It seems to me that higher Reputation status is now tied to both date and party goals and makes both much, much easier. If your Sim had a pristine reputation, they would have gotten gold just by doing the 10 social interactions. In my Immortal Dynasty in the later generations they got gold medal parties just by doing the main goal (call to meal for the dinner party, for example) as long as a Sim with high reputation was one of the hosts.