So yesterday I got all nostalgic for some reason and bought a copy of Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime. I got the CD from the BMI Music Club back in '88 when it came out and fell in love with it - I'd crank this up to 10 as I cruised around in my Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. That's how you get the babes, see. Oh wait, no, that didn't work... Anyhow it got stolen in college, though, and I never replaced it.
I've listened to it several times now, and while it is enormously cheesy (seeing Jessica Hahn in Penthouse prompts the hero to become a heroin-addicted commie assassin - some paraphrasing there, but that's about the heart of it) it is still tons of awesome.
How can I get this in the game? Took some thought, because the revolution theme doesn't really work in a dungeon. It works beautifully within Denethix, though. Dr. X is one of the leaders of the Society of the Luminous Spark, and has made a highly addictive mind-control serum from the deadly poisonous Ambulatory Razor Plant. Addicts are susceptible to a special command word while under the influence.
As the players become more prominent figures in the city, Dr. X will either attempt to recruit them to his cause, while trying to get them addicted to his serum - or send brainwashed assassins their way.
I'll need to gonzo that up a bit more, and fit in hooker-nuns. I don't want to have too many subplots going on either - things can get too random to follow. Right now I've got these loose ends to exploit, not sure if I need more:
a. Mongo's evil-temptation book
b. Morlock lust for human flesh
c. The malicious mirror has been sold to a merchant, who has sold it on. The buyer is naturally displeased by the fact he can't get rid of it and will eventually track the party down
d. Divine intrigue between Nisus and other jealous gods, after the sacrifice goes down next week
I might use Krogo's death as the catalyst. If he had been in touch with the Society and bitching about being forced into dungeons, they'll be wondering about his disappearance.
Or I could just roll some dice on my random tables and head off into a completely unknown direction.
You can never go wrong with Operation:Mindcrime, Pat!
ReplyDeleteAllan.
As a 15 year old I walked into my local record store on may 3 1988 with several of my friends. We were all there to purchase Open up and say Ahh by Poison (which was massively popular at the time). Operation Mindcrime happened to come out the same day, I picked it up as an afterthought.
ReplyDeleteTo this day I still love the Queensryche album.
I have often had the same thoughts as you about how easily it could be turned into an adventure of some sort. Killing priests and nuns, drugs, sex,mind control, insanity! what more does a game need?
Awesome album. Played the hell out of it. Cheesy? Sure. But it tells a story all the way through and it's got some great guitar and drum riffs... If you've ever seen Queensryche do it LIVE you'd be blown away. I've seen it TWICE!
ReplyDeleteHave your head Mindcrime 2? It came out in 2006 and Queensryche has fallen even further doing a cabaret show with strippers and their wives/daughters posing in lingerie on stage as they play with a traveling circus. They objectified women which is the complete and utter opposite of the original Mindcrime concept and what the band stood for in the 80's and 90's.
ReplyDeleteI know it exists, but I haven't listened to it. As a rule, I never buy new albums by old bands, you can't put lightning back in a bottle.
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