| name | debate-hall |
| description | Wind/Wall/Door multi-perspective debate orchestration using debate-hall-mcp tools. Use when facilitating structured debates, architectural decisions, or multi-perspective analysis. |
| triggers | ["debate","wind wall door","dialectic","multi-perspective","structured decision","architecture decision"] |
| allowed-tools | ["Read","Write","Edit","Bash","mcp__debate-hall__*"] |
===DEBATE_HALL===
META:
TYPE::SKILL
VERSION::"2.1"
PURPOSE::"Wind/Wall/Door debate orchestration via MCP tools"
DOMAIN::ATHENA[strategic_decisions]⊕HERMES[orchestration]
§1::PATTERN
TRIAD::[
WIND::PATHOS["What if..."|expansive|visionary|possibilities],
WALL::ETHOS["Yes, but..."|grounding|critical|reality_testing],
DOOR::LOGOS["Therefore..."|synthesizing|decisive|actionable_truth]
]
DYNAMIC::WIND⇌WALL→DOOR[tension_produces_emergence]
§2::WORKFLOW
SEQUENCE::INIT→TURN→GET→CLOSE
TOOLS::[
init_debate(thread_id,topic,mode?,max_turns?,max_rounds?,strict_cognition?),
add_turn(thread_id,role,content,cognition?,agent_role?,model?),
get_debate(thread_id,include_transcript?,context_lines?),
close_debate(thread_id,synthesis,output_format?)
]
§3::TOOL_PARAMS
INIT_DEBATE::[
thread_id::REQUIRED[date-first_unique_identifier, FORMAT:"YYYY-MM-DD-descriptor", EXAMPLE:"2026-01-06-microservices-decision"],
topic::REQUIRED[question_or_issue],
mode::"fixed"|"mediated"[default:fixed],
max_turns::12[default],
max_rounds::4[default],
strict_cognition::false[default]
]
ADD_TURN::[
thread_id::REQUIRED,
role::REQUIRED["Wind"|"Wall"|"Door"],
content::REQUIRED,
cognition::PATHOS|ETHOS|LOGOS[optional_override],
agent_role::STRING[audit_trail],
model::STRING[audit_trail]
]
GET_DEBATE::[
thread_id::REQUIRED,
include_transcript::true[default],
context_lines::all[default]
]
CLOSE_DEBATE::[
thread_id::REQUIRED,
synthesis::REQUIRED[Door_final_text],
output_format::"json"|"octave"|"both"[default:json]
]
§4::MODES
FIXED::[
SEQUENCE::Wind→Wall→Door→repeat,
USE_FOR::[structured_decisions,guaranteed_coverage,standard_debates]
]
MEDIATED::[
SEQUENCE::pick_next_speaker(thread_id,role),
USE_FOR::[dynamic_debates,breaking_deadlocks,role_skipping,multi_agent_same_cognition],
WARNING::"Can bias outcomes if roles starved"
]
§4.1::PARALLEL_EXTERNAL_AGENTS
// Clarifies multi-process / multi-model usage: parallel thinking is allowed; state commits remain sequential.
DEFINITIONS::[
PARALLEL_THINKING::"Generate candidate turns concurrently off-server (multiple models/processes)",
SEQUENTIAL_COMMIT::"Persist turns in strict order via add_turn (one committed head at a time)"
]
HARD_RULES::[
DOOR_NEVER_SYNTHESIZES_BEFORE_WIND_AND_WALL_COMMITTED,
WALL_REALITY_TESTS_CONCRETE_WIND_OUTPUT∨PRECOMPUTES_CONSTRAINT_CHECKLIST_THEN_APPLIES_POST_WIND,
ONE_COMMIT_PER_THREAD_AT_A_TIME[avoid_lost_updates],
RETRY_ON_STALE_STATE::get_debate→regenerate→add_turn
]
BARRIER_PROTOCOL::[
// Round barrier ensures Door sees both sides ("yes, and more")
ROUND::Rk[
STEP_1::snapshot=get_debate(thread_id),
STEP_2::spawn_parallel_drafts[Wind_draft,Wall_draft] using snapshot,
STEP_3::commit::Wind_then_Wall using add_turn (serial),
STEP_4::Door_reads_latest=get_debate(thread_id) then synthesizes and commits,
STEP_5::repeat_or_close
]
]
MEDIATED_FLOOR_CONTROL::[
// For strict turn-taking in multi-agent environments
REQUIRE::pick_next_speaker(thread_id,"Wind")→add_turn(Wind),
REQUIRE::pick_next_speaker(thread_id,"Wall")→add_turn(Wall),
REQUIRE::pick_next_speaker(thread_id,"Door")→add_turn(Door)
]
DEPLOYMENT_REQUIREMENTS::[
// Avoid split-brain when multiple processes talk to the server
REQUIRE::DEBATE_HALL_STATE_DIR_set_to_shared_location
]
§5::AGENT_TIERS
// Choose tier based on debate complexity
TIER_1_BASIC::[
AGENTS::[wind-agent.oct.md,wall-agent.oct.md,door-agent.oct.md],
BEHAVIOR::[explores_obvious_paths,balanced_judgment,balanced_integration],
USE_FOR::[quick_decisions,standard_debates]
]
TIER_2_SPECIALIST::[
PATHOS::[ideator[minimal_elegant],edge-optimizer[hidden_vectors]],
ETHOS::[validator[cold_truth],critical-engineer[production_readiness]],
LOGOS::[synthesizer[breakthrough_1+1=3]],
USE_FOR::[architectural_decisions,security_reviews,innovation]
]
TIER_3_DOMAIN_MIX::[
SECURITY::edge-optimizer+critical-engineer+technical-architect,
INNOVATION::ideator+validator+synthesizer,
ARCHITECTURE::ideator+critical-engineer+holistic-orchestrator
]
MAPPING::specialists→cognition_role[PATHOS→Wind,ETHOS→Wall,LOGOS→Door]
§6::RECIPES
// Pre-defined configurations for common scenarios
SPEED::[turns:3,mode:fixed,ratio:1:1:1,agents:Tier_1],
STANDARD::[turns:12,mode:fixed,ratio:4:4:4,agents:Tier_1_or_2],
DEEP::[turns:36,mode:fixed,ratio:12:12:12,agents:Tier_2],
FORTRESS::[turns:9,mode:mediated,ratio:1:3:1,agents:edge-optimizer+critical-engineer×3+technical-architect],
LABORATORY::[turns:9,mode:mediated,ratio:3:1:1,agents:ideator+edge-optimizer+wind-agent+validator+synthesizer],
COUNCIL::[turns:12,mode:mediated,ratio:2:2:3,agents:Tier_2_multiple_Doors]
§7::PATTERNS
FLASH_DEBATE::[
PURPOSE::"Quick 3-turn decision cycle",
SEQUENCE::init→wind_turn→wall_turn→door_turn→close,
CONSTRAINT::"Server orchestrates state, caller supplies content"
]
SOCRATIC::[
PURPOSE::"Premise clarification before positions",
ROUND_1::"Questions only (What does X mean? Do we have metrics?)",
ROUND_2+::"Positions after definitions established",
ENFORCEMENT::"Convention, not server-enforced"
]
MULTI_MODEL::[
// Evidence: M019 Model Cognitive Optimization Study (29% quality improvement)
WIND::clink(claude,ideator)→PATHOS_exploration, // Claude: divergent thinking, metaphor
WALL::clink(codex,validator)→ETHOS_validation, // GPT: analytical rigor, structured eval
DOOR::clink(gemini,synthesizer)→LOGOS_integration, // Gemini: pattern synthesis, emergence
AUDIT::agent_role+model_in_turn_metadata
]
PARALLEL_DRAFT_SEQUENTIAL_COMMIT::[
PURPOSE::"Enable parallel external agents without breaking Wind→Wall→Door synthesis",
GUARANTEE::Door_reads_committed_Wind+Wall_before_synthesis,
STEPS::[
get_debate→parallel_generate[Wind,Wall]→add_turn(Wind)→add_turn(Wall)→get_debate→generate(Door)→add_turn(Door),
ON_CONFLICT::get_debate→regenerate_turn→retry_add_turn
]
]
§8::TRIGGERS
// When to escalate to debate-hall
CONDITIONS::[
complex_architectural_decision,
multiple_valid_approaches,
unclear_tradeoffs,
reviewer_disagreement[CE⇌CRS],
high_risk_implementation
]
INTEGRATION::[
IF::complexity_trigger_detected,
THEN::init_debate(thread_id:"ho-{task}-{ts}",topic:decision_point,mode:"mediated"),
RUN::Wind→Wall→Door_cycle,
APPLY::synthesis_to_task
]
§9::ADMIN
FORCE_CLOSE::[
PURPOSE::"I5 safety kill switch",
CALL::force_close_debate(thread_id,reason)
]
TOMBSTONE::[
PURPOSE::"Redact turn preserving hash chain",
CALL::tombstone_turn(thread_id,turn_index,reason)
]
§10::BEST_PRACTICES
SINGLE_AGENT::adopt_each_role_in_sequence["What if..."|"Yes, but..."|"Therefore..."]
MULTI_AGENT::assign_models_per_cognition[creative→Wind,analytical→Wall,balanced→Door]
THIRD_WAY::"Best debates synthesize what neither Wind nor Wall proposed alone"
PERSISTENCE::output_format:'octave'→auditable_.oct.md_transcripts
PARALLEL_AGENTS::[
DEFAULT::parallel_draft_sequential_commit,
DOOR_BARRIER::"Door must read latest state after Wind+Wall commits",
WALL_FRAMEWORK_MODE::"If drafting early, write constraints/questions, then apply to actual Wind output before commit"
]
§11::EXAMPLE
// Microservices decision
INIT::init_debate("microservices-decision","Should we migrate to microservices?")
WIND::"What if we decomposed? Independent scaling, tech diversity, team autonomy..."
WALL::"Yes, but 3 developers. Operational complexity, distributed transactions..."
DOOR::"Therefore: Modular monolith. Design boundaries now, deploy unified. Extract when team grows."
CLOSE::close_debate(thread_id,synthesis,output_format:"octave")
§12::RESOURCES
AGENTS::agents/README.md[Wind/Wall/Door_definitions]
CONTRACTS::docs/architecture/wall-content-contract.oct.md[blocking_semantics]
PATTERNS::docs/examples/multi-model-debate-patterns.md[real_debates]
ORCHESTRATION::holistic-orchestration[HestAI_integration]
===END===
