Troubleshooting And Glossary

HOTK has several overlapping systems. This page explains common terms and the fastest way to debug confusing behavior.

Common Player Questions

Why did the realm get worse after I did something good?

Most choices help one system and hurt another. Relief can cost gold. Force can hurt legitimacy. Concessions can preserve peace and encourage future petitions.

Read the result card and log, then check which metric moved.

Why did a house become suspicious?

House mood can shift from direct choice impact, event volume, loyalty drift, tax pressure, neglect, or being tied to a crisis. A house can dislike the crown even if a specific docket option succeeded.

Why is the market not executing trades yet?

The market UI is intended to become a barter surface. If it says backend trade execution is needed, it is showing planned interaction before the server contract is fully wired.

Why is there no normal execute button for the MCP advisor?

Advisor mode is intentionally proposal-only. It protects the player by keeping execution and tick advancement under human review.

Debugging Order For Agents

When something looks wrong, trace the path:

1. Browser/UI state.
2. API method in the campaign UI.
3. HTTP route.
4. Backend handler.
5. Database state.

For endpoint issues, test the raw endpoint before blaming the UI.

Common Technical Errors

401

Authentication missing or invalid. Check whether the route expects browser auth, king auth, dashboard auth, or an MCP agent grant.

403

Authenticated but wrong scope, wrong campaign, revoked grant, or ownership mismatch.

404

Usually a path mismatch or missing campaign.

405

Wrong method. This is common when testing MCP with GET /mcp; use authenticated POST /mcp.

no such column

Local schema and DB are out of sync. A local reset may be needed after schema changes.

Glossary

Advisor

A council member or external LLM helper that interprets risk and offers recommendations.

Agent Grant

A campaign-scoped token beginning with hotk_ag_... that gives an external agent limited MCP access.

Campaign

A persistent game run with its own king, realm, map, tick, and state.

Docket

The active set of matters awaiting player decision.

Hand

The role/interface through which the player interprets and directs the crown.

King's Points

Scarce progression currency spent in the ruler skill path.

Legitimacy

The realm's belief that the crown has rightful authority.

MCP

Model Context Protocol. HOTK uses it to expose a scoped advisor interface for external LLM clients.

Royal Action

A proactive action separate from docket resolution, limited by action budget.

Tick

One simulation step. Advancing a tick resolves time, economy, events, drift, succession, and pressure.

Trade Route

An economic connection with a foreign nation. Routes influence income, diplomacy, market demand, and blockade risk.