scale-game

在极端尺度下（放大或缩小 1000 倍）进行测试，以揭示那些在常规尺度下被掩盖的根本真理。

SKILL.md

--- frontmatter

name: scale-game
description: "Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller) to expose fundamental truths hidden at normal scales."
last_updated: 2026-01-10
tools_required: []
agent_type: main_agent

Scale Game

Test approaches at extreme scales to find what breaks and what survives.

[GOAL]

Validate an approach by testing it at extreme scales to expose hidden assumptions and limits.

[CONTEXT]

Core principle: Extremes expose fundamental truths hidden at normal scales.

Use when:

•Uncertain about scalability
•Edge cases unclear
•Validating architecture for production volumes
•"It works in dev" needs verification

[PROCESS]

•Pick dimension - What could vary extremely?
•Test minimum - What if 1000x smaller/faster/fewer?
•Test maximum - What if 1000x bigger/slower/more?
•Note what breaks - Where do limits appear?
•Note what survives - What's fundamentally sound?

[SCALE DIMENSIONS]

Dimension	Test At Extremes	Reveals
Volume	1 item vs 1B items	Algorithmic complexity limits
Speed	Instant vs 1 year	Async requirements, caching needs
Users	1 user vs 1B users	Concurrency issues, resource limits
Duration	Milliseconds vs years	Memory leaks, state growth
Failure rate	Never fails vs always fails	Error handling adequacy

[EXAMPLES]

Error Handling

•Normal: "Handle errors when they occur" works fine
•At 1B scale: Error volume overwhelms logging, crashes system
•Reveals: Need to make errors impossible or expect them

Synchronous APIs

•Normal: Direct function calls work
•At global scale: Network latency makes sync calls unusable
•Reveals: Async/messaging becomes survival requirement

In-Memory State

•Normal duration: Works for hours/days
•At years: Memory grows unbounded, eventual crash
•Reveals: Need persistence or periodic cleanup

[IMPORTANT]

•Test both directions (bigger AND smaller)
•What works at one scale fails at another
•Use insights to validate architecture early
•Don't assume "should scale fine" without testing

See Also

•[[when-stuck]] - Dispatch to right technique
•[[simplification-cascades]] - Find unifying abstractions