Narrative Controls

Feature Request Draft

Title: Narrative Controls — Time Advancement & Out-of-Character Mode

Problem: Current AI chat exists in eternal present tense. Users must awkwardly narrate time jumps ("the next morning...") which characters often misunderstand as in-world dialogue. Additionally, there's no clean way to step Out Of Character (OOC) mid-scene without breaking immersion or causing confusion.

Proposed Solution: A narrative control panel that provides forward momentum and allows interaction to be more than two-dimensional — moving beyond static back-and-forth into living, evolving narrative.

1. Time Advancement Controls

A dropdown/panel allowing users to signal time passage and narrative structure:

	ControlFunction
Time Select	1 hour / 6 hours / 1 day / 3 days / 1 week / 1 month / Custom
Narrative Marker	Scene Ended / Chapter Ended / Arc Ended
{{User}} Input (optional)	Brief prompt guiding what happened: "I was sick, didn't contact them" or "Went on that trip I mentioned"
Generate	AI fills the gap based on character preferences, history, and user direction

Example Output (AI-generated):

Three days pass. You find Sarah in her workshop — paint-stained overalls, a half-finished canvas in the corner. She discovered that documentary you mentioned. Watched it twice. She's been thinking about what you said.

Example Output (with {{User}} Input):

User enters: "I ghosted them, didn't explain why"
AI generates: "Three days of silence. Sarah's baked three cakes, each more elaborate than the last. She's pretending not to check her phone. The unspoken tension hangs thick when you finally appear."

2. OOC Mode Toggle

A clear indicator (button, bracket syntax, or dedicated panel) that separates meta-communication from in-character dialogue:

		ModeIndicatorBehavior
IC (In Character)	Default	Normal conversation
OOC	[OOC] tag or toggle	Character acknowledges as player-to-AI, not in-world

Example:

User: [OOC] I need to pause here, can we resume tomorrow?
AI: [OOC] Absolutely, I'll wait here. Want me to summarize where we left off when you return?

Alternative: Dedicated OOC side-panel for meta-discussion without polluting the main narrative.

3. Combined Workflow

Chat naturally in IC mode
Hit OOC toggle to discuss scene direction
Use Time Advancement when ready to move forward
AI generates new context, scene begins fresh

Benefits:

Provides forward momentum — stories evolve rather than loop
Makes interaction more than two-dimensional — characters exist across time, not just in the moment
Eliminates awkward narration of time jumps
Prevents characters reacting to OOC comments
Creates genuine narrative continuity
User remains co-author via {{user}} input guidance
Works with existing Memoria/character systems