Meet The Players: Darka
2011-03-29
Time for our second round of meeting players. Our first round went along smoothly and you can read it here. For our second go at it we are talking to Darka. Darka has been involved in the community for a while now and is a posting beast, having over 24,000 posts.
Darka, that is a unique name. How did you come up with it?
In all honesty I really cant remember. I know I had to come up with a name for Star Wars Galaxies when I signed up to the pre-launch forums many many years ago now, and why Darka I have no idea. It just seemed to go with what I wanted to achieve character wise back then.
Something tells me your not new to gaming. Care to share a bit about your past?
My first gaming experience was Spear of Destiny, a sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, I had the Sega Master System II and spent much time on that, then Playstation came along and i saved up to buy one, then Xbox, PS2, 360, and computer based Gaming.
My first step into the MMO world was by accident. I was looking for up coming Playstation 2 games in a magazine, and saw Star Wars Galaxies listed, searched it up and got hooked.
Now about your post count, 24,000 posts. Did you follow a strict posting schedule to reach that number?
I have six different people who run this account. There is one reformed gold farmer who busts out the sales pitch, so you will have to forgive me when you see Darka advertising "cheapest TOR credits around". International coverage is needed, or maybe its just the power of the hat?
I leave the forum open in the background to come in and see whats going on, I like to get to know the people I will be fighting with and against.
Where is the coolest place you have ever been to?
I love spending time in Canada, it's pretty much my second home. I lived in Toronto, just an amazing city and country in general. I met many good people there and had many great and crazy times, and would love to return.
PvE or PvP? What's your flavor?
I love both, I'm not always out doing one or the other. I tend still to be able to gather the best gear and rewards but at a more casual pace. I like to mix it up, some weeks its all PvP, then others its a lot of PvE.
What is it like being leader of Force Academy? Any advice you can give to other guild leaders?
It's been good, we have been around over four and a half years. Like many guilds we have been through the highs and the lows. I have had the honor of having met many great people over the years from couples, to families, and random people all over the world. While the highs are great we have also seen many sad times, especially with the death of a young member in 2008.
Advice, that is a tough one. The best thing I can really say is, it's work. It can be great and it can be frustrating some days. A motto I have is "Ask not what your guild can do for you, but what you can do for your guild." A wise man once said to me "Any guild can survive and prosper when the times are great, but when the times are dark, and things are bad, how you handle that will define you and your guild." It's a couple of things that I try to be mindful of over the years
So if someone wants to learn more about your guild, how would they do that?
For four easy payments of $99.99 made out to Darka... or you can take a quick look at our website www.force-academy.com or check out our presentation at http://www.swtor.com/
You are now Mr.Big, the director. Despite your name, you do not direct adult film. You get to choose what movie you make next, but it must be based off of a game. What would it be?
It would be a tie between Mass Effect and Red Dead Redemption, both recent games that really captured me and blew me away. Mass Effect was a brilliant story, that had some great twists and turns which would play out great on the big screen. The final part of Mass Effect is paced to perfection in the game and one of my favorite moments. Red Dead Redemption was a masterpiece, I was never a fan of Westerns but everything about it just seemed well captured. A small but favorite moment of mine was travelling to Mexico when Faraway from José González kicks in.
What is the most memorable gaming experience you have had?
There are many great experiences. For an MMO it was that magic moment when you log in to a game for the very first time and its magic, everything is alive and you are a part of it. Everything is new, fresh, and exciting. The sense of danger and unknown is ripe in the air and you want to do it all, and your friends are there too.
The space combat in TOR has been a topic of much heated debate. What is your stance on it?
It seems like a teaser. It's "here have a slice, we might give you more later." I am not a pilot, I was famous in the guild for having a Ship since it was first available in SWG but never mastering pilot. Space has potential, there are some massive opportunities with expanding on the feature. Sure it doesn't have to be EvE online, but it can take the game to a level above and beyond by having that great Star Wars space experience. Han and Chewie may not of dicked around in space, but they didn't just fly in a barrel either.
What TOR class holds your heart?
Consular, and not just for the hat. I was secretly hoping for Ithorians, but it looks like I will have to roll something else. I traditionally go with a tank so the Consular will be something different, undecided on advanced class yet.
There is another sci-fi mmo that is getting some attention. Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium Online has been announced as Vigil Games big project. Any thoughts on it?
Massive WH40K fan, so much so that we have considered setting up a guild branch for that game. It has a rich lore and big following but so did WAR and it failed to capitalize on that. However lessons can be learnt from the past. I will be watching it closely.
Our last question now, what do you want most from TOR?
A great community, to me community is the 5th Pillar. It's a simple foundation and belief that good people make these games great. I understand a little effort will go a long way in creating a great experience not only for myself and my guild but those around us. MMOs are about the people, yet we seem to have forgotten to play our part in recent games.
It looks like we are at an end. Anything else you would like to add?
Bioware, where are the Ithorians?
I want to thank Darka for letting me take some of his time. I hope that you readers will say hello to him. Community is important and Darka is the kind of person that understands that. If you have a suggestion on who I talk to next, post it in the comments. If you have any question suggestions you can also post them in the comments.
Stop by Darka's profile page and say hello. http://www.swtor.com/community/member.php?u=5450
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