What problem are we trying to solve? What are we trying to optimize?

(e.g.: What determines a better or worse outcome of the sum of these deals? Which agents have to agree to it, and what information are they assumed to have access to about the other agents? Which of that information do they have before agreeing to use this method in general? Is it imposed from on high? How much self-modification can agents make to achieve better deals? Etc, etc.)