Stunlock Studios has added the V Rising offline mode that players have been clamoring for. Now, you can play the game alone or with your buddies via LAN, and you can set various custom conditions for your server, too, allowing you to play V Rising however you like.
How does the V Rising offline mode work?
Last week, V Rising developer Stunlock said it was working on an offline play mode for the game. Now, the studio has added a V Rising offline mode through a hotfix deployed today. The mode allows you to play either on your own or alongside your friends on a LAN (local area network). If you're wondering how to play V Rising offline, it really couldn't be simpler; just fire up V Rising and check the LAN Mode tickbox next to the server you're hosting. If you're connecting to someone else's LAN server, just tick the "LAN Server" box in the Direct Connect to Server view. Now you can enjoy your vampiric adventures without all those pesky other players destroying your castle. If you're playing without an internet connection, just remember to disconnect Steam from the internet too.
As well as being able to play V Rising offline, Stunlock has revealed a host of server commands that you can use to customize your V Rising experience to your liking. These include castle damage modifiers, loot permission, and variables like time, vampire stats, and research unlocks. The full list of server settings is pretty massive, so it's well worth checking out Stunlock's extensive PDF if you want to know them all. You'll also find new admin commands that let you change item durability, target health, and time if you set up a privately-hosted server.
That's not all that's new, of course. You can now send V Rising server-wide messages if you're a host, so you can send important info to all players on your server. As you might expect, there are a number of more minor fixes as well. The "Authentication Error" problem has been fixed, and salvaging cloaks won't return your total crafting cost anymore. You can't place soul shards into containers now, which should stop them despawning. There have also been fixes to sending servants on multiple hunts, castle floors disconnecting from the Castle Heart, equipment buffs, and incorrectly-displayed characters in some languages. Be sure to read Stunlock's full announcement to see everything that's new.
What is V Rising?
Released last week, V Rising is a vampire survival game in which you must build a castle, explore the world around you, and slake your never-ending thirst for blood. As you do so, you'll come into contact with other player-controlled vampires (unless you're playing offline, of course), and you'll need to contend with them as well. Naturally, there are a host of vampiric powers and weapons to unlock, too. V Rising has proven pretty popular since its launch on May 17th, racking up a million sales in just seven days. Fang-tastic.
You can grab V Rising right now via Steam Early Access, where it'll set you back $19.99 or your local equivalent. Stunlock says it's aiming to finish the game and launch it in full in 12 months, but in the meantime, more features will be added to the game. The dev also says it's keeping an eye on the LAN offline play feature introduced in this hotfix and will continue to improve it as necessary. If you're just getting started in this vampiric survival adventure, be sure to check out our V Rising guide hub, where you'll find info on everything from crafting advice and map information to base-building guides and combat tips.
