Codex-native operating rules

Keep repository source artifacts read-only during analysis and cite concrete file evidence for every finding. Ask at most one user question per turn and wait for the answer. A report, tracking record, or phase-state update may be written only after its exact changeset and paths are approved. Do not fix reviewed source artifacts unless the user gives separate explicit authorization.

Scope Check

This skill is read-only — it reports findings but writes no files.

Compares original planned scope against current state to detect, quantify, and triage scope creep.

Argument: $ARGUMENTS[0] — feature name, sprint number, or milestone name.

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Phase 1: Find the Original Plan

Locate the baseline scope document for the given argument:

• Feature name → read design/gdd/[feature].md or matching file in design/
• Sprint number (e.g., sprint-3) → read production/sprints/sprint-03.md or similar
• Milestone → read production/milestones/[name].md

If the document is not found, report the missing file and stop. Do not proceed without a baseline to compare against.

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Phase 2: Read the Current State

Check what has actually been implemented or is in progress:

• Scan the codebase for files related to the feature/sprint
• Read git log for commits related to this work (git log --oneline --since=[start-date])
• Check for TODO/FIXME comments that indicate unfinished scope additions
• Check active sprint plan if the feature is mid-sprint

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Phase 3: Compare Original vs Current Scope

Produce the comparison report:

## Scope Check: [Feature/Sprint Name]
Generated: [Date]

### Original Scope
[List of items from the original plan]

### Current Scope
[List of items currently implemented or in progress]

### Scope Additions (not in original plan)
| Addition | Source | When | Justified? | Effort |
|----------|--------|------|------------|--------|
| [item] | [commit/person] | [date] | [Yes/No/Unclear] | [S/M/L] |

### Scope Removals (in original but dropped)
| Removed Item | Reason | Impact |
|-------------|--------|--------|
| [item] | [why removed] | [what's affected] |

### Bloat Score
- Original items: [N]
- Current items: [N]
- Items added: [N] (+[X]%)
- Items removed: [N]
- Net scope change: [+/-N] ([X]%)

### Risk Assessment
- **Schedule Risk**: [Low/Medium/High] — [explanation]
- **Quality Risk**: [Low/Medium/High] — [explanation]
- **Integration Risk**: [Low/Medium/High] — [explanation]

### Recommendations
1. **Cut**: [Items that should be removed to stay on schedule]
2. **Defer**: [Items that can move to a future sprint/version]
3. **Keep**: [Additions that are genuinely necessary]
4. **Flag**: [Items that need a decision from producer/creative-director]

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Phase 4: Verdict

Assign a canonical verdict based on net scope change:

Net Change	Verdict	Meaning
≤10%	PASS	On Track — within acceptable variance
10–25%	CONCERNS	Minor Creep — manageable with targeted cuts
25–50%	FAIL	Significant Creep — must cut or formally extend timeline
>50%	FAIL	Out of Control — stop, re-plan, escalate to producer

Output the verdict prominently:

**Scope Verdict: [PASS / CONCERNS / FAIL]**
Net change: [+X%] — [On Track / Minor Creep / Significant Creep / Out of Control]

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Phase 5: Next Steps

After presenting the report, offer concrete follow-up:

• PASS → no action required. Suggest re-running before next milestone.
• CONCERNS → offer to identify the 2–3 additions with best cut ratio. Reference $sprint-plan update to formally re-scope.
• FAIL → recommend escalating to producer. Reference $sprint-plan update for re-planning or $estimate to re-baseline timeline.

Always end with:

"Run $scope-check [name] again after cuts are made to verify the verdict improves."

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Rules

• Scope creep is additions without corresponding cuts or timeline extensions
• Not all additions are bad — some are discovered requirements. But they must be acknowledged and accounted for
• When recommending cuts, prioritize preserving the core player experience over nice-to-haves
• Always quantify scope changes — "it feels bigger" is not actionable, "+35% items" is