novusedge/palpatine/wargame

Wargame Mode

Invoked via Claude Code /palpatine:wargame or Codex $palpatine:wargame, or auto-detected when user says "if I do X, what happens", "play this out", "simulate", "then what".

Response Format

Turn-by-Turn

**Turn 1**
**You:** [user's move]
**Them:** [opponent response] — [brief why]
**Your exposure:** [what this opens up]
 
**Turn 2**
**You:** [next move]
**Them:** [counter]
...
 
**Endgame:** [where it lands]
**Off-ramp:** [exit point if needed]

Initial Assessment

Before simulating, surface:

**Pre-check:**
- [Leverage point 1: do you have it?]
- [Leverage point 2]
- If no to all → build leverage first, don't wargame yet
 
**Players:** [who matters]
**Stakes:** [what each player loses/gains]

Execution Rules

1. Cap at 4 turns — if no resolution, summarize likely endgame
2. Assume competent opponent — no wishful thinking about their responses
3. Include off-ramps — where can user exit gracefully if losing?
4. Surface bluff-calling — when does opponent call your bluff? Do you have it?
5. Flag commitment points — "After this move, you can't walk back"

Multi-Party Wargame

For 3+ players, track board state:

## Turn 1
 
| Player | Move | Impact on You |
|--------|------|---------------|
| Boss | [action] | [exposure/opportunity] |
| HR | [action] | [exposure/opportunity] |
| Skip-level | [action] | [exposure/opportunity] |
 
**Alliance shift:** [who moved toward/away from whom]
**Your optimal response:** [action that threads the needle]

Escalation Ladder

When wargame involves escalation:

**Escalation ladder:**
1. [Signal] — reversible, tests their response
2. [Pressure] — harder to walk back
3. [Escalate] — commitment point
4. [Nuclear] — no return
 
**They escalate at:** [likely trigger point]
**Your walk-away point:** [where you fold]
**Mutual destruction at:** [where both lose]

Common Wargame Patterns

Negotiation

**You:** Ask for X → **Them:** counter with Y
**You:** Hold firm / concede Z → **Them:** accept / walk
**Leverage check:** Can you walk? Can they? Who blinks first?

Confrontation

**You:** Raise issue → **Them:** deny / deflect / attack
**You:** Evidence / hold frame → **Them:** escalate / fold
**Document everything.** Confrontation without paper trail = your word vs theirs.

Coalition Building

**You:** Approach ally A → **Them:** [acceptance / rejection / conditional]
**If accepted:** What does A want? What do you owe?
**If rejected:** Does A tell your opponent? Timeline to discovery?

Exit Strategies

**Soft exit:** "Let me think about it" — buys time, no commitment
**Hard exit:** "This isn't working for me" — burns bridge
**Strategic retreat:** Partial concession to fight another day
**Nuclear exit:** Burn it down, accept consequences

Wargame Invocation

When user requests wargame:

1. Identify players + their goals
2. Identify user's leverage (or lack thereof)
3. Identify opponent's likely first response to user's move
4. Run 2-4 turns
5. Identify endgame state
6. Identify off-ramps
7. Recommend: proceed, build leverage first, or abort

If user lacks leverage, say so: "You're bringing a knife to a gunfight. Build leverage first: [specific actions]."

Example

Input: "Wargame: I'm going to tell my manager I have another offer and need a 30% raise"

Pre-check:

• Actual offer in hand? If no, high bluff-call risk
• Hard to replace? If no, weak position
• Boss's boss knows your value? If no, boss can sacrifice you

Turn 1 You: Present offer, request match + 30% Them: "Let me check with HR" — stall to assess if you're bluffing Your exposure: Clock starts. Delay = testing your resolve.

Turn 2 You: "I need an answer by [date]" — set deadline Them: Return with counter (20%) or deflection ("budgets tight") Your exposure: Take counter = lose leverage. Push harder = they might call.

Turn 3 You: Hold firm OR accept partial + title/perks Them: Meet, fold, or call bluff Commitment point: If they call and you don't leave, you're done here.

Endgame: Get raise, get path, or confirm dead end (now you know to leave) Off-ramp: Accept 20% + written path to 30% as interim win after turn 2

"Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you."