Feature: Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) #45

New Issue

cal · 2026-03-04T13:45:49Z

cal commented

2026-03-04 13:45:49 +00:00

Summary

Puzzle-like challenges where players sacrifice cards meeting specific requirements to earn guaranteed reward cards. Creates a mini-game around roster construction math and gives duplicate/junk cards a purpose.

Inspiration

EA FC / FIFA Ultimate Team's Squad Building Challenges — one of the most engaging F2P retention mechanics in sports gaming.

Core Mechanics

Challenges define constraints: era, rarity, handedness, team, position, minimum OVR, etc.
Players submit a set of cards that meet ALL constraints
Submitted cards are consumed (removed from collection)
Reward is a guaranteed specific card or pack
Challenges rotate on weekly/monthly cadence
Difficulty tiers: Easy (common rewards) → Hard (rare/MVP rewards)

Example Challenges

"Submit 3 players from the 1990s, minimum Res rarity, at least 2 left-handed batters" → Reward: All-Star pack
"Submit a full 9-man lineup where every player is from a different team" → Reward: Specific MVP card
"Submit 5 pitchers with ERA ratings under 3.50" → Reward: HoF pitcher card

Why This Works

Gives duplicates and low-rarity cards economic value
Creates a puzzle/strategy layer separate from gameplay
Deterministic rewards (not random) — players know exactly what they're working toward
Rotating challenges create recurring engagement
Can tie challenges to real MLB events (e.g., "All-Star Challenge" during ASG week)

Technical Notes

Needs: challenge definitions table, submission tracking, constraint validation engine
Leverages existing card data: rarity, handedness (vs_hand), cardset, player attributes
Card consumption integrates with existing collection/Card model
Admin commands needed to create/manage challenges

## Summary Puzzle-like challenges where players sacrifice cards meeting specific requirements to earn guaranteed reward cards. Creates a mini-game around roster construction math and gives duplicate/junk cards a purpose. ## Inspiration EA FC / FIFA Ultimate Team's Squad Building Challenges — one of the most engaging F2P retention mechanics in sports gaming. ## Core Mechanics - Challenges define constraints: era, rarity, handedness, team, position, minimum OVR, etc. - Players submit a set of cards that meet ALL constraints - Submitted cards are consumed (removed from collection) - Reward is a guaranteed specific card or pack - Challenges rotate on weekly/monthly cadence - Difficulty tiers: Easy (common rewards) → Hard (rare/MVP rewards) ## Example Challenges - "Submit 3 players from the 1990s, minimum Res rarity, at least 2 left-handed batters" → Reward: All-Star pack - "Submit a full 9-man lineup where every player is from a different team" → Reward: Specific MVP card - "Submit 5 pitchers with ERA ratings under 3.50" → Reward: HoF pitcher card ## Why This Works - Gives duplicates and low-rarity cards economic value - Creates a puzzle/strategy layer separate from gameplay - Deterministic rewards (not random) — players know exactly what they're working toward - Rotating challenges create recurring engagement - Can tie challenges to real MLB events (e.g., "All-Star Challenge" during ASG week) ## Technical Notes - Needs: challenge definitions table, submission tracking, constraint validation engine - Leverages existing card data: rarity, handedness (`vs_hand`), cardset, player attributes - Card consumption integrates with existing collection/Card model - Admin commands needed to create/manage challenges

cal added the

feature

in-queue

labels 2026-03-04 13:46:42 +00:00

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