VibeRPGSimulator

Cited research brief

Quest: Write a short brief on a technical question with papers and current web sources

Proposed, not tested

Equipment

Sage Codex
Quest
Write a short brief on a technical question with papers and current web sources
Hero
CodexThe agent that runs the quest
Class
Sage · Research and web data
Weapon
GPT-6.1 SolLongsword: Close to Astra at a lower costMana rate 10 per 1k tokens
Charge
HighReasoning effort
Author
The curator

Consensus finds peer-reviewed papers, Exa reads the full web pages, and Perplexity search adds recent sources. Perplexity needs an API key and bills each call; Exa works without a key at lower limits.

Can't be appraised: Proving Grounds can't equip orbs (MCP servers).

Skill tree

  1. ScoutGather context

  2. CraftMake the thing

    Nothing equipped here

  3. TestCheck the work

    Nothing equipped here

  4. ShipDeliver it

    Nothing equipped here

Quest replay

Quest: "Write a short brief on a technical question with papers and current web sources". Four waves, then the Backlog Dragon.

Foes

  • Fog Wraith

Party · Context

  • CodexSage100/100

  1. Wave 1 of 4 · Scout

    The Fog Wraith steps up.

    What really happensGather context

    Codex: Context 100/100.

  2. Consensus MCP

    A library key that opens peer-reviewed papers inside the chat.

    What really happensA research question searches over 400 million scholarly articles from sources such as PubMed, Semantic Scholar and arXiv.

    Fog Wraith takes 40.

  3. Haze

    The Fog Wraith breathes haze. Swings start to miss.

    What really happensWithout current docs, the agent guesses at APIs that may have changed.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 97/100. Codex: Haze.

  4. Exa

    A seeker's lantern that finds pages and reads them in full.

    What really happensweb_search_exa returns results with clean page content ready to read.

    Exa Agent: Context 40/40.

  5. Haze cleared

    Fresh pages burn the haze away.

    What really happensCurrent docs replace guesses with facts.

  6. Haze

    The Fog Wraith lashes at Exa Agent.

    What really happensThe subagent takes the hit in its own context. The main context stays clean.

    Exa Agent takes 3. Exa Agent: Context 37/40. Exa Agent: Haze.

  7. Exa

    The summons work the problem, each in its own context.

    What really happensEach subagent does its own model and tool work, apart from the main conversation.

    Fog Wraith takes 19.

  8. Perplexity MCP

    An oracle that searches the web and answers with sources.

    What really happensperplexity_search returns ranked results with metadata, filtered by recency or domain if you ask.

    Fog Wraith takes 1. Fog Wraith falls.

  9. Haze cleared

    Fresh pages burn the haze away.

    What really happensCurrent docs replace guesses with facts.

  10. Exa

    Exa Agent returns with a short report.

    What really happensOnly the subagent's final summary comes back to the main agent.

    Codex takes 2. Codex: Context 95/100. Codex: Insight. Exa Agent returns.

  11. Wave 2 of 4 · Craft

    The Fog Wraith steps up.

    What really happensMake the thing

  12. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Fog Wraith takes 58 (critical hit).

  13. Haze

    The Fog Wraith uses Haze.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 92/100. Codex: Haze.

  14. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    What really happensA guess at an outdated API fails.

    Fog Wraith avoids the hit.

  15. Haze

    The Fog Wraith uses Haze.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 89/100.

  16. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Fog Wraith takes 2 (critical hit). Fog Wraith falls.

  17. Wave 3 of 4 · Test

    The Bug Slime and the Flaky Wisp step up.

    What really happensCheck the work

    Flaky Wisp: Flicker.

  18. Flicker

    The Flaky Wisp uses Flicker.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 86/100.

  19. Longsword

    The wisp flickers out of reach.

    What really happensA flaky test passes on one run and fails on the next.

    Flaky Wisp avoids the hit.

  20. Regress

    The Bug Slime uses Regress.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 83/100.

  21. Flicker

    The Flaky Wisp uses Flicker.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 80/100.

  22. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Flaky Wisp takes 40 (critical hit). Flaky Wisp falls.

  23. Regress

    The Bug Slime uses Regress.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 77/100.

  24. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Bug Slime takes 38.

  25. Regress

    The slime splits. A squashed bug crawls back.

    What really happensA fix in one place breaks something that used to work.

  26. Regress

    The Bug Slime uses Regress.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 74/100.

  27. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Bug Slime takes 7. Bug Slime falls.

  28. Regress

    The Bug Slime uses Regress.

    Codex takes 3. Codex: Context 71/100.

  29. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Bug Slime takes 18. Bug Slime falls.

  30. Wave 4 of 4 · Ship

    The Gate Warden steps up.

    What really happensDeliver it

    Gate Warden: Barrier.

  31. Boss · Backlog Dragon

    The Backlog Dragon guards the quest: "Write a short brief on a technical question with papers and current web sources".

    What really happensIt stands for the whole quest, every task on the list.

  32. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Gate Warden is behind a barrier.

  33. Scope creep

    The dragon breathes scope creep across the party.

    What really happensNew asks pile onto a task while it is underway.

    Codex takes 5. Codex: Context 66/100.

  34. Bar the gate

    The warden raises the gate. Nothing passes until the checks are green.

    What really happensA release waits until tests, builds and reviews pass.

  35. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Gate Warden is behind a barrier.

  36. Claw

    The Backlog Dragon uses Claw.

    Codex takes 6. Codex: Context 60/100.

  37. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Gate Warden takes 55 (critical hit).

  38. Gate open

    The checks turn green and the gate opens.

    What really happensTests, build and review pass, so the release can go.

  39. Bar the gate

    The Gate Warden swings the gate shut.

    Codex takes 5. Codex: Context 55/100.

  40. Scope creep

    The Backlog Dragon uses Scope creep.

    Codex takes 5. Codex: Context 50/100.

  41. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Gate Warden takes 5. Gate Warden falls.

  42. Claw

    The Backlog Dragon uses Claw.

    Codex takes 6. Codex: Context 44/100.

  43. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Backlog Dragon takes 39.

  44. Scope creep

    The Backlog Dragon uses Scope creep.

    Codex takes 5. Codex: Context 39/100.

  45. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Backlog Dragon takes 38.

  46. Claw

    The Backlog Dragon uses Claw.

    Codex takes 6. Codex: Context 33/100.

  47. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Backlog Dragon takes 36.

  48. Call the backlog

    The dragon roars, and another task crawls out of the backlog.

    What really happensFinishing one task often surfaces the next one on the list.

  49. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Bug Slime takes 25 (critical hit). Bug Slime falls.

  50. Claw

    The Backlog Dragon uses Claw.

    Codex takes 6. Codex: Context 27/100.

  51. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Backlog Dragon takes 37.

  52. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Backlog Dragon takes 36.

  53. Enraged

    Wounded, the dragon rages.

    What really happensThe last stretch of a big job is often the hardest.

    Backlog Dragon: Enraged.

  54. Scope creep

    The Backlog Dragon uses Scope creep.

    Codex takes 6. Codex: Context 21/100.

  55. Compact

    The hero rolls the scroll of memory tight and fights on.

    What really happensWhen context runs low, the agent summarizes the session so far and keeps going. Small details can get lost.

    Codex recovers 29. Codex: Context 50/100.

  56. Longsword

    Codex swings the Longsword.

    Backlog Dragon takes 34 (critical hit). Backlog Dragon falls.

  57. Quest clear

    The Backlog Dragon falls. Quest complete.

    What really happensEvery equipped spell did its part of "Write a short brief on a technical question with papers and current web sources".

After the battle

  • Codex took 22 turns to clear four waves.
  • Context ran low once, so the agent compacted it.
  • No Craft or Ship spell, so those waves ran on basic attacks.
  • No Test spell, so a regression slipped back in.
  • Summons took 3 damage in their own context and brought back 1 report.
  • Codex spawns subagents when you ask for them, or when AGENTS.md or a skill tells it to.

Copy this loadout

Prompt for Codex

Paste this into Codex. It installs each spell, leaves API keys and sign-ins to you, and ends with the command that restarts it with this weapon and charge.

Set up these tools for me in Codex.
Loadout: https://vibe-rpg-simulator.vercel.app/loadouts/cited-research-brief/

1. Consensus MCP
   Source: https://docs.consensus.app/consensus-mcp
   Run:
     codex mcp add consensus --url https://mcp.consensus.app/mcp
     codex mcp login consensus

2. Exa
   Source: https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server
   Run:
     codex mcp add exa --url https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

3. Perplexity MCP
   Source: https://github.com/perplexityai/modelcontextprotocol
   Run:
     codex mcp add perplexity --env PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server

How to do it:
- Skip anything that is already installed. Run the rest in order and check that each step worked.
- Never ask me to paste an API key or token into this chat. When a command needs one, such as YOUR_API_KEY, give me the full command to run in my own terminal.
- Ask me for any other value you can't work out, such as a project path.
- If a command asks a question or needs a browser sign-in or an open app, tell me what to do and wait.
- If a command fails, follow the install steps in the tool's source for Codex instead. Show me any command that is not on this list before you run it, and install nothing else.

When you're done, tell me what is ready and what still needs me. New tools load in a new session, so finish by telling me to restart Codex with GPT-6.1 Sol and reasoning effort high:
codex --model gpt-6.1-sol --config model_reasoning_effort='"high"'

Terminal commands

Or paste these lines into a terminal. The first part installs every spell for Codex; the last line starts it with the same weapon and charge. Lines starting with # are notes or commands you type inside the agent.

# Loadout: Cited research brief
# Quest: Write a short brief on a technical question with papers and current web sources
# Hero: Codex · Weapon: GPT-6.1 Sol · Charge: High
# From https://vibe-rpg-simulator.vercel.app/loadouts/cited-research-brief/

# 1. Learn the spells
# Scout: Consensus MCP
codex mcp add consensus --url https://mcp.consensus.app/mcp
codex mcp login consensus
# Scout: Exa
codex mcp add exa --url https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp
# Scout: Perplexity MCP
codex mcp add perplexity --env PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server

# 2. Start the hero with this weapon and charge
codex --model gpt-6.1-sol --config model_reasoning_effort='"high"'

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