French locals/nectar skilling

[Elvie]

I had a Sim marry a French local, Manon Godard. She comes with level 6 Nectar skill. I moved the family into a house with a basement and set her to work. She leveled up to 7 in fewer than 2 Sim hours. She read a Nectar skilling book while waiting for the machine complete the bottles. She kept leveling up at an insanely fast rate - she went from 9 to 10 in about 5 Sim hours. She wasn't a Genius, didn't have any Logic, and didn't have the Fast Learner reward.

Do all French locals learn the Nectar skill super-quick? Did skilling Nectar in the basement have any effect?

[jezzer]

I'm not sure, but I think the WA-specific skills level faster, period.  My sim went to China and maxed out Martial Arts within one 5-day trip, without the "Disciplined" trait, the "Genius" trait, the "Athletic" trait, OR the "Fast Learner" reward.  Compare that to his Music and Charisma skills, which took him forever to max out, even with the "Charismatic" and "Virtuoso" traits.  Photography seems to level super-fast too.

[Elvie]

I'm not sure, but I think the WA-specific skills level faster, period.  My sim went to China and maxed out Martial Arts within one 5-day trip, without the "Disciplined" trait, the "Genius" trait, the "Athletic" trait, OR the "Fast Learner" reward.  Compare that to his Music and Charisma skills, which took him forever to max out, even with the "Charismatic" and "Virtuoso" traits.  Photography seems to level super-fast too.

None of my non-French Sims have learned the nectar skill at an accelerated rate. I haven't had any Sims learn photography, but I did have one max Martial Arts. He didn't seem learn it any faster than a regular skill, and he was using a training dummy at the library with the Disciplined trait. I never sent him to China, though. I wonder how or if that makes a difference.

[jezzer]

Come to think of it, the Sim I had to max Martial Arts did so in China at the Scholars' Garden.  Being at the Garden gives you a moodlet; it might increase your martial arts learnings too.

[Elvie]

The garden moodlet must be pretty powerful if it maxed a skill in one short vacation. Were you using the dummy, board breaker, or meditating?

I'll have to send a Sim to China and see if I get the same results. I'm also going to kidnap some French locals and test their nectar skill rates.

[Claeric]

Is the garden moodlet the zen one? That one increases the rate of skilling martial arts by 1.5, you also get it from meditating.

As for photography, it doesn't level that fast time-wise. The amount of time, just taking pictures and doing little else, is probably the same for other skills, plus you have to find new things to take pictures of.