I've been thinking a lot about 'Kollection' lately as we've started working out the details, and it's got me really fired up!

We're still early in the process, so I don't want to imply anything mentioned here is final or coming next month. A lot could (and probably will) change before Kollection goes live. From there, it'll continue to evolve.

That being said, I think what's most exciting about Kollection is what it represents: a 'grind of all grinds' to become the best KOMPETITOR - whether that's as a player, trader, or both. It's a chance to forge your KOMPETE legacy through your documented history with the game's relics, each carrying a fragment of our shared story. Your rank is measured by how deeply you've woven yourself into the fabric of KOMPETE's culture.

To preview some of these ideas, I had Claude interview me about Kollection using the documentation we've created so far. Here's the conversation:

Where did the concept for Kollection come from and why do you believe it's important for the KOMPETE ecosystem?

It's been fascinating to see certain items get released into our game economy and take on a life of their own with our players. Stuff like the 'Mad Sus Bro' and 'Trash Can' Stickers, obviously the Founding Fathers Outfit, and the Magma Series (among many others) have all come to represent something deeper than surface level. These game items mean something more to players, and it goes beyond the obvious utility of being able to use them in-game.

It's because those items are all tangible pieces of KOMPETE's history. Their lore tells the story of KOMPETE’s evolution through the details of how and when they were released. Many of the items were only obtained by way of a long, sustained grind. After the 100+ hours needed to earn the reward, players have made friends, hit headshots, and had fun. There’s hard work embedded right into those game items. The ‘street cred’ that comes from owning these items is born out of the shared experience of seeing your XP bar tick up one game at a time. The scarcity is the point.

As a result, we've seen players work hard to build out their collections. Some maintain spreadsheets to track game items. We’ve seen guys go find old players who have moved on and paid them good money for otherwise lost items like the Race Champion Jerseys. It’s clear everyone has their ‘grail’ pieces, regardless of if they were earned or scooped up on the secondary market. Naturally, there's a real demand for wanting 'the full picture' of everything that's ever been released. The way I see it, a player's history with these items reveals their accomplishments as a KOMPETITOR, whether that be on Mahzookoo, at the Bazaar, or both.

I wanted to find a way to gamify the collecting experience and give players a way to show it off. Players take pride in having exclusive items, full sets, or the entire ticket or fame seasons. The challenge is that, regardless of how you've built your collection... you still only get to wear one outfit at a time. When I was trading Pokémon cards, it was the full binder that mattered most. 

Kollection tracks your ownership history within our game economy and gives you a rank so that you can see how you stack up compared to everyone else. Those common, more basic rewards you thought nobody cared about because they're not super flashy? Think again. Inherently, every item in our game economy now has a brand new depth of value. Everything you own, or don’t own, contributes to your score. That's really important.

How does Kollection translate a player's history and achievements into something tangible and visible to others?

I think it’s most impactful and clear if your Kollection is boiled down into a level, which for now we’ll call your Swag Score Rank. The name isn't final, but the concept is what's important. I’d love to see that number follow you around in our ecosystem. We're not settled on how or where it’ll be displayed yet, but it should be prominent and easy for all to see.

Tentatively there are 50 levels, along with a special ranking for the top 25 overall. We’re not going to reveal the specifics of how that score is calculated, but generally it'll revolve around your ownership history with everything we've released. Have you owned it before? Did you earn it? Do you currently hold it? Did you acquire it on the Bazaar (vs another marketplace)? Those will all likely have an influence on your individual score for a particular item. The more scarce the item, the heavier it’ll be weighted.

We want to reward the players who have put in the effort to get their hands on the most rare stuff. The sum of all your item scores gives you a raw Swag Score. That swag score is distributed across percentiles to assign your Rank. Stuff like the Founding Fathers Outfit or your KOMPETE Token holdings will also provide an additional bonus directly to your raw Swag Score.  

For players, the plan is that you’ll be able to access Kollection on our website. Players can filter through and see the whole history of our game economy… the ticket rewards, the fame rewards, Divine items, etc. It should be easy to see where points are being earned, and what's still left to Kollect.

How do you think Kollection will impact player behavior and the overall marketplace dynamics in KOMPETE?

Everything has a brand new depth of value, not only to the person that earned it or holds it, but to everyone else too. Before, the value was more so 'in the eye of the beholder' than it will be with Kollection, where the scarcity in-and-of-itself has direct, measurable value regardless of what you think of the design. People should look at the items with a new meaning. When I was trading Pokemon cards, the obvious goal was to catch them ALL. Not just the ones I liked the most.

On a broader level, I think players will have a new way to feel like they are 'progressing' and it's maybe the deepest, most meaningful grind we have in KOMPETE. It's a grind of grinds. There are many paths to glory.

How might Kollection encourage more active participation in the marketplace and holding of KOMPETE Tokens?

Our onchain economy gives us a unique opportunity - and responsibility - to provide players with an experience that fully capitalizes on its potential. We're in a unique position to do this because we have access to offchain supply and ownership data that reduces friction (uncertainty) and creates a deeper connection to the items. With the Bazaar, our goal is to share this information transparently, offering the best possible trading experience for all.

The more traction we see on the Bazaar, the more efficiently our market operates. This is fundamental to our success. But we also need to recognize that being onchain means our players can trade anywhere. So, our challenge is to incentivize the use of KOMPETE Token and encourage trading on the Bazaar over other marketplaces. We're aiming to gain as much traction 'at home' as possible, while still respecting player choice. Players who choose our marketplace contribute to this momentum, and we believe they should be rewarded for actions that benefit the ecosystem.

KOMPETE Tokens are the liquid expression of value in our game economy. By holding them, you're positively impacting our ecosystem. It's not the same as holding game items, but it's still an equally important form of ownership - and in my opinion, it should be rewarded. The same goes for making trades on the Bazaar. Choosing to use our marketplace for buying game items helps us consolidate volume and improve the experience for everyone. Again, actions that positively impact our ecosystem as a whole should be rewarded.

This is where Kollection comes in. If Kollection is meant to reflect your history with our game economy, that score should capture the totality of your engagement. It should recognize not just the items you've collected, but also your KOMPETE Token holdings and your trading activity on the Bazaar. By incorporating these elements into the Kollection score, we create a powerful incentive for players to participate more actively in our marketplace and hold onto their KOMPETE Tokens.

Are there any plans to reward players more ‘tangibly’ for their Swag Score Ranking?

I'll just leave it at the slightest tease for now. We'd love to find a way to complete the loop and reward players for their relative success in 'playing KOMPETE' - whether that's by amassing an epic Kollection through dedicated gameplay or dominating the market as a savvy trader. I think it would be huge for our ecosystem if we can pull it off. Our focus is always on what's best for our players because that's how we all win.

As players and potential investors read about Kollection, what's the main takeaway? How do you see Kollection shaping the future of KOMPETE and potentially influencing the broader gaming industry?

Investment in gaming isn't new - it's as old as gaming itself. Since Tetris, players have been pouring time and money into reaching top levels, having the coolest stuff, and flexing high scores on friends. Billions of gamers get the deep value of in-game achievements and assets.

Gamefi's big revolution? It lets players extract, own, and trade that value way easier. The idea's not new, but traditional payment systems made it a pain for everyone, and inaccessible to many. This new decentralized tech is leveling the playing field globally, making it more unified, accessible, and fair for gamers everywhere.

We've seen how game and cultural assets blow up globally - just look at Pokémon and sports cards. People are hardwired to collect, and Kollection taps right into that human urge to 'have them all.' The new, decentralized experiences that really catch on are going to explode in my opinion, the efficiency in these new digital marketplaces is orders of magnitude higher than what we've seen before.

Kollection offers a unique opportunity to bridge the worlds of trading and playing. It recognizes that these are often the same people at different phases of their life, with different skills, interests, and available time. Both traders and players will collect and value the same set of game items, which collectively tell the 'lore' or story of KOMPETE.

This system creates flexibility: you can grind the game to earn items for free, or leverage your real-world earnings to build your Kollection through the Bazaar. It's essentially the gamification of a game economy, allowing players to establish status in a measurable, flexible way within KOMPETE.

In the real world, value is largely driven by the desire to 'climb the ladder' and build status among peers. Kollection offers gamers a deeper way to participate in this fundamental human drive. Whether through time spent playing or trading, your hard work is recognized for all to see.

This concept has already taken off in various aspects of life - from cars to art, from Pokémon to baseball cards. Bringing a game economy onchain is the next logical iteration. It's in our name: KOMPETE. Humans love to see who comes out on top, and Kollection gives both players and traders a fresh battleground.

My hope is that Kollection isn't just reshaping KOMPETE's future; it's redefining how we view value and achievement in gaming as a whole. We're creating a gaming experience that's more immersive, rewarding, and interconnected - one that speaks to our core desires and provides the purest expression of what it means to KOMPETE.