blue/.blue/docs/rfcs/0033-round-scoped-dialogue-files.impl.md

RFC 0033: Round Scoped Dialogue Files

Status	Implemented
Date	2026-01-26
Source Spike	Read tool token limit on assembled dialogue documents
Alignment Dialogues	Round-scoped file architecture, Separated document architecture

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Summary

Judge agent reads assembled dialogue documents that accumulate to 31K+ tokens, exceeding Read tool's 25K limit. This RFC implements a round-scoped file architecture where each round writes to separate files, keeping all reads under limits while minimizing Opus (Judge) usage.

Problem

The current alignment dialogue implementation accumulates all expert perspectives and synthesis into a single document. With 3-6 experts, 2-4 rounds, and ~400 words per perspective:

• 4 rounds × 5 experts × 400 words = ~8,000 words
• Plus synthesis, tensions, metadata = ~10KB per round
• Total: 40KB+, or ~31K+ tokens

The Read tool's 25K token limit causes dialogue failure when the Judge attempts to read the assembled document.

Solution

Replace single-document accumulation with round-scoped files. No perspectives.md — agents read peer files directly.

/tmp/blue-dialogue/{slug}/
├─ scoreboard.md              ← Judge writes + reads (~500 bytes)
├─ tensions.md                ← Judge writes, both read (~1-2KB)
├─ round-0/
│  ├─ muffin.md               ← Agents write, agents read (~2-3KB each)
│  ├─ cupcake.md
│  └─ scone.md
├─ round-0.summary.md         ← Judge writes, agents read (~1-2KB)
├─ round-1/
│  └─ {agent}.md
└─ round-1.summary.md

Every file has exactly one writer and at least one reader.

Cost Optimization

Actor	Model	Reads	Writes
Judge	Opus	scoreboard + tensions + prior summary	scoreboard, tensions, summary
Agents	Sonnet	tensions + peer files + prior summary	own perspective file

Opus reads per round: ~5KB (scoreboard + tensions + prior summary) Sonnet reads per round: ~15KB (tensions + peer files + prior summary)

Key Design Decisions

Resolved through alignment dialogue with 100% expert convergence:

Decision	Resolution
perspectives.md purpose	Removed — write-only artifact with no consumer
Agent coordination	Peer-to-peer — agents read each other's raw outputs directly
Token growth	Sonnet reads acceptable — 25K is Read tool limit, not cost constraint
Cross-round references	Global namespace — T01, T02, T03... never reused across rounds
Final assembly	Post-dialogue tooling — concatenate files after completion if needed

Token Budget

Judge (Opus) per-round reads:

Read Operation	Size
scoreboard.md	~500 bytes
tensions.md	~1-2KB
Prior round summary	~1-2KB
Total	~3-5KB

Agents (Sonnet) per-round reads:

Read Operation	Size
tensions.md	~1-2KB
Peer agent files	~2-3KB × 2-4 peers = ~6-12KB
Prior round summary	~1-2KB
Total	~10-15KB

Opus usage minimized. Sonnet reads well under 25K limit.

Agent Return Constraint

Subagents MUST return summary information to the Judge to ensure process continuation:

After writing your perspective to the file, return a brief summary:
- Key perspective(s) raised
- Tension(s) identified
- Concession(s) made

This ensures the Judge receives confirmation that agents completed and has context for synthesis without re-reading files.

Judge Workflow

Pre-round (prompt distribution):

// Read minimal state (~3-5KB Opus)
let scoreboard = read("scoreboard.md");
let tensions = read("tensions.md");
let prior_summary = read(&format!("round-{}.summary.md", round - 1));

// Spawn agents with context
for agent in experts {
    spawn_agent(agent, topic, tensions, prior_summary);
}

Post-round (synthesis from agent returns):

// Agents return summaries — no file reads needed
let summaries = collect_agent_returns();
let synthesis = judge_synthesize(summaries);

// Write separated artifacts
update("scoreboard.md", new_scores);
update("tensions.md", resolved, new_tensions);
write(&format!("round-{}.summary.md", round), synthesis);

Implementation

Changes to dialogue.rs

1. Update build_judge_protocol: Judge reads only scoreboard + tensions + prior summary
2. Remove perspectives.md: No assembled perspectives file
3. Add agent return requirement: Agents must return summary to Judge after writing
4. Update agent prompts: Agents read peer files directly from round-N/ directories

File Structure

scoreboard.md (~500 bytes):

• Convergence percentages per agent
• Round count
• Overall status

tensions.md (~1-2KB):

• Active tensions with IDs (T01, T02...)
• Resolved tensions (marked, not removed)

round-N.summary.md (~1-2KB):

• Judge synthesis only
• Emerging consensus
• Key decisions this round

round-N/{agent}.md (~2-3KB each):

• Full agent perspective
• Read by peer agents (Sonnet)
• Judge receives summary via agent return, not file read

Test Plan

• Run 3-round alignment dialogue without token limit errors
• Verify scoreboard.md stays under 1KB
• Verify tensions.md stays under 3KB
• Verify round summaries stay under 3KB each
• Verify Judge (Opus) reads under 5KB per round
• Verify agents return summary to Judge after writing
• Verify agents can read peer files from prior rounds
• Verify final dialogue assembly works post-dialogue

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"Right then. Let's get to it."

— Blue