Dating

Dating was introduced to the world of The Sims in the Hot Date expansion pack. Some aspects of dating are also present in Vacation and Unleashed. It was re-introduced in The Sims 2: Nightlife, and expanded to include the ability to form groups of Sims, and to have "outings", which is also available in The Sims 3: Late Night.

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The Sims

Hot Date

One Sim can ask another to go Downtown, either in person or over the telephone. A Sim who is already Downtown can approach another Sim and say "Let's Date" or "Let's Hang Out". The controllable Sim will be able to use the "Ask About Mood" interaction to determine which motive his or her date wants to fulfill at that moment.

There is no timer or scoring, but if things go badly, the date may autonomously decide to leave. Otherwise, when the controllable Sim says goodbye, the date will end, and a pop-up message will appear, and will give the player a general idea of how the date went. However, if things go really well, the "Invite Home" interaction will appear. If it's chosen and accepted, the controllable Sim will call a taxicab, and both Sims will get in and go to that Sim's house. When they arrive, the date will be over, and the situation will be one Sim visiting another.

Vacation and Unleashed

One Sim can ask another to go to Vacation Island or Old Town. The date cannot be invited home, and the player can end the date by sending the controllable Sim back home. At least in Old Town, the player can also end the date by having the controllable Sim say goodbye. Players would often use this as a way of letting Sims go to Old Town by themselves, so that something such as going to sell vegetables or buy pet treats wouldn't have to be a family excursion.

The Sims 2: Nightlife

Forming an Outing

Contacts will phone to ask if a Sim would like to go on an outing Downtown or players can ask other Sims to "Form Casual Group" under the "Ask..." option. Casual groups can also be formed with the phone or computer. Casual groups can also be formed just for fun, in which case there will be no timer and no scoring.

Asking Sims on a Date

Sims can phone another Sim to ask them on a date and choose to go to a community lot, or ask them in person. If the Sim asks them in person, the date will start as soon as they accept.

A Sim can also ask the Gypsy Matchmaker to get them a date. The date starts as soon as she introduces them.

Time and Fun Meter

Each date or outing lasts five minutes (5 sim hours)^{[confirmation needed]} but can be extended based on the amount of fun the Sims have. When the Sims arrive on a lot, a timer begins to count down. The fun meter starts in the center and measures how well the outing or date is going. The meter is divided and when the fun rises above the divider the player will be given more time.

Date meter

Players can choose to end the date or outing earlier, though this may lower their score on the meter.

The most effective way to fill the fun meter is by fulfilling the wants of either the playable Sim or his partner (if on a date). It also goes up when the Sims involved in the date or outing gain relationship points with each other. A date's score will get a large boost if the two Sims develop crushes on each other or fall in love while the date is in progress. Conversely, the meter drops if the involved Sims lose relationship points with each other or if any of their fears are fulfilled.

Being caught cheating by a partner will lower the score of a date or outing significantly (usually about one full level). Being scolded by Mrs. Crumplebottom also lowers the fun meter, though not as drastically.

Dating Meter

Two sims dating.

• Dream Date
• Great
• Good
• Okay
• Lame
• Bad
• Horrible

Players can also view the aspiration and wants of the Sim they are dating.

Outing Meter

• Rockin'
• Super
• Fun
• SoSo
• Boring
• Real Drag
• Disaster

Rewards

Going on a first date with a Sim will always produce a positive memory ("Had First Date with Sim"), but if the date goes bad, a negative memory will also be added ("Had Bad Date with Sim"). Achieving the level of Dream Date will give the Sim a positive memory, even if it was not his or her first date with that partner.

After a date or outing, Sim will receive various rewards, but the most usual reward for dating is Reward Objects. Sims will be given the date or outing reward after several hours after the date or outings are over. Here is the list of the date and outing rewards:

• Reward Objects. These objects are the usual rewards that will be given to Sims according to their date score:
  • Dream Date: Bouquet of flowers
  • Great Date: One single flower
  • Good Date: Love letter
  • Bad Date: Hate letter
  • Horrible Date: Flaming Bag of Poo

• Instant Promotion. If Sims' date or other members of outing are on the same career track with higher levels, Sims may be rewarded instant promotion. The odds are increased if there are more members of outing on the same career track with higher levels.

• Restaurant Coupon. If the date or outing involves dining at restaurant, there's a chance that Sims will be given a restaurant coupon the next day.

• Skill Point Award. If Sims' date or other members of outing have high particular skill, Sims may get an instant skill point just after the scenario ends. The odds are increased if there are more members of outing in the same particular skill.

• Another Date/Outing. If the date or outing is so good, Sims might be called for another one.

• Contact. Friends of Sim's friends might make a call for an outing to get to know each others.

• Surprise Gift. A random object from Buy Mode catalog.

Most of the rewards can only be attained if the score is more than Good Date or Fun Outing. Reward Objects are for dating only.

Player tips

• Dates are an easy way to fill a Sim's aspiration bar. As soon as a date starts on a community lot, the Sim's Wants will reroll to involve interactions with the other Sim, even if the Sim does not have a Romance aspiration.

• Additionally, it is a very easy solution to max out the Aspiration bar before a birthday or to keep a Sim with romance aspiration entertained in a monogamous relationship, because as stated above, all Wants will reroll to involve the current partner on the Date.
• Players should be warned that even when a Sim's date displays a certain Want, he or she may not be ready to have that want fulfilled. For example, a Sim's partner on a date might reject his offer to Slow Dance if her relationship with him isn't yet high enough, even if one of her current Wants is to Slow Dance with him.
• Similar to WooHoo, a date in progress is "detectable" by all Sims present on the lot, even if the dating Sims are not within sight. This means that non-monogamous Sims must be cautious about dating at community lots; if another partner walks onto the lot at any point, he or she will promptly discover the cheating, become furious and run to slap the offending Sim (the date in itself is considered cheating, even if no romantic interactions have occurred).
• After a Sim goes on a date with another Sim, sometimes the Sim who was asked on the date will make a call and ask if you want to go on a date again Downtown. Somehow, this makes a small glitch. When two teens are not Townies and they have never gone on dates and one of the teens become a young adult, the Sim could make a call and ask out on date again, even though they are in different life stages. This causes many romantic interactions to be limited or not appear at all. The wants could only be to talk, entertain, and play with. This won't make both Sims fall in love either.

The Sims 3

Outings return in The Sims 3: Late Night as a new way of keeping a group of Sims together. It is an enhanced version of the outings from The Sims 2: Nightlife.

A hands-on preview by GameSpot reports that groups will stick more together and enjoy increased social gain.

Dating returns with The Sims 3: Generations. The Sims are able to date others the same way they did before in The Sims 2.