Switched to Codex: Better Codex, But Less Reasoning? Anyone Else?
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I recently switched main agents from Claude Code to Codex, and wow, the code quality feels way higher. But I'm noticing that Codex doesn't explain its decisions or reasoning as clearly as other models. Is it just me, or does Codex skip the 'why' behind the code more often?
Are there tricks to codex out more reasoning? Curious if anyone else has noticed this or found a good workaround.
What's your experience with Codex, especially compared to other agent models when it comes to code quality vs. explainability?
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I go back and forth still, I like using subagents to keep context clean in CC.
I've heard this a lot recently moving away from Claude to Codex. I've given it a go and I think Codex needs 'less' input to get something I'd consider working, but the overall rules are still the same.
Personally, I'm sticking with Claude for the project spaces I've built up. The key things for me with any AI tool writing code:
I always set the parameters at the start of the conversation very clearly.
This is the problem
This is the solution I want
First build a step-by-step plan
Get it to confirm we do the code step-by-step with lots of testing between.
Get it to ask as many questions to confirm it understands the task.
I'm an analogy guy, give it to me in terms of building a house or going shopping, something everyone will understand. I always set a parameter to describe the purpose of all code it writes as an analogy of something.
Cal ID
I’ve noticed the same thing. Codex is precise and fast, but it often skips the why behind the code.
With Claude, I almost always get a step-by-step breakdown or a quick reasoning summary, which is super helpful for learning or debugging. Codex just gives you the code, sometimes leaving you feeling like you missed a step in the process.