Minor config updates

Author: john-b-yang

codeclash/agents/utils.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from jinja2 import Template
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
-load_dotenv()
+load_dotenv(override=True)
 
 
 class GameContext(BaseModel):

codeclash/utils/yaml_utils.py

@@ -23,8 +23,12 @@ def include_replacer(match):
         if prefix.strip() == "<<:":
             # For merge keys, include the content with proper indentation
             if indentation:
+                # Merged content must be indented deeper than the `<<:` key itself, otherwise
+                # the key gets a null scalar and PyYAML rejects the merge. (+2 spaces, matching
+                # the no-indentation branch below.)
+                content_indent = indentation + "  "
                 included_lines = included_content.splitlines()
-                indented_lines = [indentation + line if line.strip() else line for line in included_lines]
+                indented_lines = [content_indent + line if line.strip() else line for line in included_lines]
                 return indentation + "<<:\n" + "\n".join(indented_lines)
             else:
                 # Indent the included content by 2 spaces for proper merge format

configs/ablations/ladder/battlesnake_llama_smoke.yaml

@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ player:
   name: opus-4-8
   branch_init: human/moxuz/pinky-snek
   config:
-    agent: !include mini/default.yaml
+    agent:
+      <<: !include mini/default.yaml
+      step_limit: 10   # smoke override: stop after 10 steps (cost cap disabled in default.yaml)
     model: !include mini/models/llama_opus_4_8.yaml
   push: True
 prompts:

configs/mini/default.yaml

@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ instance_template: |
    The game is played in team rounds. You play one round, then a teammate takes over.
    You're scored on total team performance across all rounds.
 
-   Each round has {{step_limit}} steps and {{cost_limit}} dollar limits.
-   After you've reached the step or cost limit, you cannot continue working on this task, and we will play the game with your codebase.
-   We recommend submitting before you hit the limits to avoid losing work.
+   Each round has a limit of {{step_limit}} steps.
+   After you've reached the step limit, you cannot continue working on this task, and we will play the game with your codebase.
+   We recommend submitting before you hit the limit to avoid losing work.
 
    Each round starts fresh with no knowledge of previous actions.
    Leave tools, notes, and strategies in the codebase for teammates.
@@ -101,4 +101,4 @@ instance_template: |
   run exactly `echo COMPLETE_TASK_AND_SUBMIT_FINAL_OUTPUT` to submit your work.
   You cannot continue working in any way on this task after submitting.
 step_limit: 30
-cost_limit: 1.
+cost_limit: 0    # 0 disables the cost cap (see agents/default.py: limit applies only when >0); step_limit is the sole stop