Ranma versus mana versus ki/Ranma 1/2 versus MSL Nanoha

[Crescent Pulsar R]

Either way, it still seems more trouble than it's worth to work in as an explanation. Going with black hair, as it is in the manga, would make things simpler... But I like the red hair too much. ^^;

Well, at least I've got the general framework of the story decided, now. I don't know when I'll get to writing it, though. I'm currently working on one of the three other stories that I'm prioritizing.

[Muramasa]

I think I'm going to bow out of this. You seem dead set on using this plot device regardless of what I say, so there's no real point to me arguing it further.

Before I go, I will leave a few more points behind though.

1. About exotic eye and hair color indicating magical ancestry: The first episode of the very first season on Nanoha debunks this HARD. In particular take a look at the scene showing the inside of the Midoriya Cafe. The hair colors in that one shop are all over the rainbow.

2. About Deus Ex Machina: Jusenkyo would be a literal gold mine for the TSAB. You have a cursed spring that can provide normal people the ability to use magic and it costs you NOTHING. There's no limit as to how many times you can use one pool so effectively you can create infinite Mages out of whatever many normal recruits the TSAB can get their hands on. When applied to Nanoha-verse Jusenkyo is a game breaker. Completely an utterly broken. And it's canon. Effectively this makes discovering Ranma just a passing interest. The real prize would be Jusenkyo.


And that's it. Feel free to utilize or ignore both points. It is after all, your story and you can do what you want with it.

[Spokavriel]

So your saying Ranma's universe has to be neutered to have anything to do with Nanoha? You do know that there are many indications that you can't exactly treat Jusenkyo as a safe entity. Its not just water that changes people. There is more to it and there are many ways it could work to disadvantages. Like you pointed out with flying. An enemy that knows hot water would likely reduce the number of mages on a battlefield would really have things easy.

I think you wouldn't be arguing even 1/10 as hard if you had more time with Ranma 1/2. Sure there are some good points on both sides but really without Jusenkyo there Is No Ranma-verse. People have done stories where the springs don't actually change anyone. While they are cute and all they are also clearly following drastically OOC character developments.

[Pale Wolf]

Jusenkyo would be a literal gold mine for the TSAB. You have a cursed spring that can provide normal people the ability to use magic and it costs you NOTHING. There's no limit as to how many times you can use one pool so effectively you can create infinite Mages out of whatever many normal recruits the TSAB can get their hands on. When applied to Nanoha-verse Jusenkyo is a game breaker. Completely an utterly broken. And it's canon. Effectively this makes discovering Ranma just a passing interest. The real prize would be Jusenkyo.

Well... not really.

The TSA doesn't lack mages. They're common as piss out on Midchilda and the various worlds they recruit from.

What they can be said to lack, if anything, is skilled, powerful mages, and if Jusenkyo's lower than or equal to their military average, then they'll get absolutely no use out of it, except as therapy for the people with lower base magical strength, or none, who still want to sign up for military service.

And even to get that, they'll have to commit a gross territorial violation of a sovereign nation of Earth, which can and likely would lead to a war. Against the entire planet - how well, exactly, do you think any nation on Earth would take the idea of the TSA waltzing in and laying claim to another country's territory? For that matter, how well do you think any non-administrated state would take the idea? The TSA would risk annihilation if they tried to lay claim to Jusenkyo, and they'd deserve it.

[Crescent Pulsar R]

Say, the TSA probably wouldn't want to get involved with Earth until they cease creating and being ready to use nuclear weapons and such, right?

1. About exotic eye and hair color indicating magical ancestry: The first episode of the very first season on Nanoha debunks this HARD. In particular take a look at the scene showing the inside of the Midoriya Cafe. The hair colors in that one shop are all over the rainbow.

I wasn't saying that exotic hair and eye color was due to magical ancestry. In fact, in one of my observations (assuming that he doesn't have a linker core as a guy) I pretty much spelled out how unlikely it is for him to have gotten a linker core from his parents as a girl. The rest points out why it is unusual for Ranma to have red hair and blue eyes, as far as his native universe (Ranma 1/2) is concerned. Basically, if Jusenkyo is going to be the source behind him having a linker core as a girl, either directly or indirectly, then it'd be nice to have an indicator to explain the unusual hair color and such. After all, the nyanniichuan spring only guarantees what age (young), gender (female) and species (human) something will become. We can't be sure that racial traits are guaranteed since animals have no basis for them when they're changed, which means that the spring is capable of assuming such traits. This is not an issue in the manga canon, since Ranma continues to have black hair, but that is not the case for the anime.

2. About Deus Ex Machina: Jusenkyo would be a literal gold mine for the TSAB. You have a cursed spring that can provide normal people the ability to use magic and it costs you NOTHING. There's no limit as to how many times you can use one pool so effectively you can create infinite Mages out of whatever many normal recruits the TSAB can get their hands on. When applied to Nanoha-verse Jusenkyo is a game breaker. Completely an utterly broken. And it's canon. Effectively this makes discovering Ranma just a passing interest. The real prize would be Jusenkyo.

I'm not worried about that since I'm not going to go with a spring that guarantees a linker core. It's just going to be a new body with a new chance, and Ranma gets lucky. Possibly because the chances are raised, due to how the body is created.

[Muramasa]

I don't even know why I'm still arguing this... Okay, maybe I do. I'm bored and there's nothing new to read right now...

So your saying Ranma's universe has to be neutered to have anything to do with Nanoha? You do know that there are many indications that you can't exactly treat Jusenkyo as a safe entity. Its not just water that changes people. There is more to it and there are many ways it could work to disadvantages. Like you pointed out with flying. An enemy that knows hot water would likely reduce the number of mages on a battlefield would really have things easy.

Well I probably should have posted it earlier but you could have it so that there are ways to avoid the water trigger. Like for instance make it so a barrier jacket acts as a pseudo water shield. It would effectively make the curse temporarily locked for as long as the barrier jacket is activated, but that was before Crescent announced Ranma would eventually gain control of his curse so it's a moot point.

I think you wouldn't be arguing even 1/10 as hard if you had more time with Ranma 1/2. Sure there are some good points on both sides but really without Jusenkyo there Is No Ranma-verse. People have done stories where the springs don't actually change anyone. While they are cute and all they are also clearly following drastically OOC character developments.

I argue as hard as I do because I'm still under the impression that this is supposed to be a serious Ranma/Nanoha cross. And it bothers me when a serious story is trying to get away with flimsy, barely explainable plot mechanics. Now if this is actually supposed to be just a light hearted romp or just a bunch of Ranma-chan antics in a Nanoha-verse setting then yeah I'm probably overreacting.

Well... not really.

The TSA doesn't lack mages. They're common as piss out on Midchilda and the various worlds they recruit from.

What they can be said to lack, if anything, is skilled, powerful mages, and if Jusenkyo's lower than or equal to their military average, then they'll get absolutely no use out of it, except as therapy for the people with lower base magical strength, or none, who still want to sign up for military service.

Note that Crescent Pulsar had intended for Ranma to be at least an A rank mage (the minimum required for flight). Since Ranma had zero magical potential before Jusenkyo than the power base is not an issue.

And even to get that, they'll have to commit a gross territorial violation of a sovereign nation of Earth, which can and likely would lead to a war. Against the entire planet - how well, exactly, do you think any nation on Earth would take the idea of the TSA waltzing in and laying claim to another country's territory? For that matter, how well do you think any non-administrated state would take the idea? The TSA would risk annihilation if they tried to lay claim to Jusenkyo, and they'd deserve it.

A couple of things:

1. It's highly unlikely any government knows the slightest thing about Jusenkyo. And if the governments are going to claim sovereignty, then the same could very well apply to the Amazons, the Phoenix and the Musk who have all claimed territory as their own.

2. The TSAB has no issue with interfering with Earth affairs. They did it with the Jewel Seed Incident. They did with the Book of Darkness incident and they can certainly do it with Jusenkyo. And if the fanon argument 'that the TSAB actually has government contacts on Earth' turns out to be false then they are really good at operating covertly.

3. Comartemis is much more qualified to explain this than I am but it's safe to say that a war between the TSAB and Earth would go REALLY, REALLY BADLY for Earth. Conventional weapons are useless against TSAB barrier jackets as of the Sound Stages. I also think I read somewhere in one of the mangas that they're made to handle radiation too so the use of nuclear weapons would be much more harmful to Earths nations than the TSAB. Yeah, the TSAB could be hurt on a political standpoint but that's about it.

I wasn't saying that exotic hair and eye color was due to magical ancestry. In fact, in one of my observations (assuming that he doesn't have a linker core as a guy) I pretty much spelled out how unlikely it is for him to have gotten a linker core from his parents as a girl. The rest points out why it is unusual for Ranma to have red hair and blue eyes, as far as his native universe (Ranma 1/2) is concerned. Basically, if Jusenkyo is going to be the source behind him having a linker core as a girl, either directly or indirectly, then it'd be nice to have an indicator to explain the unusual hair color and such. After all, the nyanniichuan spring only guarantees what age (young), gender (female) and species (human) something will become. We can't be sure that racial traits are guaranteed since animals have no basis for them when they're changed, which means that the spring is capable of assuming such traits. This is not an issue in the manga canon, since Ranma continues to have black hair, but that is not the case for the anime.

So basically were back to arguing speculation. The fantastic explanation versus the mundane. Neither can be proven or disproven which is why it's irrelevant.

I'm not worried about that since I'm not going to go with a spring that guarantees a linker core. It's just going to be a new body with a new chance, and Ranma gets lucky. Possibly because the chances are raised, due to how the body is created.

Then what was the whole point of explaining that Earth Mages are rare and Ranma being not special for not possessing a core when you're going to give him one by random chance anyway?

Ugh... I'm sorry, but IMO this is just bad writing.

[Wyrd]

Since Ranma had zero magical potential before Jusenkyo than the power base is not an issue.

Demonstrated zero magical power. Since apparently you have to either be scanned or trained to even determine if you have the potential to do magic, I wouldn't consider it much of a stretch to say that Ranma always had the potential and just never knew how to use it. As for Jusenkyo as an explanation: Genma could come up with that one to explain why he missed out on all of the opportunities to make Ranma a stronger fighter by getting him trained in magic. Of course he didn't realize that Ranma had suddenly picked up magical abilities when he got cursed. It had nothing to do with the fact that most Earth mages are monks and would be able to read enough of Genma's aura to not even let him in the door...

A funny possible scene for getting this started: Ranma, fed up with another plot by Gosunkugi to curse him, grabs one of his spell books, reads off the basic directions, and they work. If you are going with the idea that only certain people even have linker cores, then Gosunkugi just doesn't, so no matter how hard he tries he never gets magic to work even though he has accurate texts. I prefer the explanation that everyone has a linker core, it is just that most people's(on Earth) aren't strong enough to light a match, and Gosunkugi is a rank Z mage, so low that any lower and he wouldn't have enough magic to sustain his own life.

[Crescent Pulsar R]

I don't even know why I'm still arguing this... Okay, maybe I do. I'm bored and there's nothing new to read right now...

I find myself in this position more often than I'd like to admit. XD;;

So basically were back to arguing speculation. The fantastic explanation versus the mundane. Neither can be proven or disproven which is why it's irrelevant.

It's odds plus speculation. And so long as that which is speculated has enough weight to be accepted/believed by an audience, it can be relevant, not irrelevant on the basis of it being speculation.

Then what was the whole point of explaining that Earth Mages are rare and Ranma being not special for not possessing a core when you're going to give him one by random chance anyway?

Ugh... I'm sorry, but IMO this is just bad writing.

What, you forgot already? Because I want him to spend some time as a girl, of course!

Besides, like I said before, there's enough reason for him to not be born with a linker core (being that it's a rarity on Earth), and bad writing might overlook or ignore something like that. I'm not a good writer, and I'll never claim to be one, but a better-than-bad writer would notice when there's an opportunity to start a character as "ordinary" in its given context and make them "special" later on. Because, normally, people with linker cores are born with them, and they also don't normally attain a second body with which to have another chance of having one. As far as I'm aware, I'm observing both universes without contradiction, and that makes it pretty standard writing.

I feel like I'm experiencing number two and three of Ozzallos' fanfiction failure metarules. As if wanting to have Ranma be a girl, even with a thought-out and believable basis, is somehow criminal and betrays both Ranma 1/2 and MSLN. Even though all of my considerations are to accomplish anything but.

[Muramasa]

I feel like I'm experiencing number two and three of Ozzallos' fanfiction failure metarules. As if wanting to have Ranma be a girl, even with a thought-out and believable basis, is somehow criminal and betrays both Ranma 1/2 and MSLN. Even though all of my considerations are to accomplish anything but.

Well now you've done it. You invoked the great and powerful Ozz against me.


But in all seriousness, you offered that plot point as something to be critiqued. And sure enough, I criticized it. If you were only using Ranma-verse mechanics in your fic, there would be no problem since Ranma 1/2 is the very definition of random. However with the addition of Nanoha-verse, magic becomes something that's just a bit more complicated than the simplicity of Ranma-verse.

Ranma-verse style rules have the annoying habit of being consistently inconsistent. Therefore you can make up whatever you want, do whatever you want and no one will bat an eye to it. That's part and partial why I differ to the crossover series with a more cohesive set up. So when you say 'I have a thought-out and believable basis' that may be true from a Ranma-verse standpoint but in all honesty, that's not all that difficult to do.

I think my approach is the exact opposite of yours. Where I try to have Ranma-verse conform the Nanoha-style rules, you want Nanoha-verse to be less restricted and something closer to canon Ranma and I think that's were we started butting heads.

Well, in any case I'm going to say it again since you don't seem all that convinced: I have nothing against you writing a Ranma-chan story. Heck, I'm a fan of Ozz myself. He has quite a number of stories I enjoy very much.

What bothered me was your method from getting from point A to point B. Point B being Ranma has to rely on his girl form in order to cast magic. In a serious crossover (remember I'm thinking more on terms with Nanoha-verse than Ranma-verse) there's usually an in-universe reason why things are the way they are. X happened, so Y has to happen next to get to point Z.

As far as Ranma-verse is concerned, X = Z and that's all you need to know.

And that's what it is, it's this simplicity in a complex universe that does not mesh well for me. That's why I wanted your plot device to work better with the more serious universe. That's were the problem comes in. If it was a musical piece, it would be like taking Mozart's requiem and somehow fitting the happy birthday song into it. They're both good in there own areas but together, it doesn't fit.

[Crescent Pulsar R]

Okay, now you're just confusing me. What it sounds like you're saying is that the plot device isn't good because of the plot device itself. Just for existing. Because I didn't see anything about what leads point A to point B being the problem. Unless it was by intimation, but I'd disagree in either case. I think there's enough of a basis for it:

A: Ranma is a martial artist that has a curse that changes him into a girl, and there's an all too common theme where he ends up having to be a girl to learn and compete as a martial artist (Ranma 1/2 fact) = it's normal for Ranma to be in situations where he has to be a girl in order to do one thing or another.

B1: mages are rare on Earth (MSLN fact) = Ranma has a low chance to be born with this ability; result: he's not.

B2: Ranma was not shown to be a mage (Ranma 1/2 fact) = we now have a definite explanation for why he has never encountered anyone on his training trip that could have recognized and thus told him of his magical aptitude for most of his life (prior to being cursed), which ties into the result of B1.

B3: there are multiple systems of magic, all of which are capable of producing various effects -- which includes shapeshifting (MSLN fact) = we can not automatically assume that the way the magic of Jusenkyo works is impossible, much less unexplainable or incompatible with either universe.

B4: there's nothing that says a new body, made by Jusenkyo's magic, can't come with another chance of having a linker core/magical aptitude (Ranma 1/2 & (to my knowledge) MSLN fact) = Ranma has a chance to use magic as a girl; result: she does.

B5: it's common for Ranma to, of his own free will, use his female form to accomplish something, such as trickery for fun, spite or battle, or charm to get free/extra food/treats (Ranma 1/2 fact) = magic has many more potential new uses, so I don't see why he wouldn't mind being a girl to take advantage of it; especially if he can incorporate it into a fighting form. This ties in with A.

C: B1-B5 does not appear to contradict anything from Ranma 1/2 or MSLN = Ranma spending some time as a girl to learn magic. Weeee~

I honestly don't know if a single, minor idea can be any more developed than that and be asking for too much. It's one thing to criticize, but to me it seems more unreasonable than anything.

Aside from that, inconsistencies in a universe's mechanics can be a writer's boon in crossover fanfiction. If you can pick and choose whatever you want, then you can pick the one that best fits with whatever universe you're crossing it over with. Besides, magic is never delved into and explained in Ranma 1/2 so, of course, on the surface, it seems simple in form and random in function. However, Earth, in the Ranma 1/2 universe, has an obvious magical history, considering some of the unusual things and places illustrated, as well as all of the magical objects seen. Really, I don't see why no one can explore how the (potentially) dead and gone mages of Earth used magic differently, thus fitting it in with the MSLN universe.

In the end, I don't see any real problem or difficulty in crossing these two universes over. Perhaps it's because I'm approaching this from impartial angles, because it sounds like, to me, that you're treating Ranma 1/2 as if it isn't good enough for MSLN, and it has to be the only universe to conform and answer for its perceived "shortcomings." I just see them as being different, and I've thought of many more ways that they go well together than I have otherwise. This whole simplicity and complexity thing never even occurred to me as an issue, and I still don't see why or how it could be one.

Well now you've done it. You invoked the great and powerful Ozz against me.

Well, I happened to be browsing his profile and, since the thought occurred to me, I figured it wouldn't hurt to do it once.




Anyway, I happened across something else that I'd like to explore, that's relevant to the whole ki and mana discussion between the two universes: the chakras. I was reading that "mark of the battling god" story again, where the old man says that one's power comes from one's abdomen, and that it's important for martial artists to focus their chi/ki there. That's where one of the chakra points is, I believe. So, I thought, what if the linker core was the heart chakra? Perhaps the source of energy is all the same, but the output is different depending on the filter? And that's why they may have both similar and different uses and effects? Kind of like being light, except being a different color.

[Pale Wolf]

2. The TSAB has no issue with interfering with Earth affairs. They did it with the Jewel Seed Incident. They did with the Book of Darkness incident and they can certainly do it with Jusenkyo. And if the fanon argument 'that the TSAB actually has government contacts on Earth' turns out to be false then they are really good at operating covertly.

That is... not interfering with Earth affairs. That is interfering with TSAB affairs that have spread to Earth - cleaning up their own mess. Not interfering in a sovereign nation.

And, going by the 'has government contacts on Earth' fanon, doing so, most likely, with the explicit permission of the government (the Hallaouns maintained a legal identity on Earth for a decade - that kind of shit would get noticed if they didn't have permission).

3. Comartemis is much more qualified to explain this than I am but it's safe to say that a war between the TSAB and Earth would go REALLY, REALLY BADLY for Earth. Conventional weapons are useless against TSAB barrier jackets as of the Sound Stages.

Not quite. We know that Subaru - note, probably the single toughest character in the Nanoha universe - sucked up a shot from what has been described as a 'howitzer', or a 'cannon'. Actual degree of weapon power, unknown - is it equivalent to modern military 155mm howitzers? Was the Mariage general simply talking in overblown terms? That's unknown.

But, let's say it is 100% accurate - a Paladin-equivalent howitzer shell, hitting the single toughest character in the Nanohaverse. It didn't kill her, and that's goddamn spectacular for Subaru. But what you seem to be missing is that it did enough damage to expose her mechanical internals, Ixpellia noticed said internals and they were talking about it two minutes later. One more shot probably would have killed her, the 'shell' was already cracked.

That's hardly 'useless'. It's spectacularly resistant, but being resistant is not being immune. And there are many, many more powerful weapons than howitzers out there.

You are right that a war would likely go badly for Earth... but they would be the good guys in such a war.

I also think I read somewhere in one of the mangas that they're made to handle radiation too so the use of nuclear weapons would be much more harmful to Earths nations than the TSAB.

The radiation, maybe... the explosion, on the other hand, would work perfectly.

Yeah, the TSAB could be hurt on a political standpoint but that's about it.

Yeah, and that political standpoint is precisely what would kill them. Earth on its own... probably not. Everyone else in the universe sitting up and taking notice of 'wait a minute, the TSAB is trying to write the rules in independent nations now?', on the other hand, would do a whooooole lot more damage.



I will say that you're right on Jusenkyo being an incredibly abuseable resource, but actually doing so... much trickier. I have a fic in works which shows to some degree just how abuseable... [/shamelessplug]

B2: Ranma was not shown to be a mage (Ranma 1/2 fact) = we now have a definite explanation for why he has never encountered anyone on his training trip that could have recognized and thus told him of his magical aptitude for most of his life (prior to being cursed), which ties into the result of B1.

Requisite counterpoint: He has demonstrated all the abilities of C/B-rank close-combat Nanoha mages. End-of-series Ranma is pretty close to equivalent to end-of-series Subaru - high-speed, high-strength physical combat, some limited 'shooting' abilities, small bag of oddball tricks, limited but existent flight capability.

(Hey, I had to bring up the 'Magic A is Magic A' option again, just because it'd resolve all this )

I... do have to point out that, to some degree, I agree with Mura here. Let's say there's a 0.1% chance of being born a mage on Earth. Getting a second roll of the dice raises that chance to... 0.1999%. Your 'second shot at a body, and whoo, got lucky this time!' idea is... kinda whacky, in that light. It does raise the chances - nearly double them, in fact - but they're still pitifully tiny, so frankly, rolling it the first time just seems to make more sense, and be less whackily reaching from a writer perspective.

I'd recommend either A: mage from the start (ki or not). Or B: Jusenkyo creates linker core, directly.

B, however, will introduce the fact that there is now a resource on Earth that generates Category-A-power mages from anyone. Muramasa's pointed that out, and I agree. It'd be... useful, to the TSA and other high-magic polities (not incredibly useful, I'll note - Cat-A mages are great, but the TSA essentially has its necessary quota filled, it's got enough to work with, and shipping people out to Earth to mass-produce mid-grade mages is going to be really fucking expensive). It'd be gut-punchingly powerful to Earth. That discovery will be reacted to, and there will be fallout. It's a huge plot hook, and could make an interesting story on its own... question you need to ask is, is that the story you want to tell? 'cause I will ask that if you include a spectacular plot hook like that, that you make proper use of it.

Another potential means of making Ranma go girl as a mage is simple. 'Oh my god, I'm surrounded by powerful women, powerful women have bad habit of falling in love with me, I need to hide my masculine charms, it's the only way I'll be safe!'

[Makoto]

What about a 'puzzle piece' or component-style approach?

Say - just for the sake of argument - a linker core requires three components. Ranma has two of those components. Because he doesn't have them all, no core=no mage, no magic. But a visit to Jhusenkyou somehow fills in the rest of the puzzle/provides him/her with the missing component/causes the core to fully grow/manifest/etc.

Then, of course, you could have other reasons for having Ranma be a girl more of the time, such as Ranma's power level being exponentially stronger as a girl (^_^;; ), the magic of Jhusenkyou/the curse clashed with something, locking Ranma in female form until she figures out how to reverse it (or someone in the TSAB helps her figure out how... if that someone doesn't have ulterior motives in keeping Ranma female, that is), or just because she's hiding/actually wanting to remain female, for whatever reason.

[Crescent Pulsar R]

(Hey, I had to bring up the 'Magic A is Magic A' option again, just because it'd resolve all this )

(Well, ain't you a stinker? )

I... do have to point out that, to some degree, I agree with Mura here. Let's say there's a 0.1% chance of being born a mage on Earth. Getting a second roll of the dice raises that chance to... 0.1999%. Your 'second shot at a body, and whoo, got lucky this time!' idea is... kinda whacky, in that light. It does raise the chances - nearly double them, in fact - but they're still pitifully tiny, so frankly, rolling it the first time just seems to make more sense, and be less whackily reaching from a writer perspective.

I'd recommend either A: mage from the start (ki or not). Or B: Jusenkyo creates linker core, directly.

Assuming both figures as anything, it still wouldn't really matter. Ranma being a mage from the start is vanilla, a one-way street, a cloudless sky, expected, typical, done. Ranma ends up being a mage because he assumes Nanoha's role has been done. Ranma's curse being a mage (Fate) has been done. I haven't encountered Ranma becoming a mage because his cursed body happened to get lucky. (Get your head out of the gutter!) The way that I see it, it starts as a Ranma story where he's one of the many people on Earth who doesn't happen to be a mage. He'd have to be very lucky for that not to have been the case, so I'm actually meeting this MSLN truth halfway, as a sort of nod-and-I-know-you're-there, by giving him another chance with unknown odds and coming out a mage. And, hey, it matches: not only would he be a boy and a girl, he'd also be a mage and a non-mage. Really, I don't know what else to say except I simply don't understand what the problem is. Seems like one of those something-from-nothing issues, to me.

B, however, will introduce the fact that there is now a resource on Earth that generates Category-A-power mages from anyone. Muramasa's pointed that out, and I agree. It'd be... useful, to the TSA and other high-magic polities (not incredibly useful, I'll note - Cat-A mages are great, but the TSA essentially has its necessary quota filled, it's got enough to work with, and shipping people out to Earth to mass-produce mid-grade mages is going to be really fucking expensive). It'd be gut-punchingly powerful to Earth. That discovery will be reacted to, and there will be fallout. It's a huge plot hook, and could make an interesting story on its own... question you need to ask is, is that the story you want to tell? 'cause I will ask that if you include a spectacular plot hook like that, that you make proper use of it.

For me, the question is: could I handle it? And my answer is, "no." It is interesting but, like I mentioned before, I'm not a good writer. Most of what I write is fairly simple and less than engaging. Plot twists and suspense are beyond my meager ability. It's what I get for living the life of a hermit and being disconnected from the world and basic human emotion. And I'm sure it doesn't help that I never cared an iota for the military and politics. If anyone else wanted to write it, go for it. I wouldn't even mind if someone decided to write what I am but with plot devices I'm not going to use.

Another potential means of making Ranma go girl as a mage is simple. 'Oh my god, I'm surrounded by powerful women, powerful women have bad habit of falling in love with me, I need to hide my masculine charms, it's the only way I'll be safe!'

I guess. XD I was considering that, since it seems like the idea where he's a mage, but with more aptitude as a girl, has been better received than the idea that I prefer. But I wondered if people would really buy that. He's usually not that insightful about such things, and making him a bit more mature seems like a bit of a cop out, even if that'd better suit him in a MSLN setting. I was hoping to make his behavior as IC as possible... even though people have a lot of varying ideas of what is IC for him. *Sighs*

Then, of course, you could have other reasons for having Ranma be a girl more of the time, such as Ranma's power level being exponentially stronger as a girl (^_^;; )

I'm starting to lean that way. Heck, I've already got a mage rank joke lined up, if I go that way.

the magic of Jhusenkyou/the curse clashed with something, locking Ranma in female form until she figures out how to reverse it (or someone in the TSAB helps her figure out how... if that someone doesn't have ulterior motives in keeping Ranma female, that is), or just because she's hiding/actually wanting to remain female, for whatever reason.

As for these, well... While I want some Ranma-chan stuffs, these are a bit... "strong." If I can help it, I prefer avoiding the curse being locked, or having Ranma like being a girl from the start. Not that I'll never do that, because I do have those story ideas floating around, but I largely prefer the simple more-time-a-girl-than-a-guy arrangement, or something that develops during the story that effects how and why he chooses to be a girl.

I don't know about that puzzle piece idea, because I don't know if that'd fit with MSLN or not.

[Spokavriel]

I don't agree on the Source for A Rank Mages. The spring would provide a linker core. BUT Jusenkyo is often clearly demonstrated the curse form is still them as they would have been had they been born in the changed circumstances and lived equivalently to how they had.

IF Ranma ends up with a strong Linker core because Ranma is a powerful person that doesn't mean say Gosenkugi could drop in and be good enough to join the ranks.

[Makoto]

As for these, well... While I want some Ranma-chan stuffs, these are a bit... "strong." If I can help it, I prefer avoiding the curse being locked, or having Ranma like being a girl from the start. Not that I'll never do that, because I do have those story ideas floating around, but I largely prefer the simple more-time-a-girl-than-a-guy arrangement, or something that develops during the story that effects how and why he chooses to be a girl.

I didn't mean it that way (that he'd like being a girl from the start), exactly. What I meant was that he had a legitimate reason that would make him actually want to be/pretend to be a girl most of the time, such as what Pale Wolf mentioned, above, and you quoted - that he'd want to hide the fact that he's a boy because he's worried something 'bad' might happen if he's a boy.