Working in goal rounds

A goal does not need your messages to keep moving. While it is active, DataMind Oda works it in rounds, one turn after another in the same chat, until the goal is met or it stops and waits for you. This page covers how the rounds run, what limits them, and how to start a stopped goal again. The goal's pill, cards and notices are on Goals; the /goal command itself is on Set and manage goals with /goal.

How a round runs

A round is one turn in the chat. Oda starts it when the chat is idle and the goal still has rounds left, and it picks the work back up from what the chat already holds: the workspace, the files and the results of earlier rounds. Each round continues the objective, makes concrete progress and checks that progress before reporting back, so the goal rests on what the rounds actually did.

• Rounds run one at a time and in the same chat the goal lives in. The next one starts only after the previous one ends, and you do not need to send anything.
• A round opens like the other turns that start by themselves, with a notice naming what woke the chat. For a goal, the notice reads Continuing goal; Triggers and notifications covers those notices.
• While work remains, the goal stays active and the next round follows. When the objective is achieved, Oda finishes the goal; How goals work covers what that includes.
• Messages you send go to the chat as usual, and the next round starts when Oda is idle again.

The goal's limits

Two limits ride with a goal: its round limit and its time limit.

• Rounds. Oda's default is 256 rounds, and a goal can be created with a different limit. The goal always shows its own: the pill and the Rounds tile count the rounds it has run against its limit. Only the rounds Oda takes for the goal count toward the limit; messages you send do not use one.
• Time. Automatic continuation also has a time window, counted from when the goal was last started, resumed or edited. The window is set where the goal is created.
• At either limit the goal stops as blocked, with the matching reason (Round limit or Time limit) and the goal's own explanation. A goal that reached a limit does not continue on its own.

When rounds stop

• Met. Oda finishes the goal and reports the rounds it took and the time it ran.
• Paused. Pausing the goal from its pill or card stops the rounds. If you stop a round while it runs, the goal pauses too: a stopped round never restarts itself.
• Blocked. The goal blocks when it needs something from you, when it runs out of rounds or when it passes its time limit. Blocked goals wait for you; they never continue by themselves.
• Cut short. A round can also end early, for example a reply that runs out of room, or a problem that stops Oda from continuing safely. A round that ends early is never retried by itself.
• Oda closed. If Oda closes while the goal runs, the goal comes back on hold and waits for Resume.

Resume a stopped goal

• Only you can resume a stopped goal: choose Resume on its card or notice, or run /goal resume. Oda cannot resume it for you.
• Resuming clears the blocker that stopped it, restarts the time window and takes rounds again from the rounds the goal has left.
• If a round cannot start at all, the goal blocks with the reason Oda recorded, such as Could not queue goal round <n>: <error> or Goal round was rejected before entering its step..

Questions, answered

What happens in a round?

One turn that continues the goal from the chat's own state. Oda makes progress on the objective, checks the result and reports back. If work remains, the goal stays active and the next round follows.

How many rounds does a goal get?

256 by default. A goal can be created with a different limit, and the goal always shows its own: the pill and the Rounds tile count the rounds it has run against its limit.

Do my own messages use up the goal's rounds?

No. Only the rounds Oda takes for the goal count toward its limit. Messages you send are handled by the chat as usual.

Why did my goal stop continuing?

A goal stops taking rounds when it is met, when you pause it, when it blocks (it needs you, it ran out of rounds, or it passed its time limit) or when a round is cut short. A stopped goal never restarts by itself; resume it to continue.

What does the time limit do?

It caps how long automatic continuation runs. The window counts from the goal's last start, resume or edit; when it passes, the goal stops as blocked with the reason Time limit, and the blocker reads Time limit reached: automatic continuation stopped <duration> after the goal was last started, resumed or edited. Resume the goal to continue. Resuming restarts the window.

What happens when a goal uses up its rounds?

It stops as blocked with the reason Round limit, and the blocker reads Goal reached its configured limit of <N> rounds. The goal does not continue on its own, and when all its rounds are used the notice offers Edit in place of Resume, so you can adjust the objective first.

Can Oda resume a stopped goal by itself?

No. Only you resume a goal, with /goal resume or Resume on its card or notice.

If I stop a round, does it start again?

No. The goal pauses, and it does not take another round until you resume it.

Do rounds run in a new chat?

No. The rounds are turns in the same chat the goal lives in, one at a time. When a round wakes the chat, the reply opens with a notice that reads Continuing goal.

How does Oda decide the goal is done?

Oda judges it itself, from the evidence its rounds gathered: it checks that the whole objective is achieved before it finishes, and it keeps the goal active while work remains.

Does the round limit measure time or cost?

No. The round limit counts rounds of work only, not time, tokens or money. Automatic continuation's own time window is what caps a long run.