OK, I have an idea... (long post warning)

[Lightspire]

So here it is, kinda, but I wanted feedback/information on it. here goes.
I came up with the idea a few years ago about sort of an epic Ranma tale that would span from a previous silver millenium incarnation to the current times. However, I'm not familiar with the sailor moon manga, and a lot of particulars revolve around what I've read from interviews and other articles in magazines, etc.
The first issue is Makoto. In order to do something a little different, I was thinking of making a pseudo-romance between Makoto and Ranma (still usure if it would BE a full-fledged relationship, but I digress...) only I remember reading in an anime magazine, (maybe Ani-zine? can't remember.. read it about nine years ago) that originally Makoto was supposed to be the most powerful of the senshi, also that she was supposed to be older, and have psychic powers. I'm hoping for confirmation of this and possible info. on what those powers were/would be...
Secondly, I'm working with a theory that the asteroid belt in our solar system used to be a planet, and am planning on having Ranma having been from there. (It would have been sorta outside jurisdiction of Serenity, like Earth was...Or how I assume Earth was...) It was destroyed by Saturn due to massive Youma incursion... Would there be a way to keep sailor powers (or at least a semblance of them, Ranma doesn't need much, and wouldn't be relying on them in this story anyway..) after their planet is blown?
Finally, I have read that Naoko Takeuchi made the sailors to be women, and only women. That when the director of the anime made the starlights boys in civilian form, then girls in sailor form, it really cheezed her off, because they were supposed to be female crossdressers. THIS would imply that in order for the story to be cannon for Sailor Moon, Ranma HAS to be a girl. Is this true? Because I have a decent theory for saying that Ranma really COULD be a girl in soul, but this little factoid would help me immensely with not having to get into a long and complicated debate, which I don't usually mind, but I also usually lose...I'm good with spouting ideas, not facts.
Anywho, I guess that's about it... Thanks in advance for getting thru this abhorringly long post... (I've complaints on the length of posts before, so I also apologize...)

[WG_Writer]

I have no idea about the Jupiter as most powerful
Naoko Takeuchi was double faced in that, since tuxedo kamen was 'technically' a Sailor Senshi, he possesed the 'Golden crystal' which made him a Sailor Senshi by default. i think what she ment was that only girls are alowed to use the 'Sailor' afix and guys use 'Tuxedo' or similar, but this detail is ignored anyway. In this community you would likely get more ostersized for making Ranma so much girl to fit that it isn't Ranma anymore then you would get bothered about ignoring that girls only rule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Crystals
The Astroid thing was done a few times, usually the planet was called Nemesis. so nobody will call you on that either.
for example: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/197714/1/
the question you must answer is; is this fic for Ranma fans, or Sailor Moon fans? use that to find the ballance because both cannon must give a little.

[holyknight]

Hm.....why not something more darker....Like Ranma being the soul of the Queen's Assasain.....the most sordid secret of the Serenity House......The true parents and lovers of most of all the Serenities.....they fought, killed, murdered and died in the shadows......but when Usagi was alive in the S. Milennium, her Assasain was accidentally killed for S. Pluto....unknownly starting the chain of events what would mean the downfall of the Silver Millennium...
S. XX........
After the failed Wedding, Ranma has started to have a massive attitude change. He has become colder, more reserved, and end the fights in the fastest and painful way possible. Also, in his dreams a mysterious girl appears and calls to him, to complete him, to enlight him......
In Juuban....Usagi meanwhile, has been dreaming of shadows...normally they scared her, but in this case, they envelop her, protect her, sang to her of loyalty, love and devotion......
Nodoka is worried for her son......and the threads of fate are again cut from their old course.....

[Lightspire]

Wargiver, thank you fopr for the clarification. Though that actually might make things more difficult within a debate, it's good to know. I had heard about the golden star seed thing, but didn't think much towards it. To be honest, though I watched a lot of sailor moon, I get a LOT of my info from tidbits I read from mags and fanfiction, etc. I just don't have the cash to check out the whole seires in it's entirety... As for the asteroid thing, yeah, I've seen it done, but didn't know if it was objected to or not... Besides, I think that calling it 'nemesis' is a bit cliched at this point, and makes it seem more random and chaotic than it needs to be. Why not Eolis? A planet named after a competent figure from history whom not much is known about but is found to help out friends/relatives in a pinch... Is no pushover, but not really a god... (so sue me, it sorta fits...) Also, I'm not trying to say that I'll stick mainly to sailor moon, I do believe in balance of the two... I've just seen a lot of negative responses to ranma fans over the topic in general...So I guess I'm paranoid about it... After reading fanfiction for so long...I watch Ranma and think it's OOC...But enough with disclaimers... thanks for the info. I appreciate your input.
Anyway, Holy Knight, it's interesting that you say that, because I was going to make it so that Ranma isn't necessarily a senshi as far as Serenity goes. Due to politics, and her world not technically being under serenity's control, she is essentially blackmailed into being a black ops agent with the outers. (I can't remember right now how I worked it.. so don't ask... I had a couple of drinks with friends between posts, so it's a little fuzzy..) Anyway, she sorta has an alternate superhero identity, the "crimson Nightshade", which she started to do in the silver millenium before being chosen as the planet's avatar (or senshi, whichever..) I was thinking of having her be in an illecit love afair with Jupiter, but it not really developing due to the fact that she was technically viewed as a commoner (the planet, Eolis, as I currently call it, has no royalty). Though as the 'Crimson Nightshade', she works as a dark vigilante, akin to the "Shadow". Not the same way, of course, but that's the best analogy I have...
I could give more history, etc., but this is running a little long, so I'll stop there..

[Lightspire]

K, I'm gonna give the whole gist of the fic. here goes.
Basically, Ranma gets stuck. Originally, I was going to have this happen with her fight with Herb, but I'm open to suggestions. I never really settled on how the the kettle gets destroyed/lost, but the point is, she returns to the dojo as a girl. When she does, Genma finally owns up to his mistakes, and gives Nodoka a call. She comes, and demands Ranma kill him, now her self. Ranma refuses, and goes ronin.
While on the road, she finds in her pack Genma's Umi-sen ken scrolls. (either genma puts it in, knowing she'll probably have to steal to survive, or she grabbed the wrong pack in her emotional exit of the dojo, etc..) She trains with the technique, and masters it after a time, as well as some other techniques, as well... (Maybe she teaches herself the breaking point, too? unsure..) After this, she decides that it would actually be best to earn an honest living, and after coming across a rough and tumble bar, applies as a waittress. But this is no ordinary bar, it's an HQ for underground street fighting tournaments.
Not wanting to lose her edge, she joins the tournaments, while becoming :ahem: quite close to one of her co-workers, also a street fighter. (it's not really street fighter, btw, but I would throw in wacky powers.) At around this time, she dreams of another time and place, entirely different from her world, except that her co-worker, sakura (temp. name) is also there, though a bit different. Eventually she runs into Ryu Kumon, who has taken to defteating opponents in the ring using the yama sen ken. First he defeats Sakura, then goes against Ranma, who stomps him. that night, she dreams of losing dream sakura, and wakes to find that sakura has been kidnapped and ransomed by Kumon for the Umisenken scrolls.
She tracks him down at a cliff, where he is keeping Sakura hostage held perilously over a cliff. They fight, sakura falls. Ranma nearly kills kumon, and takes the yamasenken scrolls from him.
Ranma is traumatized, and no longer wishes to work at the bar, nor fight in tournaments in any longer. She then dreams of what her other-self did after HER sakura was lost. Her other self became a vigilante, the "crimson nightshade", fighting in the defense of her town, country, and planet. Ranma, lacking direction, decides that this may just be good direction for her to go. She takes Sakura's weapons, and fashions herself a costume like in her dreams.
After about a year, she has made quite a name for herself in the underworld, and heads to Tokyo, where she meets a private eye with special skills, Makoto Kino.
There's more to it than this, though to be honest, after introducing Kino, I don't have much more. I originally planned this to be a ranma vs senshi thing, where Sailor Eolis was blackmailed into working for the matriarchy, and quite upset about it, especially when her planet was destroyed. But now I'm not to sure...this is why I haven't really written the whole thing yet. I get to Tokyo, and BAM! One huge case of writer's block....

[WG_Writer]

While your story looks good, i do have to ask, why use Ranma at all? It seems that one meeting up with Makoto, there is so little of Ranma left in your OC that it almost seems like there is no reason to use Ranma at all. Plus Makoto Kino has no aspirations to be a private eye.
I am not saying to now write it, I am saying you will need to be very careful and you will have to ensure that you sepll it out that these are still their cannon characters.
One note you will need to know, Saturn was not around back in the Silver Millenium, she only came around because of Mistress 9's intervention, Hotaru had the potential, but it was the Mistress that activated it. That is why the prophicy, that is normally over looked almost constantly since it isn't spelled out in the anime.
I also want to caution you against using Sakura, and letting her die, Ranma killed Saffron because he almost killed Akane, he would have killed Ryu if Ranma saw Sakura die. Plus, Saffron aside since he regenerated, I know of nobody, in Ranma died, in sailor moon the only beings who die are Demons and Hotaru's father (there may be others but i can not recall any).
This story is counding like a Dark fic, which may not be bad in and of itself, but tipically Darkfics require mood to get into. If you want to change the tone from Dark fic then have Nodoka cast Ranma out of the clan, and have Sakura survive the fall (You could have her cripled for life and later revile that she loves someone else, that would potentially have the same impact on Ranma as her death.)
I cannot offer any advise on Makoto, I do not know the character well enough, but i can say that she will either be modified (with some back story to explain), or an OC.
This is your story though. Write it so you are happy with it. Fanfiction is never Cannon, and you will get lamblasted for the story as you have outlined it. If you decide to go this route then just ignore them.
Otherwise, i recommend finishing your outline, it will help greatly with the speed you can write your story.

[Lightspire]

Actually, yes, it was started as a dark fic, and I was in a bad mood when I started it. I also gave up on it for a while, because I got over my mood, but certainly didn't want all that energy to go to waste...Erego, I've occasionally gone back to tweak and play, and am discussing it, now.
Why use Ranma at all? well, actually, I DO go have Ranma go through a lot of personality changes on her travels. Originally, I DID kill Kumon off, then thought it would be too dark. But really, which is worse, getting killed in a duel, or being broken so badly that you can never practice the art again? Also, I had another, younger co-worker catch up when Sakura dies, who convinces ranma not to steep down to his level. Additionally, I need Sakura to die. This is in order for ranma's two lives to parellel, giving a further excuse for more memories. that, and Ranma picks up her weapons, which become a trademark of the Crimson Shade... (Actually, I was going to have them BE the weapons of the crimson shade. They had been found while on a quest by Sakura's ancestors, and kept in the family. Cheezy... maybe, but I think it could work...)
As for Makoto, well, this is a completey different version of Makoto. I wanted to make a fic with the original idea of makoto (if there ever was, it is, after all, something I read in an anime mag that I lost a long time ago...) in it, rather than what there is now...Since I have little info on what that makoto would have been like, exactly how much older she would have been, etc... I had to improvise. As for being a private eye.... She has ESP. that was the best job I could give her while utilizing her abilities, not that I'm even certain on what THOSE are. Being a telepath, telekinetic? firestarter? I'm just not sure how far I should go...
Also, don't think that the rest of the Ranma cast is simply left out. nabiki has been assisting Ukyou in tracking down Ranma, and eventually moves to Juuban in order to move on with her life... Start anew. I believe I had the amazons in their, but can't quite remember...I'll have to dig through my notes...once I find them.
The reason why i get writers block is becasue I don't know if I want to put in a common enemy for everyone, for just keep it all "in-house", so to speak.
and the outline is a bit of the problem. I'll make an outline, and then have more ideas, and then make a NEW outline, then decide it isn't right, and never actually get beyond the outline stage! But I'm gonna get back to it, I think, since it hasn't been completely rejected here...

[WG_Writer]

with that in mind, i'll let better writers advise you, dark fics are out of my league.

[Lightspire]

Well, it's not really meant to be DARK, just dramatic. I don't want to really depress anyone with reading it. I had thought about letting Sakura live, but then that would have caused too much friction with the pair-up that I was writing the whole story for! (Ranma-Makoto) I guess the prequel, (which I have also written a decent amount of, but only takes part in the silver milennium...) would be pretty dark, concerning the fact that everyone dies in the end.... But I put good points into it too. After all, how can somebody live through constant trauma without some high-points?
I'd like to put in humor, but really, I don't like slap-stick very much... the intention with Ranma getting stuck is to sort of bypass the whole, "I'm really a man and you're all a bunch of weak women" sorta attitude. Not that I'm going to take that completely away, but on the trip she'll be forced to recognize some women's skills, and probably actually deal with her being a woman, herself...
Ahh, screw it... I'm just digging myself deeper. yeah, it's a dark fic, I guess....

[WG_Writer]

The first step is always acceptance, makes a better fic that way.

[Atlan]

have you considered using minako instead of makoto?
After all, all makoto has that makes her private eye-able, is martial arts skills. Every thing else would be added after. Minako did the whole Sailor V thing, which could be good to build on.

[Lightspire]

Well, it's going to be an SM AU. I wanted Makoto to be about Ranma's age when she enters Tokyo, and she's goin to be around eighteen-nineteen by that time. I want to use the original idea of Makoto for this story (if what I had read is true...), which makes her older, have ESP, and a bit more powerful. Though I don't have any specifics on what that concept would have turned out like, so I have to use a bit of creative license. I figured she needed a job, and being a private eye would fit...Especially once ranma came to town as her vigilante alter-ego. The problem with using the orignal concept is that it cuts out the outers, since they weren't suppposed to exist, originally...

[Atlan]

you know, if your aiming for ranma to be all mysterious and dark, there are other options for the planet to be a senshi of.
See, around the solar system, there is the Oort cloud (or Orrt cloud, my spelling sucks). And in it, there's heaps of debreis. Like, WAY more than the asteroid belt. Even a bunch of stuff bigger than pluto. (it's been susgested that pluto came from the orrt clout origionally) I dont think anyone ever tried making ranma a senshi for one of them, and since they arn't offically named yet, you could have ranma as a comibination of numbers and letters- say Sailor X89. That could sound sinister.

[crystlshake]

You could work off the outers not supposed to exist angle. Maybee failed experiments/prototypes, or accomplices/puppets for a villan working tward the 'post-apocolyptic wasteland Crystal Tokyo'. With the moon cats unable to determine their legitimacy they could be led deep into initiating the great ice or something before the truth is revealed and the senshi fight back. This could also incorporate other youma energy raids that were the main thrust while the outers directed the inners tward the decoy and undermined them finding out about the other attacks.

[Misfortune’s Delight]

Why make Ranma run away because his mom makes him kill himself (or herself in this case). I think that idea is used to much in fanfictions maybe you could use something else like Ranma ran way because he couldn't marry anyone now being stuck as a girl and doesn't want to be a burden on anyone.
And I don't think Genma wouldn't call Nodoka because then he would have to kill himself to wouldn't he?