Well in TS3, attraction is pretty much useless. For some reason, all of my Sim couples chart a 10/10, and they roll pretty much zero wishes to indicate any preference for one romantic choice over another. And though I know TS4 is coming along in a few more months, I don't have much confidence that the attraction system there will be any better, at least not to start. And I won't be playing it in any real capacity from the beginning anyway, because I like to wait until there are a few EPs out. So I'm going to be sticking with TS3 for a little while here, and I'd like to make this work for me.
I've been working on a little project. It requires a basic set of calculations using traits, aspirations, and zodiac, which are factors taken from both TS2 and TS3, because I do note both for each of my Sims. Because of that, perhaps this system will be completely useless to anyone but myself. But if any of this is useful to you at all, by all means, feel free to mix it up and use it!
So I came to these calculations by imagining several of the couples I've written about before, both Sims and non-sims, what I know of attraction in real life, my own experiences, and the other relationships I’ve known. I took all of these stories and I imagined what about certain couplings really made them passionate or ambivalent toward each other, and in the longterm, what made them succeed or fail. And the fun thing is, when I plug into the details of some of my favorite TS2 couplings, the attraction score I get here is very close to what I remember them scoring in my TS2 game.
section 1—zodiac:
The zodiac section is mostly taken from TS2. I’m not sure how accurate that is according to RL zodiac compatibility (as if such a thing is ever accurate anyway, lol!). So I’ll stick with that for now.
Zodiac in the factoring of real life couples is kind of sketchy at best, so I see this factor as random fate/chaos in the score. They could get a bonus or a deterrent that doesn’t really have much to do with their character at all. But it stirs things up a little.
A couple will get two factors here, that could range from +20/+20 to -20/-20 points. They could also score a +20/-20, or a 0/0, and cancel each other out here.
section 2—aspiration:
The aspiration section I’ve changed a little, thinking about which aspirations would be attracted or repelled. I disagreed that a popularity/knowledge couple would be mutually repelled by each other. Hello, Dallas and Lucy!?! I actually don't see popularity aspirations being turned off by anyone, and knowledge aspirations (if you figure they are ultimately driven by unbounded curiosity) would be put off by fortune aspirations (ambition with monetary motive?), and quite enjoy the company of romance and pleasure people. That's my take on it anyway. Y'all don't have to agree with me, lol! ;)
Again, two factors here, and likely to be +20/+20 to -20/-20 points, or 0/0.
section 3—hottie bonus:
Beautiful, sexy, charming people are more attractive. Sorry, but it’s true, lol! This will not make or break most pairings, but those characters with it will get a little bonus in their romantic pairings.
+20 points for each member of the pair who has: great kisser, irresistible, charismatic, or eye candy.
section 4—matching traits:
They get the most points for matching traits. That's pretty straightforward. Characters with identical matching traits are likely to understand each other and enjoy spending time together.
With the exceptions of some traits, like two “mean-spirited” characters, for example, who could end up being a sort of “beautiful disaster” situation. Well, it happens. It lends authenticity to the fiction, and makes for a complicated, passionate, and troubled coupling, whether it ends up being tragic or not.
I do have one couple in one of my stories that scored very high with matching and complimentary traits that were sort of “unfavorable”. It would probably be a bad idea to let them get together, but if two train-wreck people want to get together, who am I to stop them? It might make for a good story, lol!
The couple gets one +30 for each pair of matching traits.
section 5—complimentary traits:
They get a sizable bonus from compatible and complimentary traits which are all listed in the calculator, and for characters with a full set of traits, they could end up having quite a few of these bonuses. These are where I imagined what two people might admire or identify with in each other. A workaholic likes someone who is ambitious. Someone good might admire someone nurturing. A computer whiz is impressed with someone who is handy. Someone socially awkward identifies with someone who is shy. Or in some cases, extreme opposites can compliment each other, like someone who is a coward relies on a partner who is brave. And so on. This is about what they admire in each other.
The couple gets one +20 for each pair of complimentary traits.
section 6—conflicting traits:
Then there are points taken away for conflicts. These are the things that irritate and annoy a person about their partner. Almost all of my strong couples have at least one of these, because it’s just impossible to find someone you get along with perfectly. And in fact, these are the kinds of conflicts that lend a realistic and fiery dynamic to a pairing. Even though they have these challenges to work though, they still love each other very much. A couple who didn’t have at least one conflict in their personalities might be happy, but they'd be pretty boring to write or read about.
Of course, a couple who has many conflicts will find it hard to make a happy life together.
There could end up being quite a few of these, and the couple gets one -20 for each pair of conflicting traits.
the scale:
| x bolts | less than 0 | unattracted and incompatible |
| 0 bolts | 0 to 39 | little attraction or major lifestyle differences |
| 1 bolt | 40 to 79 | initial attraction, but struggles to make a relationship work |
| 2 bolts | 80 to 119 | solid attraction that may thrive with some effort |
| 3 bolts | 120 plus | strong attraction with lots of common ground |
an example to set us off:
Robbie and Liza:
I chose these two because they're the most recent couple I’ve made, and because they’re young, so I think it will be very interesting to watch what happens to their score as they grow up and get to know more about themselves and each other.
Robbie is: Sagittarius, family primary, TS3 traits: good, brave, absent-minded, nurturing, hopeless romantic, virtuoso, loves the outdoors
Liza is: Aquarius, knowledge primary, TS3 traits: loner, daredevil, never nude, bookworm, handy, loves the outdoors, childish
Their score:
1. zodiac [Sagittarius/Aquarius] = +0, +20
2. aspiration [family/knowledge] = +20, +20
3. hottie bonus [none] = +0, +0
4. matching traits [loves the outdoors] = +30
5. complimentary traits:
[brave/daredevil] = +20
6. conflicts:
[none] = -0
total: 110
This is about exactly the score Robbie and Liza had in TS2, which was a 3-bolt under that system, but I’m calling it a 2-bolt on mine because my numbers always scored pretty high. It was never very hard for me to find a 3-bolt for my sims, so I’m skewing up a bit.
on growing up:
I chose Robbie and Liza as an example in particular because as teenagers, they only have 7 of the full set of 10 traits they’ll eventually grow into, and I honestly have no idea which the additional traits will end up being. There is potential for either some pretty significant conflicts, or added compatibilities with them. I like to take my time getting to know them as they grow up, discover themselves, and have their experiences shape them too, so they may not have a full set of concrete traits until they're 20-25. Naturally, as a young character grows up, they are changing, and the people they interact with are changing too. Sometimes those changes match as they grow and sometimes they don’t. Just like in real life, young relationships are sort of a minefield, and that’s probably why I find them so interesting to write about.
For example, I’ve already had to think really hard about whether Liza was unflirty or never nude (which is a mostly useless trait in game, but I use it to signify a sim who would be sort of sexually conservative). He’s hopelessly romantic, which means he’s going to need to be with someone who can tolerate some serious flirting and affection sometimes. I read over some of the TS2 stories I wrote for her, and it was a really hard call there, but in the end, I felt her romantic reluctance was more a matter of being a late bloomer or shy than it was that she was cold or thought romance was stupid. So there is a chance she might still warm up to him as she gets a little older.
Now, as they grow up, there are still other things that could become an issue. Robbie had a popularity secondary, and I always saw him as a rather charismatic kind of guy. That may mean he gets to college some day and turns into a total party animal, which would really conflict with her loner trait. Or if I later decide that she’s a genius, his being absent-minded could leave her feeling unstimulated intellectually.
On the other hand, there are other changes that might become a bonus for them. If she gains a family-oriented to match his nurturing, or if he gains a good sense of humor to match her childish.
Not that any one conflict could be a dealbreaker for them, but they’re all just another addition or subtraction to their total comprehensive compatibility.
an unrequited love story in attraction scores:
I’m geekily excited about the prospect of my pairings experiencing unrequited love. OMG, I’m so bad, lol!
For example, a situation happening in my neighborhood right now that I don’t want to give names to, because spoilers (though you could probably take a stab at some of these), but:
Boy A likes two girls: Girl B he has a 190 with (huge!) and Girl C he has a 140 with (also pretty significant). Both are 3 bolts in this system. While he’s going to definitely notice Girl C, I don't think he’ll be able to pass up his connection with Girl B in the end. Unless something else goes horribly wrong.
So Girl C is heartbroken. Girl C has a 120 with Boy D, which on my scale is just barely a 3-bolt and they do get along really well. But she’ll have to feel like she’s sort of settling, because she’s known what it’s like to feel a 140 connection with someone else. Sucks, but what else is she gonna do?
Girl E also likes Boy D, and they have a 150 connection. So Boy D is going to be quite torn between Girl C and Girl E, though Girl E is also very young, so that connection could still change for the better or worse as she matures and gets to know herself better. Girl C at 120 could be a safer bet to him, because she’s already mature and is not likely to change much, and, most importantly, she’s not jail bait, lol! But... he has a stronger attraction to Girl E.
^ So that decision is probably his, and I could see him going in either direction, really. It’s really a “does he follow his head or his heart (or his pecker, however you want to see it, lol!)” kind of situation. That’s where storytelling and human psychology come in and the characters (= the author) have to make a decision one way or another. But chances are not insignificant that Girl C gets shafted again. Poor Girl. And these are not shabby connections she’s losing either, while the Boys ditching her have something better to consider.
Is there someone out there for poor Girl C? I hope so, lol!
Some scores I've done so far:
Now, I try not to let these scores become spoilers for how a relationship will work or won’t. There are all sorts of reasons to choose to be with a person, or not, and raw compatibility is not always as the top of the list. Kyle is a good example—he has a slightly higher raw compatibility with Ingrid (180) than he does with Carly (150), but when I looked at what that giant 180 with Ingrid was made of, a large bulk of their points were made up of sexual chemistry and little substance, with some pretty significant conflicts. Considering Kyle is a marriage and children type, Carly makes for a better life partner for him. So in that instance, I am happy to say Kyle followed his head and not his pecker.
Other couples, like Benny and Sophia for example, I hadn’t given their relationship pairing much thought at all besides “they look cute together” and “they were both freshmen in college, so, what the hell!” And I actually doubt they’ve given their coupling much thought either, because when I put them through the calculator and it came out with a 40, it really sort of forced me to consider some things for the first time, and I can see where they’ll probably run into some conflicts in the future.
It’s sort of realistic, especially with younger couples, that they’d sort of plunge head-first into a relationship without really considering how compatible they are on a deeper level.
Then looking at one of my older stories, Corbin & Leila got 190, while Matt and Leila got 110. I thought that was interesting, because in my TS2 game Matt's attraction to Leila was just barely behind the score she got with Corbin. But here, considering the major life differences they had, it comes out a lot lower. Still high enough though that you don't wonder why she ever married him in the first place.
Another funny situation in my hood right now: a girl who won't give a certain guy the time of day. Little does she know she has a 180 with him. ;)
Dorky fun with attraction scores! So there it is then. Let them pine away!
^ The example couple I left in for you to see was Robbie and Liza (but the unflirty version of Liza, so you could see where and how to input a negative number. Just erase their numbers and input your own couple's numbers as appropriate.
This is super and I look forward to using it on my sim couples! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteYou've gone into such detail and I only skim read over it because my brain is a bit fried from work but I'll be back to read it in full detail later. I have a question though about TS2 aspirations, how do you assign them to your TS3 simmies? Obliviously it is trait related but I was just curious. ;)
The trait chart I use is in this post, in the "lifestyle" section of traits. When I've decided on a primary or secondary aspiration for my Sim, I make sure I've given them one or two traits I've assigned for that aspiration. Like "family-oriented" for family sims, or "party animal" for popularity, and so on. But I've assigned a few different traits for each aspiration, so not all sims of a particular aspiration will feel the same to me.
DeleteI hope some of this is useful! Have fun with it! :)
Oh, I'll also note that I'm constantly revising and reconsidering which traits I feel are complimentary or conflicting. Pretty much every time I do another couple, I add something to the list. So this is kind of always in progress. You guys may wish to redo some of these to suit your own tastes if there are some you don't agree with.
ReplyDeleteI added this set to the compatible list, thinking of peppy people:
- excitable/easily impressed/friendly
And I added "bookworm" to the artistic/avant garde/photographer/virtuoso set too, inspired by Joey and Ocean.
Oh, you're such a nerd and I love it! I probably won't use this yet. My hood is so small, so my sims don't have a whole bunch of choice with partners to begin with! When it starts getting bigger though, I can see myself using a system like this. So thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI've often thought it was weird that Popularity would be repelled by Knowledge or vice versa! I think they were going for some kind of Jocks vs Nerds trope but that seems a little stereotypical and high-schoolish to me. I imagine Popularity sims are people people and enjoy variety among the people they interact with.
So do you view the absent-minded trait as the closest thing we have to a dumb trait? That's interesting to me, because my first association with the term is that old movie, The Absent-Minded Professor. He wasn't stupid - he just had an inability to focus on anything other than his work. It makes sense that EA were probably going for a euphemism for dumb but it just never occurred to me until now!
I love your take on Never Nude though. I guess that would be Lia, in TS2 terms! LOL and as soon as I saw your first table, I thought "OMG, this would allow for unrequited love!" Your poor sims, lol!
Oh, I bet you're right with the jocks vs. nerds thing. I didn't even think of that. I would not put it past EA to try to work a stereotypical and high-schoolish trope into the game, lol!
DeleteHa, with the absent-minded, I probably wouldn't assume EA meant it as dumb (I think they probably meant it more as forgetful or something), but every time they do that idle where they're kind of counting their fingers and then stop and go "huh?" lol!
I feel bad calling Robbie dumb—in my notes from the last story, I think I called him "dense" but I don't think that's any better, lol! He's an amazing young man in lots of ways, but he's never going to be a brain surgeon, and that's okay. ;)
But that trait doesn't always mean dumb for me. Ocean has it too, and for her it means sort of easily-distracted. I believe I gave it to Cameron too, and for him it means oblivious. Or I suppose it could also mean other things, like ditzy or forgetful.
Neurotic is another that I use as a stand-in for some of my Sims. I was thinking of giving that one to Liza when she grows up, because I always saw her as kind of nervous or skittish—not so much that she wants to talk about conspiracy theories, like her Sim will probably do in game, lol! I'm also considering socially awkward for her though, but that one's annoying because their conversations always go wrong, even when they're talking to someone they know well, so I don't know if that one is quite right for her.
At times I find the traits really lacking in some areas. Recently I was working on a Sim whose character I thought of as "impatient"—what the crap would that be? Hot-headed is close, but the anger and temper is wrong. Snob maybe, but that's not quite the same either. So for a lot of my Sims, I pick the closest match and then mark in my notes what it's really supposed to mean.
This is interesting, I wish that TS3 had a better compatibility built in, but this really fixes it. Finally got my game working right, but haven't bothered to make a single sim yet, so it might be a while before I use it!
ReplyDelete