Monster Fusion Vote #10 + Previous Winner!
Similar to the Hollow Knight batch we recently finished, Silksong was not originally in our scheduled calendar, and was an in-the-moment decision we took. Because of that, we couldn't get the full batch done in time, which is not difficult to notice: the second half of this batch was filled with Pokémon-based fusions instead, after all.
But fear not! We're not done exploring Pharloom quite yet. As the next batch approaches, we will have the last 3 monster fusions for the Silksong Batch, alongside 3 more Pokémon fusions. Which set do YOU prefer?
As always, the winner will be decided in exactly one week, and the rewards for the winner will be released alongside the next vote!
A SHAW-Tastic Victory!
Is anyone even surprised Hornet won? I don't think so. She's so popular she got her own game, after all (and we're covering it with fusions as well)!
Since you fight Hornet twice in the original Hollow Knight, we were going with just one CR variant... but since she DID get her own game, we decided to add a 3rd option as well, that makes her feel much more like a scary bossfight!
You can find the details for the Soulstitcher Laceguard, Weavewarden, and Silk Monarch attached below the post, so get it for yourself!
Some Clarity For The Future
We've had a few comments regarding the last few vote results, so we'd like to clarify some things regarding how we handle what a poll winner will get from now on:
As a rule of thumb, winners will be getting CR Variants. The number of variants will depend on the monster, but you can expect between 1-2 of them. A low CR creature will almost always get a higher CR variant, while a high CR creature will almost always get a lower CR variant. If a creature is in a spot where both a lower and higher CR variant are possible, we will more often prioritize lower CR variants for them.
Sometimes though, we might think a CR variant doesn't make much sense for a creature (like if its lore mentions it being a unique individual, for example). In those cases, we will instead gravitate towards giving it a Lair (such as the Draconimbus or Architsune), or new minions to its arsenal (such as the Painted Lady). We're not opposed to giving creatures a mythic phase, or Legendary Actions if it originally lacked any, either.
In very rare occasions, we might have the time to put in the effort and make something extra special for a winner: a fully illustrated magic item, a new subclass or playable species, or even a bespoke companion. These should not be taken for granted, as they require much more from the team than a simple CR variant would.
Comments (5)
I appreciate the communication on what to expect from votes. I think it will help people understand what they're voting for. And I appreciate that the CR variants are making a comeback. That's always been a specialty of yours.
Little disappointing the direction your going for mob vote winners, but its good to have clarification and consistency. I will note the reason people may be unhappy with some of the outcomes is that alot of people are pledged to you for items and player options, like what you used to consistently produce, personally I preferred that stuff and may end up dropping or removing my sub, but I assume im in the minority so that shouldn't be a problem for yall.
It'd be a shame to have you leave, but we understand if that's the case. While we still try to keep at least 2-3 magic items per batch, we were clear that they weren't going to be our main focus anymore when we made the switch to Monster Wheel content. Regarding poll winners, that's exactly why we're trying to be more transparent about it now: we want to keep expectations according to what we plan on delivering, so people don't get disappointed when their vote doesn't get an entire new bespoke companion, or a fully illustrated magic item on top of it.
Apologies if I am missing it, but where are the attached files for the Soulstitcher?
I deeeeefinitely didn't forget, whaaat