Group Outings

[alyssa.cole]

Has anyone done any experimenting with the new group outings?

[Wevee]

I haven't tested it or anything specific, however, I have noticed that paths seem to get messed up before going some place.  

An example:  A couple leaves the house heading downtown, they both get in the cab and head for the subway.  When they get out at the subway, the group leader takes off running downtown, from the suburbs, while the follower takes the sub downtown and has to wait while the leader runs all the way.  

I have tried to cancel the runner(leader) and send him again but then I have to keep the follower at the destination or they tend to wander away.

If I know I am going to group up, I will invite people to the location, then group up and then things go pretty smoothly from that point.


Of course this example is only in bridgeport, I have not gone back to one of the other cities until I decide on like/dislike of bp yet.

[Schipperke]

I use it to get my Dynasty members to go someplace together and stay together instead of wandering off in different directions.  What I'm not sure of yet is how to end the group.  There is an option to ask someone to leave the group, but I haven't tried it in case it is negative and damages the family relationship.  Otherwise, the grouping seems to continue until they go to bed.

[Glic2000]

If you click on the sim who started the group, there should be the option to "disband group" .  I dunno if it has any negative effects.

[Storyteller]

If you disband group, everyone gives some version of "thanks for inviting me out".  If they had a good time, they say so.  If not, they say something like "why did you invite me out if you didn't want to do anything?".  Then they all leave.  Relationship doesn't seem to be affected.

[Schipperke]

If you click on the sim who started the group, there should be the option to "disband group" . 

Click on the sim who started the group!  That's what I was missing.  Thanks, Glic2000 and Storyteller.

[Glic2000]

Btw, I think if you click on a location on the map and choose "Go here with...."  it will automatically group the Sims you select. 

[Saltypaws]

That sounds cool, will have to try that one, finally, a way to get them all to do something together for a change. 

[Schipperke]

I just had one of my sims invite a co-worker over for a bit of relationship building.  After an hour or so of chatting, she asked the co-worker to leave and the message came up about what a great outing it had been.  I wonder if that will happen every time you invite someone over.

[Sophie4563]

From what I've experienced (and even without Late Night) it does. Every time my sim invites someone to her lot or a community lot they end up in a group. You can tell by the little blue symbol above their heads.

[Glic2000]

I just had one of my sims invite a co-worker over for a bit of relationship building.  After an hour or so of chatting, she asked the co-worker to leave and the message came up about what a great outing it had been.  I wonder if that will happen every time you invite someone over.

Yeah that's the thing I find confusing.  It's not always clear when a group is created or disbanding.  I have three sims living together and it seems like they're always in a group (even if I don't specifically group them).  Although, when one of them went into a theatre, there was a warning message about the "group being disbanded".   

On another occasion, I had a townie come over and we all grouped up but the townie left immediately so my sim had the "lousy group outing" moodlet, even though nothing happened. 

In other words... I find the Grouping useful, but a bit vague.  

[Schipperke]

Glic, I agree about the groupings being vague.  I've had the message come up that my sim couldn't form a new group because she was already part of a group that I didn't know about.  On the plus side, I've noticed that my Dynasty members (with 8 in the household) are always getting wishes to group up with each other, so I guess there are a lot of happiness points that could be earned by fulfilling those wishes.

[CJ Silver]

You noticed that too? When MY Dynasty's 2nd immortal (still a teen) invited Adriana Bagley(Sherman's daughter in this story) over to seduce her into becoming his girlfriend, I got the floating blue plumbobs too suggesting they were on an outing, even though they were at the house! Weird!

I never liked the outing/group system in Sims 2, too painful.

[Bde1225]

My sim is in a group I knew nothing about. I called Devin Ashton to hang out and he said "We will be there shortly". Then for like 5 minutes we had a group outing. I had no clue I was even in a group with him and Matthew Hamming.