claude-home/tcg/README.md

# Baseball Trading Card Game - Design Document

## Core Concept
A 1v1 trading card game themed around baseball with 9 rounds representing innings. Players stay engaged during opponent turns through interactive defensive mechanics.

## Design Philosophy
- **Initial Release Focus**: Elegant, streamlined mechanics for easy learning
- **Future Expansion**: Complex mechanics (bench systems, advanced pitcher rules) in later sets
- **Player Engagement**: Interactive turns prevent downtime
- **Thematic Integration**: All mechanics should feel authentically baseball

## Game Structure

### Round System
- **9 Innings**: Each game consists of 9 rounds
- **Turn Structure**: TBD - options include:
  - Alternating batting/pitching each inning
  - Both players bat/pitch within each inning
  - Other hybrid approaches

### Win Conditions
- **Primary**: Score more runs over 9 innings
- **Scoring Mechanism**: TBD - could involve card combinations, stat comparisons, or other systems

## Card Types

### Player Cards (Core Mechanic)
**Function**: Act like creatures with offensive and defensive capabilities

**Stats Structure**:
- **Multiple Offensive Stats**: Power (home runs), Contact (base hits), Speed (stealing/advancing)
- **Defensive Stats**: Fielding rating, potentially position-specific bonuses
- **Keywords**: *Clutch*, *Speed*, *Power Hitter*, *Gold Glove*, *Veteran*, etc.

**Activation System**:
- **Fresh → Tapped**: Normal activation for offense or defense
- **Tapped → Discarded**: "Overexertion" - pushing beyond limits for critical plays
- **Strategic Decision**: Save stars for defense or commit fully to offense?

**Player Types**:
- **Named Players**: 
  - Legendary rule (only one copy in play)
  - High stats and unique abilities
  - Risk: Limited board presence if overcommitted
- **Generic Players**:
  - Multiple copies allowed in play
  - Lower stats, fewer/no abilities  
  - Benefit: Consistent board presence and replacements

### Manager Cards
**Function**: Pseudo-players with resource management

**Influence System**:
- **Starting Influence**: 3-5 counters
- **Gain Influence**: Successful plays (double plays, home runs, defensive gems)
- **Spend Influence**: Special abilities
  - "Call for Steal" (2 Influence)
  - "Intentional Walk" (1 Influence) 
  - "Challenge Call" (3 Influence)

**Manager Examples**:
- "Tony La Russa" - Gains Influence when *Veteran* keyword players succeed
- Abilities could interact with specific player types or game situations

### Strategy/Coaching Cards
**Function**: Modify player effectiveness and create synergies

**Interaction Models Considered**:

**Option 1: Persistent Effects (Stadium-style)**
- Remain in play throughout game
- Provide ongoing bonuses
- Examples: "Small Ball Strategy", "Manager's Philosophy"

**Option 2: Counter-Based Effects**
- Start with counters, spend for abilities
- Hybrid of persistent + active effects
- Example: "Veteran Manager" - Passive: +1 defensive plays, Active: Spend 2 counters to prevent opponent's special play

**Synergy Examples**:
- "Stealing Signs" - Players with *Veteran* get +2 Contact
- "Aggressive Base Running" - Players with *Speed* advance extra bases  
- "Situational Hitting" - *Clutch* players activate abilities with runners in scoring position
- "Moneyball" - Players with *Contact* cost 1 less Influence to activate

### Equipment Cards (Future Consideration)
**Function**: Modify player stats and abilities
- Bats, gloves, cleats affecting specific stats
- Could provide keywords or enhance existing ones
- Interaction with player types TBD

## Deck Construction Strategy

### Core Tension: Power vs Consistency
**Star-Heavy Decks**:
- Few powerful named players
- High ceiling but vulnerable to exhaustion
- Risk of limited board presence

**Deep Bench Decks**:
- Mostly generic players
- Consistent performance but lower ceiling
- Reliable board presence throughout 9 innings

**Hybrid Approach**:
- Mix of named and generic players
- Tactical flexibility
- Balanced risk/reward

### Multiple Copies System
- **Named Players**: Deck can contain multiple copies but only one in play
- **Benefit**: Can replace discarded stars with fresh copies
- **Risk**: Dead draws if legendary already in play
- **Generic Players**: Multiple copies can be in play simultaneously

## Mechanics Under Consideration

### Keywords System
**Purpose**: Create synergies between players and strategy cards

**Potential Keywords**:
- **Clutch**: Enhanced performance in high-pressure situations
- **Speed**: Base running and stealing bonuses  
- **Power Hitter**: Home run potential and extra-base hits
- **Gold Glove**: Defensive excellence
- **Veteran**: Experience-based bonuses and synergies
- **Contact Hitter**: Consistent base hits over power

**Integration**: Strategy and coaching cards provide different bonuses based on keywords

### Resource Systems Explored

**Pitcher Stamina (Future)**:
- Counters that deplete with use
- Start with 6-8, lose one per batter faced
- Overuse leads to reduced effectiveness

**Team Energy/Momentum**:
- System-wide resource affecting entire team
- Builds with successful plays, depletes with failures
- Could affect activation costs or effectiveness

**Rally Counters**:
- Build when trailing in score
- Provide comeback mechanics
- Thematic late-game tension

### Interactive Defense Mechanics
**Core Concept**: Opponent can respond to offensive plays

**Process**:
1. Opponent declares attack/offensive play
2. Defending player can tap defenders to respond
3. Failed defense attempts result in defender discard
4. Creates meaningful decisions about when to commit defenders

**Thematic Examples**:
- Diving catches that risk injury
- Collision plays at home plate
- Double play attempts under pressure

## Rejected/Deferred Concepts

### Bench/Rest Mechanics
**Concept**: Three-state system (Fresh → Tapped → Benched → Fresh)
**Reasoning for Deferral**: 
- Added complexity without proportional strategic depth
- Could slow game flow
- Conflicts with elegance goal for initial release
- Better suited for future expansion sets

**Potential Future Implementation**:
- Manager abilities to rest players
- Inning break mechanics (7th inning stretch untap)
- Position-specific rest rules (complex pitcher stamina)

### Complex Pitcher Systems
**Concept**: Separate activation rules and stamina tracking for pitchers
**Reasoning for Deferral**:
- Adds significant complexity to initial ruleset
- Better as expansion mechanic
- Current activation system works for all player types

### Multi-Resource Systems
**Concept**: Different resource types for different card types
**Reasoning for Deferral**:
- Could create analysis paralysis
- Simpler Influence system covers most strategic decisions
- Additional resources better introduced gradually

## Development Priorities

### Phase 1: Core Mechanics
1. **Finalize turn structure** - How innings progress and who acts when
2. **Scoring system** - How runs are actually scored and tracked
3. **Basic card interactions** - Player stats vs defense, keyword basics
4. **Manager Influence** - Specific abilities and costs

### Phase 2: Card Design
1. **Stat balance** - Appropriate ranges for offense/defense
2. **Keyword refinement** - Final keyword list and interactions
3. **Strategy card effects** - Specific bonus types and triggers
4. **Deck construction rules** - Size limits, copy limits, etc.

### Phase 3: Playtesting
1. **Game length validation** - Does 9 innings create appropriate game time?
2. **Strategic depth** - Are decisions meaningful throughout the game?
3. **Comeback mechanics** - Can trailing players mount comebacks?
4. **Balance testing** - Star vs generic player balance

## Open Questions

### Turn Structure
- How do innings progress? 
- When do both players get to "bat"?
- How does defensive interaction timing work?

### Scoring Mechanism
- What actually generates runs?
- Card combinations? Stat contests? Other?
- How are runs tracked and accumulated?

### Game Pacing
- Target game length?
- How does player exhaustion affect late-game strategy?
- Are there catch-up mechanics for trailing players?

### Card Economy
- How many cards in hand?
- Draw mechanics between innings?
- Mulligan rules?

## Future Expansion Opportunities

### Set 2: Advanced Mechanics
- Bench systems with rest mechanics
- Complex pitcher stamina and specialization
- Equipment cards with stacking effects
- Multi-inning strategy cards

### Set 3: League Play
- Team-building across multiple games
- Season-long campaigns
- Manager advancement systems
- Legacy effects between games

### Special Sets
- Historic players and teams
- All-Star game special rules
- Playoff mechanics with higher stakes
- World Series format tournaments

---

*This document captures the brainstorming session of 2025-08-15. Design decisions are fluid and subject to revision based on playtesting and further development.*