Sex

[Inge]

How long should I try with one partner before deciding it's not going anywhere?  So far my sim has not had option to Confess Attraction or Ask to move in (on romance menu) for any sim, even ones she's been woohooing the socks off night after night.

It would be kinda nice to see her settle down with someone - any tips?

[diskoh]

Well if you're hump humping, you're beyond the confess attraction part. I get the confess attraction option before the first kiss.

Be friendly until they're best friends with a full bar. Then do first kiss, then regular kiss, then you can pretty much propose.

[Inge]

I have never had a kiss option on my romance menu for any of her boyfriends, they can only kiss on the bed.   Is that because she has the neat trait, she thinks it's untidy to be all over the place kissing

[daisywenham]

You have to watch the little status box in the upper left of the screen, where it says things like "Sim A thinks Sim B is okay".  Keep tossing romantic interactions at them and you'll see the other sim's thoughts progress from flirty to very alluring to extremely irresistible.  As you work your way up the chain, you'll see that you have more and more possible interactions.  It's not like TS2 where you get them to be best friends and then a single romantic interaction results in twu wuv.

I don't think anyone has figured out if there is any concept of attraction or chemistry a la TS2, but I definitely think I've seen some sims be much more resistant to romantic advances than others.

I find it a little odd myself that you can get them to woohoo if you make them relax on the bed, but they won't even kiss through socials unless you work them all the way through the chain.  

Also, "move in" is a friendly interaction, not a romantic one.

ETA: Also, I think it was Zazazu who ran into a glitch with getting sims to progress to romantic interests.  I think she solved it by cheating their relationship up to best friends and then trying a romantic interaction.  She talks about in the original The Horror thread I think back around 20-30 page area.      

[Inge]

Well I only get irresistible on the bed during makeout, because of course I can't make them do more than hold hands and hug standing up, which doesn't seem to excite them enough.  And on the bed of course I don't have the other romantic options such as go steady.

[Roflganger]

The most confusing part of romantic interactions - or any interactions, for that matter - is that switching "tones" tends to reset any progress you've made for that session.  So if the other Sim sees yours as alluring, then switches to a friendly interaction, they'll likely be back to "flirty" when you switch back to romance.  I think social interactions are the weakest point of the game.  Where in TS2 you had the chain of chat/joke/flirt actions until love happened (and then could do any interaction you wanted pretty much whenever you wanted), here you have flirt/different flirt/flirt some more, regardless of relationship level.

[daisywenham]

I've found that, with an established relationship, you get to start farther along the course but I otherwise agree.  A married couple should have all the options all the time unless something negative has happened between them.

[kimmyfrmtx]

I had similar problem with a female playable.  The partner I selected for her had the "commitment issues" trait.  I finally gave up and had them move in together using the merge option in the edit town.  They lived together until old age death but never got an interaction to change to a committed relationship.


Edit:  I had moved in sims both before and after this, the option never appeared in ANY menu option.

[seanachai]

How long should I try with one partner before deciding it's not going anywhere?  So far my sim has not had option to Confess Attraction or Ask to move in (on romance menu) for any sim, even ones she's been woohooing the socks off night after night.

It would be kinda nice to see her settle down with someone - any tips?

Is there an "ask to move in" on the Romance menu? I had my Sim get engaged to Cycl0n3 and there still wasn't one popping up. I wound up finding it in the "friendly" menu after building up the interactions for awhile.

Right now my big problem is that I made a cute lesbian married couple who are polar opposites -- and one is "unflirty" (doh, why did I do that)*. And I canNOT get them to woohoo, not even when they find each other "extremely irresistable", and no matter who is initiating in the interaction. YES, that means her wife, the great kisser/family oriented/friendly Sim turned down woohoo from her, too. I guess I just have to try to build up their relationship points.

*She's also a workaholic with no sense of humor, lol.

[EdenNintyNine]

Is there an "ask to move in" on the Romance menu? I had my Sim get engaged to Cycl0n3 and there still wasn't one popping up. I wound up finding it in the "friendly" menu after building up the interactions for awhile.

Indeed; the 'ask to move in' option drops down in the friendly tab- however, if you are in a deep unromantic moment with another sim- despite it being in a different tab- the option to 'ask to move in' should appear in the friendly tab. Though, much as you mentioned Seana, options do not always pop up- as with you not being able to WooHoo. If you find you can not get the 'ask to move in', try queuing a bunch of friendly actions until it appears.

Seana, if you manually have both your gals 'relax' in bed, do you get the option to WooHoo?

[MasterDinadan]

Thank you, my error was that I was looking under this section, that's why I never found it

I think your biggest error was posting a completely off-topic question in this thread.  Way to derail the entire discussion.

Anyway, as per the original topic, this might be kind of obvious, but make sure that the sim you are romanticizing is not already in a relationship with someone.  Even if you have made out and woohooed with them, they won't commit to you if they are already with someone else.  It can also be an issue with traits.  Sims with Commitment Issues will happily do all of the romantic actions EXCEPT going steady and becoming engaged/married.

[nanacake]

In my tests so far, not only do traits matter for romance but mood/social does also. If your sims are in a terrible mood some options won't appear, if their partner is in a terrible mood, you ask them to woohoo they will refuse. My sim tried to make out with his girlfriend in a bad mood, was shoved and then she left. An option to apologize came up next time he saw her.  It's kind of amusing the romantic struggles, my sim would not go with the girl I wanted him to, annoyed I then left him alone to check on his twin brother on the other side of town, and when I zoomed back to the house he had started flirting/kissing with his brother's girlfriend on his own accord! I guess she could not tell the difference? lol

The titles at the top of the conversation meter are really good to let you know how you're doing. Romantic interest + good mood (going to the bistro together gives a really good mood), chat, ask how was day, hug, kiss from there usually brings me with all the option to woohoo, ask to move in, to advance the relationship. But most of my sims have flirty trait so I will have to try a non-committing sim now.

[MasterDinadan]

Oh yes, mood definitely matters.  Try throwing a party at a scenic places.  If you throw a party on a nice community lot, you get a moodlet for the lot AND a moodlet for the party.

Of course, sims get very nice moodlets for first love and first kiss, so if you can manage to be your partner's first, you have a better shot at getting them to commit.  =)

[Heinel]

Being in a beautifully decorated room (just collect gems) and playing music in the background (leave the stereo on) can give around +70 mood easily too, I never had a woohoo rejected with that combo.

[seanachai]

Is there an "ask to move in" on the Romance menu? I had my Sim get engaged to Cycl0n3 and there still wasn't one popping up. I wound up finding it in the "friendly" menu after building up the interactions for awhile.

Indeed; the 'ask to move in' option drops down in the friendly tab- however, if you are in a deep unromantic moment with another sim- despite it being in a different tab- the option to 'ask to move in' should appear in the friendly tab. Though, much as you mentioned Seana, options do not always pop up- as with you not being able to WooHoo. If you find you can not get the 'ask to move in', try queuing a bunch of friendly actions until it appears.

Seana, if you manually have both your gals 'relax' in bed, do you get the option to WooHoo?

Yeah, it does come up, but everytime either one of them proposes it the other rejects it. I think it is the Unflirty trait -- it's not that it's impossible, but that there has to be an extremely high relationship between them for them to get it on. I'll keep working on it...

[Dizzymental]

How long should I try with one partner before deciding it's not going anywhere?  So far my sim has not had option to Confess Attraction or Ask to move in (on romance menu) for any sim, even ones she's been woohooing the socks off night after night.

It would be kinda nice to see her settle down with someone - any tips?

Sorry if this seems like stating the obvious, don't mean to insult your intelligence, but maybe she has the unflirty trait perhaps? This happened to me. Took me ages to realise why I had a problem with my frigid baitch!

[brownlustgirl]

In the Sims 3, foreplay is a must.  My playable fell for Hunter Cottoneye in Riverview, that is one of the most problematic sims to get in a relationship with, without me knowing all of his traits. During the 3 or 4 sims days of Hunter calling and accepting to go out places with her, I found out that he was mean-spirited, neurotic, an angler, a loner (hard to get him to visit). Their romance started with the normal menu, then when the first kiss option came up, I took it. The kiss was successful and all the other steps became successful, til the option to propose marriage popped up and I tried that. Hunter rejected and my sim was heartbroken, but that was when she found out the last trait, the pop-up said he was insane.

After finding out, I thought the playable would leave that situation alone, but she still wanted him for romance. After being rejected 4 times, Hunter finally caved in and accepted the proposal and eventually moved in. I think it's just a long process in foreplay and wooing. My final thoughts, we sure could use a TS3 ACR mod for this.

[seanachai]

I would freaking love ACR for the Sims 3. Because you know what? Despite all of the ~crazy~ stuff that goes on thanks to Story anProgression, I haven't really seen any/many townies hooking up with each other. In my first game I was kind of hoping Agnes Crumplebottom would find somebody, but it looks like she stayed alone (and pretty miserable, last time I spotted her in that save). As far as I can tell, Mortimer, Bella, and Kaylynn don't seem to have any romantic interest in each other. I've seen married couples get pregnant, but that's it.

[Marhis]

I haven't really seen any/many townies hooking up with each other. In my first game I was kind of hoping Agnes Crumplebottom would find somebody, but it looks like she stayed alone (and pretty miserable, last time I spotted her in that save).

Oh, don't worry; my selfsim spent a couple of days playing the catch-them-all game with the gems, and when she returned to the sim she was hitting on, I found out that in the meantime he has become Agnes Crumplebottom's boyfriend. 

[jolrei]

I haven't really seen any/many townies hooking up with each other. In my first game I was kind of hoping Agnes Crumplebottom would find somebody, but it looks like she stayed alone (and pretty miserable, last time I spotted her in that save).

Oh, don't worry; my selfsim spent a couple of days playing the catch-them-all game with the gems, and when she returned to the sim she was hitting on, I found out that in the meantime he has become Agnes Crumplebottom's boyfriend. 

MOAR FIGHT!

[SimDebster]

You do not have to have the Sims relaxing on a bed to get the WooHoo menu item.  Once selected, they will go to the bedroom.  I only wish that the male Sim would pick her up and carry her to the bed.  It would be more romantic (but probably only for the first few times).  Once one of my Sims, after selecting WooHoo, headed for the bathroom (guess she really had to pee) and I thought that the action would drop from their queues.  To my surprise, once she was finished, the male Sim went to her and hugged and kissed and then they headed for the bedroom.  I just love what they have done with this aspect of the game.

[phyllis_p]

My absent-mineded Sim once forgot that he was supposed to be going to the bedroom to woo-hoo with wife, and stood there with a question mark over his head, making a sound something like, "Durrr....."  His wife, already on the bed, hollered to him to get over there, which snapped him back into the present; it was great!

@Inge:  The game seems to have embraced the concept of casual sex.  One can woo-hoo and try for baby without having a romantic interest in the other Sim.  In order to get the full range of options, one has to engage in both friendly (get to know) and romantic interactions over a period of time.  Each time together is almost like starting over, except from a higher point in the relationship.  Also, both Sims need to have their need bars pretty full or they won't get in the mood. 

After Cornelia Goth died, husband Gunther was heartbroken.  While still in mourning, he met sister-in-law Agnes Crumplebottom on a community lot and cried on her shoulder.  They'd developed a good friendship over the course of Sim years.  Suddenly Gunther got the want to kiss Agnes.  One thing led to another, and they were married the next day.  I think this is a good indicator of how important the length of the friendship is.  I've never seen romance proceed so quickly for any other Sim couple.

[MasterDinadan]

You do not have to have the Sims relaxing on a bed to get the WooHoo menu item.  Once selected, they will go to the bedroom.  I only wish that the male Sim would pick her up and carry her to the bed.  It would be more romantic (but probably only for the first few times).  Once one of my Sims, after selecting WooHoo, headed for the bathroom (guess she really had to pee) and I thought that the action would drop from their queues.  To my surprise, once she was finished, the male Sim went to her and hugged and kissed and then they headed for the bedroom.  I just love what they have done with this aspect of the game.

They could have done a lot better with the romantic animations.  Compare TS2's couch makeout to TS3's.  It doesn't even look like they are ENJOYING it in TS3.  And I really miss the marriage proposal animation where the proposee would get all excited and JUMP into the other one's arms.  In TS3 its like they are reluctant to touch each other...

[Zazazu]

I've never seen romance proceed so quickly for any other Sim couple.

I've had meet-to-marry in less than 24 hours, but this was with two sims who shared three traits, had no incompatibles, no other romantic relationships, and the active sim was at level 5 or 6 of charisma, and had the charismatic trait.

Once I've gotten used to how the trees work, romantic relationships aren't hard. What annoys me is that it looks like they tried to make them more complicated, but in the end only succeeded in making them extremely formulaic.

[SimDebster]

@MasterDinadan:  I agree.  I miss the movies for first kiss and woohoo, as well, from Sims 2.  But with Sims 3 my Sims take off with the romancing all by themselves once I start them.  And once they finished they are not finished.  They cannot seem to get enough of each other.  I love that.  This is what I had hoped TwoJeff's ACR would do, but it never worked that way.  I just wish that the Sims now would actually initiate it on their own (just not constantly at each other all day every day as with the ACR).  I would like to get surprised with an unexpected pregnancy, one that I did not have to initiate.

Also, is it just me, or do the Sims move around as if they have a stick up their butt?  Sims 2 Sims had fluid motions and seemed more human.  Sims 3, for me, is like a love-hate relationship.  I love it and hate it at the same time.  Makes no sense.