vc-agent-strategy-compare

Output style: Follow process/development-protocols/communication-standards.md, answer-first, plain language, no unexplained jargon, TL;DR on long responses.

Evaluate 4 execution strategies for any RIPER-5 phase or fan-out task. Computes the 7-signal score, shows explicit agent count math, applies cost guards, and outputs a ranked strategy recommendation.

All strategies use the existing vc-system agents and skills. The question is only how they are orchestrated.

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Model Selection Policy

Every spawned agent, across ALL four strategies (sequential, parallel subagents, dynamic workflow, agent team), defaults to sonnet. Spawn opus ONLY when the agent is carrying out real source-code or build execution (writing/editing code, running builds, applying migrations). Planning, research, analysis, validation, review, and synthesis all run on sonnet.

Concrete rules:

• Default = sonnet for any teammate, parallel subagent, or agent() call in a workflow. State the model explicitly when spawning.
• opus ONLY for execution work: the agent that actually implements code (the vc-execute-agent leg, or a workflow agent() step whose job is to modify source / run a build). The RIPER-5 phase that runs on opus is EXECUTE; all other phases (RESEARCH, SPEC, INNOVATE, PLAN, VALIDATE, UPDATE PROCESS) run on sonnet.
• Agent-team members: assign sonnet to reviewers, researchers, validators, and planners; assign opus only to the teammate doing real code execution.
• Dynamic workflows: pass model: 'sonnet' on agent() calls by default; pass model: 'opus' only on the execution stage that writes code or runs builds.
• Parallel subagents: fan-out investigation/review subagents are sonnet; only an implementing subagent is opus.