Need some help with a fic idea.

[Gideon020]

I thought I'd put this idea here to get some help, opinions, and once I get it started see if anyone would be interested in some beta-reading and editing.

The idea is this: In an alternate Crimson Skies and pulp fiction style world where the plane and dirigible are the vehicle of choice and scientists tinker with technology that shouldn't by all rights work while a shattered United States rebuilds from a Second Civil War caused by an unpopular presidential mandate enforcing a draconian public health bill. The Nazis have been driven underground to form a secret underground militant group after the Munich Putsch led to Hitler's death and wait for their chance to reshape the world into a glorious Third Reich, recruiting brilliant minds and corrupt military leaders with the promise of power and glory and experiments without the 'collar of weak morality' to bind them and have thusly managed to spread across the world.

It is one of these experiments, a device designed to open gates to other realities to find advanced technology far in advance of the current State Of The Art, that Ranma and company that yanks them into this world of guns, planes and high adventure.
Hunted, the group must adapt and take to the skies and deal with shadowy agendas and deadly superweapons while trying to tell friend from foe and find a way to return home.

The plot points revolve around the group trying to find information on a way home while being forced to act as air-pirates and mercenaries to fund their search. Key moments in the search usually result in having to destroy key assets and weapons ranging from a submarine transformed into a drilling vehicle to a giant zeppelin being used as a floating fortress in America, fighters equipped with lasers and tesla coils in Japan and China, a massive island missile base in Northern Europe, to a high-speed trans-Siberian battle train in Russia.

The main characters consist of the following core Ranma cast; Ranma, Ryouga, Mousse, Ukyo, Shampoo, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi. The first six are the ones to learn the art of flying while Kasumi becomes a mechanic/medic and Nabiki is the brains of the outfit making sure that they are on the right track as well as finding new leads to chase.

I think this has potential, and I would like some help in working out the plot, key supporting characters and the antagonists as well as additional key bases or weapons and finally suitable aircraft for the group and possibly the pairings if I should have any at all.

[mondu_the_fat]

Why Ranma 1/2, specifically? Do the curses have anything to do with the universe (not just acting as an occasionally humrous plote element)? Do martial arts? Does the finacee status have anything to do with the plot?

From the sound of it, you can simply take any character from anywhere (even original characters) and plop them in this world, especially since you're taking a vital aspect of the Ranma 1/2 story away -- the hand to hand fighting. Is there any reason why, say, the cast of any other anime won't do?

[Vilkath]

I have to say I agree so far, not seeing to much of a reason it has to be Ranma 1/2 yet. I can understand one character being drawn in, adapting and changing for the better in a new world but to have several of them come along, some how all stop fighting each other long enough to work together and fight the good fight? Seems a little out there all ready, and flying dirigibles and planes hardly seem like the ideal place to have Ranma style fights, especialy with the likes of Ryoga and akane, shampoo, mousse around people not generaly all that to caring about collateral damage.

Over all nothing really wrong with the basic plot or setting but I really do have to question the choice of characters where other cross overs like Skies of Arcadia or One piece might fit such a setting a lot better. If you really want Ranma, take just him don't feel the need to drag EVERY one along for no reason.

Just Ranma, or just Shampoo, just Nabiki etc could believably have a big moment to change their character enough to fit into this world
but for the entire group with a history of never getting along or working together all that much? Really hard thing to swallow at the very core of the story.

[Gideon020]

Actually I just picked the Ranma characters to provide a base on the number of cast members but if you have suggestions as to what characters from what anime would work better I'd like to hear them since I'm still just planning it so I can still change things around.

[Heaven's Deamon]

One of the suggestions listed was Skies of Arcadia, a game originally released for a sega system, then later re-released on the Gamecube. It takes place on a world of islands that float in the sky, and most of the main characters are infact air-pirates. The technology isn't neccesarily more advanced than the world you describe, but there are several parts that are different, and several ancient civlizations that have fallen who were advanced.

[Gideon020]

THanks for the points raised, I'll likely do it as a multi-cross from different animes so please, your suggestions are always welcome, they help me find inspiration.