Romance - something to clear up

[Playalot]

Not sure if this helps @CuriousSim  but Carl has the percentages required for each relationship level on this page.

I've not actually paid any attention to the chances of increased success if an NPC starts the flirting first. But usually it takes 2 romantic interactions to get the pink bar to start showing, sometimes 3 so maybe that threshold also applies if an NPC starts. Meaning that your sim would only need to do 1 flirt to get the pink bar to show instead of 2-3.

There is a hidden trait that is a percentage meter about which gender a sim prefers. I was looking for the link to the info but can't find it presently. Maybe an accepted flirt moves that percentage and so that is why some sims seem easier to romance than others?

[CuriousSim]

@Nindigo

That Lily Feng incident is interesting indeed. According to the description of "Unflirty", that shouldn't be possible, at all. Maybe, it's possible that an NPC might have a simpler set of rules, especially when under the influence of a particular mood. I found out something interesting this week. At least in my recent experience, when other Sims interact with mine, their autonomous romantic interactions won't affect, or initiate a pink bar.

The Callientes' all seem to have the romantic trait & will offer my Sim roses, but things always stay in the green. Also, Mimsy was getting VERY flirty with my Sim. She was giving him the double-cheek smooch & kissing his hands, all without starting a pink bar. Is it the case, that pink bars require user interaction? It's kinda odd, that from player to non player, there's a lot of control over interaction, but you can't control your character's response. My character rejected flirts from Nancy & embarrassed her. One time, he also embarrassed Dina.

In some ways this is handy, but it also makes it difficult for spontaneous relationships. I kinda like to see where things go. Otherwise I might end up making the same choices, every time I play. Maybe, spontaneous flirting with strangers isn't so positive, but maybe there should be more happening between Sims, when the green bar is completely full.

Just a thought

[Nindigo]

Hi @CuriousSim

I think you are very right that romantic interaction from NPCs does not initiate the pink bar. I imagine it is intended or has become so and for the very same reason that a lot of other NPC-based interaction has been tuned down - many players don't appreciate not being in control of their precious Sims However, they still make enemies on their own if I remember correctly.

But I'm like you. I would like for my Sims to develop their life and relations on their own, at least to some degree. And by that I mean beyond picking up their phone and play games, drink water, and wash hands. /hint

I have noticed the following as well:
When I start out fresh (no romantic history) with Don Lothario, who is a romantic Sim, even when in a flirty mood, he won't engage in any romantic interaction autonomously regardless of the gender of the other Sim. And if I click on another Sim when he is in said flirty mood, there is not even something romantic to pick from the intuitive pie menu - I have to click the romantic menu specifically to even go that way.

[Playalot]

Romantic interaction from NPCs do initiate the romance meter. Just takes 3 romantic interactions to start the bar registering if you are playing that sim at the time. If it is one of your sims that you are currently rotated away from though it often does not count. And if it a sim that you placed into the game but haven't played at all yet then when you do switch to them they most often will not have any romantic relationships at all. This was tweeked by the devs as players complained for so long about non-played sims gaining romantic relationships when rotated away from. Remember that mods etc will change game play functions.

[Nindigo]

Just takes 3 romantic interactions to start the bar registering...

Sorry, I momentarily forgot. Must be getting rusty already

[CuriousSim]

Hmmm...

Strange, then. My Sim has had Dina over, off & on since about a week after he was created, last month. She regularly throws out hearts, but it hasn't started a pink bar, yet.

If I were to tweak the game, I might like a separate "Affinity Bar". It could show, or not show. Both green & pink interactions could contribute to it. Basically, it would determine how willing two Sims would be, once they decided they want to start a relationship. The Affinity Bar would rarely cause any drama, except maybe with jealous sims. It might allow for flirty, affectionate, banter, without necessarily leading to smoochy awkwardness. If a Sim has a full affinity bar, with another Sim, it might make it more likely for that Sim, to try starting something. It seems like that might be a good balance between "Instant Enchanting Romance" & "No Autonomous Romantic Activity". A developing Affinity Bar would cultivate warm fuzzies, but PDA's would only occur, once Affinity Bar gets to about 50%. The Romance Bar gets triggered by PDA attempts, while the Affinity Bar is at 50% or greater, between two Sims.

Just an idea.

[CuriousSim]

On a related matter, why can't you call ghosts? Ghosts obviously have phones, or some way to call you.

[oshizu]

A question about romance.

These past two or three days, I've noticed that all my sims occasionally get the "Tense +1 Lovelorn (from Romantic trait)" moodlet, even though they don't have the Romantic trait.
They have enough other positive traits to overcome the Tense +1 moodlet but, still, is this a new glitch?

(Yes, I'm not motivated to go check EA Answer HQ...)

[Playalot]

Yeah..it's a glitch. I've had this happening for months in my game now. I haven't been bothered to actually track down what is causing it. 

[CuriousSim]

I have another question.

Is it possible for a Sim to be jealous of another Sim, even if that Sim is not Pinkbarically involved? My Sim was at an event, and he rejected a flirt, but I noticed that two other Sims subsequently wanted to talk to my Sim, and they were "Very Angry". Since that is such a rare emotion, I was wondering if it's possible that they might not have liked the interaction, or did they just coincidentally get VERY angry, at the same time? I immediately threw down a playful statue, to make the conversation more pleasant & brightened their days, until they were happy.

I also noticed that there used to be an "Other Sims" chat category, where you could talk about other Sims. Do other Sims gossip about other Sims autonomously, if you upset one of their friends? Once again, I probably wouldn't think anything of it, if it wasn't such a rare emotion & the Sims concerned were original residential townies, the I'm sure weren't insane.

Just curious

[Nindigo]

Hi @CuriousSim

Pinkbarically involved

I love that! Thanks for making me grin

Sims with the jealous trait don't have to be romantically involved to become jealous. But even the slightest pink involvement can make Sims go nuts out of jealousy. I had a female Sim once whom had made an enchanting introduction to Nancy Landgraab, nothing else. Then my Sim went and flirted with a different Sim which made Nancy go ballistic - walked right up and savagely smacked my "infidel" Sim and, from the looks of it, had her next two days ruined.

PS: Unflirty Sims might think of punishing yours for displaying affection in public.

[Playalot]

If the two other sims were romantically involved it would have triggered that anger when one of them tried to flirt with you. Townies and NPC sims will get upset if they catch each other cheating (flirting with your sim would have qualified as cheating).