Muv Luv Alternative Question

[FinalCloud]

Ok, I had been saving Muv Luv for a while to read, and I have just decided to get started. Read a few things about the VN.

I am currently a short way into Extra, it is ok, but I knew that Alternative is where it is at.

I am thinking Sumika is really annoying, Meiya is cool and pretty hot, same goes for Ayamine, not interested in the loli, and class rep seems a bit dull.

HOWEVER I read something that totally killed my motivation for the VN:

Spoiler

Sumika, is the main heroine/love interest in Alternative, and I cannot do anything about that... It is linear... . Honestly I had not read anything about the VN all this time (other than Alternative being the best part of it) and assumed Meiya was the main heroine -.- (the cover of the VN dammit!)

This put such a damper on my motivation for the VN.

My question? Did any of you guys think the same (having heard what I put in the spoiler) at this stage but go on to read the VN and love it?

Edited May 24, 2018 by FinalCloud

[Thyndd]

Tbh Muv Luv is much less about waifus and more about the incredible and complex world it builds.

Yes, Sumika is in a way the main heroine of Alternative, but that should not hinder in any way your enjoyment of the novel.

 

Extra an Alternative are two completely different beasts. Do not judge the characters by the little you have seen so far. In Extra everyone is annoying on purpose. Takeru is not an exception. 

But trust me, after you finish Alternative you'll come to love even the way the characters were in Extra. 

As for your question, yeah, there are a lot of people who can't stand Sumika and love Muv Luv nonetheless! 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Thyndd

[+StrikeR+]

To be honest when i started and played muv-luv extra i really disliked Sumika, but after i played Alternative... She was best girl (well together with Meiya) as far as i was concerned, this has never happened to me before with anime or visual novels as well except for Muv-luv. Though like it has been said, alternative is more about the complex world it builds, and it is amazing.

[Dreamysyu]

Actually, it doesn't even matter. Meiya also gets quite a lot of focus in Alternative, even though she isn't the main heroine there, and, like people said, Alternative isn't about who you hook up with. If you want sex, then all the heroines have enough scenes in Extra and Unlimited. It's true that Alternative has great wolrdbuilding (actually, the greatest in any VN I have read), but it also has very good character development, and by the end of it your preferences may as well change. For instance, I kind of disliked Meiya in Extra, but in Alternative she became one of my favorite characters in the VN.

[Inorin]

Muv Luv has never been romance-focused; it's about camaraderie, growth, values, beliefs, morals, politics, and most importantly, THEM FEELS.

Sumika isn't that annoying in Alternative btw, so you have not much to worry about. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by wei123

[Ranzo]

The Sumika in Alternative is not the same Sumika in Extra, they might as well be completely different characters.

It didn't put too much of a damper for me I just charged through Extra because I knew something better was waiting on the other side. You should probably do the same.

Alcohol could help

[Thyndd]

35 minutes ago, Ranzo said:

The Sumika in Alternative is not the same Sumika in Extra, they might as well be completely different characters.

 

I would argue that she is still the same person inside, just in another completely different environment, like all the other characters. I mean, I didn't feel in any moment that the change in personalities with respect to Extra was too abrupt, just appropiate given the circumstances, which I definitely appreciated and for me it's part of the magic of Muv Luv 

Anyway, even if you still dislike Sumika by the time you get to deep Alternative (which as other people have said, it's unlikely though not impossible), that should not be much of an issue. Every character gets proper development and I think no one overshadows the other. 

34 minutes ago, Ranzo said:

Alcohol could help

Lol, best piece of advice ever. Nothing like some shots and a little of weed to get through Extra as fast and painlessly as possible.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Thyndd

[Trickay]

2 hours ago, Ranzo said:

The Sumika in Alternative is not the same Sumika in Extra, they might as well be completely different characters.

For the sake of answering the OPs question I agree with Ranzo, just crack on and read it, you won't regret it.

However, as both Thyndd and Dreamysyu have discussed it's more complicated than that.

Seriously though stick with it, Muv Luv is well worth the time invested!

[+StrikeR+]

Personally i didn't see them as different, i just had quite a lot of new found respect for her, and was impressed by her dedication.

[Sparteh]

I don't think this comment really needs spoilers, but I will put it in this way. Sumika was one of my most hated characters in the franchise (and it didn't change), but I still find Alternative really good. Furthermore, Meya still remained the best girl with Kasumi coming close. Romance is not the main focus of the story anyway.

[cro-mag]

OK, that's what i think.

Sumika is damn annoying and my opinion didn't change after Alternative. If you look at her from the side, it may seem not so bad... Then you read some more and again "Damn, you're annoying!" Later she

Spoiler

looked like a damn stalker!! For those who read - you'll understand me. She's like dat another one annoying girl from maybe my most haited anime ever "Mirai Nikki". That's just creepy what she did!

Other than that. Actually i found that girls here are not like they looked for me at first sight. I mean:

Ayamine - one of the best girls ever for me. Really, i didn't expect that, seriously. But i place her on the same level as Miyako (Majikoi), Anzu (Da Capo 2), Kotomi (Clannad). That was really unexpected, i even read her route in Extra twice, before and after Alternative.

Meiya - pretty good. No surprises here.

Chizuru and Miki - better than i thought. Especially considering Miki, but again it's subjective, because i'm not a fan of loli. But she's good.

Regarding original question in 1st post. Considering Muv-Luv - i didn't know such detail. But i knew about it in some other VNs and that didn't stop me from reading and enjoying them. Won't name these for spoilers though.

[Overlord87]

On 24/5/2018 at 11:51 AM, FinalCloud said:

Ok, I had been saving Muv Luv for a while to read, and I have just decided to get started. Read a few things about the VN.

I am currently a short way into Extra, it is ok, but I knew that Alternative is where it is at.

I am thinking Sumika is really annoying, Meiya is cool and pretty hot, same goes for Ayamine, not interested in the loli, and class rep seems a bit dull.

HOWEVER I read something that totally killed my motivation for the VN:

  Hide contents

Sumika, is the main heroine/love interest in Alternative, and I cannot do anything about that... It is linear... . Honestly I had not read anything about the VN all this time (other than Alternative being the best part of it) and assumed Meiya was the main heroine -.- (the cover of the VN dammit!)

This put such a damper on my motivation for the VN.

My question? Did any of you guys think the same (having heard what I put in the spoiler) at this stage but go on to read the VN and love it?

Before everything is over, you'll love Sumika.

Ok, probably not. Still, for me she delivered the most devastating blow of the whole story, and I could not help change my mind on her. 

I also don't really agree on Sumika being the main heroine of Alternative.

[FinalCloud]

Wow, that is a lot of responses, thanks for the information people! Sorry for the late reply, my tactic to get this game finished is to leave it on at all times on my laptop, so that it is open when I open it =/. I have finished Sumika route, and well, yea I though it was a bit silly on the whole, but oh well. I actually did like Meiya less, I kind of hate the whole

Spoiler

Met once when they were small kids > played together  > promised to marry trope,  it is so dumb.

Anyway, going to do Ayamine + Meiya and move on to Unlimited. Might do the teacher route in extra for the lols. Might update this thread with some thoughts at times.

[cro-mag]

7 hours ago, FinalCloud said:

I kind of hate the whole

  Hide contents

Met once when they were small kids > played together  > promised to marry trope,  it is so dumb.

 

Yeah, more dumb and cliche thing only is

Spoiler

were childhood friends, promised (or not) to marry each other. And hooray, this VN has both))

 

[FinalCloud]

On 27/05/2018 at 5:08 AM, cro-mag said:

Yeah, more dumb and cliche thing only is

  Hide contents

were childhood friends, promised (or not) to marry each other. And hooray, this VN has both))

 

Atleast the latter is some way believable, a female childhood friend COULD have feelings for her male friend and have made some promise when they were kids, and the love built as they grew up. But met one time (as far as I can tell in one day?) as kids, said "lets marry" (pretty damn unlikely even for kids to do that) and she actually remembered it and went to all that trouble to do it 10 years later or something, NO, just NO.

Anyhow, currently on Unlimited, I did extra (Meiya and Sumika ofc), but also Ayamine and honestly that weirded me out, how old was that doctor guy............

Edited May 30, 2018 by FinalCloud

[Thyndd]

3 hours ago, FinalCloud said:

Atleast the latter is some way believable, a female childhood friend COULD have feelings for her male friend and have made some promise when they were kids, and the love built as they grew up. But met one time (as far as I can tell in one day?) as kids, said "lets marry" (pretty damn unlikely even for kids to do that) and she actually remembered it and went to all that trouble to do it 10 years later or something, NO, just NO.

Anyhow, currently on Unlimited, I did extra (Meiya and Sumika ofc), but also Ayamine and honestly that weirded me out, how old was that doctor guy............

Well done. Actually Ayamine's route is the only other route kinda worth doing aside from Sumika and Meiya which are a must. Not that it is very important, but you know, speaking in comparative terms. 

Congrats on getting it over with. Now the true journey begins  Consider Unlimited to be the prologue. 

[cro-mag]

7 hours ago, FinalCloud said:

Atleast the latter is some way believable, a female childhood friend COULD have feelings for her male friend and have made some promise when they were kids, and the love built as they grew up. But met one time (as far as I can tell in one day?) as kids, said "lets marry" (pretty damn unlikely even for kids to do that) and she actually remembered it and went to all that trouble to do it 10 years later or something, NO, just NO.

Anyhow, currently on Unlimited, I did extra (Meiya and Sumika ofc), but also Ayamine and honestly that weirded me out, how old was that doctor guy............

Well, i didn't say it was unbelievable. But they did great, considering the fact that Extra is kinda prologue and not that great, with many cliche things, but later they developed it into Alternative which has become of the best VNs ever. Not everyone could see that happen after Extra, that's for sure. Anyway, enjoy the rest of Muv-Luv)