Sunday 14 February 2010

Sullivan's Top 20 - a Valentine's Day interlude

I'd been thinking of doing something like this for Valentine's Day for a couple of months now and Laura's post with Lakeside Heights' hottest couples made me actually get my butt in gear and do it, rather than forgetting about it until February 15th.

I have not kept truly consistent records of my chemistry scores in the past, so all of these couples, bar one, are currently together. I'm much more meticulous about noting chemistry scores now but my former slackitude means I don't have the scores for a lot of my former couples. All these couples are three-bolters - I didn't realise I had so many!

With no further ado, the Top 20 couples in Sullivan!




20. Adam and Athena Gottlieb
Attraction score: 96

Adam and Athena got together while Athena was in college, right after she'd broken up with Adam's cousin, Filippo. Filippo was only months away from meeting Maria and Adam turned out to be a much better match for Athena than Filippo was (seriously, I cannot imagine those two together now!), so it was all for the best. Even in their 60s, Adam and still frequently go out on date nights, in between running the hood (for her) and a restaurant (for him) and doting on their three grandchildren.

19. Augustin and Hanna Novak
Attraction score: 99

Pictured here doing all they ever do since Augustin retired, Augustin and Hanna are the first high school sweethearts on the list. They moved in together in their freshman year of college and soon found themselves expecting their twins James and Naomi, much to the distaste of Hanna's father Isaac. He never did like Augustin!

17. James and Madelyn Novak
Attraction score: 101

Well, someone finally had to catch the eye of the slightly prudish James and eventually, it was Madelyn. James was 23 when they met and hadn't even kissed a girl yet but he was immediately charmed by Madelyn. You'd think someone like James would be quite keen to get married after knocking up his girlfriend but no...James waited until they'd been together for 14 years and had two children together before he finally proposed. They've now been married for 9 years and have since added another son to the family.

17. Caleb and Cara Moretti
Attraction score:101

Caleb and Cara's initial meeting was not successful but once he turned his life around and decided to focus on raising his son and finding someone to settle down with, Cara saw him in a different light and gave him another chance. They started dating and it wasn't long before they'd moved in together and just a few years after that, they were married with twin babies!

16. Eliot and Cordy Lane
Attraction score: 105

When Cordy arrived on campus, she had a crush on her friend Eliot and he had a crush on her and she knew it. Cordy also knew that Eliot, being as shy as he was, was never going to make a move on her so she took matters into her own hands. Eliot proposed in Cordy's senior year, they got married a year later and after 5 years of marriage, welcomed baby Timothy last year.

15. David and Kirstin Sitko
Attraction score: 107

A handsome doctor married to a beautiful lawyer? Pretty close to a perfect match here but David secretly longs to be a house-husband full time and would really like another child, while Kirstin took convincing to have the three they've already got and is pretty sure she's done. Despite all that (and Kirstin's one nice point), David and Kirstin are an extremely loving couple when left to their own devices.

13. Steve Rider and Olivia Nihill
Attraction score: 113

They met online and their first date got off to kind of an awkward start, but Steve and Olivia definitely made up for that. They "christened" just about every possible place in Olivia's dorm while she was at college and now spend their time making Olivia's room-mate Lia supremely uncomfortable. Up until she met Steve, I had no idea what would become of Olivia on the romance front - she's never dated anyone else - but I don't think I could have created a more perfect partner for her.

13. Jonas and Tatiana Lachance
Attraction score: 113

Not the highest attraction between these two but they are still one of my favourite couples and have come in at equal 13th place on the list. Jonas and Tatiana were high school sweethearts. They are both quite shy and I'm surprised they got together at all, seeing it was mostly led by them. They're not shy around each other, as evidenced by the constant flirting, kissing and hugging around the Lachance-Weaver household. The three children they have together might be proof of that too. ;)

12. Gordon Nott and Lia Novak
Attraction score: 119

These two have quite the story! Gordon started off dating Ione, Lia's best friend, while they were at high school. All the while, Lia was nursing a serious secret crush on Gordon. Ione and Gordon went off to college, broke up and when Lia joined them on campus the next year, she started dating Gordon. Gordon cheated on her, they broke up and pined after each other for four years (even though Lia was actually pretty angry over the whole thing), before finally getting back together. This time, maybe they'll make it.

11. Wade and Amelia Gottlieb
Attraction score: 120

After getting together in high school, it took Wade a good four years of university to decide whether he wanted to marry Amelia. Amelia, meanwhile, had decided Wade was the one for her almost immediately upon turning 18. Her patience paid off though and once they did get married, their family went from 2 to 5 pretty quickly.

10. Calvin Clarke and Aaron Novak
Attraction score: 128

The youngest couple on the list and also the only gay couple - my gay Sims sometimes do a bit of settling, by mere virtue of the fact that there's unfortunately less choice for them! But even without Calvin's Romance bonus, these two are still safely in two bolt territory. I wasn't going to let them get together until college but once I noticed how they just grin at each other whenever they're together, I had to relent. Since Aaron came out to his family, things have been very smooth-sailing for these two. And they still haven't stopped grinning at each other.

9. Trent and Megan Kirby
Attraction score: 129

Megan has always been a little bit stuffy and hard to get along with, but Trent's relatively relaxed nature provides a good balance for Megan. And how could I not love them when they produced one of my favourite Sims?

8. Jace and Magdalena Novak
Attraction score: 131

After "sampling" a few different guys in college, she finally decided to settle down with her first, Jace. For some reason. Despite his complete lack of grace (he did used to be a lumberjack, after all!), Jace and Magdalena got married, had three daughters and lived happily ever after.

7. Jesse and Abigail Carmody
Attraction score: 138

From a fairly scandalous beginning, with Abigail cheating on Caleb almost immediately after she met Jesse, Abigail and Jesse have thankfully calmed down somewhat! It took Abigail long enough to decide though - for at least a few years, Abigail just could not figure out if she wanted to get back together with Caleb, the father of her son, or move on to a new life with Jesse. She finally made her mind up after a solo vacation to clear her head and hasn't thought of Caleb "that way" ever since!

6. Owen and Naomi Novak
Attraction score: 157

Despite a brief affair with Anna Collins while he was away at college, Owen totally stepped up once he found out Naomi was pregnant with their daughter Adrienne. Since then, they've married, had another child and generally been quite content to live in quiet (and monogamous!) domesticity.

5. Charlton and Aphrodite Nihill
Attraction score: 172

When they met in college, Charlton and Aphrodite had a very high attraction score right off the bat (I don't even think I've ever adjusted their turn-ons, and I usually do). They took absolutely forever to do anything more than flirt though and I wondered if they ever would! Perhaps Aphrodite was just a little nervous about men after her first experience with Galen?

4. Luc Lane and Asha Royce
Attraction score: 176

From about the age of 15, Asha was infatuated with Luc and by the time she was 17, they'd fallen in love and were secretly dating. Together, they have been through the death of Asha's father, Luc's sleeping around, opposition from Asha's mother and a rejected proposal but finally this year, they'll be moving in together.

3. Max Nihill and Zaria Royce
Attraction score: 181

Definitely one of Sullivan's most passionate couples (which seems to run in the family - Max's parents were the same way, as are Steve and Olivia), even when they're sick with the flu, like they are here. Theoretically, they're in an open relationship but whenever either of them is presented with an opportunity to stray, they don't. So two unexpected children later, they're still each other's one and only.

2. Pascal and Mina Lachance
Attraction score: 206

Much to their grandson Nick's embarrassment, Pascal and Mina spent the majority of their time together flirting and kissing! In the early years, both were very...active outside of their marriage but in their old age, they settled down and were content with just each other, right up until Pascal's death 3 years ago. After his death, I expected Mina to go a little crazy but she just hasn't been the same. :( She just misses Pascal.

1. Emil and Anna Collins
Attraction score: 213!!!

This, apparently, is the kind of insane attraction score you can get when a complete asshole like Emil finds love with a total bitch like Anna! There hasn't been a time in their marriage when either of them have been faithful to each other but I guess if they've agreed that it works for them, it's not really cheating?

Notes:

  • So any surprises for you guys? Couples you thought would make it that didn't? Couples who you're surprised to see in the Top 20? Who are your favourites on the list?
  • I think this is the correct way to do a countdown when you have two items in equal place but who knows? Hopefully it's not confusing at all.
  • A few surprises on this list for me, Jace and Magdalena being the biggest! I thought they were a very low three bolts but I was quite wrong there. They are actually the couple with the highest "natural chemistry", to use Laura's term. With all the other couples ahead of them, at least one of the two has the Massive Attraction benefit.
  • Until I started doing this list, I'd forgotten that Magdalena kind of slept around in college! I think I mentioned only two guys on the blog but checking my pics and her memories, there were a few more! So Lia clearly didn't inherit her no-sex-before-marriage thing from her mother. ;) That's pure Lia.
  • Look at that gap between #3 and #2! Scores over 200 are really so rare and I'm kind of amazed I have (or had) two!

13 comments:

  1. Did I miss Victoria and Finn? I must have. LOL They have to be on the list, right?

    I love this. I need to look at all my couples and see where the attraction scores are at. You know I really don't make it a point to look until I fear one of them may cheat with another sim.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Riverdale, I thought Victoria and Finn would be there. But then I remember you've said that they don't have a very high chemistry. They are definitely the cutest couple in Sullivan.

    I don't think any of my couples have an attraction score over 200!!! But is that due to the aspiration benefits? Can it be that hight "naturally"?

    Anyways, this was fun to read!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Uhm yeah! I am hugely surprised by Emil and Anna! Well, I guess you're right, plus you know the whole both being able to cheat probably helps keep things spicy.

    Yeah, no Victoria or Finn! I didn't even notice that.

    Love Pascal and Mina's picture, LOL! Poor Nick.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks everyone!

    Riverdale, nope, Finn and Victoria aren't in the Top 20. Because I'm a nerd and actually kept a complete list, I can tell you that they weren't far off - they're at #23 and they are the highest two bolters in my game. Three bolts starts at either 90 or 91 and their score is 85.

    Sari, good memory! Finn and Victoria are very cute but no super high chemistry there. It's a lot higher than it used to be. Sometime in their mid teens, I adjusted their turn-ons to boost them from 1 bolt to 2. I figured them for the kind of couple whose attraction might get stronger as they went along.

    I just did a quick calculation using the charts at Cyjon's and it looks like you could theoretically get a score of over 200 without the romance bonus but everything would have to align. Turn ons, personality (they'd need identical personalities or pretty close to it), zodiac and aspiration. But Anna and Emil both have the Massive Attraction benefit, as does Mina and Pascal had it too.

    Lunar, ha, yeah, the cheating probably keeps things fresh for them! LOL. I've always been aware of their attraction score so I knew Emil and Anna would top it but most of the rest of the countdown was a surprise to me, though I was pretty sure Luc and Asha and Zaria and Max would be up there in the Top 5.

    It's probably quite fortunate for Nick that Mina doesn't have much interest in romance any more. I don't think the poor kid could take it if she started dating!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Are these their total scores with the attraction plus relationship bonus or just their base scores?

    I'm surprised that Finn and Victoria didn't make the cut. I'm also surprised by your number 1!

    Happen to know where Julian and Collete rank, out of curiosity.

    What a fun read!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. This was a lot of fun!!!

    I was a little surprised at Trent and Megan. That's a pretty darn high score for as straitlaced as they are :)

    I don't know why, but I find Charlton and Aphrodite just the most good-looking little elder couple ever, lol!

    I think I expected all of your top couples, from the notes you've given us before. I was surprised to find out that Max and Zaria never got married though! What's up with that??? You know we love a wedding around here! ;)

    Wow, Emil and Anna, that's huge! They never cease to amuse though!

    Just a random thing I noticed on those chemistry charts, did you see that two grilled cheese Sims would bank a hot 145 points just for being together? LOL! There's one way to get high natural chemistry :)

    Of course, I don't notice many people playing cheese Sims since it's kind of silly. I know I don't, lol!

    I'm glad you did this! It was fun! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I feel like such a slacker, I just go by bolts/wants/etc and don't usually check the numbers, LOL! I always forget that you can!

    Emil and Anna having the highest cracks me up on so many levels! Chemistry does not always equal true love. ;) For TS2 is always seems to be a physical thing, LOL!

    Pascal and Mina at number 2! Awww, that makes me sad. :( Pascal is gone, but it's sweet that Mina misses him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks everybody!

    Maisie, these are just the base scores. For example, Anna and Emil's total score is much higher - it's something like 318!

    Julian and Collette are 2 bolts and are at #27 with an attraction score of 70.

    Laura, well, it's really only Megan who's straight-laced. Trent is pretty laid-back. But you know, it's always the ones you least suspect!

    Charlton and Aphrodite definitely make good looking elders! That pic is an outtake from the family portrait last round. I tried to use game play pictures mostly but I couldn't resist that one!

    LOL, no, Max and Zaria aren't married - you know I would have made a huge deal about that. I love a wedding as much as you guys do! Zaria has never spun up the want and Max is terrified of it, pretty much all the time. If she ever spins up the want (or if he does, but it seems unlikely), they'll get hitched.

    I didn't notice that Grilled Cheese thing though - wow! Maybe I should temporarily change Anna and Emil to Grilled Cheese with a Romance secondary with Massive Attraction, just to see how high it'll go!

    Mao, once I figured what the hell the number meant, I became a bit addicted to checking it! You can arrange the relationships panel by bolts but it orders them by total score, as opposed to the base attraction score. When figuring out matches, I prefer to use the base score.

    You are quite right about chemistry vs. true love! But hey, they seem happy!

    I always smile/sigh thinking about Mina and Pascal. I've never observed anything like this with a Romance Sim before. Lake started flirting with other women before Ottilie's body was even cold (one of them was Mina, actually!) and it didn't take him long to bring Kendal to his bedroom either. There was something special with Mina and Pascal, it seems!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I LOLed at the description for Anna and Emil! :D I was surprised to see them at the top of the list, but I guess it works for them, lol.

    Aw, I was happy to see Olivia and Steve, and Cordy and Eliot on the list!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Shana, Anna and Emil have found their own little weird idea of what marriage should be and they're sticking with it!

    I wasn't sure if Eliot and Cordy would make it. I knew they were 3 bolts but I figured it would have to be on the low side, seeing Family and Fortune are not usually a great match and there's no romance bonus on either side. I was happy to see both those couples make it up there too though!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Trent & Megan remind me of my parents. They are very straightlaced but although they don't seem like they'd go well together, they are going on 45 years and sometimes it seems the physical part holds their marriage together (too much information, lol). They definitely have their own "weird idea" and are sticking with it too.

    I was also surprised Victoria and Finn didn't make it.

    I also like Luc and Asha because they've persevered through so much, and Max and Zaria, because they are a surprise. Then again, James is sort of quirky and interesting, isn't he, with being such the prude, then living together with her for 14 years before proposing. Is he a knowledge sim?

    213 is insane! They don't have a massive attraction bonus in there?! Its funny they are both sort of mean too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oops, sorry, I just saw where you already said Ana and Emil have the massive attraction bonus. Still, theirs is a fascinating relationship.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Shannon, Finn and Victoria transcend mere chemistry! ;)

    James is a Popularity Sim with a secondary of Knowledge. He's a very odd Popularity Sim though and always has been. He's not shy but never showed much interest in dating when he was a teen so I'm left to conclude he's a bit of a prude. It's funny how you start noticing behaviours that fit in with the personalities you've thought up for them in your head but that's definitely happened with James.

    He's a bit of a contradiction, our James!

    ReplyDelete