[Massacci]

So I was going through the pages of Tobin's Spirit Guide in the GB:TVG strategy guide, organizing the various ghosts by class in order to gain an idea as to what kind of classification system the developers had established. I compared the information to the classification system already established by Ghostbusters International, and I found the results to be quite contradictory. Since the video game is considered "canon", I think it would be correct to construct a classification system based on the rules made by the game developers. Is there any way of obtaining this information? Has anyone tried this before?

[cowbybill]

If I remember there are a few folks that have done it. One thing you may want to consider when doing this is not only do you have TVG but you have the films,Sanctum of Slime, The Real Ghostbusters, Extreme Ghostbusters, The Comic Books and the Role Playing Game. Each one has classifications for ghosts, I know that AJ has some of the RPG text on the site.
I hope you're able to make sense of it all, it seems a duanting task to say the least.
Good luck and keep us updated on it I know I'd be interested in seeing it.

[Massacci]

As far as RGB and EGB goes I only use that for reference. I dont consider it canon. Is there a classification system in Sanctum of Slime?

[cowbybill]

As far as RGB and EGB goes I only use that for reference. I dont consider it canon. Is there a classification system in Sanctum of Slime?

Not sure I got bored with it in the sewer level and haven't played it since

[Darkness]

I'd be interested in what you come up with as well. As far as Sanctum of Slime, there doesn't seem to be a classification system that I've noticed other than red, yellow and blue ghosts and bosses.

[Fritz]

I'm probably the biggest cartoon fan on the board, and I don't use their system. It's barely even a system. It was basically a simple power scale, which led to the inevitable number inflation "We put a Class 10 in last week's episode, so this week we have to make the big bad a Class 11--because it's one louder!!!"

I've used the GBI system for a quarter century, and it works just fine for me. It's based more on the ghost's origin and characteristics than just their power (though there's a rough progression along those lines, it's not absolute.)

That being said, not having played the game or having much knowledge of what they said about ghost classification, I'll be interested in what you come up with.

[mrmichaelt]

I agree with Fritz, its not an absolute. I tend to think of it more as the foundation. Just like anything, ghosts change and so did the ghostbusting technology, so it's plausible the classification system gotten rewritten a few times in the GB universe.

For the team that did the Realistic Version, they did follow the GBI system but made a few mistakes (i.e. Pappy Sargassi should have changed to a Class IV. In a earlier permutation of the game, he was an unknown Class III and the team helped him solve his problem). I'd say the biggest error was the Possessor Ghosts and making them Class VII entities. Nothing else stood out as erroneous to me. But it didn't irk me as much as the Stylized Version's classifications but it does sorta come off like they were classifying entities like they appearing on RGB or something.

[TristanJones]

I'm very interested in hearing what people have to say on this. Ever since I started doing the Spirit Guide style art it had always bugged me what system to use. I was planning on writing a completely new one that would incorporate a lot of what's said in the shows and movies, but into separate categories -- Ghosts, Demons, Physical Entities, Deities, etc. -- so you wouldn't have a class 13 like Tenebraug being inconsistently more powerful than Gozer who's classed significantly lower.

[Massacci]

For the team that did the Realistic Version, they did follow the GBI system but made a few mistakes (i.e. Pappy Sargassi should have changed to a Class IV. In a earlier permutation of the game, he was an unknown Class III and the team helped him solve his problem). I'd say the biggest error was the Possessor Ghosts and making them Class VII entities. Nothing else stood out as erroneous to me.

They couldnt have followed the GBI system completely. Every single ghost or entity listed as class VI in game shouldnt be given that classification if we were following the GBI system. Thats what leads me to believe that the development team created their own system. UPDATE: Im at the very beginning of rewriting the classification system and Im pretty sure Ive discovered and corrected the errors in both the GBI system and the game. More soon.

[mrmichaelt]

For the team that did the Realistic Version, they did follow the GBI system but made a few mistakes (i.e. Pappy Sargassi should have changed to a Class IV. In a earlier permutation of the game, he was an unknown Class III and the team helped him solve his problem). I'd say the biggest error was the Possessor Ghosts and making them Class VII entities. Nothing else stood out as erroneous to me.

They couldnt have followed the GBI system completely. Every single ghost or entity listed as class VI in game shouldnt be given that classification if we were following the GBI system. Thats what leads me to believe that the development team created their own system. UPDATE: Im at the very beginning of rewriting the classification system and Im pretty sure Ive discovered and corrected the errors in both the GBI system and the game. More soon.

I see, like the zombie and the golems. I think skankerzero said they were going off the descriptions more than the class #'s. Cool, always looking forward to this type of material.

I'm very interested in hearing what people have to say on this. Ever since I started doing the Spirit Guide style art it had always bugged me what system to use. I was planning on writing a completely new one that would incorporate a lot of what's said in the shows and movies, but into separate categories -- Ghosts, Demons, Physical Entities, Deities, etc. -- so you wouldn't have a class 13 like Tenebraug being inconsistently more powerful than Gozer who's classed significantly lower.

Yeah, I settled on Ghosts, Corporeal, Unstable, and Deities/Supreme Beings like TVG but also think there are subcategories for some i.e. Demons would go under Deities/Supreme Beings (because some often stood in as gods like recently with Dumazu) and Vathek as a sub category of Ghosts with the trio from "Deadliners" or Moriarty, Sherlock, Watson, and the Hound from "Elementary, My Dear Winston" or Captain Steel etc.

Class 13 always irked me but I settled on the idea that Egon probably wrote his own classification system by 1997 like he did his own Spirit Guide.

[Massacci]

Ok. Ive finished my first draft of my version of the classification system. What Im going to do is post by class, and then take your thoughts and criticism on that class, then post the next one. CLASS I: Poltergeists. Minor spirits that take no form or shape of their own, but manifest themselves through interaction with the surrounding environment or the possession of inanimate objects. (I.E. strange sounds, lights switching on and off, floating chairs, dancing toasters, etc.) CLASS I also governs supernatural secretions and psycho kinetic occurences. (I.E. ectoplasmic residue, transdimensional portals, etc.)

[mrmichaelt]

Ok. Ive finished my first draft of my version of the classification system. What Im going to do is post by class, and then take your thoughts and criticism on that class, then post the next one. CLASS I: Poltergeists. Minor spirits that take no form or shape of their own, but manifest themselves through interaction with the surrounding environment or the possession of inanimate objects. (I.E. strange sounds, lights switching on and off, floating chairs, dancing toasters, etc.) CLASS I also governs supernatural secretions and psycho kinetic occurences. (I.E. ectoplasmic residue, transdimensional portals, etc.)

Great start! My only critique is using "Poltergeists" since different types of Poltergeists were fought in RGB such as in "Slimer, Come Home" and "Cry, Uncle" who were definitely not Class I's.

[Massacci]

Well as I stated before, Im not considering RGB or EGB as canon. Im only going by the films and the game as Im trying to establish the most realistic version of the classification system as possible. By realistic definition, poltergeist fits the description of CLASS I, in my opinion.

[mrmichaelt]

Well as I stated before, Im not considering RGB or EGB as canon. Im only going by the films and the game as Im trying to establish the most realistic version of the classification system as possible. By realistic definition, poltergeist fits the description of CLASS I, in my opinion.

Fair enough. I honestly can't think of anything else at the moment. Probably right after I sign out.

[Massacci]

This is where one of my major adjustments comes in. I didnt agree at all with the GBI system classifying lower life forms as CLASS VI, as it made no logical sense whatsoever, so I reassigned it to this classification. CLASS II: Spiritus Animailas. These spirits are primarily the imprint of a deceased animal life form. They often appear as ectoplasmic apparitions, but also have been known to possess simple objects and then force them into a rough copy of their original physical form.

[Darkness]

Hm, okay your Class I description looks pretty good considering your basis. Class II looks okay too. I know I'm kind of jumping the gun a little, but although you're not using RGB and EGB classifications as canon for this, will you be using certain entities like Marduk, Tiamat or Cathulhu?

[Massacci]

Any direct content that was in either RGB or EGB will not be represented in this classification system. I won't be mentioning any specific beings or entities except for broad generalizations used as examples. I'm aiming for the most realistic approach possible. I want to make the system seem like something a paranormal investigator could use in the real world as well as the Ghostbuster films and realistic video game.

[Massacci]

The next 3 classes Im going to post are virtually identical to the ones used in the RPG classification system. Ive only just reworded them to sound more professional and scientific. CLASS III: Homo Spiritus Identits Ignotus. Unidentified human ectoplasmic entities. Distinct human form and/or personality is evident, but former identity as a living person is not established. Class III entities can range from spectral appendages to full-bodied apparitions.

[Massacci]

I find it odd that several people claimed to be "very interested" in what I come up with in this thread, but don't bother to post again. Perhaps I'm just impatient.

[Fritz]

Lol...sorry. I just haven't come up with anything really worth saying yet.

[mrmichaelt]

I was avoiding the Internet on April 1st and have been distracted with news from WonderCon.

I don't agree with your Class II, as I think it is a class suited for minor entities i.e. whether it be incomplete manifestations such as ghost hands or minions like Spider Crawlers. Should still keep the incomplete manifestations (which I think you added to Class III?) there but I like the notion of adding the animal spirits. However, I think there should be a distinction between the entities that crudely imprint animal traits when they manifest such as with the Venom Crawlers and Candelabrum Crawlers versus ghosts of deceased animals. The latter being a higher class like III and IV.

Idk, I find myself disagreeing more and more on this topic it seems.

[cowbybill]

Sorry just wrapped up wondercon, I like what you have so far but as far as anything I can add my brain is too tired from the con right now. I'll reread it later on today and if I have any questions or something of value to add to the discussion I'll post it then.
Keep up the good work though!

[Fritz]

I did dig up some of my old notes I wrote about the GBI system. Let me paraphrase some of it:

--Remember that it's not a power scale. The Class VI seems to be the "odd one out" (but more on that in a moment) but remember, Slimer would be a Class V, Vigo would be a Class IV (I'm just not sure he's quite enough to be upgraded to Class VII, though if he'd taken over the world he sure would be). Vigo is a lot more powerful than Slimer.

You can actually break down the first six classes into groupings of two:

--Class I and II are indistinct/incomplete. Their prior nature can be difficult to ascertain. You can almost think of them as fractions of Class III-VI ghosts.

--Class III and IV are ghosts of humans. The only real difference is that you know who a Class IV used to be. I admit this seems a bit odd to base the difference on, but knowing a ghost's pre-death identity means you have access to more information about it, and thus clues on how to deal with it. Again, the power level is meaningless here--it's easy to imagine a Class III being more powerful than many Class IVs.

--Class V and VI are non-human. V is unidentified, possibly totally extradimensional. VI is the ghost of an identified non-human life form. In some ways, you could say the real "difference" is the same as III and IV--you know what a Class VI used to be, while with V you do not.

--VII of course is the "super" class, Metaspectres, powerful entities usually of extradimensional origin. In a way, it's a catch-all--Class VIIs could have traits similar to a Class III-VI entity, but in this case it IS a power assessment. An inhuman entity who eats everything and slimes you is a Class V. An inhuman entity that can sneeze and turn Cleveland into charcoal is a Class VII.

I guess it's mostly a non-sequitur, but I thought I'd put that out here.

[Massacci]

Allow me to explain my reasoning behind the adjustments Ive made. I reassigned animal spirits to Class II because animals are considered lower life forms. Therefore it would only be logical to assume that animal ghosts would be of a lower class than those of humans. I understand why you would think that Class VI still seems to be in the right place, but the previous Class V governs ghosts of neither human nor animal form, so in my opinion it doesnt belong in that category at all. Thats why I reassigned Class VI as monsters. I will post the description for that class when I am finished with the previous 2. As for the "incomplete" ghosts (I.E. hands, lips, etc.) they are still parts of a HUMAN form. Just because the apparition is not complete does not mean it is not a human presence. Thats why I added that to Class III.

[Soul_Wrangler]

I did dig up some of my old notes I wrote about the GBI system. Let me paraphrase some of it:

--Remember that it's not a power scale. The Class VI seems to be the "odd one out" (but more on that in a moment) but remember, Slimer would be a Class V, Vigo would be a Class IV (I'm just not sure he's quite enough to be upgraded to Class VII, though if he'd taken over the world he sure would be). Vigo is a lot more powerful than Slimer.

You can actually break down the first six classes into groupings of two:

--Class I and II are indistinct/incomplete. Their prior nature can be difficult to ascertain. You can almost think of them as fractions of Class III-VI ghosts.

--Class III and IV are ghosts of humans. The only real difference is that you know who a Class IV used to be. I admit this seems a bit odd to base the difference on, but knowing a ghost's pre-death identity means you have access to more information about it, and thus clues on how to deal with it. Again, the power level is meaningless here--it's easy to imagine a Class III being more powerful than many Class IVs.

--Class V and VI are non-human. V is unidentified, possibly totally extradimensional. VI is the ghost of an identified non-human life form. In some ways, you could say the real "difference" is the same as III and IV--you know what a Class VI used to be, while with V you do not.

--VII of course is the "super" class, Metaspectres, powerful entities usually of extradimensional origin. In a way, it's a catch-all--Class VIIs could have traits similar to a Class III-VI entity, but in this case it IS a power assessment. An inhuman entity who eats everything and slimes you is a Class V. An inhuman entity that can sneeze and turn Cleveland into charcoal is a Class VII.

I guess it's mostly a non-sequitur, but I thought I'd put that out here.

Honestly, no matter what, this is probably the most "Ghostbusters" sounding explanation of the class system. Completely makes sense.

[Massacci]

It's been a long while since I've posted regarding this, and I am still fine tuning it, as well as working on a "Psychokinetic Spectrum" based off of NASA's Electromagnetic Spectrum and my own ghost classification system. I'm developing this in hopes of completing a Ghostbusters Field Manual that will detail the science fiction behind the ghosts of Ghostbusters and the equipment used to detect and entrap them. This will be a compilation of ideas that have been researched here in this community as well as my own. Also, Tristan if you happen to read this, I know you have expressed interest in this before, and I've been attempting to contact you to share ideas in hopes of establishing an official system of sorts, if you haven't already made one yourself in the comics.