How would you fix Ranma's life

[pspinler]

Folks:
I'm looking for fiction ideas: given (near) unlimited ability to change the Ranma 1/2 timeline, what are some plausible, hopefully not too cliche, ideas to make both Ranma's and the Tendo's lives less chaotic, while still leaving Ranma as skilled as in canon?
Here's some of my thoughts, and reasons why I don't like them:
Provide for some decent level of moral support for Soun and Genma when training under Happosai, so that Happi isn't their only moral influence, and they hopefully end up at least a little less stupid and cowardly. Problem: Genma might not turn out as good as he is, and be unable to train Ranma.
Influence Nodoka to be a little less idiotically traditional, no seppeku contract, and insure more contact with and moderating influence over ranma's formative years. Problem: Nodoka going along is perhaps a bit cliched. What else would be a good way to manage this?
Arrange for enough financial support for Genma during the training trip to reduce his desire to to steal stuff (e.g. yatti's) and insure that there's another 'voice of reason' along to help blunt a few of the worst of the rest of the stunts. Problem: this is another variation of the "someone else goes with ranma on the trip" overused storyline
Arrange for another strong, female, moderating presence in the Tendo's life to help Akane be more self confident and less insecure and thus violent. Problem: Nodoka moving in is cliche. I don't think introducing a new original char stepmom early has been done, but that would require a large bit of work to really give justice to.
Divert Tatewaki's presence and interest from Akane, so no morning attacks at school. Arrange a kendo scholarship on the other side of the island, at least. Or perhaps arrange for the cheerleader to snare him early on, but leave him in place to provide an early rival for Ranma. Actually this idea is one I have the least problems with.
Blunt Ryoga's depression enough, and give Ranma tact enough, so that they don't become enemies. Manage it carefully to leave a rivalry in place. Problem: again, this is common in Ranma alterverses, negative creativity.
What are some other problems you'd solve? How would you do them? How would you do the ones I list?
Help is appreciated!
-- Pat

[DCG]

I can fix all the problems easly!
Just give Kausmi the hots for redhead's with big tits.

[Adyen]

How about introducing an actual rival into Ranma's life? Someone who's close to his skill levels, and that they actually meet a lot and has a reason to become stronger than each other?
It could be Ryoga, but even with the same emotions, they'd still have to meet often to fight each other. Maybe a student of a rival to Happi, who suffered much like Genma suffered?

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

Here's one I've never seen. Soun dies, instead of Kimiko (or whatever Soun's wife's name is). Give her the velvet touch with the spine of steel. (Kasumi and Nabiki had to get it from somewhere).
That gives Akane the female example and the moral support. Make her a good enough martial artist that when Tatewaki starts giving Akane trouble, mommy demonstrates some advanced techniques. With the promise of more. Kuno crawls away whimpering.
When Genma arrives, she won't tolerate his foolishness, and can give proof that women aren't as weak as Genma likes to think.
. . . G:'You think you can beat me in a fight?'
K: 'If you don't throw the fight, I'm calling Nodoka.'
. . . G: 'OH! You got me!'
My personal opinion is that momma would assign Kasumi (the heir as the eldest) to make Ranma presentable, and puts the question of who marries him off for another day.

[TerraEpon]

Here's one I've never seen. Soun dies, instead of Kimiko (or whatever Soun's wife's name is). Give her the velvet touch with the spine of steel. (Kasumi and Nabiki had to get it from somewhere).

I've seen Soun instead of Mother Tendo dying at least a couple times. Pretty sure at least one had her calling Nodoka right when they got there...
-Joshua

[Rei-chan]

How do you fix Ranma's life? I think the easiest is to have it turn out he is engaged to Belldandy or something. If you mean sticking with a pure Ranma cast, I would have to say either make it so Ranma accepts and enjoys being female and picks Ryoga or have him pick Nabiki from the start.

[Neko-]

Easiest way to solve all problems is just kill off Ranma right off the bat. Take Ranma away, and there won't be problems.
However, this would make for a boring story. Best way to go about it would get Ranma more of a spine to stand up for himself. Loose the 'girls-are-weak' attitude, since that mostly gets him into trouble.
Most harassment and non-commitment the series knows comes from Ranma being fickle. As he takes a stand on what he wants he should be able to resolve things. Maybe not good for everyone, but hey, that's life...

[WG_Writer]

Ranma goes off training in the mountains and while he is away Ryoga shows up at the dojo with a cure, Mix perminace water with cursed man water; Akane, Ukyo, Kodachi, Shampoo and Nodoka all get cursed. It will be nightmareish at first but I am sure that would work itself out.
It would eliminate the fiancees, have mousse mad at Ryoga, Nodoka would have to lead by example in the manlyness category... thus would either succeed.... I would hope not... or fail and learn her/his lesson. It would leave his main problems between the tendo engagment, and the curse. nabiki already had her shot, so its Kasumi's turn, and Ranma, by the end of the manga seems to accept the curse... to some degree. Hence the curse isn't really a problem.
Kuno would hunt down Ryoga for his involvement with the event that cursed Akane and Kodachi, and Genma would probably be tormented by his wife looking for instant nyannichuan.

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

Ranma goes off training in the mountains and while he is away Ryoga shows up at the dojo with a cure, Mix perminace water with cursed man water; Akane, Ukyo, Kodachi, Shampoo and Nodoka all get cursed. It will be nightmareish at first but I am sure that would work itself out.
Genma would probably be tormented by his wife looking for instant nyannichuan.

Nodoka being more manly that Genma. I pray that you don't write that one as a lemon
There are things man was not meant to know.
Of course Nodoka finally acting out what she thinks as manly would be hilarious, and if IIRC embarrassing for Ranma. Happosai's newest and most ardent disciple.

I've seen Soun instead of Mother Tendo dying at least a couple times. Pretty sure at least one had her calling Nodoka right when they got there...
-Joshua

Deliver unto me the names and links, or I shalt say 'ni' unto thee untilst thou shalt expire!!!

[antimatterenergy]

Ranma's biggest problem which almost all the other problems stem from (or aren't dealt with because of) is that Ranma is a live in the moment type person. Ranma does not consider the future or create any plans that goes farther than his immediate goal. Give Ranma a real goal (best martial artist isn't enough because he already considers himself to be the best or close enough that he will be soon), force him to decide what he wants to do with his life (can use an argument where someone says your going to end up just like your dad), give him a responsibility (raising a kid, saving the world, protecting someone who can't protect themselves), or have major consequences result from his action or inaction could all be used as catalysts to make Ranma think about the future and notice the other problems. If you did this Ranma will probably become a lot more skilled fairly quickly since he would go from reactive to proactive therefore he'd prepare techniques before he needs them instead of waiting until he needs a technique.
Ranma's second biggest problem is that he doesn't actually realise the problems. He deals with the immediate effect of them instead of realising the roots of the various problems. This is because of his live in the moment thought patterns (doesn't think things farther than solving immediate problem ex. thought of way to stop happosai using girl repellent did not think about what would happen next), his upbringing (screwed up), to caught up in other things to deal with them (new immediate problems occur that need dealing with like a spirit showing up or possible cure for his curse becoming available) and his inability to see it as a problem do to familiarity with the action (probably got so used to being used as a scape goat, people hitting him, trying to kill him, molest him, etc.. that sees them as normal every day things instead of problems that need solving). I'd probably solve this problem by having him live with some other people away from Nermia for awhile so he can get a different perspective on his life (training by himself in the woods or something wouldn't do it since what he needs to learn is how regular people socialize and treat one another) as well as giving him time to think about his problems without something happening (Shampoo interrupting, Happosai splashing him, etc..).

[Pale Wolf]

Deliver unto me the names and links, or I shalt say 'ni' unto thee untilst thou shalt expire!!!

Not the one s/he spoke of, but: Make Room For Daddy, by Lord Raa.

[WG_Writer]

Nodoka being more manly that Genma. I pray that you don't write that one as a lemon
There are things man was not meant to know.

Not my idea originally, nor do I write lemons, but you obviously haven't read the virus http://www.fanfiction.net/s/93246/1/

"Now, who's manly? BWAHAHAHAHAHAH"

Basically the entire world got Ranma's curse, and it imunized the world against Jusenkyo.
It cured many of Ranma's problems that way.

[pspinler]

Ranma's biggest problem which almost all the other problems stem from (or aren't dealt with because of) is that Ranma is a live in the moment type person. Ranma does not consider the future or create any plans that goes farther than his immediate goal.

Sounds about right. So, given the ability to make significant changes in the Ranma timeline, where and how would you address this?
Extra credit if fixing it actually makes an interesting story element on it's own. That's really what I'm looking for.
-- Pat

[bissek]

Actually, the short-term planning is just about everybody's problem in Ranma 1/2. The only long-term plan I know of in the entire series is the 'unite the schools' plan, and even there, Genma partially screwed that up with the multiple engagement issue, potentially losing a long-term goal for a short-term gain. The non-Tendo fiancee's goals are pretty much 'drag Ranma to the altar'. After that, they seems to assume that they can go back to their daily lives at their village/restaraunt, and the only real change will be that Ranma will be helping them in their regular routine. None of the fiancees have seriously considered how to make a marriage with Ranma work out, just how to marry him, which is why he doesn't have a 'best' fiancee, only a 'least bad'.
I know that there is only one Genma-created extra fiancee in manga canon, and two in anime canon, but the fact remains that if he was dumb enough to do it once or twice, it's plausible that he'd be dumb enough to do it again, which is why extra fiancees show up in so many fanfics.
Getting anybody to seriously plan things out for a long term goal woud affect the story significantly.

[Staren]

Going along with that line of thinking, the solution would be to make the girls see where their immediate goals might lead, what life would really be like. Not trying to make this a crossover or anything, but what would the Ranma cast see if they got hold of Plutos portable link to the time gates that she used while in the field, that simply showed probable futures after a change. What would their reaction to that information be, and what would they do with it?
This little toy wouldn't have to be from the SM universe, that was just an easy backstory for it.