It’s no secret that game developers all have unique processes when creating video games. Many AAA developers employ hundreds of people to work on a single title, smaller studios can just have a handful of people, and some work on a game alone. At E3 2021, players who tuned into the Future Games Show may have seenDome-King Cabbage, a visual novel with monster-collecting RPG elements.
Although the monster-collecting aspect ofDome-King Cabbageisn’t similar to games such asPokemon, developer Joe Buchholz of Cobysoft Co. saidJapanese manga and Capcom’sAce Attorneyfranchise inspired the visual novel. The developer shared more insights intoDome-King Cabbage’sdevelopment with Game Rant, and discussed how the whole process is similar to building with LEGO.
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How Dome-King Cabbage’s Development is Similar to Playing With LEGO
WatchingDome-King Cabbage’strailer atE3 2021, one can’t help but wonder how Cobysoft Co. was able to come up with all the unique environment and character designs in the game. WhileDome-King Cabbageis still under development, everything that has been shown so far is a testament to the wild and vivid imagination of Buchholz, which givesDome-King Cabbagea colorful and unique aesthetic.
Buchholz said the best analogy they could think of for their development process is, “Playing with LEGOs.” Buchholz said they would often take pre-made blocks and put them together to see which combination works best.
“I’ll take a base body-mesh, do a cloth simulation on it to give it clothing, then sculpt a head in Blender and attach it to the body, for example.”
The same process goes for the creation ofDome-King Cabbage’scolorful worlds, and Buchholz explained how this process is one of the beautiful things about 3D art, given developers can start building a personal visual library of character and environment models, and then re-use assets whenever needed.
The Inspirations Behind Monster Designs in Dome-King Cabbage
Similar toDome-King Cabbage’smonster-collecting RPG elements, the designs of the monster themselves bear no intended similarity to thepopular creatures found in thePokemonfranchise. InDome-King Cabbage,players will come across various monsters ranging from blobs of slime to creatures that resemble humans. The trailer and photos released ofDome-King Cabbageso far are proof of Buchholz’s unique design for the visual novel’s monsters. Buchholz clarified that the inspiration for the aesthetic of the monsters is all over the place.
“It’s kind of a milieu of various Japanese monsters that I grew up watching on TV and collecting cards of.”
In the end,Dome-King Cabbageis shaping up to be aunique visual novelthat should please fans of the genre. Not only will it offer an interesting story revolving around a job interview, but it will also incorporate a unique take on the monster-collecting RPG. However, for players following the development ofDome-King Cabbagefor years and new fans alike, it appears the game is still far from release.
Buchholz revealed the struggles of working on the game, and the biggest obstacle they continue to struggle with is making a living. The dev clarified that not only isDome-King Cabbageself-made, but it is also self-funded, which has a tremendous impact on the development. However, Buchholz is committed to seeing the project through and said they are currently working on securing more stable funding to ensure thatDome-King Cabbagewill release to thePCsoon - and hopefully to other platforms as well.
