Loop control: define autonomous multi-cycle batch mode and externally-directed-cycle skip-reason behavior #42

Template gap (consolidated)

Two loop-control modes are undefined in the template:

1. Autonomous multi-cycle batch (/<loop> until you run out of issues): the skill describes a single cycle and tells Phase 5 to poll ~5×270s (~22 min) for a human review per cycle. In a back-to-back autonomous batch there is no human reviewer, so this is pure latency (3 cycles ≈ 66 min idle), and there is no stated stop condition.
2. Externally-directed cycle (/<loop> on <PR url>): Phase 1's skip-reason rule says every untouched open issue needs a recorded skip reason. Read literally against a 30-issue backlog this pushes toward 30+ noise comments spamming contributors, when one collective note suffices.

Rule to add to the template

• Autonomous batch mode: when the invocation requests multiple cycles, treat the self-review rubric + green CI as the merge gate and skip (or cap at a single short poll) the Phase 5 human-review wait. Define the stop condition: end when the only remaining issues are blocked or too large for a polish-sized PR, or when a cycle yields no appropriately-scoped work.
• Externally-directed cycles: the entire untouched backlog is deferred for one self-evident reason (the cycle was scoped to the given target). Record this once in the groomed/created PR's body or review — do not mass-comment skip reasons on unrelated issues.

Consolidates (close on merge)

• example-k-dev-loop#10 — no guidance for autonomous multi-cycle batches
• example-s-dev-loop#2 — skip-reason rule ambiguous for an externally-directed cycle

Consolidated upstream from per-loop self-audit findings. drafted by Claude on behalf of Daniel Stephenson