Grotesque - Interview & Screens @ Daddelnews.de

A German-language site by the name of Daddelnews has an interview with Silent Dreams to discuss their unusual project, Grotesque: Heroes Hunted. English readers might want to check out the nice screens accompanying the article but according to my Google-fu, Silent Dreams is suggesting this game defines a new sub-genre, which they are calling a "social RPG". Apparently this focuses on deep NPC and story interaction, saying NPCs can become "real friends" and hinting of "intense" romances options.
More information.

It sounds like something I'd probably enjoy very much, with the rather significant qualification that I couldn't understand it any better than your summary. I love rich NPC interactions.

Interesting … seems to be a shift from a RPG parody game towards something more serious ?

I'm not sure that I would call it a 'shift' - unless I misunderstood what you meant. AFAIK The Witcher is the only significant RPG that has gone deeper than your average RPG in a recent while, and considering the number of shallow ones that have been released this year, well…

Although that would be a good shift indeed!

*edit: Oh I just realized what you probably meant - that this particular game has undergone a shift from its original concept? In that case nevermind what I said… I thought you meant a shift in the industry..

Sounds nice . I have to put more attention to this production.

Looks interesting. Too bad I don't know German, else I'd likely be actually interested. Hope the game itself will have an english version, in any case.

JarlFrank of the Codex has provided an English translation:

Grotesque, German Interview and some Screenies @ RPG Codex

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
*edit: Oh I just realized what you probably meant - that this particular game has undergone a shift from its original concept? In that case nevermind what I said… I thought you meant a shift in the industry..

No, I meant what you just wrote … I got to know Grotesque as kind of a parody of RPgs and the surrounding clichés … but now I get the impression as if things have become more serious …

And actually, I'm glad I hear news *at all* !
(They have been so silent in the last months …)

It's the old problem… no publisher, no news.

Yes the old problem. The developer doesn´t even try to create buzz for his own game. Then a B or C list publisher takes over and doesn´t want to spend a significant marketing budget on a game nobody knows about - and he doesn´t need to because his projections and negotiations are based on a near-stealth release.

A "social RPG"? Considering how bad my social skills are, I'm not sure I'll be good at this game…

I'm a little foggy on what a "social RPG" is supposed to be. Are we talking Sims with battle swords or what?

It sounds --from reading JarlFrank's translation-thx Atrachasis--that it will have a lot of dialogue based adventuring and quest resolutions and heavy use of npc inter-relations with the main character, who from the blurb on the main site, sounds interesting:

The story of Grotesque concerns Roger Sun, an everyday hero from the present, who is neither particularly strong nor particularly honourable. He is the guitarist in a heavy metal band, loves animals and is a huge fan of RPG and adventures. Through a mysterious artefact, a richly decorated antique mirror, he is sucked into another world and lands, complete with his lounge furnishings, right in the midst of a conflict between the alliance of humans and elves and grass-like creatures.

Grass-like creatures? Definitely not a d&d race option…

Thanks for the head-up. Personally, I like real world and historical settings but it still sounds interesting.

Through a mysterious artefact, a richly decorated antique mirror, he is sucked into another world and lands, complete with his lounge furnishings, right in the midst of a conflict between the alliance of humans and elves and grass-like creatures.

Uh, oh, there's gone something terribly wrong with the translation …

The German original text at this place is this (translated by me) :

Roger - in his appartment - suddenly becomes sucked through an mysterious mirror and crashes with his living-room furnishing [indoor furnishing ?] into an just ignited battle between Goblins and proud King's Soldiers.

Original of this passage (just for reference) :

Roger wird plötzlich in seiner Wohnung durch einen mysteriösen Spiegel gesaugt und kracht mitsamt seiner Wohnzimmer Einrichtung in den entbrannten Kampf von garstigen Goblins und stolzen Königssoldaten.

I dare not to look at the English translation, because I fear it might be even worse, terribly worse, and I might feel an urge to correct it … translate everything anew … and I doubt I'd have the energy for such a long text …

Now I see what Alrik meant about an RPG parody. It's not my usual fare, but it sounds like good fun! After playing the Witcher it would be good to lighten things up a bit.