The Sims 2: Nightlife/Dates

Dating is a new way in The Sims 2 Nightlife to improve a relationship between two sims. With the attraction and chemistry system introduced in this expansion pack, improving your romance should be a breeze. In this article, we reveiw date mechanics to help you utilise this new system to your advantage.

Who to Date
Firstly, you have to choose who you want to date. Since dating is a romantic action, you can only date sims that you can have a romantic relationship with(e.g. Teens can only date teens. Adults can't date children). You can't date blood relatives either. Other than these restrictions, you can date whoever you want.

Starting the Date
There are four ways to get a date. Asking for a blind date gives you a random sim. This sim will not be in a commited relationship with any other sim.
 * Ask...On Date. Asking in person.
 * Call...Ask Out On Date. Asking over the phone.
 * Being asked by another sim over the phone.
 * Ask for Blind Date. Interaction on the Gypsy Matchmaker.

Choosing a location
Your sims can date anywhere except the secret society lot included with The Sims 2 University. If you date at a residential lot, the other sim will come to you. If you date at a community lot, you must drive there. If you don't get going within the hour, then the other sim will decide that he or she has been stood up. Standing up has negative effects on a relationship.

Dating
You can keep track of the date with the date metre. From a glance it tells you: The date score is divided into seven sections, each which represent how well the date is going. When the date starts the score starts in the middle. If it reaches the exact bottom, the date ends. During a date points are added or subtracted for almost every event involving your sim. The date score also exists as an invisible number plane ranging from 0 to 1000. With 0 at the bottom of the Horrible rating and 1000 at the top of the Dream Date rating. The main type of event that can happen is a social interaction between two sims. Every social interaction has a base score that is multiplied with the relationship score gained or lost to produce a number of points that are added to the date score. This score is then altered by personality and aspiration. When an event happens, personality will adjust the score. A sim with personality on one extreme (e.g. Outgoing/Shy 10) will provide maximum points while a sim on the other extreme (e.g. Outgoing/Shy 0) will subtract maximum points. How much points are added or lost depends on the personality score. This is accessible through the simology panel
 * The current date score.
 * How much time you have.
 * The dates identity.
 * The dates aspiration.
 * The dates wants and fears.

Date Events
The following table is a list of social interactions and their effect on the date score. There are too many social interactions in The Sims 2 to list here so instead, only social interaction types will be listed. Effect 1 means that the relationship change for both sims will be added to the date score. Effect 2 means that the relationship change is also added but is doubled as well for the date score. If the interaction decreases relationship, the date score will also be decreased. These interactions also affect the date score but include personality and aspiration boosts. Unlike the previous table there is no effect 1, effect 2, etc. Each interaction has a base score which personality and aspiration add to. The score for personality shows the maximum available. To acheive this, personality must have a score of 10. The penalty means that the score will be the value shown if the personality is 0. This base score also assumes that the interaction is between the two dating sims(with the exception of the Bite Neck interaction). This next list of interactions include object interactions, autonomous behaviours and any other event that has an impact on the date score. SIm A refers to the sim that initiated the date and Sim B refers to the sim being dated. On the date metre you have access to your dates wants. This is because wants also have an impact on the date score. Whenever you satisfy any of your sims wants, the date score will rise by 1/20th of the aspiration points added (e.g. If a fulfilled want added 2000 points to the aspiration score, the date score will rise by 100 points).

Date Time
When you start the date you start with limited time. In fact you only have three sim hours to make a successful date in. However, getting to the next date rating (e.g. Okay to Good)(Great to Dream Date) adds more time to your date. If the date ends before getting to the Good rating then date points will be lost from the final date rating. Getting to the next level also boosts your sims needs allowing you to concentrate on the date without having to tend to interruptions such as going to the toilet.
 * Getting to Good adds 2 more sim hours and 30 sim minutes
 * Getting to Great adds 2 more sim hours
 * Getting to Dream Date adds 1 more sim hour and 30 sim minutes.

Ending the Date
There are several ways to end a date. The date score indicates how well the date went and how many points you gained during the date. It also has some initial effects.
 * Date Time reaches 0:The final score indicates how well the date went. If the Good rating wasn't reached, the points will be lost.
 * End the Date:See above.
 * Ask...Do You Want a Ride Home:See above.
 * Work/School/Class(University):You can't date while on the job or while learning at school. See above
 * Date's mood drops to low:See above
 * Death of Date: Date ends at Horrible rating for the date dying. Even if the date score was at maximum befor the dates death.
 * Score reaches Horrible:Worst possible score for a date. Your sim gets lectured, there's a need depletion and there's a chance of a not-so-friendly gift in the near future.
 * Ask...On Date:If this interaction happens during the date then it qualifies as cheating. The date ends and the new date starts with a penalty for being caught cheating.
 * Ask...Back to My Place:Normally doesn't end the date but if rejected will. No penalty for rejected interaction.

Date rewards
After the date ends, there are chances of special rewards in the near future.

Suprise objects
After the date you might see a unique object on the doorstep or in the mail. It will be from the date. Viewing it will tell exactly who it's from and what they think of your sim. Your date may also recieve a buy mode object as a gift on the doorstep. Unlike in aboves case, they immediately tell you when they give you the gift. Lastly, there is also a chance that, if your sims dined at a restaurant, you may recieve a coupon for a free meal in the mail. This coupon will work at any restaurant, not just the one you dined at.
 * Dream Date: Flower Bouquet. Flower is artificial.
 * Great: One Flower. Flower is artificial
 * Good: Love Letter
 * Okay: Nothing
 * Lame: Nothing
 * Bad: Hate Letter
 * Horrible: Flaming bag of Poo. Flames can be put out by stomping. Can not be sold but can be disposed of.

Promotion
If the date is in the same career as you and at a higher level than your sim, then they may pull some strings at work and you could come home with a promotion. This chance increases with how well the date went

Skills award
At the end of the date, then there is a chance you may recieve a skills boost. It increases with the dates skills and the date level. The skills increased will ones that the date has levels in. If he or she has a skill set at zero, then your sim can't recieve a boost in that skill

Social award
If the date was successful, you may recieve a call for another date. If you accept, you must depart within the hour or the other sim will decide that he or she has been stood up.

Your sim may also recieve a call from a contact. This sim will be a friend of the date. Upon, recieving the call, you will be invited on an outing. This group will consist of the date, the friend and either one of the caller's groups or a group of downtownies.