claude-home/tcg

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

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