Gender preference: Difference between revisions

Gender preference was introduced in ''[[The Sims 2]]'' and carried forward into ''[[The Sims 3]]''. Each Sim who is a [[teen]] or older has a set gender preference that is defined by the averaged total of all their romantic interactions with other Sims. For instance, if the majority of a Sim's romantic interactions have been with females, that Sim will have a preference for females, and vice versa, if the majority of the Sim's romantic interactions have been with males. Gender preference can be changed over time; a female Sim with a preference towards females who has enough romantic interactions with male Sims over time may develop a preference for males. It is possible to influence the gender preference of [[townie]]s and uncontrolled Sims by performing minor flirt interactions such as checking them out or whistling at them. Players with ''[[The Sims 2: University]]'' should note that autonomous flirting by an [[Mascot#The Evil Mascot|evil cow mascot]] ''will'' affect the the gender preference of the Sim being flirted with. ▼

In ''The Sims 2'', the "Do you like what you see?" interaction affects gender preference, even though it is an "Ask..." action and not a flirt interaction. However, the "Scope Room" self-interaction introduced in ''[[The Sims 2: Nightlife|Nightlife]]'' does not affect Sims' gender preferences. ▼

Newly created Sims, whether freshly out of [[Create a Sim|CAS]], or newly created townies, have a neutral gender preference, unless they are created as spouses. <!-- I have observed this in TS2, but am assuming it also applies in TS3. --> Most pre-made Sims have a neutral or nearly neutral gender preference;; they either have no preference for either gender, or no preference for one and a slight preference for the other. In [[Nervous Subject|rare cases]], a pre-made Sim may have a slight preference against one gender, but no preference toward the other. At least in ''The Sims 2'', Sims who are born in-game or are [[Adoption|adopted]] start their teen [[Life stages|stage]] with a neutral gender preference. Actions which increase a Sim's preference for one gender decrease that Sim's preference for the other, but by a smaller amount.<ref>Observation in SimPE for ''The Sims 2''; [http://nraas.wikispaces.com/MasterController+FAQ#GenderPreference FAQ for NRaas Master Controller] for ''The Sims 3''.</ref> So, while a Sim will not normally develop a positive preference for both genders, it can happen while a Sim's preference is shifting from one gender to another. Also, a few [[Circe Beaker|pre-made]] [[Titania Summerdream|Sims]] in ''The Sims 2'' have pre-set positive preferences for both genders. It is not normally possible for a Sim to develop a negative preference for both genders.▼

Even though most townies and NPCs start with a neutral gender preference, they may still autonomously be attracted to Sims of the opposite gender, but the chances are lower than for Sims who have a preference for that gender.▼

In general, the size of a Sim's preference for (or against) a gender affects how stable that preference is, rather than how strong it is. For example, a Sim with a -10/20 male/female preference isn't more attracted to females than one with a -1/2 preference.<ref>These are raw scores as used by the game. For ''The Sims 2'', SimPE displays gender preferences on a scale of -10.0 to 10.0, rounded to the nearest tenth, instead of the displaying the raw score. For example, it displays the raw scores -10/20 as -0.1/2.0.</ref> However, the first Sim's preferences will not be significantly affected if a male flirts with them once or twice, while the second Sim's will be.▼