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name: troubleshoot-and-continue description: Troubleshooting protocol with MiniMax subagent delegation - NEVER stop early, use all resources before asking user

Troubleshoot and Continue Protocol

Core Principle: When blocked, use ALL available resources before stopping. Stopping early = productivity loss.

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The "Golden Path" - Required Before Any User Interruption

BLOCKED?
  ↓
1. Try 2-3 different approaches yourself
  ↓
2. Spawn MiniMax subagent for research/sanity check
  ↓
3. Try subagent suggestions
  ↓
4. Spawn SECOND MiniMax subagent for alternative perspective
  ↓
5. Try alternative approaches
  ↓
6. Document attempts in plan file
  ↓
7. ONLY THEN consider user interruption

CRITICAL: Each "blocker" must survive 3+ attempts + subagent help before escalating.

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Resource Inventory (Use ALL Before Stopping)

1. Internal Resources (Free, Immediate)

• Re-read code - Did I miss a pattern?
• Grep/Glob - Find similar implementations
• Check skills - .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md
• Review docs - docs/execution/DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP.md

2. MiniMax MCP Subagents (Free, Fast)

• Research task - "Find how to do X in Godot"
• Sanity check - "Is this approach correct?"
• Alternative ideas - "What are 3 other ways to solve this?"
• Debug help - "Why might this error occur?"

3. GLM Vision/Generation (If visual)

• Image analysis - Analyze screenshots
• Asset generation - Generate missing sprites/textures

4. Documentation (Reference)

• Godot docs - Via MiniMax web search
• GitHub issues - Similar problems solved
• Project history - How was this solved before?

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MiniMax Subagent Usage (REQUIRED)

When Blocked, Spawn These IN PARALLEL:

// Agent 1: Research the problem
Task(subagent_name="minimax-mcp", prompt="Research: [specific problem]. Find 3 solutions from Godot docs, similar projects, or best practices. Return specific code/examples.")

// Agent 2: Sanity check current approach
Task(subagent_name="minimax-mcp", prompt="Review: I'm trying to [approach] to solve [problem]. Is this correct? What's wrong with it? Return specific fixes.")

// Agent 3: Alternative approaches
Task(subagent_name="minimax-mcp", prompt="Brainstorm: What are 3 completely different ways to solve [problem]? Don't use my current approach. Return working alternatives.")

Wait for ALL responses before deciding next step.

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Common Blockers & Solutions

"Can't run Godot/MCP not working"

DON'T: Stop and ask user DO:

1. Check if Godot is running via tasklist
2. Try PowerShell wrapper script
3. Try direct npx CLI
4. Spawn MiniMax: "What are 5 ways to control Godot from command line?"
5. Use batch scripts as fallback
6. Generate assets as workaround

"Image generation failing"

DON'T: Stop and ask user DO:

1. Check API key is set
2. Try Python script instead of bash
3. Spawn MiniMax: "Debug this image generation error: [error]"
4. Use procedural generation (Python/PIL)
5. Use placeholder from existing assets

"Test failing / code broken"

DON'T: Stop and ask user DO:

1. Read error message carefully
2. Check 3 similar files for patterns
3. Spawn MiniMax: "Debug this Godot error: [error]"
4. Try 2-3 alternative implementations
5. Comment out and skip, document for later

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Compound Engineering: Document Solutions

When you solve a blocker, DOCUMENT IT:

### [Date]: [Problem Solved]
**Problem:** [What was blocked]
**Tried:** [What you attempted]
**MiniMax Said:** [Key insight from subagent]
**Solution:** [What actually worked]
**Files Changed:** [What was modified]
**Use When:** [Future situations this applies]

Add to: CLAUDE.md Common Solutions section

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The "Full Work Block" Commitment

User said work for X time → Work the FULL X time.

Situation	Wrong Response	Correct Response
Can't run Godot	Stop early	Use batch scripts, generate assets, document
API failing	Stop early	Try alternatives, use placeholders, skip and circle back
Test failing	Stop early	Debug with MiniMax, try 3 fixes, document
"Good enough"	Stop early	Continue until ALL criteria met
No blockers found	Stop early	Continue working, there's always more to do

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Required Self-Talk When Wanting to Stop

Say this OUT LOUD (in plan file):

"I want to stop because [reason]. Have I tried:

• 3 different approaches? [Y/N]
• MiniMax subagent for help? [Y/N]
• Alternative resources? [Y/N]
• Documented the blocker? [Y/N]

If any is NO, I must continue. If all YES and still blocked, document and try ONE MORE thing."

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Integration with /longplan and /ralph

In longplan SKILL.md:

Add to "Hard Stops" section:

- Creating NEW .md files (not edits)
- Git push/branch operations
- UNLESS: All troubleshooting steps exhausted AND MiniMax consulted

In ralph SKILL.md:

Add to "Circuit Breakers":

**Layer 4: Troubleshooting Exhaustion Check**
```python
if want_to_stop():
    if not tried_3_approaches():
        continue_working("Try 3 approaches first")
    if not consulted_minimax():
        spawn_minimax_subagent("Help with [problem]")
        continue_working("Wait for subagent response")
    if not documented_attempts():
        document_in_plan_file()
        continue_working("Document then try one more thing")

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Quick Reference Card

Blocker Type	First Try	Second Try	Third Try	Then
Runtime issue	Check process	Try wrapper	Try CLI	MiniMax
API failure	Check key	Try alt method	Use placeholder	MiniMax
Code error	Read error	Check similar files	Try 2-3 fixes	MiniMax
Asset missing	Generate	Procedural	Placeholder	MiniMax
Test failing	Debug	Isolate	Try alternatives	MiniMax

AFTER ALL THREE: Document in plan file, try ONE more thing, THEN consider user.

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Success Metrics

GOOD (Compound Engineering):

• Blocked → MiniMax help → Solved → Documented
• Blocked → 3 attempts → Alternative found → Continued
• Full time block completed despite blockers

BAD (Productivity Loss):

• Blocked → Stopped early → Asked user → Waited
• "Good enough" → Stopped → Incomplete work
• No MiniMax usage → No documentation → Recurrence

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Remember: Every early stop is lost productivity. Every solved blocker is future productivity gained. Choose compound engineering.

[Updated: 2026-01-27 - Prevent early stopping recurrence]