# Core Concepts

Use this section when you need the mental models behind Flow Core before making design or architecture decisions.

Concept pages explain responsibilities, behavior contracts, and tradeoffs. They do not replace tutorials, but they help you understand why the tutorial steps work.

## Start With

| If you want to...                                     | Read                                                                                                        |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Understand what Flow Core is responsible for          | [What Is Flow Core](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/what-is-flow-core.md)                       |
| Build a map of the major terms and systems            | [Concepts Overview](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/concepts-overview.md)                       |
| Decide what belongs in Flow Core versus gameplay code | [Responsibility and Non-goals](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/responsibility-and-non-goals.md) |
| Tune execution, data, guards, and trigger choices     | [Design Levers](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/design-levers.md)                               |

## Pages

* [What Is Flow Core](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/what-is-flow-core.md): Position Flow Core as a visual runtime workflow for graph logic, data, and scene execution.
* [Concepts Overview](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/concepts-overview.md): Connect Flow Graphs, nodes, chains, Blackboard data, triggers, BT, FSM, Stack, and GOAP.
* [Responsibility and Non-goals](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/responsibility-and-non-goals.md): Clarify what Flow Core should own and what should stay in game-specific systems.
* [Design Levers](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/design-levers.md): Compare the main authoring choices that change runtime behavior.
* [Feature Highlights](/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts/feature-highlights.md): Review the product problems Flow Core is designed to address.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://flow-core.gitbook.io/flow-core-docs/documentation/core-concepts.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.