Skip to main content

Auto mode vs manual mode in Dialogue

Once a Dialogue is running, you have two ways to control it: auto mode and manual mode. You can switch between them at any point during the conversation.

Auto mode​

In auto mode, the Verse Engine manages all turn-taking. It uses resonance-based speaker selection to determine which character speaks next — selecting the participant whose perspective is most relevant to the current state of the conversation.

You do not need to do anything. The Dialogue runs on its own. Characters respond, build on each other's points, and the conversation develops naturally.

Auto mode is best for:

  • Exploring what a Dialogue does naturally without intervention
  • Watching how characters with contrasting worldviews engage when left to their own dynamics
  • Running a Dialogue as a background process while you observe

Manual mode​

In manual mode, you control the conversation directly. Two controls are available:

Next Speaker Advances to the next character in the queue. Use this when you want to move the conversation forward and hear from a different participant.

Continue Asks the current speaker to elaborate further on what they just said. Use this when a character has made a strong point and you want more depth before moving on.

Pressing Continue on a well-developed argument often produces the most nuanced responses — characters will expand, qualify, or reinforce their position when given more space.

Manual mode is best for:

  • Steering the debate toward specific threads
  • Pressing a particular character on a point they have made
  • Slowing the conversation down when a specific exchange deserves more attention
  • Directing the Dialogue toward a specific outcome or conclusion

Switching between modes​

You can switch between auto and manual at any point during a Dialogue — mid-conversation, mid-turn, at any time. The transition is immediate.

A common pattern: start in auto mode to let the conversation find its natural shape, then switch to manual when a thread emerges that you want to explore more deliberately.

Participating directly​

In both modes, you can enter the conversation yourself at any time. Type a message and send it — you become a participant, not just an observer. Characters will respond to you as they would to each other.

This works in both auto and manual mode. In auto mode, your message is treated as an Utterance and the engine selects the next speaker accordingly. In manual mode, you retain control of who responds.

Related: What is a Dialogue? · How to launch a Dialogue · What is resonance-based speaker selection?