The Sims Hot Date is, in my opinion, the best expansion pack for the game
(even better than Vacation) and the one most worth
paying for. Unlike the first two expansions, HD actually brings new depths
to the game. This FAQ is meant to show you what
you can do to make your dates more fun, effective, and (sometimes) wild. I
hope you enjoy it!
Note: At this time, this FAQ will only cover information that isn't in the
original manual. If you want to know how to make a
sim, read the book!
Table of Contents
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1. Build and buy mode- Downtown
In this section, you'll learn the basics in downtown design.
2. Live mode- Downtown
Here are the basics to be learned downtown.
3. Getta date
Here you'll find out how to get a date.
4. Keepa date
Find out how to keep a date.
5. Invite Home
An outline of the risks and benefits of inviting home. Also, proposing and
moving in is covered.
Chapter One- Build 'n Buy
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When you install HD, you'll notice that those lovely folks at Maxis have
made some gorgeous downtown spots for you. And
although they make good use of the decorative part of dating, practicality
always should come first. (Yes, practicality does
have a place downtown.) First, here's a list of things every downtown lot
should have:
1. A restaurant
Hot dog stands may be faster, but they provide little or no hunger motive
benefit. But don't fear, restaurants are pretty
easy to build.
2. A shop
Nothing makes a date go smoother than buying your date some lingerie. Wait,
maybe I'm wrong on that one. Anyhoo, shops are a
great part of dating.
3. A fun zone
Whether you're building an arcade or a museum, fun has to be somewhere.
Arcades are cheap and easy, pool tables bring up fun
amazingly fast, and bars can get your sims a little tipsy. Just make sure
your lot has a room (or spot outdoors) dedicated to
fun.
4. Romance
Come on, what would a date be without a picnic? Romance is easy. Just get a
rental shack and your work is done.
So that list was pretty easy. But how do you make all these great things?
How To Make A Restaurant
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A restaurant requires the following:
1. A waiter's podium
2. Tables and chairs
3. A refrigerater, stove, counters and dishwasher
Not that you can't put other things in restaurants, but those are the
basics. Step by step, here's what happens when a sim
(we'll call him Joe) orders a meal. For the sake of simplicity, we'll say he
has ordered a one course meal, and he is the
only one in the restaurant.
1. Joe goes to the waiters podium. The waiter shows him to his table, and
takes his order.
2. The waiter goes to the chef and tells him Joe's order.
3. The chef cooks Joe's meal.
4. The waiter delivers Joe's meal.
5. When Joe is finished, the busboy takes his dirty dish and washes it, and
then wipes down Joe's table.
You might be wondering where all these NPC's come from. This chart explains:
Podium = Maitre'd and two waiters
Refrigerater = Two chefs
Sink/Dishwasher = Busboy
There is another NPC that sometimes appears in restaurants, this guitar
playing guy. Note: Tip him, or you will regret it.
How To Make A Shop
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A shop requires the following:
1. A cash register
2. Things to buy
3. Dressing rooms
Here's what happens when Joe finishes eating and decides to buy himself some
lingerie:
1. Joe tries on the pajamas
2. The cashier asks him if he wants to buy them, Joe says yes
3. Joe takes his purchase to the counter where he pays for them
4. Now, when Joe goes to his dresser, he can change into those pajamas.
The cashier appears when you buy a cash register.
The Best Fun Stuff
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Here is a top five list of the best fun stuff to buy for your lot.
5. Bar
4. Jukebox
3. Pinball
2. TV
1. Pool table
Got more fun stuff to tell me about? Email me at bumble_bee173@hotmail.com.
Building Your Lot
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So far, I've been telling you mostly about practical things you need for a
sim lot. But that doesn't mean you can make great
looking places! When you're building, keep in mind that although the basics
always come first, decoration is the soul of
Downtown.
But that's enough of that. Now that you know how to create the basics of
downtown, you need to incorperate them into your
design. What kind of design, you ask? Well, whatever you want. Downtown lots
always seem to look better when they have a
theme. In this section, I'm going to show you an example of a really cool
themed lot.
The Snooty Waiter Lot
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This lot revolves around it's expensive restaurant.
This lot incorperates everything needed, and it revolves around one thing. A
perfect formula for success! Actually, here is
the real formula for success.
The Formula For Success
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4 basics+ One main theme+ Lots of pretty stuff= ONE WONDERFUL LOT!!!
Live Mode- Downtown
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The Basics
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This is going to be a fairly short section, because it will just run through
the basics for you. Played before? Skip ahead to
the next section.
To go downtown, you need only pick up your phone and call a cab. You will
then pick where you want to go (obviously to the
amazing lot you made with my help!) and you will be taken there.
Downtown is fairly simple to navigate- just click on a clickable object, and
choose the interaction. But of course you
already know that, considering you already read the manual, right? Thought
so. Anyhoo, here is some information about needs
downtown.
Hunger. Hot dog stands don't do much- about the same amount as a snack at
the fridge. Did you remember to put a BBQ on your
lot? You can BBQ your own meal. I suggest this method for those stuck all
alone downtown- lonely? Look at the Getta Date
section ahead. If you're luck enough to have a date, go to the nearest
restaurant and park your butt, buddy. The service
takes a while, but in the meantime you can interact with your date.
Comfort is pretty basic. If you are uncomfortable, sit down somewhere. Play
chess. Enjoy the music.
Social? Ha. You won't even have to think about social downtown. If you're
feeling lonely, just chat it up with one of the
many townies around.
Hygiene. This is a little more difficult downtown, since you can't have
showers. But, if you've been downtown a while and
prospective dates don't feel like smooching with a smelly guy, here's what
to do. Tell your sim to wash their hands- ten
times. Hygiene doesn't take that long to go up, and soon you'll smell as
sweet as zest.
Bladder. Toilet. What more is there to say?
Fun. If you followed my advice, there should be tons of fun stuff to do
downtown. Broke? Just joking with another sim helps.
Getta Date
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What fun is HD if you don't even have a date? Follow this step by step
guide. Note: From now on I will be referring to daily
relationship as DR, and lifetime relationship as LR.
Note: Just looking for a friend? This guide works for both, just omit the
flirting, etc.
1. Greet. If you haven't met the person before, you'll only have two
choices- wave and shake hands. I think they are the
same, but if you disagree, feel free to email me.
2. Talk. A lot. I suggest talking up to DR 30, but I like to keep things
safe.
3. Flirt. But don't flirt more than three times in a row- some sims get
pissed. I suggest doing the talk talk flirt method up
to DR 45.
4. The other sim is responding well to flirting? Choose the Ask/Let's Date
interaction. At this point you can also ask about
job, mood, etc.
Keep a Date
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Ok, ok. You just got Hot Date and you're totally excited to check out all
the new interactions- but trust me, playing in the
changeroom with some townie you just met is defenitely the wrong way to go.
Asking a guy home that doesn't even like you, let
alone love you, can end a date faster than, well.... I just lost my train of
thought. Anyhoo, let's get back to Jim.
Jim has just finished his lovely meal, bought himself some panties, and is
now ready to meet some peeps. So he goes to the
local meetin' spot and sees Jacqueline, the girl of his dreams. He asks her
out, and (surprisingly) she accepts. So what now?
Basically, what you want to accomplish on the date depends on what you want
for your sim. A lifelong mate? A friend? Another
phone number? Basically, when you go on a date like this, you'll generally
be wanting a mate. (Remember- you can just end the
relationship if it isn't working for you. Wanna know how? Just nag till the
other person gets annoyed.)
So let's say Jim is lookin' for a wife. What he basically wants is this:
-a pink heart in either one or both of them by the end of the date
-a good mood rating in both of them
This should be fairly easy- the two of them can have a meal, play pool, and
hopefully by the end of the date, they should be
able to kiss goodnight. Awww....
So if you're not creative enough to create your own date, here's a step by
step guide to scoring that pink heart. There is
more detail after this section.
1. Ask about mood.
2. Head over to either dinner or your fun area.
3. Switch- that is, if you just had dinner, go do something fun, if you just
had fun, go grab a bite.
4. Go shopping- buy your date a present.
5. Ask about mood again- and do whatever you can to improve those needs. Is
energy the problem? Time to end the date.
Now look at the following guides.
FAQ About Dinner
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Q) What meal should I get?
A) Well it depends on how hungry you are! The biggest meal (either gut
buster or it's rich equivalent) is the best for dates,
since it takes the longest and leaves the most time for interacting.
Q) Speaking of interacting, what interactions should I use on a first date?
A) Gossiping is perfect until around DR 70, when, so long as their mood is
up, sim dates will appreciate some admiration.
Playing footsie is better left to couples in love, and even then it's iffy.
Cuddling is good for pink hearted lovers, though
making out should be left to sims with a higher relationship.
Q) Do sims really order when the waiter brings the menu?
A) Nope.
FAQ About Shopping
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Q) I told my date to try on this dress, and one of the options I had when I
clicked on the changeroom was "play in
changeroom" or something. What's up with that?
A) If your sim and their date are in love, they can "play" in the
changeroom. But I wouldn't try doing it with shy sims: they
don't take too well to playing.
Q) What is up with that creepy man/woman fancy cashier?
A) Umm, honestly, who are you talking about?
Guide To Goodbye
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Goodbye is one of my favourite parts of a date- if it goes well.
Wave- Sims do NOT enjoy being waved goodbye to. C'mon, couldn't you at least
give him a hug?
Shake hands- Honestly, I've never tried this. If you know how most sims
react to this, please email me.
Hug- A good one for friends, or pink hearts in a bad mood.
Polite Kiss- My fave. You can even try this on a first date- if you followed
my advice and the date went well.
Passionate Kiss- Good if you want to score a red heart.
Of course, you always could not say goodbye- invite home is another option.
Invite Home
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Inviting a date home is risky business- but if you're looking for a spouse,
it's neccesary. The mood of your date should be
relatively good, and remember- you should at least have a pink heart. At
least! Sims take inviting home very seriously (more
seriously than most real people) so be careful. Being walked out on by a
shocked shy sim isn't fun. Well, maybe it is for
some people, but who am I to judge?
So let's say your date accepts. What then? Well, you should treat it as if
the date is e neighbor has just strolled by. Turn
on the TV, make dinner, make sure the bathroom is available. Let your date
get his or her needs up before you propose.
Once their mood is higher, try a passionate kiss. Didn't work? Don't propose
until your dates mood and or relationship with
you is up higher. Did it work? Hit propose and watch the romance bloom!
Aww, were you rejected? So sorry. Check out why below:
IF JIM PROPOSES TO JACQUELINE:
Is Jacqueline relationship with Jim > 60? N--------->"I don't like you"
Y---------> Is Jacqueline in love with Jim? N--------> "I don't love you"
Y---------> Is Jacqueline's mood > 60? N------------> Various refusals based
on mood scores
Y--------->Is Jim's house full? Y------>"Not enough room"
