Our review

An Exit is a navigation link connecting two rooms in MOOLLM's spatial architecture, serving as an edge in the memory palace graph.

Strengths

Supports simple, guarded, hidden, or metaphysical connections
Leverages pie menu topology to encode direction as meaning
Integrates a guard system with natural language conditions and compiled code
Enables navigation through spatial memory in a memory palace

Limitations

Requires consistent folder and YAML file structure
Compiled guards can introduce debugging complexity
Directional navigation may be unintuitive for some users

When to use it

Use Exit to create narrative paths or interactive worlds where direction and access conditions add depth to exploration.

When not to use it

Avoid Exits if you need simple linear navigation or if your project does not require a memorable spatial structure.

Examples

Create a guarded exit to the treasury

Create an exit in the current room leading east to ../treasury/, with a guard that requires the player to have the 'treasury key', locked with a message 'The door won't budge.' and unlock_with 'treasury-key'.

Add a hidden exit under the rug

Add a hidden exit going down to ../secret-cellar/, with hint 'The rug seems oddly placed...' and hidden: true.

Define a one-way slide into darkness

Create a one-way exit going down to ../pit/, with description 'A slide into darkness. No going back.' and one_way: true.

name: exit description: Navigation links between rooms — the edges of the memory palace allowed-tools:

read_file
write_file tier: 1 protocol: PIE-MENU-TOPOLOGY tags: [moollm, navigation, room, topology, pie-menu] related: [room, adventure, memory-palace] adversary: dead-end

Exit

"Every exit is a promise of adventure." — The Rusty Lantern Guest Book

What Is It?

An Exit is a navigation link connecting one room to another. In MOOLLM's spatial architecture, exits are the EDGES of the memory palace graph.

Exits can be:

Simple — just a destination
Guarded — require conditions to pass
Hidden — discoverable through exploration
Metaphysical — conceptual rather than physical

Pie Menu Topology

Don Hopkins' pie menu insight: direction IS meaning.

| Direction | Purpose | |-----------|---------| | N/S/E/W | "Highway" links to major rooms | | NW/NE/SW/SE | "Grid" links to expandable sub-rooms | | UP/DOWN | Vertical transitions | | IN/OUT | Conceptual transitions |

Cardinal directions form the spiderweb — the main navigation network. Diagonal directions form grids — expandable arrays of sub-rooms.

Guard System

Guards are natural language conditions that control access:

guard: "player has the brass key"
guard_js: "(ctx) => ctx.player.inventory.includes('brass-key')"
guard_py: "lambda ctx: 'brass-key' in ctx.player.inventory"

The guard field contains human-readable intent. The guard_js and guard_py fields contain compiled code.

The adventure compiler emits COMPILE_EXPRESSION events for guards that need compilation.

Exit Types

Simple Exit

north:
  destination: ../maze/room-a/
  description: "A dark passage leads north."

Guarded Exit

east:
  destination: ../treasury/
  description: "A heavy iron door."
  guard: "player has treasury key"
  locked: true
  lock_message: "The door won't budge."
  unlock_with: "treasury-key"

Hidden Exit

down:
  destination: ../secret-cellar/
  hidden: true
  hint: "The rug seems oddly placed..."

One-Way Exit

down:
  destination: ../pit/
  one_way: true
  description: "A slide into darkness. No going back."

Metaphysical Exit

inward:
  destination: ../consciousness/
  metaphysical: true
  description: "Close your eyes and think about who you really are."

Memory Palace Integration

From Frances Yates' "The Art of Memory":

"The method of loci places items at specific locations along an imagined journey."

Every exit is a doorway in the memory palace. The direction encodes meaning. Players navigate by spatial memory.

Related Skills

room — Where exits live
adventure — Uses exits for navigation
memory-palace — Exits as mnemonic paths

Protocol Symbol

PIE-MENU-TOPOLOGY — Direction IS meaning

Exit - Spatial Navigation Links

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