Darth Hater

This is OpsCom, where we bring you a weekly dose of Operations-related content from the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic. This column will serve as an inside scoop on new content, developer feedback and community gossip. Stay tuned in the coming weeks, and we will keep you up to date on all the news you need to stay on the cutting edge.

This week in OpsCom, we'll take a look at a player's thoughts on the state of SWTOR's end-game content.  Also, we'll revisit an enduring mystery: the cave in Terror From Beyond.  For these, your weekly community spotlight, and more, hit the jump.

Weekly News Roundup

To many players, especially those that have come over from other MMO's, or continue to play those games in addition to SWTOR, the end-game raiding scene is where it's at.  Pushing through the content as fast as possible is often a point of pride and distinction for many guilds, but it also has the unfortunate caveat of giving them little to do once the initial push is made.  User Altarboom on the official forums made this thread on the subject, imploring the developers to push content out faster.  Have a look, and weigh in with your thoughts on the matter.

Earlier this month, the guild Nostrum Dolus managed to clear Toth and Zorn with only three members.  While this isn't exactly "news" in the purest sense, I was impressed by this feat, and wanted to feature it here.  So, hat's off to them.  Here's the official thread on the subject, which will include a link to their YouTube video of the kill.  Nice work, folks.

An enduring mystery for some time (for me, at any rate; I haven't seen any updates on this recently) has been the mysterious cave in the Terror From Beyond operation.  The official thread on the subject was started a while ago, but the discussion still endures to this day.  For all the back-information on the subject, as well as any current discoveries, please visit this thread.  Also, Pink Lightsabers has a wonderful compilation page with all of the pertinent information on it.

In case anyone missed it, last week we got some exciting new information on both Update 1.7: Return of the Gree as well as Rise of the Hutt Cartel, the first expansion for SWTOR.  We'll be bringing you all of the information on these as they become available, so keep an eye out.  In the meantime, please visit those links and bring yourself up to speed.

Community Spotlight

In this week's Community Spotlight, we'll be highlighting a particularly impressive feat.  On The Shadowlands server, a collaboration between the guilds Shot First and Carnage Gaming resulted in a 5-Stack Kill of the fearsome Dreadtooth.  Fantastic work on the part of those involved, so congratulations go to them.

<Shot First> on The Shadowlands - Website

<Carnage Gaming> on The Shadowlands - Website

Watch live video from fuzzycg on TwitchTV

Are you interested in having your guild featured here? Send me a PM here on the site and give us a general run down. Submissions should include Guild Name, Faction, Server and how far your guild has progressed. Bonus points for a YouTube video of any boss kills that we can feature in this section.

Op-Ed: Relationships and Gaming

Modern times have given way to equally modern trends, and gaming has inexorably become part of our culture and our lives.  Even those who don't consider themselves "gamers" per se still have smartphones capable of delivering some of the most popular titles on those platforms.  One of the most interesting intersections in gaming, for myself at least, is how gaming in general interacts with romantic relationships.  There are, of course, horror stories floating around about how gaming has destroyed a relationship or even a marriage, about how a person became so lost in the digital world that they inhabit online, that they forgot all about the real one going on around them.  As tragic as these stories are, there are always two sides to every coin.

Many couples make an event out of gaming with one another in a variety of games, and this trend certainly continues into the MMO's that many of us play today.  One of my first guilds in World of Warcraft was Co-GM'd by a married couple, and they did a wonderful job of it.  Their relationship seemed to flourish because they spent time with one another during their favorite activity, and arguments could be made that it served as an exercise to strengthen their trust and overall bond.  As is always the case with these relationships, many different outcomes can occur, and it all depends on how the couple manages it as a whole.  In my previous example, the married couple flourished with a common activity; a way to spend time together to escape a sometimes overly harsh reality.  However, when the significant other is not "into gaming", this can lead to trouble.  Many players devote themselves to their in-game endeavors wholly, and this often leads to neglect in their real-world relationships.  This obviously isn't fair in many regards, and gamers as a whole should be careful not to let their digital existence get in the way of their real lives.  Also, there is the fear from many of preferential treatment as a result of that relationship; especially if one or both of those folks are in a position of leadership within your current gaming outfit.  Having been involved in many iterations of this cautionary tale, I can say that they do, in fact, exist; and they have the potential to tear a guild apart.

So, if you're a gamer, and your significant other and yourself find a common ground in gaming, my hat is off to you; congratulations for finding an activity that you can both enjoy.  For those of you who game, but your significant other does not, don't despair.  Try introducing them lightly to gaming, or showing them what it is that you do on a regular basis.  One of the largest problems facing couples that are divided on the issue is alienation, where the other just "doesn't get it", or "doesn't see what's so great about it".  Remember that all relationships are built upon the foundation of compromise: If you're the gamer, try to introduce this person to the very foreign world of your interests, and do so from the point of view of compassion and caring.  Explain to them what makes it so important to you, and see if they'd like to give it a shot sometime.  I've known more than a few friends that have brought their significant other over to gaming; all it took was a nudge and some effort, and now their relationship is stronger than ever.

Most importantly, as I always say, please remember to enjoy what you do, and have a good time doing it.  If you're anything like me, gaming is almost central to your life, and it can be tough when those two things clash.  Remember that by entering a relationship, you make a kind of "promise" to that person, that you'll do your best to meet their needs without sacrificing who you are as a person.  As with most things in life, this compromise is very much a two-way street, so don't bend too much.  So, exercise some patience and a little tolerance, and perhaps you'll find a new common ground from which you can both stand.

I'd like to hear from you folks in the comments section below.  Do you presently game with your significant other?  If so, what kinds of games do you play?  Did you meet via gaming, or was it something that was introduced over time?  I'm always interested to hear these kinds of stories about how gaming and people interact, so please let me know.  As always, thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week.