Basic guideline I use is if the intent of the spell is to destroy or disrupt, it's offensve.  If the intent is to fortify or protect, it's defensive.

Yeah, I get where you're coming from, with the intent thing, but there are definitely some ambiguous situations.  Amusingly, in YS, under the "Hyperawareness" spell, it says "defensive (sort of) maneuver."  Yeah, exactly... sort of. 

If you base the distinction on intent, I don't think it's a good idea to specify offensive/defensive in advance, on a per-spell basis, the way the YS spell examples do.  For example, a simple gust-of-wind spell has both offensive and defensive applications.

What I'm asking is at what point do things like that, that were frankly going to happen anyway, stop being just story and start being compels worthy of a fate point?

Yeah, I kind of have the same issue, since I just sort of RP along with Gloria's aspects, for the most part.  Since she comes "From The Wrong Side of the Tracks," she doesn't trust the authorities.  But, that's how I play her, anyway.  That's why she pointlessly tried to do first aid, instead of calling 911, after the explosion, during the last session.  Should I have declared that, in some way?

So far the five most unused characters are Brian, Mike, Ethan, Melon, and Gloria.  Then again, with Gloria it's more an RP thing than anything else.  She's supposed to keep her mouth shut.

Well, there's also the matter that she's the type who gets information from people by establishing a rapport.  She makes them feel comfortable, safe, and important.  She wants a client (or other potential information source) to feel like he is special, favored, and that she has his back.  The objective (whether conscious or not) is to get people to offer information, willingly, as an exchange that further solidifies that imagined bond, rather than to pry it out of them.  Unfortunately, this style is rather difficult to pull off when she has a small mob of potentially intimidating companions with her, and she only has a sort of vague idea of what information they're trying to get, in the first place.

There might be some cases where it might make sense to tag social maneuvers, to take advantage of her less direct approach.  For example, if Donovan had been resistant to helping Gavin find out about the sea spider, Gloria's established rapport with him as a client and her surprising display of compassion and humility in fetching him and his lover coffee might have easily tipped things in the team's favor.  (Luckily, our specimen was interesting enough that it piqued his interest without any further necessity for buttering him up.)

As a note I can't access Gmail from work so I can't use the new mailing list while I'm here so I will continue to post here or on the OP page.
So if anyone needs to reach me Post here. PM me here or mail me on the OP board.

I set up both an OOC and IC forum for us to use.  However, the information is all in a mail I sent to the mailing list that you can't get to.  D'oh!  I'll send you a copy on the OP board.

Also, Tess, I'm pretty sure I left my water bottle at your place the first time around.  I'm bad about that sometimes.  Can you bring it to Sunday's session?

You sure did.  I think I've moved it to Jason's place, already, in anticipation of your arrival.

I've had the Dethklok song "Murmaider" stuck in my head ever since the first session.

"There are no fingerprints deep under water.  Nothing to tie one to a crime..."

Thanks for the synopsis, Ren! 

I am very much looking forward to the campaign synopsis!  I wish I could have been there... argh.  I can't wait for the next session.