Risoul is nice because it has a decent amount of skiing (especially when you include the linked
Vars area), but has a small-resort feel to it. A lot of the accommodation is ski in-ski out. There are some great pistes in the Homme de Pierre area which are usually very quiet because you access them with a very long drag lift. Pretty much all of the pistes lead back to the village, so it's a great place if people want to ski in different places. Risoul is one of those resorts which very few people dislike.
I like Are because there is a good variety of pistes (though admittedly not many long cruisy blues), there are several distinct regions to the resort (Are By, Duved, Hogzon, Bjornen) which have a different feel. The people are friendly, you can DIY easily (the SkiStar website through which you book accommodation, passes and equipment is in English) and when we have been the pistes are not that busy.