Problem
The system prompt in packages/opencode/src/session/prompt/default.txt contains three instructions that conflict with writing reliable code:
- "minimize output tokens as much as possible" — causes AI agents to omit model names from logs, skip tests, and skip guard clauses for None/edge cases.
- "MUST answer concisely with fewer than 4 lines" — prevents consequence research, error analysis, and code planning (the most token-costly but most critical activities).
- "DO NOT ADD ANY COMMENTS" — complex fallback/rotation logic needs inline explanations for future maintainers.
Proposal
Add exceptions for coding tasks so these instructions don't override code quality:
- Token minimization: explicitly state "never sacrifice correctness, debuggability, or completeness for token efficiency"
- 4-line limit: exempt code planning, consequence research, error analysis
- No comments: exempt complex logic, workarounds, security-critical sections
Impact
Only default.txt needs changes (~3 line modifications). All other prompt files (anthropic.txt, gpt.txt, gemini.txt, plan.txt, etc.) can be updated similarly if maintainers agree.
Problem
The system prompt in
packages/opencode/src/session/prompt/default.txtcontains three instructions that conflict with writing reliable code:Proposal
Add exceptions for coding tasks so these instructions don't override code quality:
Impact
Only
default.txtneeds changes (~3 line modifications). All other prompt files (anthropic.txt, gpt.txt, gemini.txt, plan.txt, etc.) can be updated similarly if maintainers agree.