GPT-5.6 Accused of Over-Engineering: Dev Seeks Tips for Large Codebases
mamiglia · reddit · 2026-08-01
A veteran LLM user complained on Reddit about their disappointing experience using Codex / GPT-5.6 Sol for complex projects requiring tight control.
Core Issue: The model has a severe tendency to over-engineer. When handling simple queries or minor bug fixes, it adds unnecessary abstractions and rewrites half the codebase, causing the developer to spend more time cleaning up code than actually coding.
The author asked the community three core questions:
- Is there a specific system prompt or setup to stop GPT-5.6 from rewriting the whole app on a minor bugfix?
- Is Claude actually worth the cost for workflows requiring surgically targeted edits without refactoring everything?
- How are people doing with OpenCode or open-source model setups for managing large, brittle codebases?
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