Something's in the Air

[ArianeB]

Hi ArianeB,
Thanks for the game and thanks for monitoring this forum. It's great to have you here.
I love your work and am really enjoying this game. The breadth of content is just fucking fantastic. I love the art, I love the characters, I love all the flirty, sexy, exhibitionism-ish stuff they get up to. I think that your first game is the most re-playable adult-themed game ever created, and now you may have outdone yourself.

I do have one negative thing to say, and I know I will probably get my head bitten off by some other rabid fan (I count myself a rabid fan). I wonder why the sex scenes are so tame. It seems you've pulled back a bit from what were already tame sex scenes in the first game. Are you aiming for a wider audience and think some potential players would be uncomfortable playing a game that gets a little more graphic? I have only found about 4 different sex scenes so far, but all of them seem to consist of the naked torso of the woman I've succeeded with bouncing in front of me. There is full frontal nudity throughout the game, but so far, not in the sex scenes I've found. And I think I did see an animation that indicated I was getting a blow job, but it was just a close-up of the back of the top of a head going up and down (which is amusing, but also a little unsatisfying). I guess that really sums up what my small criticism is: Though the game is VERY fun to play, the sex scenes are unsatisfying, even disappointing. I think many of the game developers on this forum think of the sex scenes as the 'reward' of solving the game. It seems to me the game would be stronger if the rewards were a little more intense. The way they are now, they are mostly only *conceptually* rewarding, because you know you solved that pathway of the game and know you scored the hot girl you were after. In contrast, the sex scenes are not very *sensually* rewarding because the visual is so short and limited (more explicit visuals wold be more sensually rewarding). Even conceptually, it's not that rewarding because the visual suggests that you had very brief, one-position sex with your partner. If you, as an artist, are fully against more explicit visuals, adding a couple more non-explicit visuals to indicate some foreplay and a second or third position would be nice because if the main reward is going to be mostly conceptual, I'd like to conceive that I had crazy-hot monkey sex with my partner rather than just a quick bounce.

Is it possible you may release a xxx version of the game at some point? It might be a good strategy to reinvigorate donations in the future.

I hate to be critical, but I do intend to give insight here, not just to complain.

Thanks for your games, thanks for creating the genre and for inspiring other masterful game makers such as Tlaero and Phreaky.
With enormous respect and gratitude,
iksanabot

Everything you mentioned, I considered. In fact I knew it would come up on this thread somehow.

Ultimately, it is all a balancing act. Where do I draw the line, and all artists have a line to draw. I considered all my options and what my potential audience may like and enjoy and a little more "hard core" scenes would probably boost the audience a little bit. Then I started thinking that I might get a more mainstream audience if I kept it tame, because the sex should not take away the story, and how will it affect my reputation as an artist and storyteller.

Then finally I said, "fuck it", I will just do whatever the hell I want.

[nacho666]

Hi everyone. I want say thanks to ariane for this game.

I have 30 endings. 5 of Ariane, 1 of the boss, 15 of Rachel, 3 of the gym instructor, 2 of the bargirl, 1 of the tattoed girl, the game over, and something is in the air.

I'm stuck, some one can help me in private?.

[iksanabot]

Then finally I said, "fuck it", I will just do whatever the hell I want.

Ha! Ok, fair enough.
But I must insist that you create a new set of at least 200 images and 50 animations, explicitly depicting some very athletic sexual positions, each one completed with an enormous cumshot splattered all over a smiling lip-licking face or writhing naked body.

Of course I'm kidding (about insisting), what else can I say?

[xgh759]

Hi Ariane,
I have to confess, I finally registered to the forum after lurking for several years to thank you, specifically, for your FANTASTIC game A Date With Ariane, and your unparalleled effort in creating them. The first Ariane was my first game of this type, and still my favourite, and I have to commend you for not only that, but the remarkable way you have progressed with SITA - never seeking to profit from it, never wanting to hurry and put out an inferior game, but working with great care on a game I have been eagerly anticipating for quite a long time now. And THANK YOU for keeping us all up to date with progress on the game on your blog, which is something that I wish a few other developers did.

And the actual game...
Firstly, the fact that you have put out a Mac version astounds me. For years, I have tried to find workarounds for Windows-only games, and you are the first developer I can think of to have considered all of us on the Mac platform. Thank you for this effort. My only regret is that this had to come out NOW - in the middle of exams for me - so now I face an agonising test in self-control in trying to keep myself from diving into the game for the next week. This beta release has been so completely unexpected, I must further commend you on not building up too much to a release date, or preventing open betas, as some other developers do.

Thank you, Ariane Barnes, Brodie, or whatever you may choose to call yourself, from the bottom of my heart. You were the pioneer of these types of games, and in my opinion - still the best.

P.S. I quite enjoyed your webcomics featuring Ariane, which seem to have been discontinued. I hope one day that you might make a few more...

[Felix]

Currently at 13 endings out of 40. And of course I'm hooked, congratulations Ariane!

Quick question: is there a keyboard shortcut to temporarily make the text banner disappear so that we can enjoy all - uhm - body parts that are hidden by the text? Of course for scientific purposes only...

[Guntag]

In the case of games (like SITA) where there's a lot of clicking through scenes going on and you play the same scenes several times looking for a different outcome, PLEASE make the picture following the "good" choice significantly different to the one following a "bad" choice. This should at least make sure the player stops to read what it says and not just click on through to the next choice because he's already played through that part before... Sometimes the only difference is a small change to the words underneath the picture, which you can click through numerous times without even noticing and end up missing your stop.

I haven't played SitA yet, but I am pretty familiar with Renpy games. Usually in the options menu, one of them allows you to skip previously read text. If you don't want to read the text again because you played through the game multiple times, you can use this option and when you will encounter new text because you made different choices and are on a new route the skipping will stop.

[ares]

In the case of games (like SITA) where there's a lot of clicking through scenes going on and you play the same scenes several times looking for a different outcome, PLEASE make the picture following the "good" choice significantly different to the one following a "bad" choice. This should at least make sure the player stops to read what it says and not just click on through to the next choice because he's already played through that part before... Sometimes the only difference is a small change to the words underneath the picture, which you can click through numerous times without even noticing and end up missing your stop.

I haven't played SitA yet, but I am pretty familiar with Renpy games. Usually in the options menu, one of them allows you to skip previously read text. If you don't want to read the text again because you played through the game multiple times, you can use this option and when you will encounter new text because you made different choices and are on a new route the skipping will stop.

In Windows, have you tried pressing the Ctrl key?

[woody]

Hi Ariane,

just like to thnk you for all the hard work and effort you've put into this new game .so far its been a joy to play trying to get to the next ending then the next and so on ,im about half way through from what ive read in this thread and looking forward to the rest of the endings,after all that i think i will re visit arianb she was the first adult game i played and brought me to the original sharks-lagoon forum,it had an amazing thread all about arianb,
thnk you for sharing this great game

[LucaNatoli]

Currently at 13 endings out of 40. And of course I'm hooked, congratulations Ariane!

Quick question: is there a keyboard shortcut to temporarily make the text banner disappear so that we can enjoy all - uhm - body parts that are hidden by the text? Of course for scientific purposes only...

Press "H"

[LucaNatoli]

How many stories are there? I have 4 at the moment

[fleet]

Then finally I said, "fuck it", I will just do whatever the hell I want.

Good for you.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming" - Theodore Roosevelt

[6opoga]

Currently at 13 endings out of 40. And of course I'm hooked, congratulations Ariane!

Quick question: is there a keyboard shortcut to temporarily make the text banner disappear so that we can enjoy all - uhm - body parts that are hidden by the text? Of course for scientific purposes only...

read readme file

[Fraekke]

Sorry if this has already been reported, but found a typo (I did look - but i might have missed it!)

If you go to the gym and speak to Ariane she says

(Sigh) ... All right, your a fucker, you kow that?

Besides the grammar alraedy pointed out by Talero it should probably be "you know that?"

[redle]

Will keep this one short, as I imagine there are too many people who haven't played enough of it yet. Never like stumbling across spoilers early. Anyway, enjoying the game immensely.

The main issue I have has already been brought up. Knowing what endings are out there. You made a comment about expanding achievements across the board, so maybe how you do that will handle this one as well. Personally I was simply thinking something as easy as, on the start (picking how you begin the day), if the right contained a 6/11. Basically something telling me, ok, there are 11 endings in part 1 and I've found 6. Would make a world of difference so I am not required to look up cheats and hints online to find out... doh! I've found all endings on part 1 ages ago and have been trying and trying to find more of the 40, and there aren't any here.

[iksanabot]

Then finally I said, "fuck it", I will just do whatever the hell I want.

Good for you.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming" - Theodore Roosevelt

You may not be biting my head off, you may just appreciate ArianeB's punch line, just like I do. But I still feel the need to point out that I AM in the arena too. You'll be able to play my game on LOPGold pretty soon.
I think this retort deserves a smilie, possibly my first.