Shaper Behavior
Optimize a style parameter ansatz against designers's npc behavior goal and return tuning knobs that actually converge.
Variational ansatz· style optimization
Section · Quantum
full primer →The hook.
Game designers set a creative goal; a quantum optimizer tunes the NPC behavior parameters until they converge, and returns the dialed-in knobs.
Why this primitiveVariational ansatz is the right primitive here because NPC behavior reduces to a style optimization problem; the kernel returns a result you can drop straight into the UI.
Kernel
a VQE-style parameterized circuit optimized against a style cost Hamiltonian, returning the optimal parameter vector
Drives the UI as
a slider panel where each slider is one optimized parameter, plus a 'cost over iterations' chart
Appendix A
The mega-prompt.
This prompt is engineered to ship in a single Lovable build. Real Quantinuum Guppy/Selene circuit runs in the Linux sandbox at build time and the results are baked in as JSON. read the build strategy →
~14.1 KB291 lines1 msg · ~5 credits
Build "Shaper Behavior"—a one-page game-designer quantum app optimizing NPC style parameters via VQE.
**BUDGET WARNING: FREE tier (~5 credits). Ship in ONE message. No scope creep.**
**BUILD ORDER (follow exactly):**
1. Create quantum/kernel.py: a real .py file with a @guppy VQE kernel (8 qubits max, parameterized circuit, Pauli cost Hamiltonian for style targets, return optimal params + final cost).
2. Create quantum/run.py: import kernel, compile via selene_sim.build(), loop 8 style targets × 30 optimizer steps, collect 8 parameter vectors + cost curves, write src/data/quantum-results.json as [{input: target_id, output: {params: [...], cost: float, costs_per_step: [...]}}].
3. Run quantum/run.py in sandbox (pip install guppylang selene-sim first). Commit real JSON.
4. Build React frontend (TanStack Start, route /).
**FRONTEND (shadcn/Tailwind):**
- Import src/data/quantum-results.json statically.
- Layout: dark theme, teal accent.
- Left: Card with Tabs (8 style targets: "Aggressive", "Cautious", etc.). Badge shows selected.
- Center: visual representation (SVG NPC behavior curve, redrawn on tab change).
- Right: Card with Slider × N (one per optimized parameter, read-only, labeled). Below: LineChart (cost vs. iteration, recharts).
- Bottom strip (Card, small): "About the quantum" toggle → disclosure showing raw optimal params, final cost, and collapsible "View Guppy source" (prints quantum/kernel.py inline).
**QUANTUM SPECIFICS:**
- Use selene_sim.build(kernel_fn, ...) to compile.
- Loop via for loop over 8 targets; per target, run 30 optimizer steps (e.g., COBYLA or SPSA mock via parameter sweep).
- Each step: run_shots(compiled, params, 256 shots), measure cost.
- Return params that minimize cost.
**DELIVERABLE:**
Single deploy. Every number on screen = real Selene output from quantum/kernel.py. Judges see genuine VQE ansatz, not fake. No auth, no database, no runtime Python.
--- QUANTINUUM APPENDIX (self-contained reference — paste verbatim) ---
[1] INSTALL (Lovable Linux sandbox):
python -m pip install --no-cache-dir guppylang selene-sim
[2] IMPORTS (use exactly these — no other quantum libs):
# quantum/kernel.py and quantum/run.py top
from guppylang import guppy
from guppylang.std.builtins import result
from guppylang.std.quantum import qubit, h, cx, rx, ry, rz, measure, discard, t as tgate, tdg
from guppylang.std.angles import angle, pi
from selene_sim import build, Quest
import math, json, sys, tempfile, importlib.util, uuid
from pathlib import Path
[3] HARD RULES (violating any breaks the build):
- @guppy reads source via inspect.getsource → kernels MUST live in a real .py file on disk. No exec(), no REPL strings, no inline templates.
- Allowed gate set ONLY: h, rx, ry, rz, cx, tgate, tdg. There is NO native ccx/toffoli, cswap, cphase, or crz — decompose using the snippets in [7].
- Qubit ownership: a qubit passed to a function is moved. You MUST measure() or discard() every qubit exactly once; never reuse after measure.
- Angle hygiene before baking a float into generated source:
theta = ((theta + math.pi) % (2.0 * math.pi)) - math.pi
and write it with repr: f"... {theta!r} ..." (str(float) can truncate).
[4] SELENE SHOT LOOP (canonical):
compiled = my_kernel.compile()
runner = build(compiled)
shots = []
for shot in runner.run_shots(Quest(), n_qubits=N, n_shots=S):
shots.append({str(lbl): int(v) for lbl, v in shot})
# N = MAX number of qubits simultaneously LIVE in the kernel.
# measure(q) releases the slot, so one ancilla reused across k windows still counts as 1.
[5] DRIVER PATTERN — sweep a kernel over many inputs (closures do NOT work):
ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
if str(ROOT) not in sys.path: sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT))
def run_one(params: dict, shots: int = 256):
# Bake params as literals into a fresh .py file that imports your kernel helpers.
src = (
"from quantum.kernel import guppy, my_helper\n"
"@guppy\n"
"def program() -> None:\n"
f" my_helper({params['a']!r}, {params['b']!r})\n"
)
tmp = Path(tempfile.gettempdir()) / "qprogs"; tmp.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
name = f"prog_{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}"
path = tmp / f"{name}.py"; path.write_text(src)
spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(name, path)
mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
sys.modules[name] = mod # register BEFORE exec_module
spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
runner = build(mod.program.compile())
out = []
for shot in runner.run_shots(Quest(), n_qubits=5, n_shots=shots):
out.append({str(l): int(v) for l, v in shot})
return out
[6] PER-QUBIT INTEGER DECODE (host-side):
# kernel emits: for j in range(n): result(f"x{j}", measure(q[j]))
def decode(rec, n):
x = 0
for j in range(n): x |= (rec.get(f"x{j}", 0) & 1) << j
return x
[7] DECOMPOSITION LIBRARY (copy verbatim into quantum/kernel.py):
# ---- Toffoli (CCX) from H, CX, T, Tdg — 6-T standard decomposition ----
@guppy
def toffoli(c1: qubit, c2: qubit, tgt: qubit) -> None:
h(tgt)
cx(c2, tgt); tdg(tgt)
cx(c1, tgt); tgate(tgt)
cx(c2, tgt); tdg(tgt)
cx(c1, tgt); tgate(c2); tgate(tgt)
h(tgt)
cx(c1, c2); tgate(c1); tdg(c2)
cx(c1, c2)
# ---- CSWAP (Fredkin) from CX + Toffoli ----
@guppy
def cswap(c: qubit, a: qubit, b: qubit) -> None:
cx(b, a)
toffoli(c, a, b)
cx(b, a)
# ---- Controlled phase exp(i*theta) on |11> from rz + cx ----
@guppy
def cphase(c: qubit, d: qubit, theta: float) -> None:
rz(d, angle(theta / 2.0))
cx(c, d)
rz(d, angle(-theta / 2.0))
cx(c, d)
# ---- Amplitude-encoded feature state (3 floats in [0,1] → 2-qubit state) ----
@guppy
def prep_features(q0: qubit, q1: qubit, a: float, b: float, c: float) -> None:
ry(q0, angle(a))
ry(q1, angle(b))
cx(q0, q1)
rz(q1, angle(c))
# ---- SWAP test kernel; HOST inverts: F = clamp(2*P(anc=0) - 1, 0, 1) ----
@guppy
def swap_test(ai: float, bi: float, ci: float,
aj: float, bj: float, cj: float) -> None:
anc = qubit()
pi0 = qubit(); pi1 = qubit()
pj0 = qubit(); pj1 = qubit()
prep_features(pi0, pi1, ai, bi, ci)
prep_features(pj0, pj1, aj, bj, cj)
h(anc)
cswap(anc, pi0, pj0)
cswap(anc, pi1, pj1)
h(anc)
result("anc", measure(anc))
discard(pi0); discard(pi1); discard(pj0); discard(pj1)
# n_qubits = 5 for swap_test above.
[8] CLASSICAL CROSS-CHECK (NumPy reference — commit alongside quantum result):
import numpy as np
I = np.eye(2); X = np.array([[0,1],[1,0]])
def RY(t): c,s = math.cos(t/2), math.sin(t/2); return np.array([[c,-s],[s,c]])
def RZ(t): return np.array([[np.exp(-1j*t/2),0],[0,np.exp(1j*t/2)]])
CX = np.array([[1,0,0,0],[0,1,0,0],[0,0,0,1],[0,0,1,0]])
def prep_psi(a,b,c):
s = np.kron(RY(a)@np.array([1,0]), RY(b)@np.array([1,0]))
s = CX @ s
s = np.kron(I, RZ(c)) @ s
return s
def classical_fidelity(p, q):
return float(abs(np.vdot(prep_psi(*p), prep_psi(*q)))**2)
# Commit BOTH quantum and classical values per record:
# {"input": [...], "quantum": 0.873, "classical": 0.881, "shots": 256}
[9] FRONTEND HANDOFF (TanStack Start):
# quantum/run.py last step:
Path("src/data/quantum-results.json").write_text(json.dumps({
"records": records, # list of {input, quantum, classical, ...}
"circuit": {"n_qubits": 5, "shots": 256},
"kernel_source": Path("quantum/kernel.py").read_text(), # show on /code tab
}, indent=2))
# In React: import data from "@/data/quantum-results.json" (resolveJsonModule:true).
# Render data.records; render data.kernel_source in a <pre> inside the Quantum trace tab.
[10] BUILD ORDER (do not deviate — keeps you under 5 credits):
1. Write quantum/kernel.py with the helpers from [7] you actually need.
2. Write quantum/run.py: driver pattern from [5], Selene loop from [4], cross-check from [8], JSON write from [9].
3. Execute once: python quantum/run.py (commit src/data/quantum-results.json).
4. Build the React route: static JSON import, shadcn Card + Tabs + Slider + Badge wiring.
5. Deploy. No Python at runtime; every on-screen number traces to committed Selene output.
[11] OUTPUT CONTRACT — selene_run v1 (write this exact shape to src/data/quantum-results.json):
{
"schemaVersion": 1,
"experiment": "<idea-slug>",
"title": "<idea title>",
"description": "<one plain-English sentence — what a non-quantum dev sees>",
"kernel": { "snippet": "<first 40 lines of quantum/kernel.py>", "qubits": <int>, "shotsPerRow": <int> },
"verdict": { "text": "<one-sentence headline of the result>", "good": true },
"metrics": [ { "name": "<label>", "value": <number>, "unit": "<%|bits|Hz|...>", "good": true } ],
"series": [ { "id": "<id>", "kind": "histogram"|"bar"|"line", "title": "...",
"xLabel": "...", "yLabel": "...", "yKeys": ["count"],
"points": [ { "label": "<x>", "values": { "count": <num> } } ] } ]
}
Reason: one schema = one renderer = a polished demo without bespoke React per idea.
All metric / series VALUES must come from real Selene shot data committed in step 3 — no mocks.
[12] RENDERER — create src/components/SeleneRunView.tsx with EXACTLY this body (no deps beyond react + tailwind):
import * as React from "react";
type Point = { label: string; values: Record<string, number> };
type Series = { id: string; kind: "histogram"|"bar"|"line"; title: string;
xLabel?: string; yLabel?: string; yKeys: string[]; points: Point[] };
type Metric = { name: string; value: number; unit?: string; good?: boolean };
export type SeleneRun = {
schemaVersion: 1; experiment: string; title: string; description: string;
kernel: { snippet: string; qubits: number; shotsPerRow: number };
verdict: { text: string; good: boolean };
metrics: Metric[]; series: Series[]; notes?: string;
};
const fmt = (n: number) => Math.abs(n) >= 100 ? n.toFixed(0) : Math.abs(n) >= 1 ? n.toFixed(2) : n.toFixed(3);
function Bars({ s }: { s: Series }) {
const max = Math.max(1, ...s.points.flatMap(p => s.yKeys.map(k => p.values[k] ?? 0)));
return (
<div className="space-y-1">
{s.points.map((p, i) => (
<div key={i} className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs">
<div className="w-20 truncate text-muted-foreground">{p.label}</div>
<div className="flex-1 h-3 bg-muted rounded-sm overflow-hidden">
<div className="h-full bg-primary" style={{ width: `${(100*(p.values[s.yKeys[0]]??0))/max}%` }} />
</div>
<div className="w-12 text-right tabular-nums">{fmt(p.values[s.yKeys[0]]??0)}</div>
</div>
))}
</div>
);
}
function Line({ s }: { s: Series }) {
const W=320, H=120, P=20;
const ys = s.points.map(p => p.values[s.yKeys[0]] ?? 0);
const min = Math.min(...ys), max = Math.max(...ys), span = max - min || 1;
const pts = ys.map((y, i) => {
const x = P + (i*(W-2*P))/Math.max(1, ys.length-1);
const yy = H - P - ((y - min)/span)*(H - 2*P);
return `${x},${yy}`;
}).join(" ");
return (
<svg viewBox={`0 0 ${W} ${H}`} className="w-full h-32">
<polyline fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" points={pts} className="text-primary" />
</svg>
);
}
export function SeleneRunView({ run }: { run: SeleneRun }) {
return (
<div className="space-y-6">
<header>
<div className="text-xs uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground">{run.experiment}</div>
<h2 className="text-2xl font-semibold">{run.title}</h2>
<p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{run.description}</p>
<div className={`mt-2 inline-block px-3 py-1 rounded-full text-xs ${run.verdict.good?"bg-emerald-500/15 text-emerald-400":"bg-amber-500/15 text-amber-400"}`}>
{run.verdict.text}
</div>
</header>
<section className="grid grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-4 gap-3">
{run.metrics.map((m, i) => (
<div key={i} className="rounded-lg border border-border p-3">
<div className="text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground">{m.name}</div>
<div className="text-xl font-semibold tabular-nums">{fmt(m.value)}<span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground ml-1">{m.unit}</span></div>
</div>
))}
</section>
<section className="space-y-6">
{run.series.map(s => (
<div key={s.id} className="rounded-lg border border-border p-4">
<div className="flex items-baseline justify-between mb-3">
<div className="text-sm font-medium">{s.title}</div>
<div className="text-[10px] text-muted-foreground">{s.xLabel} / {s.yLabel}</div>
</div>
{s.kind === "line" ? <Line s={s} /> : <Bars s={s} />}
</div>
))}
</section>
<footer className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground">
kernel: {run.kernel.qubits} qubits · {run.kernel.shotsPerRow} shots/row
</footer>
</div>
);
}
Then in the route: import data from "@/data/quantum-results.json"; <SeleneRunView run={data as any} />.
Quantum trace tab: <pre>{data.kernel.snippet}</pre>.
[HOOK] VQE — variational energy minimization.
Ansatz kernel takes a θ-vector baked via the driver pattern in [5]:
for j: ry(q[j], angle(theta[j])); then cx ladder; repeat L layers.
Measure Pauli terms shot-by-shot: <Z_j> = (#0 - #1)/S; <X_j> with an extra h(q[j]) before measure.
<H>(θ) = Σ_i w_i * <P_i>(θ).
Optimizer: coarse host-side grid (e.g. 8 values × 2 params = 64 runs). No SciPy needed.
selene_run mapping:
metrics: [ {"name":"final cost","value":final_E,"unit":""},
{"name":"best θ₀","value":theta_star[0],"unit":"rad"},
{"name":"grid points","value":n_grid,"unit":""} ]
series: [ {"id":"cost-curve","kind":"line","title":"Cost over iterations",
"xLabel":"step","yLabel":"⟨H⟩","yKeys":["count"],
"points":[{"label":str(i),"values":{"count":E}} for i,E in enumerate(history)]} ]Market sizing.
TAM
$13.0B
the game industry (~$200B) and >3M indie developers.
SAM
$2.5B
the 19% of that market actively buying NPC behavior-adjacent software.
SOM
$124M
a realistic 5% capture of the serviceable slice in years 1–3 via the hackathon launch and creator-led distribution.
Indicative figures for hackathon pitches — refine with your own research before raising.
Adjacent entries.
level design
Iterator Design
Optimize a style parameter ansatz against designers's level design goal and return tuning knobs that actually converge.
procedural worldsOptimizer World
Optimize a style parameter ansatz against designers's procedural worlds goal and return tuning knobs that actually converge.
puzzle generationTuner Generation
Optimize a style parameter ansatz against designers's puzzle generation goal and return tuning knobs that actually converge.
NPC behaviorKinFinder Behavior
Compare npc behavior candidates by quantum fidelity so designers pick the closest match in one tap.