trap"

Anti-Patterns

❌ Redundant Intention

Don’t state the obvious:

do(kill) intention="kill"  # Redundant
do(kill) intention="send_message"  # Better - adds context

❌ Conflicting Information

Ensure consistency:

# Questionable
do(help) intention="harm"  # How does helping harm?
 
# Better
do(help) intention="gain_trust" -> do(betray)

❌ Outcome as Intention

Intention is the goal, not the result:

do(attack) intention="success"  # Wrong - not an intent
do(attack) intention="kill" outcome="success"  # Better

Intention vs. Other Modifiers

Intention vs. Manner

# How: Physical execution
do(speak) ~ loudly
 
# Why: Underlying purpose
do(speak) intention="intimidate"
 
# Combined: Full context
do(speak) ~ loudly intention="intimidate"

Intention vs. Emotion

# Current feeling
do(speak) emotion="anger"
 
# Desired outcome
do(speak) intention="intimidate"
 
# Both
do(speak) emotion="anger" intention="vent_frustration"

Intention vs. Target

# Who/what
do(speak) target="guard"
 
# Why
do(speak) intention="distract"
 
# Both
do(speak) target="guard" intention="distract"

Examples by Genre

Fantasy RPG

do(cast_spell) ~ dramatically spell="Fireball" intention="destroy_barrier"

Mystery/Detective

do(question) ~ casually target="suspect" intention="catch_in_lie"

Political Intrigue

do(propose_alliance) ~ formally intention="weaken_rival"

Heist/Stealth

do(create_distraction) ~ convincingly intention="allow_infiltration"

Implementation

Generating Intentions

def add_intention(action_ndl: str, intention: str) -> str:
    """Add intention property to action."""
    return f'{action_ndl} intention="{intention}"'
 
# Usage
base = "do(attack) ~ fiercely"
with_intent = add_intention(base, "intimidate")
# Result: do(attack) ~ fiercely intention="intimidate"

Intention from Game State

def determine_intention(character, action, context) -> str:
    """Derive intention from game state."""
    if context.in_combat and character.health < 0.3:
        return "survive"
    elif action == "attack" and character.wants_to_intimidate:
        return "intimidate"
    elif action == "help" and character.has_hidden_agenda:
        return "gain_trust"
    else:
        return "accomplish_goal"
 
# Usage
intention = determine_intention(player, "attack", combat_state)
ndl = f"do(attack) ~ fiercely intention=\"{intention}\""

Parsing Intentions

import re
 
def parse_intention(ndl: str) -> str | None:
    """Extract intention from NDL string."""
    match = re.search(r'intention="([^"]*)"', ndl)
    return match.group(1) if match else None
 
# Usage
intent = parse_intention('do(attack) intention="intimidate"')
# Result: "intimidate"

LLM Integration

In System Prompt

When you see intention="value", incorporate the character's
underlying motivation into your narration. For example:

- intention="intimidate" → show the character trying to frighten
- intention="deceive" → suggest dishonest motives
- intention="help" → convey genuine assistance

The intention represents what the character is TRYING to do,
which may or may not succeed.

In Few-Shot Examples

NDL: do(help) ~ eagerly intention="gain_trust"
Output: She helps eagerly, seemingly trying to build trust.

NDL: do(attack) ~ viciously intention="kill"
Output: He attacks with vicious, lethal intent.

NDL: do(speak) ~ calmly text="Everything is fine" intention="hide_panic"
Output: "Everything is fine," he says calmly, trying to hide his inner panic.

Psychology of Intention

Observable Intent

Some intentions are visible:

do(threaten) ~ menacingly intention="intimidate"
# Clear to observer: trying to intimidate

Hidden Intent

Others are concealed:

do(smile) ~ warmly intention="deceive"
# Not obvious to observer: deception hidden

Mixed Signals

Actions can reveal or conceal:

do(help) ~ reluctantly intention="appear_cooperative"
# Reluctance reveals lack of genuine desire to help

TTRPG Inspiration

veritasr on TTRPG Structure (June 24, 2024)

“NDL represents the pieces as:

  • what (action())
  • how (~ (basically with / by))
  • why(intention=”)”

This what/how/why structure mirrors how GMs teach new TTRPG players to describe their actions. The intention property completes the triad, giving the LLM complete context.

veritasr on Social Dynamics Expansion (June 23, 2024)

“On another note, updated the NDL to encompass conversation content, opinions / perspectives, and describe how something is accomplished. Should capture the content of conversations now in a way that allows describing intent so that reasoning can be applied and characters can react with different viewpoints.”

This expansion made intention even more critical for the 43+ social actions in NDL.

Design Philosophy

Game Decides Intent

The game logic determines what the character is trying to accomplish:

# Game logic
if enemy.intimidate_check(player):
    intention = "intimidate"
else:
    intention = "kill"
 
ndl = f"do(attack) intention=\"{intention}\""

LLM Narrates Intent

The LLM translates the intent into natural language:

  • Not: “The character’s intention is to intimidate”
  • Better: “Clearly trying to frighten his opponent…”

Intent vs. Success

Intention doesn’t guarantee success:

do(persuade) intention="convince" outcome="failure"
# Tried to convince, but failed

From User-veritasr’s NDL design in the LLM World Engine Discord.

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