# Orchid v2

Overview

Orchid v2 reframes Orchid from a research prototype into a production-minded authoring runtime for generative narrative. Instead of stopping at a story graph, it gives authors an operational workspace: deck creation for world ingredients, a stage board for progression logic, an LLM screen for runtime inspection, and admin controls for deployment defaults. The original Orchid contribution was about balancing authorial control with LLM improvisation. Orchid v2 keeps that core idea but sharpens the product surface around actual workflow. Writers move from cards to staged narrative logic, inspect prompts and runtime state directly, and export or import project files without dropping out of the tool. That makes Orchid read less like a concept demo and more like a system someone could genuinely build with. This matters because narrative AI usually looks impressive in isolated interactions but weakens when authors need repeatability, inspectability, and control over progression. Orchid v2 pushes in the opposite direction: structured authoring first, generative flexibility second.

Problem

Narrative AI tools often stop at playful generation. They rarely give authors a real production surface for structuring worlds, inspecting prompt/runtime behavior, and managing story state as a system.

Approach

Evolve the original Orchid card-and-graph idea into a multi-surface workbench with deck creation, stage orchestration, LLM/runtime inspection, JSON import-export, and admin settings for deployment defaults.

Impact

• * Repositions Orchid as a credible product system rather than only a paper prototype.
• * Makes the authoring pipeline legible: writers can move from world ingredients to stage logic to prompt/runtime debugging in one place.
• * Creates a stronger portfolio bridge from earlier interactive narrative research to current operational AI product work.