More Awesome Than You!

Is this possible?  I know the Social Bunny does it.

It makes sense, realistically speaking.  I don't have to interact with someone to enjoy their company, just having someone else around makes a person less lonely.

Pets, too.

Having a person around and ignoring you makes you more lonely, at least it does with me.

There's a difference between ignoring and simply not doing things together.

I'm just sayin, Sims should get a boost in social when they pass one another in the hall and such.

I'm pretty sure they do boost social while sitting quietly near each other on a couch or something...because I believe it happens with Macro - Power Idle. I believe that one's known as the Sit Down and Shut Up function or something. Meanwhile, they're gaining social.

actually, with power idle on, they don't get the social boost...unless it's changed in the last couple versions...

IMO, there should be idle chatter between sims if the relationship is high, independent of other actions.  e.g. one sim painting and one sim on the computer in the same room, they're friends...idle chatter should occur and result in social boost.

That's the one thing that's always seemed so odd to me is that sims in the same room are oblivious to each other unless they're doing the same activity AND it's a group activity.

I always think social should rise when 2 sims sleep in a bed together, especially if they are spooning.

yeah, but they're always thinking of other people

I find it depends on the person, and the kind of relationship. I could say my "social" goes up when I hang out with a friend, even if we are doing separate things, but not in a room with random boring strangers, or if I feel ignored.

and my comfort goes down around people I can't stand and up around people I like.

Let's face it, Sims is all wrong!

I don't know if they should radiate Social, but they should *definitely* stop radiating Bladder.

Hm, odd that Power Idle shouldn't raise social. They do get that boost if you tell them to sit on the sofa together. I wonder if J.M. could tap into that for Power Idle.

For the record, I've got macrotastics, but rarely use Power Idle. If they got a social rise when doing nothing together, I might use it more.

Yes, yes it does, and this is why I've often used it as psychological torture. More in the past than in the present, but it is quite effective, nonetheless.

I agree with the OP that sims being in the same room together, even if they are doing different tasks, should boost the Social motives of both sims, and that they should be able to chat while carrying out their tasks. I get very irritated that, if one sim is drinking coffee whilst another is eating pizza, they completely ignore each other, even though they are sitting at the same table.

Edited for typo.

Do you mean when you are using Power Idle, or anytime? My Sims always seem to chat when they are sitting at a table if their relationship is high, or they are family. I don't use Power Idle much, so I wouldn't know about their behaviour then.

They already do. Any time sims are parked on a bench together, social will rise. Power Idle, however, has them STFU, because letting them open their yaps is potentially destructive.

Anytime. If sims are doing different types of activities (e.g. one is watching TV and one is studying from a book), then they will not notice each other, even if they are sitting together.

ETA: For some reason, if one sim is studying or watching TV whilst one is just sitting in the same room, they will chat a bit, and their Social will rise, but if both sims are doing a separate activity, then they ignore each other.

Works fine in my game. If sims occupy the same bench, or even nearby benches, they automatically gain social just by being present. However, this doesn't work if they're standing or at a table.

Hmmm, I suppose it could be a coincidence that my sims don't seem to chat or gain Social when doing different activities in the same seating area, or that I imagined it, but it does seem to be the case in my game that they ignore each other when doing different activities. I will investigate further.

How is it potentially destrutive? Because they might talk about subjects they don't agree on and 'damage' relationship?