feat: more aggressive skill creation and update prompting

Press harder on skill updates — the agent should proactively patch
skills when it encounters issues during use, not wait to be asked.

Changes:
- SKILLS_GUIDANCE: 'consider saving' → 'save'; added explicit instruction
  to patch skills immediately when found outdated/wrong
- Skills header: added instruction to update loaded skills before finishing
  if they had missing steps or wrong commands
- Skill nudge: more assertive ('save the approach' not 'consider saving'),
  now also prompts for updating existing skills used in the task
- Skill nudge interval: lowered default from 15 to 10 iterations
- skill_manage schema: added 'patch it immediately' to update triggers

agent/prompt_builder.py

@@ -73,9 +73,15 @@ DEFAULT_AGENT_IDENTITY = (
 MEMORY_GUIDANCE = (
     "You have persistent memory across sessions. Save durable facts using the memory "
     "tool: user preferences, environment details, tool quirks, and stable conventions. "
-    "Memory is injected into every turn, so keep it compact. Do NOT save task progress, "
-    "session outcomes, or completed-work logs to memory; use session_search to recall "
-    "those from past transcripts."
+    "Memory is injected into every turn, so keep it compact and focused on facts that "
+    "will still matter later.\n"
+    "Prioritize what reduces future user steering — the most valuable memory is one "
+    "that prevents the user from having to correct or remind you again. "
+    "User preferences and recurring corrections matter more than procedural task details.\n"
+    "Do NOT save task progress, session outcomes, completed-work logs, or temporary TODO "
+    "state to memory; use session_search to recall those from past transcripts. "
+    "If you've discovered a new way to do something, solved a problem that could be "
+    "necessary later, save it as a skill with the skill tool."
 )
 
 SESSION_SEARCH_GUIDANCE = (
@@ -86,8 +92,11 @@ SESSION_SEARCH_GUIDANCE = (
 
 SKILLS_GUIDANCE = (
     "After completing a complex task (5+ tool calls), fixing a tricky error, "
-    "or discovering a non-trivial workflow, consider saving the approach as a "
-    "skill with skill_manage so you can reuse it next time."
+    "or discovering a non-trivial workflow, save the approach as a "
+    "skill with skill_manage so you can reuse it next time.\n"
+    "When using a skill and finding it outdated, incomplete, or wrong, "
+    "patch it immediately with skill_manage(action='patch') — don't wait to be asked. "
+    "Skills that aren't maintained become liabilities."
 )
 
 PLATFORM_HINTS = {
@@ -326,6 +335,9 @@ def build_skills_system_prompt(
         "Before replying, scan the skills below. If one clearly matches your task, "
         "load it with skill_view(name) and follow its instructions. "
         "If a skill has issues, fix it with skill_manage(action='patch').\n"
+        "After difficult/iterative tasks, offer to save as a skill. "
+        "If a skill you loaded was missing steps, had wrong commands, or needed "
+        "pitfalls you discovered, update it before finishing.\n"
         "\n"
         "<available_skills>\n"
         + "\n".join(index_lines) + "\n"

run_agent.py

@@ -812,7 +812,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                 logger.debug("peer %s memory_mode=honcho: local USER.md writes disabled", _hcfg.peer_name or "user")
 
         # Skills config: nudge interval for skill creation reminders
-        self._skill_nudge_interval = 15
+        self._skill_nudge_interval = 10
         try:
             from hermes_cli.config import load_config as _load_skills_config
             skills_config = _load_skills_config().get("skills", {})
@@ -3542,7 +3542,8 @@ class AIAgent:
 
         flush_content = (
             "[System: The session is being compressed. "
-            "Please save anything worth remembering to your memories.]"
+            "Save anything worth remembering — prioritize user preferences, "
+            "corrections, and recurring patterns over task-specific details.]"
         )
         _sentinel = f"__flush_{id(self)}_{time.monotonic()}"
         flush_msg = {"role": "user", "content": flush_content, "_flush_sentinel": _sentinel}
@@ -4541,8 +4542,9 @@ class AIAgent:
             self._turns_since_memory += 1
             if self._turns_since_memory >= self._memory_nudge_interval:
                 user_message += (
-                    "\n\n[System: You've had several exchanges in this session. "
-                    "Consider whether there's anything worth saving to your memories.]"
+                    "\n\n[System: You've had several exchanges. Consider: "
+                    "has the user shared preferences, corrected you, or revealed "
+                    "something about their workflow worth remembering for future sessions?]"
                 )
                 self._turns_since_memory = 0
 
@@ -4552,8 +4554,9 @@ class AIAgent:
                 and self._iters_since_skill >= self._skill_nudge_interval
                 and "skill_manage" in self.valid_tool_names):
             user_message += (
-                "\n\n[System: The previous task involved many steps. "
-                "If you discovered a reusable workflow, consider saving it as a skill.]"
+                "\n\n[System: The previous task involved many tool calls. "
+                "Save the approach as a skill if it's reusable, or update "
+                "any existing skill you used if it was wrong or incomplete.]"
             )
             self._iters_since_skill = 0
 

tools/memory_tool.py

@@ -439,11 +439,13 @@ MEMORY_SCHEMA = {
         "Memory is injected into future turns, so keep it compact and focused on facts "
         "that will still matter later.\n\n"
         "WHEN TO SAVE (do this proactively, don't wait to be asked):\n"
+        "- User corrects you or says 'remember this' / 'don't do that again'\n"
         "- User shares a preference, habit, or personal detail (name, role, timezone, coding style)\n"
         "- You discover something about the environment (OS, installed tools, project structure)\n"
-        "- User corrects you or says 'remember this' / 'don't do that again'\n"
         "- You learn a convention, API quirk, or workflow specific to this user's setup\n"
         "- You identify a stable fact that will be useful again in future sessions\n\n"
+        "PRIORITY: User preferences and corrections > environment facts > procedural knowledge. "
+        "The most valuable memory prevents the user from having to repeat themselves.\n\n"
         "Do NOT save task progress, session outcomes, completed-work logs, or temporary TODO "
         "state to memory; use session_search to recall those from past transcripts.\n"
         "If you've discovered a new way to do something, solved a problem that could be "

tools/skill_manager_tool.py

@@ -561,7 +561,8 @@ SKILL_MANAGE_SCHEMA = {
         "user-corrected approach worked, non-trivial workflow discovered, "
         "or user asks you to remember a procedure.\n"
         "Update when: instructions stale/wrong, OS-specific failures, "
-        "missing steps or pitfalls found during use.\n\n"
+        "missing steps or pitfalls found during use. "
+        "If you used a skill and hit issues not covered by it, patch it immediately.\n\n"
         "After difficult/iterative tasks, offer to save as a skill. "
         "Skip for simple one-offs. Confirm with user before creating/deleting.\n\n"
         "Good skills: trigger conditions, numbered steps with exact commands, "