I agree, this needs to be more of an area of focus. I need more interaction between friends. I think that will get easier because I've basically been making a bunch of sims as a "next generation". They are starting to grow up so there will be more opportunity for them to interact, all with different back stories.
I do use the clubs though I need to keep those more active. In Strangerville, I seem to have more people that are friends. I guess that is because it is a small town with fewer outsiders. I tend to keep them socializing with other people in the town. There's more of a need to make a good friend because they don't go to meet random people as much. They do go to Oasis Springs for community lots like the gym and a diner but that's still a special treat. Anyway, I have some best friends there. One moved into the trailer near the other. I also recently played the hippie commune in the fancier neighborhood and that seems to be more of a household of friends, at least right now.
I agree that while I want an overhaul to romance, I also want plenty to do beyond that. I'm not just playing romantic sims or family sims. It's kind of more of a variety. I know there's a politics track but I'm actually getting to the point where I want a system of government over all of them. I do kind of simulate that. There are local laws and overarching laws.
