Violent Attraction

Listening to the R&B station, I noticed a number of songs expressing the desire to get back together with an old boyfriend or girlfriend and how things would be better this time.

Over the years (she said from her rocking chair), I've actually had those sorts of opportunities, but I'm not sure they were better the second time. Unless you count shorter time spans as better :)

Out of all the guys I've dated, there's only two that I was absolutely madly love-at-first-sightly crazy about. I suppose that's lucky, but neither of them is in my life now. Still, I don't think I'd go bonkers if I ran into them having dinner or bowling somewhere with their new spouses, like my Sims2 folks do.

In Sims2: Nightlife (great transition, huh?), this is the horrible side effect of the "attraction" system. If my Sim finds someone attractive, there's a cute little lightning bolt in their headshot within the friends gallery. If my Sim really really likes them, there's two lightning bolts. These degrees of attraction are related to the Sims' astrological signs as well as their common interests.

That's pretty random, just like real life. Fortunately, many of my Sims were already married or engaged to someone with mutual lightning bolts for each other. This means I know these poor imaginary friends so well that my matchmaking skills are +100 with them. Sounds good, right? Except, again as in real life, Sims can find more than one person attractive. And they get massively jealous when they see a Sim they find attractive out with another Sim, even if those Sims are married/engaged/going steady.

Further, even if neither of these Sims have ever spoken with each other, having that attraction is enough to suddenly fill the jealous Sim with rage. They pick fights and ruin friendships if they see a happy Sim couple anywhere and they're attracted to one of them.

It makes for miserable game play.

I've had to divide up several multi-couple houses because Husband A is attracted to Wife B, even if she's not attracted to him. Husband A will start poking and arguing with Husband B. It means I have to keep a close watch on everyone and how they feel about everyone else beyond my sixth sense about which Sims would make a nice couple. I can't even have someone come over for dinner without looking at everyone's friends gallery to make sure no one else in that household finds the potential guest attractive.

And I thought finding Project Boyfriend candidates was hard. It's nothing compared to this.