My husband is actually awesome about my obsessions (his flaws are elsewhere ) He's played Sims2 a bit (played Sims1 as well) tho he doesn't really get into it (mostly building stuff). He might like the business EP enough to get involved again, so I'm looking forward to that. And let's me talk about it and even makes intelligent comments. The other day I was telling him how the oldest kid in my sim family had it hard as her parents were poor when she was little, so she didn't have the things that make it easier to learn (better beds, better food, less time on chores etc.) and he was telling me "how realistic is that game - even when it doesn't exactly mean to be." A whole conversation about societal ills among the poor and their representation in the Sims Pretty cool.

He even joined my (temporary) dance obsession cheerfully, which was pretty cool of him. For my birthday, he got me the CDs and book for Firefly (Serenity, my other obsession) and spent all day playing Tropico with me (his favorite game, so he's addicting me.) We also read together and share books (sometimes).

</pure idolization> Can you tell I've got 3 lightning bolts for my husband? It's that interests thing - nothing to do with zodiac signs or aspirations

From other peoples comments above, it sounds like a common glitch that I just haven't got yet. Odd, usually I get everything (case in point, I currently have too many gardeners, jumpiness, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a too many iterations meltdown here soon-like). Hope you can get it to select by going to work and/or turning it around to a different angle.

<runs off to get the "turn off radio" mod to avoid at least one bug>

My cars are still selectable even after the radio is on (although the only way to turn it off is to get in the blamed car again and they don't automatically turn it off when they get out so there's little music notes all over everywhere <grumble>). All the options were still there.

Have you patched? (My game is patched and I don't remember trying that previously). Other than that, have you removed downloads and checked it to make sure there's not a conflict somewhere?

Not me, I can't figure this stuff out at all. I've got a popularity sim that has a ton of sims with 2 lightning bolts (most of which don't match in turnons) but no amount of tweaking will put the couples at 3. He's a Libra. The first try was a wealth and according to that chart Maxis put up, wealth and popularity don't get along - so that explains why they couldn't get 3, yes? (why they had 2, I have no idea). So I set him up with a romance (apparently good/neutral, unless I wrote the chart down wrong - how come that's the only one not the same both ways anyways?) Taurus (she should like Libras, he's not repelled by Taurus), moved her in and set all their turn ons and offs to match and same thing - 2 bolts, but not 3.

I had another fella - pleasure aspiration, happened to like blondes so I found him a blonde girlfriend. They're at 3 bolts right off the bat. Moved her in (I learned my lesson, no one is getting engaged unless they move in first, until I figure it out - I want 3 bolts, and very few divorces) and they dropped to 2. I didn't touch anything, so why did it drop? She's romance so they get along pretty well (at least it makes sense), so switching turnons around gave them back 3 but still... and the popularity above really liked her, even tho he doesn't care anything for blondes and her turnons were ridiculous things (fatness and stink, iirc) that didn't fit either of them.

Does anyone know - if you go to the relationship menu and click on the lightning bolt, is the way they're listed meaningful? All the three bolts are first and then the two and then one, but within that? If there are a bunch of 2 bolts, is the one listed first the one they're most attracted to? (It's not relationship score as the ones he has the higher relationship with is further back in the list.) If it IS attraction tho, the dang wealth sim comes up top of his list and I don't get that at all...

<very confused>

Matching interests and/or randomness must play a greater role than I'm giving them credit for. Maybe I should have them share interests and bunch more and they'd get to liking each other better?

I'm going to end up having everyone he likes over and having him scope the room so I can figure out who he really likes best (but not his sister-in-law - I don't care if he has a thing for her, she's happy with his brother, dang 'em).

Yeah! Even if I'm playing (rather than building and putting sims in to see how it plays or running some story where the person is supposed to be rich) and don't allow myself money cheats, I will for clothes (with some limits). I'm repeating myself, but dang it I didn't download all that stuff just to have it sit there - they're supposed to wear it.

And the first thing I do is change appearance the toddlers. Awful hair and pink tux, hmph no way. Off to get the clothing pile

lol - too true, tho I'm pretending I don't know that

Well if they'd been "doing" anything, it wouldn't be so bad. But mostly all they've been doing is sleeping... They've just got an incompetent God(dess) who can't get them dressed in time, and really do I wanna show off my poor planning skills to all them sim profs?

good point, thanks <writes it down for the new downtown>

still need the computer for when my uni sims are late for class tho - I just can't stand having them attend in their pjs I suppose I could put one of Inge's doors on the front door, so they always get dressed when they leave the house...

One of the things I really like about the computer is the ability to change any one or all sims on the lot into everyday or formal or whatever immediately with no animation (and doesn't require the sim to be using the computer) - so if they don't have time for a shower, they can still quickly change clothes to go to class, or if you want the date to be formal, you can switch both of you to formal clothes (as long as your date actually owns formal clothes) or at least out of work clothes. It won't plan outfits so dressers are still necessary (I consider this a plus ) but takes some of the tedium out of making sure they're properly dressed for the occasion.

Does JMs hack do something like this as well? (If it does I'll switch to that for the clothing stuff, and just use the computer for the work at home options and won't need one in every house.)

I could have typed my email wrong or confusedly....

I should pm you instead of posting, hm?

I just figured it was that blonde crack...

I guess I need an invite to do more than read the messages?

Or I could just pout about being left out and no one liking me and stuff...

thanks! <laugh> your blondes look great. I believe that's the 3rd custom blonde hairstyle I've seen you use and been impressed with (goodlooking towheads). I think I must avoid blondes as I was one as a child (ending up with that awful color everyone that hates you insists on called "dishwater blonde" so I tend to be attracted to something I consider different and better

(I'm just now getting my own back - my hair's going to streak gray and white like my mom's did and it's fun. Everyone thought she dyed hers - that people's hair didn't come that way naturally, not salt and pepper but literally streaks - but hers did and mine is working on it. Kinda fun to have interesting old lady hair )

may I jump on the "j" bandwagon too please? lmollett1@mindspring.com

I recently realized that I don't care for blonde sims (excpet George McCartney or whatever his name is)... I don't know why, but I'm more or less ignoring their existance. I have a large family that more or less looks alike and they're all brown haired/brown eyes. I wanted to mix them up a bit so I was giving them all different hair colors as turn-ons, so they'd get some variance with kids and all, and it wasn't til I had one that had blonde hair that I realized how rarely I send my teens and YAs out with a blonde (either sex). I had to go looking for someone cute.

It does explain why very few people get my jokes tho - they just aren't sophisticated enough for my advanced sense of humor. ahem.


oooh, another excuse to derail the thread. Yeah, some of us were addicted beginning with Crystal Cave - and the moves came off the mainframe printed on the edges of punch cards. You really don't expect anyone to give up that long-lasting and bizarre an obsession, do you?

(and I walked uphill to school to - both ways )

I definately need a deceptive male avatar with a bladder control problem... I got bored with my green-skinned warty-nosed witch on another site and now I don't have one at all...

Edit: For irritating typos or something similar.

Personally I prefer hedony. It's not on the official list (more of a Ship of Fools-esque/Pleasure aspiration rolling of all into one), so you lose some credibility (later additions are like that - never get the name recognition of the base game), but offers all of the rewards and requires none of the effort of the better known vices.

Ah, I missed that one, Hook. I'll make sure I sign up for a second membership for the price of two, so I get my fully deserved discount.

I'm 44 - for a few more days anyways (use it or lose it.) My husband is 50 so I get to laugh at him for the senile moments (and lose the excuse for mine.)

Ah, Phyllis, thank you - at least someone here from my generation.

I believe we need to be asking for the senior citizen's discount on membership - should get something in return for the gray hair and all.

no, no, that's another word for knickers

I'm kidding - actually I find any kind of pants that hit anywhere below the knee and above the ankle extremely amusing. We, btw, used to call "highwaters" clam diggers.

Another word for capris

I suppose I'm a little power-gameish. The higher the score is to start with, the longer it takes to go down when they go to work/school, and the easier time (yeah, outside is more important, but if it starts all the way up, it helps). Also I'm sometimes replacing Maxis or custom walls/floors and I don't like to go cheaper than what was there already. I have some in my download files that don't cost anything... they're handy for building, but... Oh and I can't stand bugs in RL so it's very unlikely there's going to be a house with greenstuff and buzzing noises anywhere in my game. Any yes, I have that exact bed, and it irritates me too - and there's not even a way more expensive one as good


ROFLMAO

I don't understand why any of the creators do that, but it's especially bad with floors and walls. The environment scores go up with more expensive stuff, so if my sims have enough money, I never buy cheap walls and floors - which means a lot of really good stuff rarely gets used.

I have similar problems with beds, couches, counters and tables/chairs, etc. that give too much and are too cheap... they're ok if the sims aren't very well off (tho kind of cheating...) but nearly useless if you actually have enough money.

Congratulations on your graduation and new position

I work from 7:30-between4:00&6:00 depending on what's up. Generally I get to play an hour or 2 (or a bit more) a night (depending on how late I'm willing to stay up, and what other obligations I have) and several on weekends. I can come here and read a bit or post a bit during lunch for a kind of fix.

I don't watch tv much, but I do occasionally do a few other things, usually when I'm a bit less addicted than I am right now (it comes and goes). I don't get as much done in the game as I'd like to, but then I wouldn't if I played 24/7 either

I have the sneaking suspicion they did that to make people setup outings, cuz (imo) otherwise the outings are pretty much useless, but a sim won't leave a timed event (party, outing, date) unless their needs are low - even if it's past their curfew.

Oops, look at the time! I have to go now

Good idea (moving them out and back in) and ...hmm... for that matter you might try a testingcheats force error and reset on them. Maybe they're stuck somehow and that would reset them?

(take my suggestion at your own risk - I know next to nothing about how the game really works and everyone is more awesome than me )

When my toddler transitioned into that thing, I really really thought "uh oh, I thought it was a baby boy, but it's really a baby girl" - LOL. Yep, cannot figure out why they thought a pink tux would be good as everyday clothes for a toddler.

And yes, I agree about the custom pants meshes that don't work with any top (I can't even find the tops they're supposed to go with, if there were any). I've got some rather nice male flares I picked up somewhere, but they're too low and I cannot find a single shirt of any kind that looks decent with them - pooh, I don't have that much good male stuff either.

Agree with everybody else about the men's pack and themed packs as well. And also the money issue - I think the EPs are pretty high (some games don't cost that much) but I get a lot of play value out of the sims so I don't mind too much, but I'm not paying another $20 for bonus packs unless they're really something I want and a good deal of it. (and I'm not paying another $15 for the base game, period :p)