multi-engine

name	multi-engine
description	Route work to the right engine (Reactor, Sub-reactor, Agents) based on task characteristics
tags	["routing","reactor","gemini","agents","efficiency"]
version	1.0.0

Multi-Engine Routing

Three engines available. Route work to the right one based on task needs.

Engines

Engine	Tool	Strengths	Cost	Trigger
Reactor	claude -p via bridge	Deep reasoning, complex code, architecture	Flat rate (time)	bridge.sh send
Sub-reactor	gemini-task	Web research, batch ops, file scanning	Free (1000 RPD)	gemini-task "prompt"
Agents	oc agent	Domain expertise, memory, tool access	Flat rate (Codex)	oc agent --agent <id>

Decision matrix

Use Reactor when:

• Task needs host access (Docker, VPS, files outside container)
• Complex multi-step coding or debugging
• Source code analysis or modification
• Tasks that need Opus-level reasoning

Use Sub-reactor (Gemini) when:

• Web research (has Google Search built in)
• Bulk file scanning or auditing
• Tasks that are broad but shallow
• Reactor is in backoff/limp mode
• Need to preserve Reactor time for heavier work

Use Agents when:

• Task fits an existing agent's specialty
• Need domain knowledge (security, research, PM, GitHub)
• Task can be done inside the container
• Want Chartroom access and memory

Parallel execution

All three engines can run simultaneously:

# Agent researches while Reactor codes while Gemini scans
oc agent --agent spec-research --message "Research X" --json &
gemini-task "Scan all SKILL.md files for missing versions" --dir /root/.openclaw &
# Reactor handles the heavy lifting in the main flow

MCP as shared protocol

Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and OpenClaw all support MCP servers. An MCP server built once works across all three engines.

OpenClaw native MCP (mcp-bridge plugin)

Agents can use external MCP servers directly — configured per-agent in openclaw.json:

{
  "agents": {
    "list": [{
      "id": "spec-dev",
      "mcp": {
        "servers": [{
          "name": "chartroom",
          "command": "node",
          "args": ["/path/to/chartroom-mcp.js"],
          "type": "stdio"
        }]
      }
    }]
  }
}

• Supports: stdio, sse, http transports
• Auto-namespaces tools: serverName_toolName (prevents collisions)
• Per-agent provisioning = strict capability boundaries
• No MCP server mode (gateway can't expose itself as MCP server yet)

Priority MCP servers to build

• Chartroom (read/write/search) — replaces script-based chart tool, gives agents native tool access
• Agent bus (post/read inter-engine messages)
• Config reader (safe read-only config access for agents)

Where MCP servers run

Engine	MCP support	Config location
Claude Code	~/.claude/settings.json mcpServers	Host
Gemini CLI	~/.gemini/settings.json mcpServers	Host
OpenClaw agents	openclaw.json agents.list[].mcp.servers	Container
Reactor	Inherits Claude Code's MCP config	Host

Rules

• Match engine to task — don't use Reactor for web research
• Free engines first — if Gemini or agents can handle it, save Reactor time
• Never block on one engine — use parallel execution when tasks are independent