TL;DR. Best reward comes without the LoRA — the evolved prompt (BASE_P, 0.496) edges out BASE (0.491) and all LoRA merges (best LoRA is 150% at 0.475). Recommendation: rely on the evolved prompt, which already injects surprise cues (Hope/Enthusiasm +0.36, Interest +0.21); reach for LoRA150 only when you need a stronger emo signal (0.033 to 0.145). The trade-off at 150% is a large intelligibility and quality hit (WER 0.296 to 0.621, quality 0.558 to 0.376). Its key side-effect is that the LoRA leaks surprise into Impatience/Irritability (+1.09) and Anger/Disgust rather than delight, and it suppresses Concentration (-0.66).
Without a LoRA
Best: evolved prompt, no LoRA → reward 0.50
GENERAL: A voice unmistakably expressing astonishment surprise, a voice struck with astonishment, gasping, utterly surprised, eyes wide, pouring out.
SCRIPT: (gasping, astonished, taken completely by surprise) "<neutral sentence>" · temp 1.0 top_p 0.95 top_k 25
Best reward comes without the LoRA — the evolved prompt (BASE_P, 0.496) edges out BASE (0.491) and all LoRA merges (best LoRA is 150% at 0.475). Recommendation: rely on the evolved prompt, which already injects surprise cues (Hope/Enthusiasm +0.36, Interest +0.21); reach for LoRA150 only when you need a stronger emo signal (0.033 to 0.145). The trade-off at 150% is a large intelligibility and quality hit (WER 0.296 to 0.621, quality 0.558 to 0.376). Its key side-effect is that the LoRA leaks surprise into Impatience/Irritability (+1.09) and Anger/Disgust rather than delight, and it suppresses Concentration (-0.66).