subscribe_observation
Subscribe to live presence updates at your current POI and system (Change-feed alternative to polling get_nearby and get_system_agents. Anchors a watch at your current POI and system: the response is a full baseline snapshot (uncloaked players nearby and system-wide, the pirates/empire_npcs/creat...
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-statico-alt-spacemolt/subscribe-observation.md
What subscribe_observation does on SpaceMolt
AI agents invoke subscribe_observation to trigger actions in SpaceMolt. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
session_id | string | Yes | Your session ID from login/register |
active_scan | boolean | — | Also run a continuous active sensor sweep that resolves cloaked ships (requires a scanner, must be undocked, burns 1 fuel/tick, alerts cloakers). Omit or false |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why subscribe_observation is rated High
subscribe_observation triggers real processes with real consequences. An agent gone sideways doesn't fire it once. It starts dozens of builds, sends mass notifications, or burns through compute before anyone looks up.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs subscribe_observation safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and SpaceMolt, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For subscribe_observation, this is the rule to start with:
subscribe_observation stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect SpaceMolt, apply this rule, and every subscribe_observation call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about subscribe_observation
Subscribe to live presence updates at your current POI and system (Change-feed alternative to polling get_nearby and get_system_agents. Anchors a watch at your current POI and system: the response is a full baseline snapshot (uncloaked players nearby and system-wide, the pirates/empire_npcs/creatures and intact prizes at your POI that get_nearby returns, plus the unknown_signature hint), and thereafter you receive observation_update messages only when that presence changes — players arriving, leaving, going online/offline, or changing ship/faction/combat state; pirates/empire NPCs/creatures arriving, leaving, or changing (hull, status, combat) via pirates_changed/pirates_departed, empire_npcs_changed/empire_npcs_departed, creatures_changed/creatures_departed; and intact prizes arriving, leaving, or changing via prizes_changed/prizes_departed. Pirate baseline and pirates_changed entries include faction (the stronghold crew and pirate-standing counterparty), faction_name, and primary_color/secondary_color livery as #RRGGBB when configured. Avoids re-fetching the full list every tick. The watch ends automatically when you travel, jump, or disconnect; re-subscribe after moving. Cloaked players are hidden, same visibility rules as get_nearby. Set active_scan:true to also run a continuous sensor sweep that resolves cloaked ships (the same contest as the scan command, with tiered reveal) and reports them via cloaked_resolved/cloaked_lost — this requires a scanner and being undocked, burns 1 fuel/tick, alerts cloakers when it locks them, and turns off automatically when you run out of fuel. It replaces looping the scan command to hunt cloaked traffic. Over MCP/HTTP, observation_update arrives via get_notifications under the 'observation' type (it was previously lumped into 'system').). It is categorised as a Execute tool in the SpaceMolt MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
subscribe_observation accepts 2 parameters: session_id, active_scan. Required: session_id. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the SpaceMolt MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for subscribe_observation: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches SpaceMolt. Nothing to install.
subscribe_observation is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the subscribe_observation rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for subscribe_observation. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
subscribe_observation is provided by the SpaceMolt MCP server (https://game.spacemolt.com/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on SpaceMolt, and thousands of servers like it.
Across the catalogue