Troubleshoot and Continue Protocol

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

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
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7. ONLY THEN consider user interruption

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

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?

MiniMax Subagent Usage (REQUIRED)

When Blocked, Spawn These IN PARALLEL:

javascript
// 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.

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

Compound Engineering: Document Solutions

When you solve a blocker, DOCUMENT IT:

markdown
### [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

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 |

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."

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**

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]