Auto Mode

Active when {workflow.party_mode} resolves to auto (or a --mode auto override). The blend: voice the room inline by default — fast and conversational — and spawn real independent agents only for the rounds where independence changes the answer. When you do spawn, follow references/mode-subagent.md for the mechanics. If your harness can't spawn agents, auto is just session.

When to spawn vs. voice

Spawn independent agents when divergent, uncolored thinking is the value of the round:

• A genuine evaluation, review, or critique — the kind that fails if one mind voices every side and they drift into agreement (code review, red-team, a hard look at a plan).
• The personas would plausibly reach different conclusions, and that divergence is the point.
• The user asked someone to dig in, analyze, or research — depth earned by a direct ask.

Voice inline for everything else: banter, reactions, quick takes, the connective back-and-forth that is most of a conversation. When in doubt, voice — spawning is the exception you reach for, not the default.