Vampires: Bloodlord Rising News

[p][/p][p]Gold changes hands as often as rumours in Sangavia, and if you know where to spend it, it can change the fate of your domain just as quickly.[/p][p][/p][p]In this dev diary, we are taking a closer look at the traders across the different regions of Sangavia and the goods they offer. Each land has its own identity, and its trader reflects that identity through the materials, clothing, and tools they sell.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Medrești[/h2][p]In Medrești, you will find Florica, a trader whose goods reflect a more established and structured settlement.[/p][p][/p][p]She offers aristocratic clothing for Dragos, allowing you to dress the part of a ruler rather than simply command as one. Alongside clothing, Florica trades in select materials such as glass, empty vials, gold, and iron. These are much-needed foundational resources that support crafting and alchemy.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Hell’s Chasm[/h2][p]Travel to Hell’s Chasm, and the atmosphere changes rapidly. In these ever-burning lands, people have had to adjust their way of life, and so has the traders’ selection of goods.[/p][p][/p][p]Here, you will find artisan and guardian clothing for your vampire servants. When your underlings need attire built for labor, protection, and craft, this is the place to shop. Tools suited for similar purposes are also available, along with the regional gem - Fire Crystal.[/p][p][/p][h2]Grove of Sorrows[/h2][p]When you find yourself in this more spiritual and mysterious place, do not pass by the trader. You will not find wares like these anywhere else in the land.[/p][p][/p][p]Here, you will find artisan, enchanter, and hunter clothing for servants, as well as tools that support those professions. The regional materials define this region clearly: Fruit of Sorrows, Murmurina Tongue with its twitching fibrous texture, and Sacred Wood gathered from revered trees.[/p][p][/p][h2]Fey Marshes[/h2][p]The trader here offers clothing and tools for enchanters and explorers, professions suited to navigating the unstable terrain and unusual phenomena of this land. The regional goods are distinctly organic: Arachnella Legs resembling spider limbs, Durata Teeth formed like hardened plant fangs, and Ichor Lily Viscera.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We encourage you to travel and discover the regions of Vampires: Bloodlord Rising![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Bloodlords![/p][p] [/p][p]The first update of our roadmap is finally here![/p][p]You can read the full patch notes here.[/p][p][/p][p]In general, the rumours system, as introduced at the beginning of early access, was minimal compared to what we had in mind for this feature. We were very happy to see how many of you already enjoyed it at that phase![/p][p]The goal of this update was to expand the system and introduce another layer of decision-making and consequences that reflect the kind of Bloodlord you choose to be. Will you rule as a tyrant or a respected lord?[/p][p]Let’s sink our teeth into it![/p][p] [/p][h2]Rumours are spreading...[/h2][p]First, we expanded the pool of rumours from 25 to 54, divided into several categories: very positive, positive, neutral, negative, and very negative. Each rumour now directly affects the Prosperity and Morale of your village, depending on the category it belongs to.
[/p][p]Example:[/p][p]Short-tempered[/p][p]Village effect: Village Morale -2 (each night)[/p][p]Effect if turned into a Vampire: Max. Loyalty -5, Max Loyalty of all Vampire Servants -1[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h2]Prosperity and Morale[/h2][p]These new village statistics replace the previous Wealth stat.[/p][p]Both are influenced by the villagers living in your settlement and the rumours associated with them. Your actions also play a role: killing a villager or turning them into a vampire will impact these stats.[/p][p][/p][p]Prosperity determines how much tax you can collect from Overseers and the head of the village of Medresti Boian.[/p][p][/p][p]Morale affects how your village grows. It determines the maximum number of villagers that can be in your village and how many new villagers arrive each night. It also influences the quality of Morale-related rumours in the village.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]Both of these can also be affected by the Aristocrat outfit you wear. Until now, wearing an Aristocrat outfit simply made villagers less fearful of you. We have expanded this, and Aristocrat outfits now influence several interactions: they increase the chance of receiving an additional rumour, reduce the cost of fast travel with the Coachman, and can affect whether conversations with villagers increase village Morale or Prosperity.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Vampire Servants[/h2][p]Your undead servants are also influenced by the rumours. The rumours about a villager determine what effects they may have on loyalty and what kinds of demands they develop in undeath, both positive and negative. Choosing whom to turn into a vampire is, therefore, an important decision![/p][p][/p][p]For example, a vampire might increase or decrease the maximum loyalty of your servants on Castle Hill based on rumours such as “Respected by the community” or “Can’t stand people.” Some may even bring unexpected benefits, like delivering a gem to the Global Storage each night, while others might develop unusual… demands.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h2]Vampire Demands[/h2][p]The variety of demands your servants can develop has also been expanded.[/p][p]Certain rumours may eventually manifest as demands tied directly to a vampire’s past. This can lead to a variety of demands, from something as simple as requesting a new piece of furniture for the castle, to far more sinister requests… such as demanding the death of a villager.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Other Smaller Updates[/h2]

• [p]The Coachman is a well-travelled man and, for a couple of coins, can now offer rumours from other regions.[/p]
• [p]The Castle level now determines the maximum loyalty vampires can reach on Castle Hill, giving you more room to manage and develop your undead court as the castle expands.[/p]
• [p]Every region in Sangavia is different, and we wanted to reflect this in villager names as well. Villager names now depend on the village they originate from.[/p]
• [p]There is now a chance to obtain a Frozen Vampire Tear when looting the corpse of a defeated Inquisitor. This item can be used to gain 1 Arcana point for yourself, sold to a trader, or given to another player in multiplayer.[/p]

[p] [/p][p][/p][p]We hope you enjoy exploring the expanded rumours system and the new possibilities it brings to your rule! As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback.[/p][p][/p][p] [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[h3]*NEW* Rumours System Expansion[/h3][p]The rumours system has been significantly expanded. Rumours now influence village Prosperity, Morale, and the behaviour of vampires created that have those rumours.[/p][p][/p][p]Rumours pool: 24 → 54[/p][p] [/p][h3]*NEW* Prosperity and Morale[/h3][p]Wealth village statistic has been replaced by Prosperity and Morale.[/p][p][/p][p]Prosperity: determines how much tax you can collect.[/p][p]Morale: determines how many villagers you can support and how many new villagers arrive each night, as well as the quality of Morale-related rumours.[/p][p] [/p][h3]*NEW* Vampire Quirks and Servant Effects[/h3][p]Rumours now influence servant loyalty and demands.[/p][p] [/p][h3]*NEW* Castle Loyalty System[/h3][p]The Castle level determines the maximum loyalty vampires can reach on Castle Hill.[/p][p] [/p]

• [p]The Coachman now offers rumours from other regions.[/p]
• [p]Added functionality to Aristocrat outfits. They now influence: the chance of receiving an additional rumor, the cost of fast travel with the Coachman, and whether conversations with villagers increase village Morale or Prosperity.[/p]

• [p]Removed Beast Vision Elixir from chests and Alchemy Station recipes.[/p]
• [p]Empty chests are no longer highlighted in Beast Vision.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where players could collect taxes from only one Overseer per day/night cycle.[/p]
• [p]The cave beneath the cemetery in Medrești has been reworked, including a new Inquisition camp at the entrance, updated enemy setups inside, environmental adjustments, and additional loot added to the cave and surrounding area.[/p]
• [p]Added a chance to obtain a Frozen Vampire Tear when looting the corpse of a defeated Inquisitor. This item can be consumed to gain 1 Arcana point or traded to another player in multiplayer.[/p]
• [p]Added additional loot chests to selected locations in the Grove region.[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Added painting functionality for stairs - columns, railings, and stair elements can now be painted separately.[/p]
• [p]Improved how stone stairs fit with other building pieces.[/p]
• [p]Fixed collision issues on curved stone stairs.[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect scaling on diagonal barriers.[/p]
• [p]Railings now have a consistent appearance across all stair types.[/p]
• [p]Various texture improvements.[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Implemented remastered cutscenes.[/p]
• [p]Loot chests are now visually open once they have been emptied.[/p]
• [p]Villager names now depend on the village they originate from.[/p]
• [p]Added new grass.[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Adjusted the Pause Menu order – the Unstuck button is now the second option on the list.[/p]
• [p]Fixed multiple unlocalized strings in the Management tab.[/p]
• [p]Fixed compass direction localisation issues in Chinese and Ukrainian.[/p]

[p] [/p][p] [/p]

• [p]In rare cases, animals may become stuck inside the environment geometry (walls, rocks, terrain).[/p]
• [p]Vampires or villagers may occasionally have pathfinding or navigation issues.[/p]
• [p]In multiplayer, there is an issue with refreshing rumours between the players. It can occur if the players collect rumours when far from each other, or after creating a multiplayer lobby from a save file. To resynchronize the journal, players must reenter the affected village.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Hello Bloodlords![/p][p] [/p][p]The first update from our roadmap is almost here![/p][p][/p][p]We’ve taken additional time to implement more fixes, which will arrive alongside the content update on March 5th. Because that might feel a little far away, let’s take a look at what you can expect.[/p][p][/p][p]Don’t miss a small sneak peek at the progress on the Character Creator.[/p][p]  [/p][h2]Rumours are spreading[/h2][p]From our survey and your comments on social media, we know that many of you greatly enjoy the concept of rumours. That’s why this first update leans into this specific feature and expands it.[/p][p][/p][p]Right now, you can collect around 25 different rumours from villagers. The positive (white rumours) have good effects, but the effects of negative (red rumours) are limited. In the upcoming update, the pool of rumours will be expanded to 54, and all of the rumours will have tangible effects. These will influence not only the village but also the vampires in your castle. What spreads among mortals can strengthen or weaken your influence.[/p][p][/p][p]Tracking village status has changed, too. We removed Village Wealth, as it was a little too one-dimensional and didn't align with what we had in mind for rumour effects. Instead, you will be able to influence Morale and Prosperity separately. Morale affects population growth in the village, and Prosperity determines how much tax you can collect. Both of these also influence what kind of new villagers arrive.[/p][p] [/p][p]Here are some examples of rumours:[/p][p][/p][p]Negative[/p][p]Blind to all but love[/p][p]Village effect: Village Prosperity -1 (each night), Village Morale -1 (each night)[/p][p]Effect if turned into a Vampire: Max. Loyalty -5, Max. Loyalty of all Vampire Servants -1[/p][p] [/p][p]Borrowed a ducat and never returned it[/p][p]Village effect: Village Prosperity -2 (each night)[/p][p]Effect if turned into a Vampire: Each night, Global Storage loses 10–15% of Golden Ducats[/p][p] [/p][p]Positive[/p][p]Brave[/p][p]Village effect: Village Morale +2 (each night)[/p][p]Effect if turned into a Vampire: Guardian +10, Max. Loyalty of all Vampire Servants +1[/p][p] [/p][p]Dreams of eternity[/p][p]Village effect: Village Morale -1 (each night)[/p][p]Effect if turned into a Vampire: Max. Loyalty +15, Max. Loyalty of all Vampire Servants +3[/p][p]  [/p][h2]Castles, Coffins, and Loyalty[/h2][p]While village life may be stirring, castle life will be anything but dead.[/p][p][/p][p]It won’t just be “I don’t want my coffin next to Alexandru because he smells like yesterday’s deer.” Your servants will have far more ambitious expectations. One may question whether this was the aesthetic you were going for with the castle, and another may demand the execution of a villager who offended them. Every demand will come with a consequence and have an impact.[/p][p][/p][p]The next patch also brings several smaller improvements. We will share the full details with you at launch.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Character Creator Update[/h2][p]For now, we’d like to share progress on one of the most requested features: the Character Creator.[/p][p]While this isn't ready yet, as we’re still working on the underlying systems and finalising all visual assets, we can share a preview of the updated UI in its current mock-up stage. [/p][p]We will continue updating you once we have more to share.[/p][p] [/p][p]Sharpen your fangs! We will see you soon with the new update.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]Outside of Medrești, far from the reach of the Eternal Mother’s hand, lies another way of living. Hidden in mist stands the Grove of Sorrows.[/p][p] [/p][p]The people of the Grove do not follow the usual gods of the land. They believe in nature, in cycles that end in decay and begin anew. To them, death is not a punishment or based on anything personal. It is simply part of a rhythm that is way older than castles or crowns.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]And every circle needs someone to guide it. That someone is the Soothsayer.[/p][p] [/p][p]She possesses a quiet certainty in her beliefs and in her people. Power, in her eyes, does not come from bloodlines or stone fortresses. It comes from understanding the cycle and accepting one’s place within it. That is why she does not bow to authority, whether vampire or human. If anything, vampires interrupt what should move forward. They cling to existence instead of allowing change.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]But even she knows there are greater threats.[/p][p] [/p][p]For years, whispers have moved through the reeds of a darker presence within the Grove. A rogue circle is spreading imbalance, misinterpreting nature’s indifference as justification for brutality… and they revel in it. But worshipping only decay without renewal creates imbalance.[/p][p]And sometimes, to preserve peace, even the proud must stand beside unlikely allies.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Learn more about the Grove of Sorrows in Vampires: Bloodlord Rising.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]