I always wondered why the EGB's had the rucksack part of their proton packs, as the proton cannisters they use plug into the ‘gun’ part. The only reason I can see for the rucksack is to carry spare proton cannisters, and to keep the general Ghostbusters look.

I haven't seen all the EGB episodes, so I don't know whether they explain it in one of the episodes.

Anyone know?

I always wondered why the EGB packs devolved into using an ammo system.

Dr.D;157404
I always wondered why the EGB packs devolved into using an ammo system.

To make story lines a little more interesting I guess? There were a few episodes where they ran out of ammo and had to construct some way out of the problem no?

To make the equipment less practical is more like it. (*janine)

The cartridge ammo was one of the things about the new equipment that made me dislike it. It's like they had to invent this system to add more drama, when the non-cartridge-based system had had plenty of moments where it'd stopped working when the plot dictated it.

Not sure, but I think it was to avoid the pack from overheating and possibly exploding which happened a couple of times in RGB.

The new packs had a higher output, which means that they probably had a much larger consumption rate. Interchangeable power cells makes sense in that regard (story benefits aside).

Despite their appearance, I don't believe that the line of yellow canisters on the back of the packs were spare power cells… because it doesn't explain how the XGBs were always running their batteries dry with one bust… when 50% of their pack seemed to be spare power cells. Nor does it explain the extra power cells that are often shown being clipped to the bottom rail of the packs (overkill?).(*winston)

My personal theory, it was a design element that either through miscommunication, or just plain laziness, never got carried on into the finished series with the exception of the intro sequence.

I'm even inclined to believe that the intro sequence was done by a different studio, based on the higher quality of animation.

Zombie;157411
Not sure, but I think it was to avoid the pack from overheating and possibly exploding which happened a couple of times in RGB.

That sounds like the best answer, and come to think of it, did the packs ever overheat in Extreme Ghostbusters?

Anyways, it makes the packs safer is my guess, which while not making more stories is a more practical reason.

So I'm guessing then that the packs are more like the engine that amplifies the stream and focuses it.

devilmanozzy;157423
That sounds like the best answer, and come to think of it, did the packs ever overheat in Extreme Ghostbusters?

Anyways, it makes the packs safer is my guess, which while not making more stories is a more practical reason.

So I'm guessing then that the packs are more like the engine that amplifies the stream and focuses it.

I also think it was a plot device… Having unlimited ammo (like the original packs) made it harder to write episodes… Think about it, how many episodes of RGB are they separated from their packs or they are disabled or they need to be re calibrated or yadda yadda yadda? A whole hell of a lot! Having a piece of equipment that makes up the entire basis of the show (ie ghostbusting) with an infinite power supply makes it harder and harder to write new episodes. Imagine being a writer and you had to live with this reality… Every episode of RGB would just be the GB's going to catch a ghost, they get there, and catch the ghost. That would lose interest pretty fast. They kept having to invent ways to keep the stories fresh by separating the GBs from their equipment.

It's like the original Star Trek… They had this amazing technology like phasers and communicators and matter transporters which could get them out of ANY situation imaginable… Yet every episode, they beam down to a planet, get in to trouble, and magically none of their equipment works anymore.

Designing proton packs that required “ammo” just meant the writers had one more device to complicate the basic structure of ghostbusting.

Because of this reason, I always thought it was funny how they were forced to reconcile the differences between the old packs and the new ones in “Back in the Saddle”. I think they really struggled to explain why the old packs (which had unlimited power) were inferior to the new ones, eventho they were used to bust ghosts in that episode…

StayinPuft;157426
I also think it was a plot device… Having unlimited ammo (like the original packs) made it harder to write episodes… Think about it, how many episodes of RGB are they separated from their packs or they are disabled or they need to be re calibrated or yadda yadda yadda? A whole hell of a lot! Having a piece of equipment that makes up the entire basis of the show (ie ghostbusting) with an infinite power supply makes it harder and harder to write new episodes. Imagine being a writer and you had to live with this reality… Every episode of RGB would just be the GB's going to catch a ghost, they get there, and catch the ghost. That would lose interest pretty fast. They kept having to invent ways to keep the stories fresh by separating the GBs from their equipment.

It's like the original Star Trek… They had this amazing technology like phasers and communicators and matter transporters which could get them out of ANY situation imaginable… Yet every episode, they beam down to a planet, get in to trouble, and magically none of their equipment works anymore.

Designing proton packs that required “ammo” just meant the writers had one more device to complicate the basic structure of ghostbusting.

Because of this reason, I always thought it was funny how they were forced to reconcile the differences between the old packs and the new ones in “Back in the Saddle”. I think they really struggled to explain why the old packs (which had unlimited power) were inferior to the new ones, eventho they were used to bust ghosts in that episode…

Nope about the part about unlimited power thing. Remember “Halloweens Door”?