Ladies, your thoughts?

[rognik]

After reading in a recent thread yet another woman who felt the game wasn't designed with her in mind, I ask this question: what aspect(s) of the game would you change in order to feel like the game is better suited for you? It can be a big thing or a bunch of little things, or vice versa. I may not be associated with Sad Panda personally, but I thought I'd make a little corner so you'd feel more welcomed. And if you feel the game is fine/perfect just as it is, that's great, too.

And now I will do the gentlemanly thing and be quiet as I let you talk.

[Denynenem]

I am straight female but I'm not sure what I would change. Perhaps the intro? Rather than seeing two guys doing naughty, maybe seeing a shirtless dude would be enough. That being said it's a one-time thing that doesn't botter me.

Eli mentions he is bisexual in one dialogue so... those who say he is 'flamboyant gay'...I can't help but feel they have some sort of innate thought of "all flamboyant guys are gay" which is a stereotype the media really drives home. (You really don't see flamboyant straight guys characters in tv shows, even tho, I'm sure they exist.)

Perhaps...maybe make some guys/phone flings mention your choosen Marshmellow Gender would be enough to satisfy them? It wouldn't be super hard (I've done it before. You'd create a variable for gender and then you would do if statements on the text to see which choice he'd pick).
I think that way those people would feel accomodated if their date said "you're a pretty little marshmelllow lady'"for example.That being said it's not a needed feature is just something I came up now that might - not sure - calm them down.

I think it's gr8 the game is trying to include both genders. Often games are genderlocked and exclude a demographic. Unless they endure the fact they're playing the opposite gender (which I assume varries how much each person can endure and which game as well), they won't play the game that much.

[madmadmaddymad]

I'm a girl and i think it's perfectly fine.

that said ? I've also played crush crush, and I have to say personally that game feels way more geared toward the male player. It's playful enough about it that I feel inlcuded, things like "Hey sugar, something's different about you, did you get a new haircut? Change your gender?" and the winks to girls being bisexual and interested in each other.

I feel like this game could do with MORE of that, to be honest. It doesn't really translate, but I think it would be cute if a character like Nutaku were included. A horndog guy when you click back to him from another guy he'd say something like, "That Volks sure is a tall drink of water, isn't he?" or "So, I heard you took the next step with Eli. Get my news right from the horse's mouth (if you know what I mean...)" You know. Like a little less horny than Nutaku but still very flirtatious and overtly bisexual.

[Tellah]

Yeah, I'm a girl and I play both Crush Crush and Blush Blush- and I feel like there are more examples of the girls being interested in other girls in Crush Crush than there are guys being interested in explicitly guys in Blush Blush. I mean- two of the dateable girls in Crush Crush are actually in a committed relationship that just opens up for the player character, after all.

I swear I read somewhere on this forum somewhere that 'Crush Crush is for anyone who loves the ladies and Blush Blush is for anyone who loves guys' and that's sort of stuck with me and I feel like it's true.

[madmadmaddymad]

And it's really not relevant to THIS topic at all, but the reason I feel that CC is geared toward a male audience has more to do with the art of women who appear again and again as romanceable characters and as phone flings, not necessarily anything to do with the writing. There's very little variety in terms of girls. Every single girl in that game is hyper feminine, which doesn't break the fantasy, but it would be nice to have a butch girl or two. (apart from Nova, who is a total babe)

That's where Blush Blush succeeds.

I'm not a man and I can't speak from the perspective of one, but I feel that the variety of boy is very nicely balanced, we get ones who are more masculine, and ones who are more effeminate. Especially with the phone flings, I'm very pleased with the variety and inlcusiveness of boys across Blush Blush.

[VinelMint]

Some of the dialogues and attitudes of the boys (both phone fling and the animal boys) are targeted towards gay culture, have gay lingo, or have gay undertones. It sort of breaks the little immersion I have on the game and makes me feel outcasted from the role I'm suppose to be playing in the dialogue. I recognize and acknowledge that the developers are trying to make the game gender neutral but it's not enough a lot of times. I wonder if their development team have a diverse workforce that can check and question the written dialogue of the game? Perhaps they can diversify responses in the phone flings so that players can choose to have multiple gendered/non-gendered response that the boy can respond accordingly and appropriately?

Another personal issue I have is that there seems to be a lack of diversity in the early-mid game animal boys. It's almost like they're trying to make it up with the boys in late game but that's just my personal gripe. I also wish they didn't code Eli to be so flamboyantly homosexual. It's almost like they associate flamboyancy in boys with homosexuality, and that really grinds my gears as a queer person too. There's a lot of problems that I think fans of this game are unwilling to admit and address. It doesn't do queer representation and diversity properly, nor does it encompasses the whole player base of the game. But then again, just my little gripe. It's clear I'm not the target audience of this game.

[Lord Silwith IVxPrompto]

Originally posted by madmadmaddymad:

AI'm not a man and I can't speak from the perspective of one, but I feel that the variety of boy is very nicely balanced, we get ones who are more masculine, and ones who are more effeminate. Especially with the phone flings, I'm very pleased with the variety and inlcusiveness of boys across Blush Blush.

I think so, I am a gay man and yeah, they are not very great sorted but there is variety (Maybe thats just me, I love the first 6, then have totally desintrest for the next 4 before the boys get hawt again :DDD)
Do agree with CC, it feels less varied there (But that could be because I just generally am not intrested in girls very much... xD and yeah, i do play CC even tho I am gay...)

Originally posted by VinnyMint:

SI also wish they didn't code Eli to be so flamboyantly homosexual. It's almost like they associate flamboyancy in boys with homosexuality

It is more like YOU seem to do that, Sad Panda created Eli bisexual, he even mentions that in the game... soooo...
There are things that aren't perfect, but I think you also project things that arent there into this.

[Tuxedo Melody]

I never had to much problem with how the game is lacking in being welcoming to female player as myself. But it would be nice for more diversity among the guys. Like Crush Crush has different body types, ethnic backgrounds (even if some are hinted at), even race. I feel it will be more welcoming if a lot of the guys did not share a lot of the same physical attributes.

For example I really like Eli, but I wanted his boxers to be as bright as his character. Little things like having the characters actually have boxers match their personalities to having more outfits would make this game a smidge more enjoyable.

I would like if this game could get to the level of guys to date as much as Crush Crush girls and outfit and form changes as an option in the future. I know it takes a while to get through so much in terms of design but hopefully it can get to the level of love that is clearly in the sister game.

[Lynuma]

I personally think it's about the dialogue. The final sex scene with Stirling, for example, it downright says "Your junk begins to tingle." Now, I'm not native english, but I've never heard or seen the word "junk" refer to female genitalia. It could have sad "Your loins begin to tingle." instead. But please, correct me if I'm wrong, I'm always happy to learn more.

And to respond to someone else mentioning that nobody seems to think that Crush Crush is targeting only lesbians, is because I have yet to see a straight guy who doesn't like to watch two girls going at it. But my all means, if any guy straight guy HERE disagrees with that, make yourself heard! I would love for you to be the first guy to tell me they don't like watching two girls doing it.

While some women like to see two guys doing it, I know a LOT of girls don't. I think that's why some people feel like BB is targeting a gay male audience. And while some gay guys have posted here that if it were the case, we'd see a lot more butts, I guess that's a matter of taste, because my brother is gay and he likes the D a lot more than the A. And he likes older-looking guys more than young teenage-like boys.

In the end, I think it's all a matter of perspective and taste. I did make a post about whether or not other people thought this was primarily targeting gay guys, but it was just to see if I was just looking too hard into it and nitpicking on details or if others felt the same. Some do, some don't. Matter of perspective and taste.

[Elvick]

Originally posted by Lynuma:

I personally think it's about the dialogue. The final sex scene with Stirling, for example, it downright says "Your junk begins to tingle." Now, I'm not native english, but I've never heard or seen the word "junk" refer to female genitalia. It could have sad "Your loins begin to tingle." instead. But please, correct me if I'm wrong, I'm always happy to learn more.

I've seen "junk" used ironically to refer to female genitalia, because it's generally not used so it's 'funny' to use something that isn't used. I've never seen it done unironically [haven't maxed out stirling yet myself]

I think that's why some people feel like BB is targeting a gay male audience. And while some gay guys have posted here that if it were the case, we'd see a lot more butts, I guess that's a matter of taste, because my brother is gay and he likes the D a lot more than the A. And he likes older-looking guys more than young teenage-like boys.

In the end, I think it's all a matter of perspective and taste. I did make a post about whether or not other people thought this was primarily targeting gay guys, but it was just to see if I was just looking too hard into it and nitpicking on details or if others felt the same. Some do, some don't. Matter of perspective and taste.

I can take or leave the butts, especially how they've been drawn in this game in particular. I guess Poe #3 is probably the most 'appeal to gay man' butt pose? Not sure if women would find that attractive. [just want to point out how goofy the proportions look too] Generally, especially from bara, there's way more extreme butt stuff. Maybe that's what people mean by saying if it were made for gay men that it'd have more butts. Just some basic vanilla stuff isn't really what I would imagine from... how to phrase it, 'gay made' butt stuff. lol

Even if in underwear, bara tends to work well at doing what I imagine. In terms of real men, I can think of a very specific video that has burned it's way into my mind so I have perfect recall of it. And shots from below where you see both as well. Lot of poses I can think of I've seen in gay art that are largely absent from this game. I generally as a gay man, just prefer to see the goods and get to the point, but certain artists can make butts appealing to me. Just none in this game appeal to me at all.

Ultimately, the game isn't going to please everybody. And it sure isn't going to please everybody ALL of the time. Of the guys, I like 3 Phone Flings (Theo, Jaxon, Logan) and 2 of the main cast (Garret and William). The rest I can mostly take or leave, with a few I outright just don't like at all... like Poe and Eli. :P Or Ace who I would otherwise like but that hair annoys me and I can't get over that.

I would say they should probably avoid "junk" though. Maybe they want to be the change they want to see, and start using it neutrally but if users don't read it that way then it's not working and should probably be something else for now.

[Curious Jester]