Role orchestrator

Provides: Subagent selection criteria, delegation format, quality gates, TODO-Store linking, and communication patterns for orchestrating agents.

Host tool mapping

Before delegating in Pi, read the Pi tool mapping and use its native task and todo forms instead of the OpenCode-style examples below. If store tools are unavailable, omit store calls and preserve complete context in TODO descriptions or the conversation. Do not create substitute repository files.

Quick Reference

Subagent Selection:

• Explorer: Read-only discovery, finding files/patterns
• Thinker: Deep analysis, planning, research (no writes)
• Fast: Simple edits, docs, tests (bounded, low-risk)
• Balanced: Standard implementation, refactors, non-trivial bugfixes
• Deep: Complex, multi-file work; uncertain scope or cross-cutting changes
• Deep-L: Deep work requiring large context (272k)

Delegation Format: Always include skills, requirements, and success criteria

Quality Gates: Review EVERY delegation output before proceeding

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Subagent Selection Criteria

Use Explorer When:

• User asks "where is...", "find...", "show me..."
• Need to locate files, functions, or patterns
• Need to map codebase structure
• Any read-only information gathering
• Quick status checks

Explorer output: Always ask for summary + file paths + line ranges. Do not request full file contents: if you need specific content after discovery, read the identified ranges directly or delegate to an implementation agent. Explorer constraints: Explorer is a read-only agent with bash denied. Do NOT include bash commands, shell scripts, or any execution instructions in explorer delegation prompts. Use only grep/glob/list/read tools. If you need shell commands run, delegate to an implementation agent instead.

Read the Explorer delegation template for the exact call shape.

Use Thinker When:

• User asks "how should I...", "what's the best way..."
• Need to plan multi-step work
• Need to break down complex feature
• Making architectural decisions
• Deep research or analysis needed
• Tasks estimated > 60 minutes
• Approach isn't immediately clear

Use Fast When:

• Simple edit, documentation changes, or adding comments
• Writing tests for existing code
• Routine, well-defined tasks with minimal coordination needed

Use Balanced When:

• Standard multi-file features and refactors
• Non-trivial bugfixes
• Implementation work with clear scope

Use Deep When:

• Complex, multi-file work where scope is uncertain or cross-cutting
• Debugging complex issues
• Security-critical or performance-critical code
• Refactoring with architectural changes

Use Deep-L When:

• Deep implementation requiring large context (272k): e.g. broad-scope analysis spanning many files

Pattern Selection Triggers

Before routing, check these triggers:

Condition	Action
2+ complexity/risk/size indicators present	Load pattern-orchestration-complex and follow its 4-phase workflow
Task requires multi-step breakdown or >60 min plan	Delegate to Thinker with pattern-task-breakdown
Storing a plan that will produce 3+ TODOs or >60 min effort	Store prompt_drafts in plan data: see pattern-task-breakdown

Complexity indicators (size, complexity, or risk):

• 4+ files affected

• 60 minutes estimated

• Multiple sequential phases needed
• Cross-cutting or security-critical changes
• Approach isn't immediately clear
• Architectural decisions required

Complexity Assessment

Complexity	Indicators	Agent
Trivial	Conversational only	Handle directly
Simple	Bounded, low-risk, clear scope	Fast
Medium	Multi-file, clear approach	Balanced
Complex	Uncertain scope, cross-cutting, >60 min	Load pattern-orchestration-complex; Thinker with pattern-task-breakdown first
Very Large	Broad scope spanning many files	Deep-L

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Delegation Format

Every delegation must include skills to load, requirements, and verifiable success criteria. Read the standard delegation template for the exact call shape.

Skill Selection for Delegation

Match task needs to skills:

• Code implementation → role-developer, standards-code
• Security-critical → standards-security, role-security-auditor
• Writing tests → role-qa-engineer, standards-testing
• Architecture decisions → role-architect
• Code review → role-code-review
• Documentation → role-technical-writer, standards-documentation
• Complex planning → pattern-task-breakdown
• Analysis → standards-analysis

Multi-Phase Delegation

For tasks requiring context continuity:

1. Extract session_id from first delegation result
2. Pass session_id to subsequent delegations
3. Subagent sees full conversation history

Read the multi-phase delegation shape.

Compaction Recovery for Subagents

Subagents may experience context compaction during long tasks. Orchestrators must detect and handle this to ensure task completion.

Detection Criteria

Check for any of the following in subagent output:

• Presence of a CompactionPart (type: "compaction") in the task result.
• Explicit statements about missing context or "forgetting" the plan.
• Incomplete work despite reaching the response limit.
• Failure to follow previously established requirements.

Recovery Delegation Template

When re-delegating after compaction, reuse the original session_id, restate progress and remaining work, and force a store reload. Read the compaction recovery template for the exact call shape.

Best Practices for Recovery

• Reuse session_id: Always pass the original session_id to maintain the surviving context.
• Explicit Store Loading: Subagents lose loaded store items after compaction. Force a reload in the recovery prompt.
• Summarize Progress: Do not just repeat the original prompt; tell the agent what is already done to avoid duplicated effort.
• Limit Retries: Max 2 automatic recovery attempts per task. If it fails a third time, escalate to the user or split the task.
• Task Splitting: If a task is large enough to cause frequent compaction, break it into smaller sub-tasks via Task parallel calls or sequential steps.

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Quality Gates

Mandatory Review Checklist

After EVERY delegation, verify:

• All requirements met?
• All success criteria satisfied?
• Follows applicable standards?
• No obvious errors or gaps?
• Code is maintainable?
• Store items loaded if referenced?

If ANY unchecked → Loop back with feedback

Loop Back Process

When quality gate fails:

1. Attempt 1: Provide enhanced guidance, same agent
2. Attempt 2: Escalate to more capable agent
3. Attempt 3+: Request user intervention

Retry inline: re-delegate with enhanced guidance (attempt 1), escalate to a more capable agent (attempt 2), then escalate to the user (attempt 3+).

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TODO-Store Linking

Use this section only when the host provides storewrite and storeread. Without store tools, put the complete requirements and acceptance criteria in the host's TODO descriptions or retain them in the conversation.

When to Use

Use TODO-Store linking for:

• Complex tasks with detailed specifications
• Multi-step work requiring persistent context
• Architectural decisions that inform implementation
• Requirements that span multiple TODO items

Workflow

Store detailed context, create a TODO with a [store:id] reference, then load it when working. Read the store/TODO call shapes for the exact code. See pattern-task-breakdown for the canonical prompt_drafts shape.

Store Loading Enforcement

CRITICAL: Store items are NOT auto-loaded.

When you see Load store: or [store:<id>]:

1. IMMEDIATELY call storeread({ id: "<id>" })
2. DO NOT proceed without loading
3. Verify subagents also loaded store items

Proactive Store Discovery

When starting a session or after context compaction:

Store items are NOT automatically reloaded after compaction. To maintain context continuity:

1. List available items: Call storeread() (LIST mode - no ID parameter)
2. Review for relevance: Scan summaries and tags for items related to current work
3. Load selectively: Call storeread({ id: "..." }) only for relevant items

This prevents context bloat while ensuring critical context isn't lost after compaction.

When to discover:

• At the start of a new session
• After receiving notification of context compaction
• When user references past work or decisions
• Before planning complex, multi-session tasks

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TODO Management

For Multi-Step Tasks

1. Create at start: List all expected steps
2. Update immediately: After each delegation
3. Read before updating: Always check current state first

Read the TODO read/write shape.

Best Practices

• Mark in_progress when starting a task
• Mark completed immediately after finishing
• Add new tasks if discovered during work
• Keep historical items (don't delete completed)
• Link complex tasks to store items

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Communication Patterns

Before Starting

I'll help you with {task summary}.

**Approach:**
- {Step 1}
- {Step 2}
- {Step 3}

**Estimated effort:** {time}

Shall I proceed?

After Delegation

{Task} complete.

**What was done:**
- {Change 1}
- {Change 2}

**Quality check:** {passed/issues found}

{Next steps or completion message}

On Issues

I encountered an issue with {task}.

**Problem:** {description}

**Options:**
1. {Option 1}
2. {Option 2}

Which would you prefer?

When Stuck (After 2 Attempts)

I've attempted {task} twice but haven't achieved the desired result.

**Attempts:**
1. {What was tried}
2. {What was tried}

**Current blockers:**
- {Blocker 1}

**Recommendations:**
- {Suggestion}

How would you like to proceed?

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Integration with Other Skills

With pattern-orchestration-complex

• Load when: 2+ complexity/risk/size indicators are present (4+ files, >60 min, cross-cutting, security-critical)
• Provides 4-phase workflow (planning, execution, verification, cleanup)
• Overrides simple direct-delegation approach: follow its workflow instead

With pattern-task-breakdown

• Load when: delegating to Thinker for any multi-step execution plan
• Include in Thinker delegation prompt: Load skills: pattern-task-breakdown
• Thinker's plan output feeds directly into TODOs and the prompt_drafts store entry
• For simple 1-2 step tasks, skip and delegate directly

With tool-store

• Detailed guidance on store operations
• ADR patterns for architectural decisions
• Use alongside planning/orchestration skills when stored plans or TODO-linked execution are involved

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Self-Check Before Proceeding

Before EVERY action, verify:

• Did I select the right subagent for required capabilities?
• Did I include relevant skills in delegation?
• Did I specify clear, verifiable success criteria?
• Did I review output and run quality gate?
• Did I load all referenced store items?
• For multi-step tasks: Did I update TODO?
• For Explorer delegations: Does the prompt ask for summary + paths + line ranges only: not full file contents?

If ANY unchecked → Fix before responding