Ghost Master
Encyclopedia
Ghost Master is a puzzle/strategy
game for the PC
. It is among a small selection of games, for more see below, that put the player in the role of the enemy
. In this case, the player assumes the role of a Ghost Master, a bureaucratic spirit
tasked to perform certain duties. While the bulk of a Ghost Master's duties consist of hauntings, a Ghost Master may also be "called in" to increase belief in the supernatural
, avenge death
s, and conscript renegade ghost
s. Because a Ghost Master cannot directly interfere in the world of mortals, he is given a team of subordinate ghosts to do so. When not haunting, the Ghost Master is responsible for the training of the ghosts under his command.
The game was later published on Mac OS X
by Feral Interactive
.
or succumb to madness
. Ghost Master plays similarly to a real-time strategy
game. The player first chooses the ghosts he wants to field in the level.
The player cannot field every ghost in every place. Each ghost has one or two types of objects (or "fetters") it can be bound to. For example, a ghost who died during a robbery
could only be bound to a "Murder Fetter," whereas a water spirit
can only be bound to a bath
, sink
, or a simple puddle of water
.
Another limiting factor is "Plasm
". This numerical resource dictates which abilities a ghost can use. As a human becomes frightened, Plasm is generated. With more Plasm, stronger abilities (and more ghosts) can be fielded at any one time.
Once the objective(s) for a level has been completed, the game rates the player's progress. Many factors are considered, including time, amount of impact on the mortals, and how many mortals fled. If the player is able to complete the mission fairly quickly, there is a multiplier
added to the final score. This score determines the amount of "Gold Plasm" given to the player, which is used to add more skills to ghosts.
The game ends with a cliffhanger, with the Ghostbreakers
bringing in a bomb
that would completely erase supernatural presence in the city where the game takes place. Because of the lack of a sequel, a bonus level was released for fans, which provided some closure. However, the bonus level is only available for the UK
version of the game and was not released for the US
version.
The bonus level is included in the Steam and Good Old Games release of the game.
have a belief level, which partially determines the effectiveness of a ghost's powers upon them. The belief bar is raised slightly with every scare, and particular powers are able to raise belief better than others. Every mortal also has conscious and subconscious
fears which are linked to certain ghost's powers. Scaring a mortal with a power that appeals to their fear is particularly effective on him or her. These are usually unknown at the beginning of each level, but some ghosts have the ability to expose these fears.
Mortals also have a terror level and a madness level, with certain limits to each. When a human's terror bar is raised to a certain level, he/she flees, this is the objective of most of the in-game levels. The madness bar is filled only by the use of certain powers. When a mortal's madness bar reaches a certain point, they go insane, which is visible in that they now just roam the area of the scenario in a frenzy and are unable to be scared or maddened any more. The fear bar reduces as time progresses in the game, but the belief and madness bars do not.
Somewhere between average humans and ghosts are priest
s, witches, and mediums
. These humans have the ability to banish your ghosts that are fielded. Banished ghosts are no longer usable during that level, and are returned after the mission is complete. Also, a large score penalty is levied on players who allow ghosts to be banished.
Ghostbreakers are the most dangerous mortals, from a supernatural perspective. They are able to detect and banish ghosts at a much faster speed than the other "special" mortals mentioned previously. They are also able to field special wards, which prevent the player from fielding, or benching, ghosts trapped underneath them. Only if the electrical generator
s are destroyed do the wards fail.
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
game for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. It is among a small selection of games, for more see below, that put the player in the role of the enemy
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
. In this case, the player assumes the role of a Ghost Master, a bureaucratic spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
tasked to perform certain duties. While the bulk of a Ghost Master's duties consist of hauntings, a Ghost Master may also be "called in" to increase belief in the supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
, avenge death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
s, and conscript renegade ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s. Because a Ghost Master cannot directly interfere in the world of mortals, he is given a team of subordinate ghosts to do so. When not haunting, the Ghost Master is responsible for the training of the ghosts under his command.
The game was later published on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
by Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive is a publishing company founded in 1999 that publishes games and other software that did not fit in with the release programs of the large established publishers. It publishes Macintosh games and has relationships with publishers such as Electronic Arts, Eidos Interactive,...
.
Gameplay
In all but a few levels of Ghost Master, the goal of the game is to cause all mortals to flee the area in fearFear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
or succumb to madness
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
. Ghost Master plays similarly to a real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game. The player first chooses the ghosts he wants to field in the level.
The player cannot field every ghost in every place. Each ghost has one or two types of objects (or "fetters") it can be bound to. For example, a ghost who died during a robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
could only be bound to a "Murder Fetter," whereas a water spirit
Water spirit
Water Spirits occur in many cultures and mythologies:In West African and African Diaspora religious traditions:* Mami Wata is a transcultural pantheon of water spirits and deities of the African diaspora...
can only be bound to a bath
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
, sink
Sink
A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
, or a simple puddle of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
.
Another limiting factor is "Plasm
Ectoplasm (paranormal)
Ectoplasm is a term coined by Charles Richet to denote a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums...
". This numerical resource dictates which abilities a ghost can use. As a human becomes frightened, Plasm is generated. With more Plasm, stronger abilities (and more ghosts) can be fielded at any one time.
Once the objective(s) for a level has been completed, the game rates the player's progress. Many factors are considered, including time, amount of impact on the mortals, and how many mortals fled. If the player is able to complete the mission fairly quickly, there is a multiplier
Multiplier
The term multiplier may refer to:In electrical engineering:* Binary multiplier, a digital circuit to perform rapid multiplication of two numbers in binary representation* Analog multiplier, a device that multiplies two analog signals...
added to the final score. This score determines the amount of "Gold Plasm" given to the player, which is used to add more skills to ghosts.
The game ends with a cliffhanger, with the Ghostbreakers
Ghost hunting
Ghost Hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts.Typically, a ghost hunting team will attempt to collect evidence claimed to be supportive of paranormal activity...
bringing in a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
that would completely erase supernatural presence in the city where the game takes place. Because of the lack of a sequel, a bonus level was released for fans, which provided some closure. However, the bonus level is only available for the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version of the game and was not released for the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version.
The bonus level is included in the Steam and Good Old Games release of the game.
Restless spirits
Each level also includes various "restless spirits," haunters who are bound to a particular fetter or location. Each restless spirit has a unique way to be "laid to rest" and by completing this optional objective, the ghost permanently joins the Ghost Master, and is able to be used in subsequent scenarios.Mortal defenses and abilities
All mortalsHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
have a belief level, which partially determines the effectiveness of a ghost's powers upon them. The belief bar is raised slightly with every scare, and particular powers are able to raise belief better than others. Every mortal also has conscious and subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
fears which are linked to certain ghost's powers. Scaring a mortal with a power that appeals to their fear is particularly effective on him or her. These are usually unknown at the beginning of each level, but some ghosts have the ability to expose these fears.
Mortals also have a terror level and a madness level, with certain limits to each. When a human's terror bar is raised to a certain level, he/she flees, this is the objective of most of the in-game levels. The madness bar is filled only by the use of certain powers. When a mortal's madness bar reaches a certain point, they go insane, which is visible in that they now just roam the area of the scenario in a frenzy and are unable to be scared or maddened any more. The fear bar reduces as time progresses in the game, but the belief and madness bars do not.
Somewhere between average humans and ghosts are priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s, witches, and mediums
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
. These humans have the ability to banish your ghosts that are fielded. Banished ghosts are no longer usable during that level, and are returned after the mission is complete. Also, a large score penalty is levied on players who allow ghosts to be banished.
Ghostbreakers are the most dangerous mortals, from a supernatural perspective. They are able to detect and banish ghosts at a much faster speed than the other "special" mortals mentioned previously. They are also able to field special wards, which prevent the player from fielding, or benching, ghosts trapped underneath them. Only if the electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s are destroyed do the wards fail.
See Also
- Dungeon KeeperDungeon KeeperDungeon Keeper is a strategy video game released developed by Bullfrog Productions under Peter Molyneux and released by Electronic Arts in July 1997 for the PC in which the player attempts to build and manage a dungeon or lair while protecting it from 'hero' characters intent on stealing the...
and Dungeon Keeper 2Dungeon Keeper 2Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. It was released in Europe and North America in June 1999. It was the sequel to Peter Molyneux's Dungeon Keeper and predecessor to the canceled Dungeon Keeper 3...
- Games which put you in charge of hellish creatures. - Evil Genius (video game) - A game where you control an evil genius who's bent on world domination.