//State of the Chikn #12

(Chikn)X Gon’ Give It To Ya

ChiknX — coming S👀N to Polygon.

Despite both Elon Musk and Uniswap’s best efforts to front-run us on the march toward ‘X’, today Chikn stands stronger than ever in our determination to become the ultimate bird-based app.

July saw a flurry of game and business development as we rolled out updates to the main Chikn game infrastructure, made strides on CoqFight development, and continued gearing up for the much-anticipated launch of ChiknX.

It was also a month of spiritual development for the devs, with Sherbok reaching a birdly other realm at a full moon party, BBQ discovering Coq au Vin on the pigeon-rich streets of Paris, and KFC edging ever closer to Twitter influencer status.

Despite some global travels, tools have never gone down at Chikn HQ.

Our Marketing Hen discovered threads.

Media Encoder ran overtime as we began work on video tutorials for new players.

We preached the gospel of ChiknX to the world of TwitterX.

And our CEO Cluck Norris caught a stray as the beef between Elon and Zuck heated up.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg — join us as we explore the highlights and milestones from the month that was and get a little sneak peek at what’s to come.

Cluckdate Log

What the devs have been pecking away at, at a glance.

• Testing of ChiknX Polygon contracts.
  - KFC has been working hard on a plethora of contracts relating to ChiknX. What architecture has Cluck mapped out? Were these contracts engineered by the mysterious Sherbok Holmes?
  - Roosting? Staking? Bridging? It remains a mystery, for now — but KFC’s certainly been one busy bird.
• Hen Solo has been preparing off-chain infrastructure for our cross-chain adventures. Rebuilt most of the API framework to sync faster and more reliably.
• Significant updates to rarity tooling cooked up by Hen Solo that supersede the manual spreadsheets Sherbok has been using.
  - This tool gets us to a fully realised ChiknX much faster and better.
• Foraging API release is upcoming — another Hen Solo masterpiece.
  - The APIs are built, just need to finalise and test security and permissions before rollouts. Some community members will receive early access for testing.
• New UX designs are completed and under construction, starting with the marketplace and details page that will be used for both AVAX and Polygon.
• Roostr Daycare integrated into the upcoming UX update.
• Optimization for mobile-responsive designs.
• Polygon homepage variant with CoqFight and ChiknX components designed.
• New ChiknX website components designed and awaiting their builders.
• New sales bot deployed on Twitter and Discord.
• New Discord assets to match Gravy’s epic overhaul of the entire Chikn art style

CoqFight updates:

• UX changes:
  - The user experience in the alpha test was decent but lacking in many regards. There was a noticeable lack of rhythm and clear game beats which give a smooth flow and satisfying actions. How the player’s move sequence was presented also lacked clarity and brevity. This is where we have been focusing our efforts recently. Here we have combined elements of horizontal game design (think Street Fighter) with vertical game design (think Hearthstone) to adapt to our unique gameplay.
  - Improved icon-based UX visual language
  - Integrated move history into gameplay UX
• Improvements to animations, particle effects and lighting.
  - Gravy has been working on adding touches of polish, character and visual variety to the build that strongly emphasise the timing and rhythm of animations to create a fluid and intuitive experience with satisfying beats.
  - UX and animation updates are in preparation for new in-game recordings for marketing material, as well as for demonstrations for prospective partners and collaborators.
• Attack point system variations:
  - Coqfight uses an attack point system that influences how players select their moves for a round.
  - From the alpha, we received feedback that the current attack point system didn’t feel overly relevant to player strategy.
  - We have been experimenting and playtesting with variations of the attack point system to optimise this mechanic.
  - This includes tiered AP structures, damage received multipliers, miss chances and more.

BREAKING NEWS: Chikn x Madskullz - Eggnite Promotion

Throughout history, great duos have changed the world and inspired generations. Like Bonnie and Clyde, peanut butter and jelly, and ETH and gas, Chikn and Madskullz are two names that, for some time now, have served as one of the great examples of two behemoths standing together.

A little while ago, Chikn farmers earned gory $xFLSH tokens in the EGG/AVAX dual rewards pool. Since those rewards ran out, farmers have been clambering for news on the next Madskullz collab to extend the utility of birds and skulls alike.

Friends, those days are near.

You might have noticed that a Buildz has opened up SkullzCity for new Chikn Portalz. As we speak, Madskullz stakers are piling $FLSH into the Buildz to secure their portion of $rFLSH. The upcoming Portalz themselves will have some juicy rewards for stakers that are definitely of interest to Chikn farmers.

When the Buildz is complete, $WORM rewards will be unlocked for the Skullz staked in the Chikn Portalz. There is 5,000,000 $WORM available for stakers in these Portalz, and Skullz with lower rarities will receive proportionally more $WORM.

But Skullz holders won’t get all the fun — shortly after the Portalz are enabled, we’ll enable dual rewards of $WORM and $xFLSH on the EGG/AVAX LP farm on Chikn. There’s 2,000,000 $xFLSH available to claim on a first come, first served basis, so get your LP stocked up and your FarmLand fertilised.

Remember, $xFLSH is a non-transferable token that can be redeemed for real $FLSH. When you claim $xFLSH rewards from Chikn, head over to https://www.skullz.city/bridgez to claim your $FLSH.

Due to contract magic, we’ll auto-claim everyone’s LP rewards shortly before sending $xFLSH rewards live. We’ll announce this ahead of time on all socials and via the notifications panel on chikn.farm.

While the combination of $WORM and $FLSH is already enough to make most mouths water, there’s even more in this event to get you biting at the bit.

We’ve been diligently submitting applications to the Skullz City Council and we’re excited to say that the new Chikn Portalz will also contain more than 100 Items valued at over $1000 USD as rewards. Every time you unstake or claim, there’s a chance of receiving an item (rarer items, of course, have a lower chance of being discovered).

If you thought we were done now, you’d be mistaken.

It’s no secret that Chikn and Madskullz have been in discussion about enabling Skullz to forage for resources. Third-party foraging itself is something we’ve discussed as a way of encouraging more players from outside the Chikn ecosystem to stick their beaks into the game and get a taste before diving in the proverbial deep end.

Since bringing this idea to light, we’ve been contacted by several projects on Avalanche and Polygon that are interested in having their NFTs hit the fields alongside chikn and Roostr. We’re excited to say that this feature is in development and will fit in nicely amidst the broader ChiknX rollout.

Third-party foraging has its challenges when it comes to balance. We’re currently burning out processor after processor as we attempt to simulate the impact that different parameters will have on the overall foraging game. We want to ensure that chikn and Roostr will always be superior to forage with, allowing farmers to bulk out their flock with third-party workers to give them an additional boost. It’s also important to take into account what all this additional labour will do to resource acquisition and item creation — we’ll always be on the front-foot, releasing new updates and crunching the numbers to make sure supply doesn’t outweigh demand.

ChiknX

The day that Chikn goes cross-chain draws ever nearer and we’ve been busy rounding off development and beginning our push into the Polygon ecosystem. ChiknX is a massive undertaking that serves to enhance the trajectory of The Farm, putting us on the path towards mass adoption — and we’re pulling out all stops to make sure it launches with a bang.

We’ve teased and the community has speculated since we announced ChiknX at the Avalanche Summit earlier this year. To get up to speed, check out the summit summary and previous State of the Chikn for all the details to date.

But why speak of the past when we can look to the future?

If the stars align as our coqstronomers predict, ChiknX is right around the corner, meaning it’s high time we spilt the eggs on some more of the details around the launch…

And when will it launch exactly?

s🥚🥚n.

Mint Mechanics

The ChiknX mint will roll out in three stages:

1. For Chikn farmers to get the first pick of the brood
2. For Polygon users and communities
3. For anyone to grab a bird in an open mint

Priority in each stage will generally be first come, first served — a fair and equitable minting process. Stage 2 in particular is intended to give our new friends on Polygon a strong incentive to back the bird and get in quick.

The mint itself will go down in a couple of different places. Stage 1 and 2 will occur on ChiknX pages, while the open Stage 3 is likely to occur on a third-party marketplace/launchpad.

We’ll release more details on how our community mint will proceed closer to launch. Our goal with the strategy is to reward Chikn holders while also ensuring we capture new, engaged users from Polygon.

Tokenomics

For those with fond memories of the original tri-tokenomic architecture, ChiknX will surely tickle your nostalgia bone. ChiknX is a return to the original tri-tokenomic game where being patient and meticulous is the only way to stay ahead of the crowd.

Like this, but newer

ChiknX will extend the current core tokenomics of Chikn without introducing any significantly new mechanics. This will help our new users ease into the game while giving veteran players even more tools in their Chikn-farmer toolboks. This strategy encourages new users to dive deeper into the game we know and love on Avalanche while being incredibly useful for players already farming.

Again, do not despair: these ChiknX will NOT lay $EGG 🥚

The core of ChiknX’s interactions will be functional directly on Polygon. Players will be able to switch seamlessly from their Polygon ChiknX to their Avalanche Chikn in the newly designed app.

The goal with the ChiknX launch on Polygon is to create a playbook that allows us to extend Chikn to any number of other chains. The ChiknX model is an important part of making it easy for new players to get involved in Chikn and CoqFight, and allows us to tap into NFT communities wherever they are in the wide world of web3.0.

Bridging chains is perhaps the best way to tap into new player bases, but the experiences of others tell us that it’s not as simple as launching a new collection and calling it a day. ChiknX has been developed in a way that grows the number of players without diluting our existing collections and avoids gameplay splitting into separate camps.

The ambition of ChiknX is to unite the chains we launch on while avoiding the pitfalls that come with liquidity and user fragmentation across chains. While ChiknX will live on Polygon, their utility will be found in the same game we already play on Avalanche.

We’ll announce more on the ChiknX rewards structure closer to mint, but for now, know that the apple never falls far from the tree 🐓

Foraging

No rest for the poultry — ChiknX can be sent to forage alongside your current roost, giving existing players a boost to their resource production from the day they hatch. While managing your ChiknX roost can occur directly from Polygon, Foraging will happen via a unified interface.

As we’ve already announced, traits will be similar to Chikn traits with some slight variations. This also means room for equips. Thus, players with a FarmLand can grab a ChiknX and begin playing right away, using the items you’ve already already crafted! For the privilege of working the fields, ChiknX will gladly require payment in an existing ecosystem token.

Because foraging takes place off-chain, ChiknX will have no problem picking up the items you’ve been busy crafting with resources foraged by your Avalanche birds. The goal of this functionality is to tempt ChiknX users to forage with their birds and use items to enhance their experience, ultimately increasing liquidity in the item and blueprint marketplace while burning some $EGG along the way!

wen marketing?

Marketing efforts for ChiknX have already commenced behind the scenes, and you can expect to see a significant ramp-up as we approach the launch. Timing here is critical — market sentiment in NFTs is still poor, but we’re hopeful that recent turnarounds will sew the seeds for more bullish momentum.

With that said, even though the glory days of the 2021/22 NFT cycle are behind us, projects are still performing well at mints and we’re confident that we’ll be able to capture some of the hype that remains in NFT communities across the blockchain pond.

A big part of this push will be organic outreach to Polygon communities. We believe in the value that ChiknX brings to both the ecosystem and holders, so communicating this to engaged users on Polygon is one of our highest priorities. This means a lot of appearances on Spaces and pushes into Polygon media. Expect to hear Cluck and Sherbok’s voices a lot more. Their boots are on the ground.

Our greatest ambassadors have always been our community and we hope you’ll join us as we embark on this cross-chain adventure together. We encourage you to join our conversations on Polygon, welcome our new users into the fold on Discord, and induct them on the ways of gleaming alpha via sleuthing/numerology/speculation applied to any post from an official channel ❤️

Ecosystem Highlights

It’s not just the devs who have been busy: news has circulated from all around the farm on the individual and collective endeavours of Chikn farmers.

At the start of July, @stangfast1992 ran the numbers on the Avalanche blockchain. In the analysis, they found that Chikn dominated the Avalanche NFT scene — and by a significant margin.

Chikn continues to comprise the bulk of Avalanche NFT transactions and accounts for a significant share of new user acquisition across the chain. When people move to Avalanche, they come to roost.

See that wall of red?

You can check out the full report here.

Chikn was also featured in a portfolio highlight from 24Dao as they added #1161 and #3579 to their flock. With the growth of NFT DAOs on Avalanche, it’s significant that investors turn an eye to Chikn for assets to hold.

At the end of June, the great families assembled for the Avalachin Meeting at a secret location. While this meeting was, of course, unconfirmed by all parties involved, the talented Nobs managed to capture the alleged mythic moment on digital canvas.

When reached for comment, Sherbok gave a dirty look and denied any involvement with the Coqstra Nostra.

In unrelated news, Sherbok has also been confirmed for PONZ Season 3 — may the odds be ever in his favour.

July was also a big month for the community, with some banger threads, amazing podcasts, and some sweet drip hitting the scene.

Christmas came early for some lucky clucks as Chikn community stalwart and Twitter fugitive Mike Oxlong gave the greatest gift of all: lower back support.

EGG plush pillows, made and distributed by Mike, now grace the homes and office chairs of Chikn farmers around the world, and all reports confirm they’re a lot softer than real eggs.

AVAX PDX is coming up and organisers Hoops and BallnChikn are making sure that even more fire Chikn drip will do the rounds this year. Orders opened for a limited-edition named jersey, allowing everyone the opportunity to have their name appear in the same arena as the Greats.

If you’re in Portland, make sure you get down to AVAX PDX. On August 04, Chikn will take on Love Monsters in the AVAX NFT World Championship to defend basketball’s greatest title.

The wider world of blockchain gained another invaluable asset with the release of Viper’s article and podcast series, The Thoughtful Chikn Farmer.

The Thoughtful Chikn Farmer dives into the Chikn ecosystem and explores mechanics, tokenomics, and gameplay with a look at how we got to where we are today.

If you haven’t already, make sure you check it out on Medium (if you like reading) or listen to the audio version (if you like listening). For maximum alpha, do both.

On the topic of alpha, Chikn thread legend Dano stuck his beak into Blueprints and put out another instant classic.

The thread is a great breakdown of the Blueprint and Crafting meta as it stands today — important info you’re looking to run your farm at max efficiency. Play to own, frens. Play to own.

Those chasing max efficiency already understand the value of EggBurn.xyz, maintained by the great Search4Yield. This month saw a TONNE of updates hit the dashboard, making it arguably the most powerful third-party tool at your disposal.

Getting full access is undoubtedly $EGG well spent.

On July 26, TheAspiringNobody made history by becoming the first (and so far only) person to attain the Cock-a-doodle-do role on Discord.

If you’ve ever spent time on our Discord, you’ll have probably seen Nobody’s inspired wake-up calls that have reached the coop almost every day for a year. For his diligent effort, Nobody has been recognised as the official herald of the AM (depending on your timezone) — make sure to wish him a hearty ‘gm’ next time you’re lurking.

Last but not least, the winner of the Chikn Meme Competition was announced with Muffeee taking home a healthy Roostr to his coop.

If you ever feel like a coq is the only way to represent how you feel, don’t forget to check our library of assets and templates available through the docs.

A big thanks to everyone who threw their hen in the ring!

Friends of Chikn

Chikn was born when six poultry larpers got together and decided that the blockchain needed more birds. Chikn stands as a testament to this vision, built on the eternal principle that chikn, and ONLY chikn, lay $EGG.

But just as it takes two to tango, it takes a whole lot more to build to Chikn.

Today, we introduce the Friends of Chikn — the circle around the core that helps Chikn tick.

Chicktoria Peckham

Chicktoria is our lead UX designer taking point on CoqFight and the website overhaul. Graphic design is her passion, as is making UIs that keep you glued for hours.

Chicktoria boasts nearly a decade’s experience in UX and Game Design and enjoys making pumping beats in the studio and pumping iron at the gym.

Favourite chicken dish: Curry katsu, an exquisite blend of spice and comfort.

Peter Pecker

Pecker, our mastermind Game Designer, brings his diverse experience in VR, museum interactives, mobile games, and previous web3 games to level up CoqFight gameplay.

With two degrees and various eclectic certifications under his belt, Peter also loves gaming, writing, guitar, reading, and exploring the realms of game design possibilities with Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

Favourite chicken dish: A nostalgic homemade ‘Chicken Tonight’ dish cooked with motherly love.

Crispy

Crispy the Game Dev got his start with interactive media 23 years ago drawing dicks in Macromedia Flash 4 and becoming so proficient it became his job. While his work these days is somewhat less phallic, he retains the same passion channeled into game, graphic, and web programming.

Published under a human-sounding pseudonym, Crispy’s other games are loved around the web and app stores, one of them even making its way into the Top 10 on Apple and Play store worldwide game charts.

When not in mourning for the demise of Flash and the loss of his early portfolio, Crispy enjoys not finishing songs on his synths, reorganising his box of cables, playing the guitar, flipping burgers on his BBQ, and vibing out with film and animation.

Favourite chicken dish: A top-secret chicken sandwich recipe passed down through generations.

Tortilla the Hun

Tortilla, Lord of the Medium and Chieftain of the Twitter Feed, is one part of Chikn’s marketing team. With a background in copywriting and content marketing, Tortilla co-founded a Web3 marketing agency that has been helping teams shitpost for nearly three years.

When not doomscrolling, Tortilla can be found cooking, gardening, hitting the pub, or some bizarre combination of all three.

Favourite chicken dish: The god-omelette, tortilla — not chicken, but a tasty derivative.

Professor Yolk

Beyond his accolades as one of the worst traders in crypto’s history, Professor Yolk’s true strengths lie in strategy, creativity, and writing, heading a crypto marketing agency alongside Tortilla the Hun.

Away from the keyboard, Professor Yolk loves janky Magic: The Gathering Commander wins, chicken dinners in PubG, and looking down on the common folk on his way to eat flavourless vegan food with a pair of rancid climbing shoes carabinered to his backpack.

Favourite chicken dish: Seed-oil enriched, soy-based vegan chicken adobo.

Ex Pullus Gloria

Fellow augurs, the signs are clear — the glory days of Chikn lay ahead. While our quest has taken time, it has been time well spent, laying the foundation for all that is to come.

With the release of ChiknX, we throw the barn open to a new generation of farmers. And with CoqFight development progressing, we can look forward to the Play-to-Own loop finally coming to a close.

But closing the circle doesn’t mean closing the door. The long-term vision of Chikn is concentric — gameplay loops within gameplay loops that engage both hardcore and casual players, all based on the core mechanics we’ve built up since Chikn’s inception.

Is our journey nearly over? Far from it. But it’s the great journeys that get told on through the ages, and from the top of the Red Mountain we can see what lies in our future:

Chikn.

Bok Bok,

The Chikn Team