What to multibox with?

[Valconite]

Well, multiboxing is officially confirmed to be within the TOS; however, I'm not sure what to use!

I've tried a few around, such as Synergy and Multibox; however, they're not what I was expecting. Pressing 1, for example, presses 1 on BOTH systems... so if I play 2 different classes, they each will do something (depending on what's in the particular slot). Also, the installation might as well be in Greek. =S Also, they don't work well (or at all) within Vista. I was also recommended to Limeaide, which is perfect; however, it costs like $12... and I'm broke. I also looked at Multiplicity, but it's $30... and like the top two, it simply sends the key pressed to BOTH computers (no independant control)... and, I'm still broke.

Anybody have any FREE recommendations?

What I'm looking for is something that controls the two characters independently (not just a keyboard navigator that sends the key functions to both computers).

[Thargos]

2 keyboards, 2 mouses,2 wide screens 1600x1200, and 2 mac pro's (http://store.apple.com/AppleStore/WebObjects/BizCustom.woa/6624009/wo/WAGeemHsIgyv2IcPERMZjsfphGx/1.?p=0)

[Valconite]

Well, that's a recommendation; however, hardly free... and hardly what I'm wanting. I think I'll just bunker down and stick w/ Limeaide, thanks. :wink2:

[JaedxRapture]

You can try leveling two toons legitemately. It may be legal but that doesn't mean it's not cheating.

[Thargos]

You can try leveling two toons legitemately. It may be legal but that doesn't mean it's not cheating.

But what if his brain works so fast that leveling just one toon at once isn't fun enough? Maybe he needs to level 2,3,4 or even 5 at once. O.o

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

You can try leveling two toons legitemately. It may be legal but that doesn't mean it's not cheating.

I'm usually quite a stickler when it comes to what is and isn't cheating (and anyone who knows me on these forums can easily vouch for that), but in this instance, I do have to disagree. If someone has the time, energy, and more specifically the financial resources and capability to divide their attention good enough to be able to dual-box or multi-box characters, I say more power to them. I've dual-boxed EverQuest, but I haven't tried it with WoW.

[Magikhat]

I use to dual box. Its not as easy as it may seem. Takes more work than some think. Somtimes more frustrating than its worth. Takes a lot of micro management which really wasnt something i enjoyed.

[johnmacd]

You can try leveling two toons legitemately. It may be legal but that doesn't mean it's not cheating.

How is dual or multi-boxing cheating? I would think playing more than one character at the same time would be a challenge, let alone a tough thing to do.

[pengee]

You should read through the instructions more thoroughly if you are having trouble with Synergy. My wife and I have our computers next to each other and I use Synergy sometimes to take control of her game if she needs to go afk. Unfortunately it doesn't work in the reverse direction for when I need to walk away.

Also, this is on two computers both running vista. We both have dual screens and I have tested running two copies of wow at the same time on my own computer, one copy per screen, also with no problems. Though I found that does work best in xp w/ the tweakUI power toy that will switch windows on mouse over. That eliminates the first click necessary to activate the window.

In all honesty though, unless you are planning to follow yourself around with a healer, you might find multi boxing to be more difficult than you imagine. For me, the lack of fine control over just one toon make the game loose most of its feeling.

[JaedxRapture]

I'm usually quite a stickler when it comes to what is and isn't cheating (and anyone who knows me on these forums can easily vouch for that), but in this instance, I do have to disagree. If someone has the time, energy, and more specifically the financial resources and capability to divide their attention good enough to be able to dual-box or multi-box characters, I say more power to them. I've dual-boxed EverQuest, but I haven't tried it with WoW.

But they aren't. What they're doing is taking their power and dividing it between multiple characters. They're leveling two toons for the experience cost of one. And for it they get nothing more than generic leveling experience and end up with two classes they know little about (regardless of how good they think they are).

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

But they aren't. What they're doing is taking their power and dividing it between multiple characters. They're leveling two toons for the experience cost of one. And for it they get nothing more than generic leveling experience and end up with two classes they know little about (regardless of how good they think they are).

Your humble, unbiased opinion? Now seriously, it is complicated to multi-box. There is absolutely nothing against the rules whatsoever against multiboxing -- unless someone is using some kind of bot system to manage a character, then it's "botting". I hate to tell you, but there are people who can multibox effectively, who do know what they are doing, and are able to divide their attention between two (or more) characters. Making an absolute statement like you just did is really dangerous to make, because what you are doing is stereotyping -- everyone who multiboxes must be as you describe or not at all, which isn't the case.

They aren't just leveling two characters at the experience cost of one -- there is some serious management processes which have to take place in order to handle the two characters. I'm not merely suggesting having a healer follow you around to heal you either -- people who really mutibox are really playing all the characters. All you need is motivation, and maybe a healthy dose of ADD to help.

[keyclone]

another product available for multi boxing is keyclone. check the video on the main page (5 gnome mages on one machine). run multiple accounts on one machine and/or connect multiple machines with one or more accounts on each. your choice.

http://solidice.com/keyclone

originally created for shadowbane (10-20 boxing during banes), now available for WoW.

check the forums at dual-boxing.com for more details
and don't miss the FAQ on solidice.com/keyclone

have fun and good luck,

Rob

[Dakiter]

Some of the comments made in this thread are making me laugh. I am currently two boxing and love it. I purchased a $40 (US) KVM switch and its working really well. Double tap the control key and I am on machine 2 double tap control I am back on machine 1.

The characters I am playing are a shaman and mage. The mage is 51 and the shaman is about to hit 50. Yes I see less experience per kill compared to soloing, but I would love to see anyone solo at the rate of speed that my two guys can, with no downtime. Since I spread out the abilities neither character is ever oom or low on life that would require a drink/food break. Add to this that I have yet to find a single quest that I am unable to do with my characters and I am leveling very quickly.

In response to not knowing the characters, um your wrong. I wish I could think of a blunter way of putting it. In order to play two characters at once you need to know everything they can do and how to use those abilities. Its not just a button mashing marathon. Melee, shocks, lightning, heals and totems on shaman. Sheep, fire and aoes on the mage. I have run these two characters solo, individually in pug groups and together grouped with others to help with quests and trust me I know how to play them.

I have run into a few people who think that its cheating or 'unfair'. Why? How is what I am doing affecting you? I can afford to keep two accounts and I have the machinery to do so, why should you care?

Last point, when they hit 70 I do plan on raiding with these characters, but not two boxed. I will offer whatever group I am with a Mage or Shaman and go from there.

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

FreddieHKN /reported

[Meds tbh]

Using 2 PCs and some ALT-TABing I was 3 boxing to get my baby druid through Deadmines last night - you telling me this is illegal?! I just read in another thread that even playing my gfs account my be ban worthy!

I don't understand Blizzard some times :(

[Caderbery]

Using 2 PCs and some ALT-TABing I was 3 boxing to get my baby druid through Deadmines last night - you telling me this is illegal?! I just read in another thread that even playing my gfs account my be ban worthy!

I don't understand Blizzard some times :(

No its not, there both your accounts and your playing them both. THe only thing that would make it illegal is if you use a Tool which does everything for you.

[moopy]

Multiboxing is fine, the GMs are fine with it, and there are some pretty well-known multiboxers out there who have been doing it for ages without problems- some have a sufficiently high profile to be prime ban targets if it wasn't allowed.

Doesn't mean it's not a little creepy, when five identically-dressed shamans are running in a little conga line, mirroring each others' actions, though :)

[elsegundo]

i dont see anything wrong with multi-boxing.

if you have the money to pay for two accounts, then pay for two accounts. play them both at once? sure. get half experience for each kill? sure. if multiboxing was cheating then it would have been cracked down on a long time ago.



also, for those who do multibox, do you guys do it with all the windows open for all the characters? or do you have just one screen where you can see all 2 or 3 or 8 of your characters?

[TPMdm]

.....
It may be legal but that doesn't mean it's not cheating.

:rolleyes:

Uh... That is precisely what is means. If blizzard decided tomorrow that using a bot was within the TOS and unbannable guess what? Botting would no longer be cheating. Whatever blizzard says is cheating is cheating and whatever they say is legitimate is legitimate.

@OP
A lot of the multibox vids I've seen on youtube involve shaman and warlocks (might just be the same guys lol). I think with shaman you can get effective overlap of totems and everybody unloading dps at once.

[Dakiter]

also, for those who do multibox, do you guys do it with all the windows open for all the characters? or do you have just one screen where you can see all 2 or 3 or 8 of your characters?

I am running on two macs. An iMac desktop and a Macbookpro laptop. I set up both ui's to be as if I was playing the character solo, that way no matter which character I logon to with either machine I am able to control them with no reconfiguration.

I used to lock my action buttons but I am a lot more used to switching controls now.

Before I had the switcher I had a set of macroes that would cause the mage to target and assist the shaman and then start casting different spells. It worked but was clunky. It also mean needing to switch hotbars everytime I wanted to play the mage solo or in an instance. Much better now in my current config.

[Caderbery]

also, for those who do multibox, do you guys do it with all the windows open for all the characters? or do you have just one screen where you can see all 2 or 3 or 8 of your characters?

I personally play in windowed mode with my seond char smaller than my min to mae it easier to see if he gets in trouble. there are others whouse ore than 1 monitor which is what im going to do when i build my new comp.

[det]

I could imagine that you run one character on follow, but even pressing a key and that gets repeated for both characters isn't a problem. In fact I try and set all my characters up with a similar setup:

1 = main attack, 7= finisher. 3 mousebuttons for spells. Shift 1 to self buff, shift 4 to mount.

That way what shadowbolt is for a warlocks, it is stormstrike for a shaman, frostbolt for a mage, Sinister strike for a rogue...etc.

Shadowburn as a warlock finisher is Earthshock for a shaman, Fire Blast for a mage, Evisc on a rogue.

Which is theorizing...I can hardly handle 1 toon ^^