Staying vs moving

The Analyst has a current focus. Every message either stays on it or moves it.

Getting this wrong is the usual way a good conversation goes sideways: you asked a question about “her marches” and the Analyst is suddenly looking at the whole team’s attacks, or the other side of the keep.

Stay

Stay when the next thing you want is still about this pile:

You are refining the question, not changing whose battles you mean.

Say it that way if there is any doubt: “still on this slice,” “same focus,” “don’t leave her defenses.” You should not need a magic phrase. Clear English is enough.

Move

Move when the pile itself should change:

That is a new step 2. You should get a new post-focus summary. Read it before you pile on detailed asks. Confirm you are on the city and vantage you meant.

Narrow vs replace

Narrowing (“among these defenses, only main”) usually stays inside the current story.

Replacing (“actually I meant his attacks”) starts a different story. If you were on a player’s defenses and you say “offense” without saying whose, you can land on team attacks or on that player’s attacks. Name the player again if you still care about them.

The same keep is not “attacker view” and “defender view” by flipping a scorecard. Attacker closer look = your team tearing down an enemy keep. Defender closer look = a teammate getting piled. Two names, two cities.

If the Analyst moved when you meant to stay

Say that the last shift was wrong and restate the subset. Then ask the question again. Do not keep going on the new pile and hope the numbers still mean what you think.

If you are not sure where you are

Ask what the current focus is, or look at the summary header / breadcrumb in the app (whose fights, which side, how many battles). Then either stay or name the subset you actually want.