Muv-Luv Alternative Translation Patch Translated by Amaterasu Translations Muv-Luv Plot Summary: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/mlplot/ If you are unwilling to read Muv-Luv before reading Muv-Luv Alternative, at least read this summary so you won't be completely clueless. Now, let's get the most common/probable complaints out of the way: Untranslated Images: if that's why you're reading this, yes, there are several of these. rUGP is a bitchy engine and no one's ever fully reversed it so we simply can't access a lot of the images, including a lot which happen to have text. For the most part, the ones we don't have access to are maps and menus appearing inside the mech HUDs. There were also a couple of images we chose to leave partially or entirely untranslated for various reasons, and of course not everyone will agree with our decisions there. Engrish Images not matching translated text: age cannot speak English. They just can't. If you see, for instance, an image say "preceding paragraph" and the text box say "transferring seat information," trust us and not them. Voiced lines without any text: There is one big speech at the end of the Coup d'etat Arc, a somewhat smaller speech at the beginning of the Sadogashima Arc. Both of them will have a text file automatically appear which contains translations. Anything else should be considered background noise and not worth our time. -- Contents -- Yes our Readme got so big it needs a table of contents. -Links - Where can you talk to us or find out more about us? -Staff - Who worked on this project? -Compatibility Information - How do I make rUGP not crash? -Installation Instructions - How do I use the patch? -Franchise Summary - What are all the Muv-Luv games and which ones do you need to play? -Honorifics Guide - I know absolute zero Japanese, what do '-san' and '-chan' mean? -Birthdays - Useless piece of info to know more about your pointyhaired waifus. -- Links -- Main Site: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/ Forums: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/forums/ Blog: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/blog/ -Error Report Thread: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/forums/index.php?topic=198.0 For bug reports, but DO NOT post here without reading and obeying the Compatibility Information section. -Discussion Thread: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/forums/index.php?topic=161.0 For comments on and discussions of the game itself, or suggestions and comments on our translation thereof. -Muv-Luv Plot Summary: http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/mlplot/ If you are unwilling to read Muv-Luv before reading Muv-Luv Alternative, at least read this summary so you won't be completely clueless. -- Staff -- Translator: Ixrec Hacking & Programming: Nagato Editors: Sheeta, Shikiller, Spin569874123 Image Editors: RoXaS QC: kViN, Raide -- Compatibility Information -- THE VISUAL C++ 2005 RUNTIMES ARE REQUIRED: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=32bc1bee-a3f9-4c13-9c99-220b62a191ee&displaylang=en You should not need to install this if you are on Vista or Windows 7 but it might be required for people on Windows XP or below. If you get an error in Japanese about mlhookv2.rpo when starting Muv-Luv, this will fix it. This patch is made for the original 2006/02/24 release of Muv-Luv Alternative DVD Version (マブラヴ オルタネイティヴ DVD-ROM版). To confirm that you are using the correct version you can check the Version Information option under the Help menu in-game. The correct version should be: rUGP System Version 5.70.18, マブラヴ オルタネイティヴ シナリオバージョン Ver 1.01.1087. Any other version will not be supported, no exceptions. You must be in Japanese locale to install and run Muv-Luv Alternative. AppLocale WILL NOT WORK. -- Installation Instructions -- The installation process is fairly simple. You have the choice to install from the CDs if the game is not detected on your system, or you can patch over an existing install. If the patch detects that you are installing the patch for the first time and Vmreg\gdb.uuc already exists, it'll copy the file into the "backup" folder. gdb.uuc contains various things and also contains some information that needs to be changed for the translation. If you want to keep your old gdb.uuc file, copy the gdb.uuc file from the "backup" folder and overwrite it with the one in Vmreg. If you choose to do this, you MUST go to the Text Settings option menu and click the Reset button or else all of the character text will be the wrong color. -- Franchise Summary -- First, what you absolutely must play before moving on to Muv-Luv Alternative, since most of you probably don't want all the details. We highly recommend playing only the Sumika and Meiya routes of Extra, and Meiya's ending in Unlimited. The side routes in Extra are painfully bad. You have been warned. The Unlimited endings are basically all identical so there's no real point in playing more than one. However, the short joke ends in both games (MLE Normal Ends, MLE Marimo End and MLU Yuuko End) are probably worth seeing. Now, to remove some of the confusion surrounding this series, here is a quick guide to what *all* of the Muv-Luv games actually are: 0) Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (KGNE): The high school soap opera age made before Muv-Luv. Relevant because its setting and characters are reused in most of the Muv-Luv games. 0.1) Kimi ga Nozomu Eien -Special Fan Disc-: Retells the first chapter of the original game without the tragic accident. Also includes radio shows, puzzles, wallpapers and other fan materials. 0.2) Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu: Kind of a sequel (it's complicated) but relevant because one of its characters reappears in MLA. 0.3) Akane Maniax: A side story to KGNE that takes place right before the beginning of MLE. 1) Muv-Luv (ML): Actually two games in one: Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited. MLU can only be unlocked by finishing the two main routes (Sumika and Meiya) in MLE. 1.1) Muv-Luv Supplement: A fandisc for Muv-Luv containing Sakura no Hana ga Saku Mae ni ～Muv-Luv After Episode～, Waga Na wa Meiya, Kiminozo Rajio Shucchouban 2, Muv-Luv ～Another Episode Collection～, Muv-Luv Duelist, an MLA trailer, wallpapers and voice files. 2) Muv-Luv Alternative (MLA): One of the best visual novels ever, according to pretty much everyone. Teenage girls pilot mechas to kill off the aliens trying to wipe out humanity. Multiverses, international political intrigue and assorted forms of sci-fi contribute to the kudzu-like plot. But you need to read ML first to get the full experience. 2.1) Muv-Luv Altered Fable: The main fandisc for MLA. Contains "Kagayaku Toki ga Kienumani" (a retelling of MLE with new characters from MLA and what "Altered Fable" usually refers to), Muv-Luv Alternative - Akatsuki Haruka Nari (a hexagonal strategy game), Muv-Luv Radio Web Edition (a radio drama), Muv-Luv Alternative - Total Eclipse (a side story of MLA about TSF pilots and engineers in Alaska's Yukon base) and extra utilities such as a character viewer, wallpapers and a player to watch all movies of the series. 2.2) Ayu Mayu Alternative: Another MLA fandisc centered on the Sky Temple waitresses Ayu and Mayu from KGNE. Originally inspired by the MLA parody anime Ayu Mayu Gekijou. Also includes Muv-Luv Alternative: Chronicle 1&2 and other bonus stories. -- Honorifics Guide -- For those of you new to reading translated visual novels, here is a guide to the most basic of Japanese honorifics. Most fan translators leave these intact, since English honorifics don't come close to covering the same range of nuances. The need-to-know suffixes are: "-san": This is the default honorific, used to address anyone you know without adding any special implication about your relationship with them. "-sama": This is one level higher than san. It may be used to convey personal respect for someone, or out of an obligation to acknowledge someone's higher social status. "-kun": This suffix implies familiarity, and is usually used on boy's names. It can also be used on those of slightly lower social status. "-chan": This is a purposely cute suffix usually used on girl's names. It generally implies a strong friendship. "-sensei": Most often used to address a teacher or expert in a certain subject. We mention this one only because Muv-Luv Extra has lots of school life scenes and thus uses it very frequently. [blank]: Unlike English, it is actually very unusual to address anyone outside your family without some kind of honorific. When you do, it implies the utmost intimacy. Dropping someone's honorific without this intimacy can be very insulting. [other]: Most of the other honorifics happen to adapt seamlessly to existing English ones, like "Professor" or "Instructor," so those we translate. Also, in Japanese, you normally address non-family members by their surname rather than their given name unless you know them quite well. This applies even to classmates and other relationships for which English speakers would normally default to given names. How each person addresses any other person they know is technically their own choice. Since there are dozens upon dozens of options (most of which aren't even hinted at here), do not expect to grasp it all anytime soon. But sometimes a wrong choice may be insulting or uncomfortable, and that is usually part of the story, so do your best to watch for strong contrasts in the honorifics different people use. -- Birthdays -- Shirogane Takeru: December 16th Kagami Sumika: July 7th Yashiro Kasumi: October 22th Mitsurugi Meiya: December 16th Tamase Miki: February 29th Ayamine Kei: September 27th Yoroi Mikoto: April 1st Sakaki Chizuru: May 5th Tsukuyomi Mana: January 14th Kouzuki Yuuko: June 8th Jinguuji Marimo: August 10th Kashiwagi Haruko: October 10th Suzumiya Akane: October 20th