While I consider this a good opportunity to mix things up a bit, I am willing to let the players play more or less the same characters this time around if that's what they want.  At least as far as their own characters are concerned.<br/><br/>Picking up where we left off is problematic though.  Can any of you actually think of a convincing explanation for why Kagero would abandon her best friend/crush who<em>isn't very experienced with games</em>to fend for herself<em>and</em>try to take care of the timid newbie the two of them picked up?  I'd also like to note that I've been playing Artemis as assertive but inclined to be the voice of caution and rely on Kagero's experience.  In a situation where Kagero isn't there it might be better for me to play a more experienced character who is capable of supplying leadership and direction.<br/><br/>Also, with Deathstrike's bridge burning the three or four characters we have left are divided into two independently operating factions with mutually hostile leadership.  That further complicates things.<br/><br/>Frankly, I think it might be<em>easier</em>to just do a reboot at this point rather than try to sort all this stuff out in character.  (At least if we keep things simple, which I'll admit I wasn't doing when I started reconsidering the basic premise of the RPG.)  Again, a reboot<em>doesn't</em>necessarily need to start right from the beginning we can skip over some things like Kayaba's announcement.