How do you decide who your Sims date or marry?

[omglo]

Do you make your decision based on looks? Chemistry? Whether they roll a want to? How do you choose whether they'll end up with a man or woman (or both)?

[KaiRuh]

I don't start looking for a mate for my Sims until they roll a want to flirt with someone, have their first kiss, woohoo, etc. If it's with a specific person, I'll let them try to do whatever it is with that specific person. If not, I check to see if there's anyone in their relationship panel that they have good chemistry with, and I usually prefer for it to be someone they're already friends with, rather than calling up someone they've only spoken to, like, once, and then never seen again (unless there's someone they have three bolts with or who I think they'd make an exceptional match with). If there isn't, I use the find-a-mate crystal ball and pick whomever I think is the most suitable match from the choices it provides. I almost always choose a playable if it's an option... unless the townie/NPC has three bolts with my Sim, I just really prefer for them to date another playable.

As for sexuality... I just go with whatever I see them as, or whatever they lean toward naturally. It's rare that I have homosexual couples, just because my natural inclination is to make a hetero couple and go through the whole baby-making process, but I do have a couple.

[Clashfan]

As far as their gender preference I randomize that when either they are created or when they age up to teen using the Sim blender. For dating well I tend to let them make that decision either by them rolling wants to date someone or I might have them "scope the room" but often ACR takes care of it for me.

I pretty much only play born in game Sims at this point so most of them start dating in their teens. Usually I will send them to one of the community lots I've set up specifically for teens, I've got a bowling alley, an arcade and a dance/karaoke club that I use almost exclusively for teens, so they can meet and great the other teens. I let them do what they want and most often it doesn't take long for someone to flirt with them or for them to flirt with someone there.

I usually repeat the process in Uni once all crush/love relationships have been wiped, although they do tend to gravitate right towards whomever they dated as teens if they age up together.

When it comes to marriage well that is for 3 bolt attraction only. Since I give every student a 50/50 shot at having their aspiration change at the beginning of their Jr year (literally it's a coin toss) it's possible that I could have a couple that had 3 bolts but suddenly that changes and then marriage is out.

Forces me to have a little drama in my game from time to time, if left to my own devices everyone is happy, no one ever cheats and there are no fights. So it's good to have that shaken up every once in a while to keep it interesting.

[DigitalSympathies]

In my legacy game, my sims who are single and/or born-in-game usually don't look far for their future spouses - I have a habit of apartment-dwellers getting with their neighbours, and with born-in-game sims marrying the friend of their sexual preference as it usually ends up to be easier than adding townies into the mix. I make and break a lot of relationships for straight guys, however, and I don't know why - both my legacy's twins have had four girlfriends and one of them has gotten every one of them except for his first girlfriend pregnant. Eek.

[punkrockgoth1988]

Looks actually rank last in my game IMHO. My game is not meant to be a modeling contest. Usually its a matter of attraction/wants or just ease of access to a particular Sim. Sometimes, its just on a whim, such as with one young University student who I decided should woohoo the male members of the secret society as well as her roommate, and her boyfriend, and if memory serves, her professor... Sometimes its because a particular couple has grown up together and other possible romantic interests didn't work out.

My Sims aren't all the same. Often I have them marry townies/dormies to help keep the gene pool fresh.

[LilGeek]

Usually my Sims get to decide who they wanna date and marry. However, I do "regulate", since I don't want the worst Townie genetics into the gene pool. With regards to gender preferences, most turn out straight, I think the gay/straight ratio in my 'hoods are much like in real life. Usually they get to experiment a little in Uni if they like to ;) My dorms are a drama heaven xD

[katya_stevens]

Depending on what 'hood I'm playing, I either have my sims scope out the locals at a community lot or use TJ's find a mate crystal ball. Either way, I look for the same things:

- High (but not too high) chemistry. 2 bolts is about right for me: I find that 3 bolt sims are often the same personality and aspiration, and 1 bolt sims can often lose some attraction and go neutral.
- Genetic variation. If I have a sim who has black hair but I know has a recessive red hair gene, I'll try and pair them up with someone with red or blond hair. Eyes are a little trickier because I have so many I often forget how dominant they are on the scale.
- Townies/playables doesn't really matter, although I am trying to learn towards playables marrying playables to keep population/house numbers down.
- Sexuality is randomised. Every so often I randomise the sexuality of everyone who doesn't have one, and it's only when a sim becomes a teen and I check for sims they're attracted to that I see if they're gay/bi/straight.

Sometimes I have let relationships progress that I wouldn't normally allow. The most recent example was Luke Creekmore: a Family sim, he brought home Rachel Holt (a Fortune sim) from school one day, and out of curiosity I checked their chemistry levels. One bolt. Before I could stop them, ACR took over and gave them their first kiss and first woohoo, and after they'd finished woohooing Luke rolled the want to go steady with Rachel. I'd pretty much figured then that Luke had chosen Rachel as his 'one' despite potentially having better chemistry with other sims, so I let them go steady and now they're currently married with two children (although Luke does want six for his LTW).

[zumppe]

I don't make the decision at all. When my sim kids age up to teen, their gender preference is set to "bi" with the ACR adjuster, and they take it from there themselves. They choose their own mate/s 100 %, I have nothing to do with it. If they roll the want, they go steady. Then, as YA/adult/elder, if they roll the want to get engaged/married, they do.

Funny though, in my current hood, it seems that by letting everybody choose their mates regardless of gender, I end up with mostly gay couples. :lol: Fortunately for them (and me, I like genetics), in my game also same-sex couples can have biological children.

One of my sim kids aged to teen a couple of days ago, and he's already had woohoo with 11 boys and girls... I guess there's something special about him..! Whenever he visits a family, he always gets dragged to the nearest bed/hot tub/sofa, often several times in a row, when both the teens in the family in question and their other guests find him irresistible. :heyhey: :giggler: He isn't even a Romance sim... but after his tenth woohoo partner, I just had to give him secondary Romance. :lol: I haven't seen him roll any "go steady" wants, and I'm guessing he won't be that interested in getting engaged or married in the future either!

[Firelira78]

I always try to 'fix' the marriage of all the sims I play as soon as I can. Even the pre-made ones. Sometimes I try to find a match for my sims even when they're children and make them get friendly with their intended spouse. So that they have 100/100 relationship when they reach teens.

Certainly aspiration and personality compatibility is very important. I wouldn't want a grouchy /active guy to marry a shy and extremely nice and friendly girl.Chemistry and lightning bolts are important too, but if there are two sims who I really want should be together, but they have negative chemistry with each other. I change their turn-on and offs and sometimes aspirations, so that they at least get two bolts of chemistry. Sometimes the only criteria is that the 2 sims whom I intend to bring together have families which are old friends. I visualize the parents would really like it if their kids got together and the family friendship will turn into a relation.

In real life, I believed (and still do) that God chooses a special someone for everybody and generally and eventually make them get together. I try to do the same as "Sim God" :)

[StrangeTownChick]

If a child brings home a friend, I typically try to get them friendly so they could potentially have a relationship in the future (though most often this friend is a townie so I have to age them up with cheats!)
Before The Great Reinstall, I would teleport over a sim based on the teen's turn-ons and they would get together (it worked for a few very happy relationships). After, now that I have to play a total vanilla game with no teleporters, I typically send a teen off to a community lot and have them "scope room", then go with the first person they think is hot regardless of gender. It doesn't always work, but I think that's all the more realistic: the first person you think you're in love with may not be "the one".

[Deryn]

Strangely my method tends to be whomever the Sims first brings home. Children meet their bestest friend the first time they bring another child with them on the bus, and as teens that first teen that comes home with them on the bus if they have enough of an attraction becomes their high school sweetheart. This often times leads to drama, particularly if that Sim who came home with them is equally attracted to the playable Sim, but already has a steady girl/boyfriend.

When they go to College they tend to hook up with whomever they are most attracted to, and if there is enough attraction there I usually get them engaged in College, and carry that over to adulthood. With adults who are unattached usually I wait till they bring home someone from work, that they are attracted to, which sometimes creates drama specially if they fall in love with a married man or woman.

This method keeps the drama and randomness quite high in my neighborhoods.

[DasRabennest]

It depends. I had arranged marriages (and even polygamy) in my game for story reasons. Usually I just take them to community lots and let them roam free and whoever catches their interest is dated. That says nothing about marriage perspectives though as sometimes they date someone forever without ever rolling a want to go further with the relationship. I've even had that happen to triple bolt family sims...*scratcheshead*...as I have to start over I'm going to pick the spouses for generation one and then see how the story proceeds. In my current mood I don't think I'll have to arrange marriages for political reasons so it's the sims themselves who get to choose. The townies are the most beautiful sims due to face replacements so I'm not afraid of anyone screwing up the gene pool. ;)

DasRabennest

[Peni Griffin]

My matchmaking style is still evolving, and I don't think I'll ever settle down to hard and fast rules because it's so seldom that one set of rules works best for everyone. One thing that is consistent is, that the sims get a lot of input. I may have a general idea of how I think things should go, but ever since Ernest Munny as good as looked me in the eye and said "Sage Ann or nobody" when they only had one bolt I've made my plans prepared to cave in if they get different ideas into their heads. I will mess with turn-ons and (for college students who make their preferences plain prior to junior year) aspirations to improve chemistry, but that's all I'll do in those cases. If it ain't broke, you won't see me trying to fix it, and any match that makes story sense is good enough for me.

I do steer them a bit, but I try not to get too attached to one idea of how things should be. I have a table where I keep track of the star signs, OTHs, turn-ons, and aspirations of eligible oncoming sims. If, say, an Aries and a Taurus are born within three rotations of each other I'll note that as a match with a question mark. By the time they hit teen I'll probably give them compatible aspirations unless there's some reason not to - some sims declare themselves as one aspiration or another from toddlerhood, and if, say, an obvious Popularity sim is a perfect starsign match with an obvious Family sim, I have to suck it up. If they get compatible aspirations, I also give them compatible turn-ons, so blond tinkering Aquarius Edward Beare has been given a Fortune aspiration and turn-ons for brown hair and mechanical points while brunette tinkering Capricorn Petra Ottomas has a Pleasure aspiration and turn-ons for blond hair and mechanical points - but when they met, no sparks flew and though I keep throwing them together they aren't particularly drawn toward interacting autonomously. They might be one of those couples that grows together over time, or - they might not.

This creates a certain amount of pleasant suspense and is the sort of thing that keeps one coming back to the game. Some of my favorite sims have been agonizingly slow about committing themselves - especially various Hawkins teens, who tend to have townies and playables both hurling themselves at their heads and respond with judicious restraint or downright coolness until The Right One comes along - but hey, it's a big decision, and they don't want to hurt anybody.

I do tend to pair people off rather than leaving them single simply because I don't find single-adult families interesting long-term. The longest one I've played like that is shy but driven Romance sim Leslie Gay, who has woohooed her way through dormies, townies, and playables with cheerful abandon, thrown lots of parties, made lots of enemies, and demonstrated a consistent fear of commitment. She's reached her goal of becoming a Professional Party Guest, has her own house, and refuses to make friends with her brother's family, so I'm having trouble keeping her involved with the rest of the cast even with the partying. This calls for violent action on my part as she approaches elderhood. She's being stalked by a really cute Family townie with whom she never should have toyed, and my plan at the moment is to make her sick (which should have been a snap, with a cold running through the playables, but perversely the game has so far insisted on infecting everyone at every party except Leslie), and have Rishelle move in to cure her - and never leave. That should enliven her elder years for me. So far she's had very little to trouble or vex her (she's always serenely ignored people who were mad at her) but I can change that.

Character trumps player prejudice and an interesting game trumps most other considerations. The more the sims write themselves the better off I am.

[dieKristina]

I always try to marry my sims with other playables instead of townies. That way I can keep the population lower. Regarding who that dates who I normally go with chemistry and who ACR says the sim in question has the hots for. I also prefer to have the two sims pretty being close in age, so they have at least some time together when they both are teens or young adults. The sims who end up married have usually known each other since childhood, and have also often been best friends since then, which I find cute. When a sim is ready to become a teen I usually already have plans for who the sims might be interested in, and I chose their turn on´s and turn off´s based on that. But sometimes my sims have other plans and totally prefer someone else, and I like that. When it comes to gender preference I set all my sims as biesexual to begin with, just to give them a chance to discover which gender they really prefer. Unfortunately I mostly end up being the one who decides their sexuality by forcing them to do romantic interactions with one sim I find suitable, and since I set their biesexuality on a low level (if you have ACR you know how you can set it low, medium or high), that´s enough to make them either straight or gay. I am still a control freak, so even if I try to let things be random, things usually end up being not so random.

[Traveler]

I'm pro-hetero, so my Sims never experience same gender-to-same gender romantic contact. I usually create the ideal spouse for my Sim, including Chemistry, Aspiration, and appearance.

I know it all sounds a bit controlling, but hey, that's me. :)

~ Traveler

[Jennbob]

I mostly let ACR do it for me. I did try to have a rule where one-bolt couples wouldn't end up together, but some one-bolters are so loyal to each other I decided to scrap that rule pretty quickly.

I have some arranged marriages, if it suits the family. The Capp family are big on arranged marriages - they don't want just anyone mixing genes with their children. Ariel Capp was set up with Fricorith Tricou, and luckily they were very attracted to each other and didn't need telling twice to get along! Desdemona is destined for Hector Beaker, but poor Hec is lusting for Maeve Terrano, a fact he has to hide from his alien-phobe family. Hector and Desdemona are BFFs though and both realise they just have to get on with it, so will move in together once they've graduated and will pop out some sprogs to please their families, and Hector will probably see Maeve on the (not so secret) side.

ACR decides sexuality, and I have the mod where same-sex couples can have children, so that's not a problem in my 'hood.

[Babahara]

I find a partner through Find-A-Mate crystall ball. Three bolts, and if there are a few of those, I check whose chemistry is higher with Cyjon's pizza box. So it's destiny. It creates interesting scenarios, because some sims pick most unlikely significant others.

[Bwinney43]

I don't have set rules for choosing mates. Sometimes I go by chemistry, personality and star sign. Other times I let the sim decide who they want to flirt with. Sometimes I go by who ever rolls up first in their want panel with a romantic interaction. Unless of course Sim B is happily dating/married to another sim. I try not to break up couples that I really want to be together.

Hell sometimes I even go by their names. Buck Grunt brought home a girl from school....named Milk. I kid you not her name is Milk. They went out on a date and are really great together. And you better believe I enjoyed seeing wants that said "Kiss Milk" "Flirt with Milk" lol!

I've also used the Find-A-Mate crystal ball as well. Some of my sims are just so busy with their careers or businesses that they don't have time to go to community lots. The crystal ball is also nice when I just came seem to get lucky with any good looking townie walk-bys.

[music2ologist]

A private rule in my game is that three-bolt lovers must have each other, though the heavens should fall.

Another consideration is the education of children. Only a sim with at least six personality points can encourage a child in that discipline. Let us say that the Gavigans have only four or five points for Neatness, and Isaiah needs six if he is to stop spraying cornflakes over the breakfast table. Then the parents must divorce (they don't care much for each other, anyway) and the one who gets custody must find a Neat partner to marry, so that Isaiah can be encouraged. It's tough, but that is my method.

[Peni Griffin]

That seems like a high price to pay for a little encouragement that may never take hold anyway! (And my Mary and Nathan are thoroughly into eachother...)

What do you do when you have sims with multiple three-bolt matches? My Merlin and Goz Hawkins triple-bolt with half the female population of Drama Acres, including most of their in-laws; it's triple-bolts or none for them!

Sorry about the double post earlier. My hard drive died, so I'm having to use my laptop for the internet connection, and it's very cranky about it. I can't for the life of me get either of them deleted, either. If no moderator gets there first I promise to take it out as soon as I get a decent connection again. Now to try not to do it again.

[BurgundyStars]

I kind of leave it up to chance. I have ACR installed, so often the Sims with two or three-bolt attraction scores tend to gravitate towards each other. Sometimes I know exactly who I want certain Sims to date or marry but otherwise it's fun to see the results from ACR.

[Simonut]

I kind have an idea of who I want together, and to be honest most of the Sims that I want to be with someone, I create them myself in Body Shop ( not trying to brag but I am pretty good making Sims. ) Once I decide who I want together if the male or female Sims is already in the game waiting for someone, I will move them in and let the relationship build from there.

Here a "Good Tip" I always move the male Sims in first, my reason is so that the neighborhood screen when you first enter the lot will have the male last name, if you later decide to let him get married. The neighborhood screen before you enter the lot will have the correct married name.

But if you move the Female Sims in first even after she get married the neighborhood screen will always carry her last name instead of her Sims husband last name, that she had later married. So in my game no matter what I do the male get move in the lot first.

[aaries16]

I start thinking of who will date who when they are children. I'm paying attention to who their friends are. When they become teens, they don't stay that way long because they get sent to college soon after, I let them sneak out, go out, or go on an actual date with their friends. Then eventually, and especially lately, I create a list of all the teens who are going to college and sorta pre-plan who I'm going to gear them towards. I also add adult sims who are single to that list, because it's acceptable for the college students to date sims from the neighborhood. At times when the list of females exceeds males or vice versa, someone may end up in a homosexual relationship. But all the pre-planning doesn't mean it's going to happen just like that. Their personalities and aspirations can alter my plans all the time.

[larky]

I usually leave individual relationships almost entirely up to ACR, wants panels, and the sims themselves. There are only a few exceptions: I'll use generic wants to encourage relationships for sims who haven't shown much initiative on their own; I always follow through on specific flirt and date wants, but reserve the right to ignore or outright veto others; I'll sometimes move a couple in together if they've been seeing each other for a while but don't roll up actual wants for commitment. I don't usually marry sims without at least one rolling up a want, though--if a couple gets engaged but never wants marriage, I figure they've settled things between themselves but don't care about formalizing it. I also almost never arrange matches based on the likely offspring (although I'll be pleased if it works out well). If I get lazy, sloppy, strange-looking kids, I get lazy, sloppy, strange-looking kids. C'est la vie. A uniform population would get boring, anyway.

I have to admit I've never played any in-universe arranged marriages, however much I'm plotting out-of-universe. I don't know how I'd work it into my main neighborhood's culture. It could be fun, actually.

For sexual orientation, I usually leave townies and NPCs up to ACR's randomizer; playables, I prefer to roll for myself. Mayfair, my main neighborhood, has had an unusually high proportion of gay and bi sims so far, because my population's been limited and I wanted my gay sims to have a fair chance at a decent match more than I wanted demographic realism, but I'm finally just about ready to add a Downtown and the attendant zillions of disposable downtownies to spouse-hunt among, so the odds are going down a bit this generation. The previous outcomes can be explained away as an artifact of a small sample size :)

[maxon]

Ah - the usual impetus for matching up in Little Carping is desperation.

[GEGNER]

Because I usually play legacies, and the spouse generally doesn't matter, it's usually the first that comes along or whatever teenager clerk is in the "send townies to college" menu.

[StrangeTownChick]

Just recently I had two sims who I planned to marry each other. I put them in "apartments", one above the other (due to lack of apartment life this was just one house that looked like two apartments). Then I had John go down and "visit" Dava. They talked, checked each other out, and had double bolt chemistry. So I had them start going out, and after two dates and a woohoo that both sims requested (resulting in Dava becoming pregnant!) finally, I got them engaged. Until both roll wants to get married (which I will lock when they do) I'll keep them engaged, living as a family, as I think they're the kind who don't really need to quantify their degrees of love.

[akksgurl]

I randomize gender preferences first. Then I see who they're most attracted to. No one may marry or partner up unless they have at least 2 bolt chemistry. The only caveat to this is if a one bolt pairing ACRs themselves like crazy OR they are constantly rolling wishes for each other. Triple bolt chemistry is "soulmates" in my mind so that usually trumps all other pairings they may already be involved in.

[StrangeTownChick]

Triple bolt chemistry is "soulmates" in my mind so that usually trumps all other pairings they may already be involved in.

Definitely. For me one bolt= compatible, two bolts= could be "the one" and three bolts= this is your soulmate, marry them NOW!
It's like high school (or at least high school on TV). One bolt, you're having one date or a quick romantic fling. Two bolts, you'll date for a month or two, but eventually go your seperate ways. Three bolts, you're the couple other couples come to for advice. You wear his sweatshirts. You can feel like friends and a couple at the same time. You'll wind up married with three kids, one of each. :)

[Peni Griffin]

But what if you have multiple triple bolters? It's not that uncommon. And I've had sims walk away from triple bolts to pair themselves up with single-bolters, who became doubles over time by sheer force of will.

[StrangeTownChick]

I agree. Rules never keep perfectly solid, whether in Sims or in real life. Sometimes a summer fling will turn into happy marraige.

[lil_princess_of_evil]

I try to introduce as many of my teenagers as possible to each other to get a variety of friends going, and then they can test the waters that way with interests. If there is a stronger chemistry, they'll hook up as teens, and likely get married right after the age to adults. They also go to college with their peers, all in one house for time saving reasons, so sometimes they'll meet their loves there.

If they haven't found the right person there, I usually send them out on the town until they find someone nice. Family sims tend to marry sooner because they always want a lot of kids, so I try to put a rush on them, whereas my romance sims definitely like to test those waters a bit more if they ever get married. I'm not a fan of the crystal ball method because its too easy to me.

Of course, sometimes for stories I have arranged marriages because I need a certain personality or look for my sims. Or sometimes my story calls for two sims that have no attraction to each other, especially those fortune sims.

I honestly don't have a lot of homosexual sims but I am thinking about changing that by using a dice to determine them. I just naturally make them male-female only because I like the idea of surprise children.

[pondefloor]

I usually let ACR figure it out for me, but with a couple of my sims, their tastes were a bit too generic and they ended up with at least three three-bolters with wishes involving all of them, and they're not even romance sims! So what I've started to do is give them more particular tastes or start them off as married.
When it comes to children, I determine who they marry when they're children. For example, my legacy's heir is still a child and I know who she's going to marry already since he happened to walk onto the lot. I've made sure that they're best friends and when she grows into a teen I'll give her turn ons that are particular to him so it'll work for sure.

[TychoH]

I have just two houses in my neighborhood, and the only NPC I play is the Alien Technicus, so it's not difficult to decide which Sims are gonna marry :P

[Lady Scarlet]

Well, because now I play a Medieval Challenge it's not exactly easy to find proper suitors for my young ladies >.> I have to consider their social status, their family's wealth and name and other parameter like chemistry (sometimes, because most of the marriages are arranged), the lady's reputation, her looks (kind of important, but not as important as her trousseau), and so on.
The hardest thing is to find someone with good genetics >.> Because I don't want ugly babies, even if they are from a serf family XD

[Yazoo]

Well, I decided for my one Sim, that she would marry Bella. Oh yeah. That Bella. But then I saw this College Sim, Cara. And I was like...Well she has black hair (That is one of my Sim's turn-ons) and well my Sim is a Pisces, and I was like:

"Well, if this College student has star sign that is compatible, then maybe those two should get together instead of Bella. But my Simwould be torn between two different chickas."

Well, sure enough the College student, has the same star sign as Bella. She is a Cancer. And in which makes my playable Sim (Marcel) compatible. So, yeah...And Marcel already has a crush on Cara.

I wanted to flip a coin, but I think that would have been a little too Cliche. My other playable Sims, are still exploring their horizons. But I do believe one will end up with a witch, every new roll has become a witch. So, what the hey, she can get Emily Knight the good witch. And for some reason I always get one married to a Vampire. And one to this townie, that never ceases to find a way to get to the lot of where my Sims are.

So that is how I pretty much get my Sims together with another :D Unless I want to cause Hell, and let them choose...But that ended in disaster, with "Primp all the time Marsha" >.<

[Briana2425]

OK what I do is look into relationship panel to see if they like someone with 3 lightning bolts as chemistry and there usually do except that person married or dating another or if am bored than I might have them have an affair together. Second I make them go to a community lot and scope the room and see who comes up. Third if I notice it than it's hard to explain but i'll try its like when your Sim is walking and you see a thought bubble come up with the persons picture with red and pink hearts I know its not scope room because it happen to my female she was walking to pay the bills when a townie did that to her. Last if all else fails than I look at the Sim attraction on what they like on the person than create them for that Sim.

[elfinitty]

I sometimes look at the chemistry but usually I create a story in my head and I play it that way.Once the story in my head was Beau Broke and Lucy Burb dating I made them friends before they started dating.As I called Beau to Lucy's,when they were friends,they hugged romantically without me clicking it.I found it so cute! :D

[Macaroodle]

Looking through this thread I realized that I really don't have one set way. I'll use the crystal ball sometimes, but I tend to like to make it so I don't know who their perfect match is right away. It's more fun if I have them date a few people and figure it out later.

Sometimes if they bump into someone they've got two or three bolts with I'll have them go out with each other. Other times I might have an idea about who would, in my mind, go well together and teleport them in. A couple examples: Johnny Smith wants to fit in and be liked. He's self-confident and everything, but there still aren't many aliens around, and he's always been a little self-conscious about it. So, once he was in college, I figured, who better to accept him and embrace his uniqueness than hippie Blossom Moonbeam? She's made him feel proud about being an alien like no one else ever has. They're engaged now.

I made Ripp Grunt's OTH Film and Literature after looking at the interests he came with. He's in college now, and I thought that he might like fellow book-lover Tiffany Sampson. She might balance him out nicely, too. I teleported her in, and now they're boyfriend and girlfriend with two bolts. Once he hits junior year I plan on making him Family/Romance, so hopefully they'll have three bolts then.

Speaking of which, I'm usually only comfortable with marrying sims that have three bolts, but I make exceptions sometimes. Two-bolters Dina Caliente and Connor Weir seemed so right to be I couldn't not get them together. In my mind she wants a mature, stable guy (which is why she keeps going after all those old men :p). Connor has high playful points, but he's got a mature outlook on life. He wants to do well in his job, find Ms. Right, and have a family. They're married now, and happy as clams.

With kids who have just transitioned into teens, I tend to have them date kids they were close to as children. Sometimes I'll get the feeling they have crushes on each other then, and keep that in mind when they turn into teens. Beatrice Monty and Alexander Goth are that way. In my last install, I invited Beatrice and Benedick to Mortimer and Bella's vow renewal to give him some kids to hang out with. Alexander and Beatrice chose to sit at the same table twice, and once she looked at him with the Kiss icon in a thought balloon. So they're kind of canon for me. :)

I don't really have any gay sims... don't get me wrong, I absolutely do ]not hate gay people, it's just the way I choose to play my game. It's like the way how some people have almost all gay couples or no straight couples at all, or no religious sims... it's just a game. :)

[Mrmo]

I choose that sort of randomly. In some cases I have a idea but in most cases I just put them together if they are good friends. I have a lot of familys in my hood but most of them are created by me as married so I do not really have to give the question so mush attention.

[carnegierabbit]

I take matchmaking so seriously...

As soon as a generation hits teen, I make a table. Boys across the top (columns) and girls down the side (rows.) I put an X wherever siblings/first cousins intersect. Then I will check out what kind of chemistry all the possible matches have, and record it where they intersect in my table. Any match with three bolts automatically is designated as a future marriage, but that doesn't mean they can't date other people as teens. It's rare for me that a sim will have more than one three-bolt attraction, but if they do I just pick the one I like better for them. After that I will designate matches, usually based on maintaining a balanced gene pool. I only have same-sex couples if there is a gender imbalance, which I try to avoid, as I like to see genetic patterns and can't use hacks. A couple has to have at least two bolts to get married, so usually the matches get arranged by process of elimination.

[Fivey]

I usually stick only triple bolters together, but if a two bolt couple are literally climbing on each other, I can't break them up.

[TaliaKirana]

I've tossed in ACR to make my simming more interesting. I've intended to install it for ages, and finally took the plunge.

[Peni Griffin]

I have never had a problem matching people up in Drama Acres, but I am finding myself facing a bit of a dilemma in Strangetown, where I don't intend to play long-term and the population is, and should remain, relatively low. The original plan is to introduce no new CAS sims and when I need to add someone, as for a toddler to fulfill PT9 and Jenny's have-baby wants without using elixir on her, to clone someone from Drama Acres.

But I can't help wanting to match people up, and the Curious brothers and Nervous will, for the most part, be difficult to match with the set of turn-ons and turn-offs they rolled for this iteration. They all have Ren-U potions, so I can always change the turn-ons; and as it happens Vidcund's are red hair and glasses, which applies to my Monica Bratford, and I rather like the idea of orchestrating that match. If I leave Lazlo with Crystal (about whom I know nothing), I can either get Pascal and Nervous together, or get Nervous with Lola (either way, I have to lose his turn-off for black hair) and Pascal with Kristen or Erin. If Crystal proves to be impossible, Lazlo and Pascal can split the Singles ladies they're not related to between them. But, there's lots of potential chemistry problems and, as a born Texan, it bugs me a lot that there's such a low Simspanic population in Strangetown, and I have also had this marvelous idea:

The Marzo sisters: Margarita (cloned and ethnically tweaked from my Kitty Hawkins), Josefina (ditto from my Pigeon Hawkins), Isabella (ditto and sex-changed from my super-sweet Harris Hawkins), and Amada (ditto from my Sadie Hawkins). Did I mention that Louisa May Alcott is the goddess of my idolatry? I'd transfer the personalities from my original sims, but change the aspirations to match the literary models, with Margarita (Meg) and Isabella (Beth) Family, Josefina (Jo) Knowledge, and Amada (Amy) probably Pleasure/Fortune. This addition to the eligible female population immediately sets up a much more diverse, flexible, and intriguing dating game along the Road to Nowhere, and gives the boys quite a lot of choice - though, with a Hawkins-influenced cast and my own experience among male nerds back in my heady Queen-of-the-Geeks days, I expect the choices would wind up being largely made for them while they were busy doubting their good fortune.

I doubt I will do this, as it would make Strangetown too engaging and I still have a lot I want to do in Drama Acres; but you see the temptation. It's always more fun for me to have a large playing field of choice and leave it up to the sims as much as possible than to make people for each other and/or assign matches from a narrow field of choice, with the last-comers getting stuck with each other by default.

[SnowyDreams]

ACR = magic. Sometimes a little too magic; more than often, I've had the "childhood best friends who thought the other was unattractive as teenagers but fell in love in college/as adults" cliché... my game tends to want to go chick flick on me XD

I used to leave my sims to choose their own SOs based on ACR and the rolls they wanted, but I've had to tighten the reins a little now that the family lines start to blur. I'm planning an "apocalypse megahood" consisting of descendants from each of the default hoods, and while Gen 1 rolled along just fine, Gen 2 is starting to become an issue. The teens are all falling in love with each other and at this rate we're going, everybody's going to be related to each other somehow. Even the public lots were stuffed with my own playables, so no luck there.

Cue my freshman/graduation parties in college. The colleges are already stuffed with its own playables not related to anybody in the main hood, but to top it all off, I love how streakers, mascots/cheerleaders and dormies just randomly join in the frat/sorority parties on their own accord. I cheat to invite all playables too, to make them widen their social circles and give them the opportunity to meet CAS-spawns. Coupled with my downloaded hacked beer and ACR, it's a miracle if nothing happens during the party... which also keeps college more engaging when things start to become dull and makes it a little more realistic, IMO :lol:

In the default hoods where I don't have colleges (Desiderata, Riverblossom), I just send them off on vacation. Finally the tourist explosion is good for something.

(I realize just going to the gypsy matchmaker would be easier, but it's not half as fun. Besides, now that I'm arranging "singles-on-the-hunt" joint vacations to avoid dragging out on play-time, it makes for some crazy vacation memories... for me, at least :lol: )

[CocoMouse]

I like randomness, so my sims aren't picky, they usually get together with the first sim they meet on a community lot, or a friend they brought home from school as a child/teen... As long as they don't have negative chemistry, it's good enough for me. Although, with a few of my most favorite sims, I'm a little pickier about looks. Lately if my sims don't know anyone and I'm in a hurry, I might just use the gypsy matchmaker for ultimate randomness. Sometimes that just gives you a boring townie, but sometimes it's another playable and maybe even one that's already in a relationship, thus creating a love triangle :D

[LeBaiton]

My sims usually end up in a long term relationship with a partner they have 2 bolts with, mostly with the first 2-bolter they meet. I usually pick townies as partners. I can be picky regarding looks, but my curiousity as to one's offspring or mix of genetics usually wins. I've ended up with some gorgeous sims where the parents where so-so, or where one parent was pretty and the other parent ugly.

I've recently discovered the joy of the Garden Club's Wishing Well, and its "Wish For Romance". I think I'm going to enjoy playing my romance sims a whole lot more now :)

[A.G.Doren]

Unless I have a story in mind my sims usually date or marry whomever they want. I will usually urge them away from marrying someone with one bolt of chemistry and I discourage cheating, but they do what they do. I usually use ACR or Simblender I forget which to randomize gender preference. From time to time I randomize the entire neighborhood.

Now if I get story in mind or start feeling sentimental all bets are off I manipulate my sims in anyway I deem fit to achieve my ends.

[Fivey]

Also, if I find a two bolt couple and the only thing keeping them from three bolts is a turn-on/turn-off detail, I tend to change those to up the bolt level. I have a thing about triple bolters. Even if they are hideous and make hideous children, what should stop me from bringing them together.

Most of my triple bolters have attractive solemates anyway. The unattractive solemates I've run across are ones in a gay couple, so that doesn't bother me much. An example is Jason Larson's husband (yes, Jason rolled as gay in one of my neighborhoods), who is this Bluewater Village Townie:

http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/story/69/114269/snapshot_920ebcb9_120ee369.jpg

So yeah. They're happy though, and have a crapload of woohoo, so I don't mind.

[StrangeTownChick]

Typically, I guess I just tend to pick the first friend a child brings home from school. I did that with Beau Broke and Adriana Tse, who are happy as clams together now that they're teens (one date had them in love and going steady!) They'll probably wind up as in love as Dustin and Angela, who I've had to put on a strict no-dating time for the next three days (until Dustin ages up) because Dustin's simply run out of room!

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/kaytlspicshop/angelagifts.jpg

[Allimae]

I was never very good at getting my Sims married off until University came along. Now I get them engaged in college and they marry as soon as they graduate. A lot of times I create mates for my young adult Sims in CAS. Sometimes they will marry another playable Sim if there is a suitable one around the same age. Once I had a college grad marry a Sim whom never went to college. Both were playables and had been sweethearts in their teens but he was an older teen and she was a younger teen so instead of making him wait until she went through college, I just let her grow up. I did let one pair of second cousins marry. Not too many of my Sims marry townies but strangely enough Benjamin Long married born-in-the games Sims in two different neighborhoods. I have never had a Sims marry an NCP.

[SingleClawDesigns]

This is my main concern atm because I started a new empty hood and don't plan on having townies, minus npcs because i'm playing with standard custom skins and maxis defaults except for supernaturals. Thankfully though someone made a huge sims ancestors thing which i'll be using to make gen 2 and up as the townies (with diff names) and then just using gen 1 to start the families and then add in downloaded sims as needed. My big fear though is inbreeding.

[Simsica]

But what if you have multiple triple bolters? It's not that uncommon. And I've had sims walk away from triple bolts to pair themselves up with single-bolters, who became doubles over time by sheer force of will.

In the chemistry panel, the first Sim in the list is the one they have the most chemistry with. If you have ACR, you can check the exact numerical values. So for those of us inclined to following the chemistry path in these matters, the first Sim is the one Sim, I guess.

With a little help from ACR and the random nature of com-lot hopping gameplay and my own hopelessly romantic inclinations, my Sims choose for themselves. I don't get involved until the things seem set. That's when I'll marry them. Or break them up, depending what is needed.
My involvement in making and breaking the marriages follows one simple rule: who is it that they like the best? Three bolters are impossible to resist, and generally I also follow the chemistry path (3 bolts FTW! Or soulmates, or whatever.) Unless something stands in my way...
Who they like best can change in time and if it does change, I'll intervene. But if the Sim in question is a family Sim with children and a loving marriage, s/he will be totally faithful to her/his spouse at least until the kids grow up. I just think that this is what family aspiration means. So they will be set as faithful through ACR, no matter if the family is primary or secondary aspiration. Unless of course it's secondary to romance. I semi-randomize these things (aspirations) and atm I have a couple of rom/fam Sims. I never had those before and honestly I don't know what I'll do with them. I guess I'll have to wait and see. Romance Sims are notoriously difficult to marry, at least for me, and these Sims that also have family will be easier to pair off, I suppose. That secondary family aspiration they have will draw them into the bonds of marriage (again, what family aspiration means to me - they want to marry and have kids), but their romantic nature won't keep them faithful, since romance is primary aspiration here.

I could go on forever. But I won't. Writing this post I've realized that my "rules" are more complicated than even I thought. But here are the main ingredienets: aspiration, chemistry and circumstance. At times, they're joined with my current mood. But I guess this also counts as circumstance. In any case, it's never boring, never static, and I love it.

[Babahara]

With multiple triple-bolters I use cyjon's pizza box, it allows you to see the number of chemistry. Anything over 90 is triple bolts, but you can see which one is a higher number.

[M.M.A.A.]

Right now, its by who befriends who first, although there are other factors too.