spronk

xzin or anyone else - with a hardware kbd multiplexer, how exactly do you switch? Is F1-F5 bound to diff PCs or is there some sort of extra button?

I'm finding synergy pretty good (except for the mouselook problem) with both PCs being windowsXP, the hardest part now is just coordinating. ATM i'm just playing TBC beta on one PC and mining herbs on the other, still feeling a bit slow in reaction times (mine, not hardware) on 2nd PC. I notice absolutely no diff on main PC.

 

Xzin

I have not released any pictures of my setup or any PvP videos yet (although I do have gigs and gigs of raw fraps). I do intend to at some point in time - most likely when I find somebody to do all of the editing :)

Until I finish my PvP Video - these will have to do:

A quick run through SM Cath
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...65098130473147

Some random guy who captured some BG pvp with me
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...64455695298576

Edit: If anybody knows of a way to get SCT or some other similar mod to display colored spell damage from your party on the current mob that is taking damage - send it my way. I know Lua (now Telepathy) can do something similar with party spell cast bars but it would be amazing to see 1800 1200 2100 1400 pop up over a players head at the same time on Xzin's screen. I know its possible to program a ui mod to do this - but no reason to reinvent the wheel if it has already been done.

 

Xzin

A multiplexer does exactly that - sends the signal out to multiple pcs at once. No switching involved. A KVM is too slow - most all have 1-2 seconds of delay. Great for desktop admin on little used systems but almost useless for pvp (arguably pve).

This is a keyboard multiplexer:
http://vetra.com/844text.html

You need 2 of them to 5 box as it only has 4 ports.

This same company does sell a KVM switch that I do use (http://vetra.com/802txt.htm) to toggle sending commands to all of the zins or just Xzin. It is accessed via a special key combo that I just program my x-keys to use (scroll lock 1 or scroll lock 2). You can also toggle it manually if you really want to. It has a led showing which one is active. Switching is near instant but there is still a small delay. About the same speed as switching to another, nearby keyboard, possibly slightly longer. It is the fastest switching kvm that I have seen thus far and would be mildly playable if you wanted to play 2 computers side by side with 1 kb and 1 mouse (although playing 2 wows on 1 computer would be faster still).

 

Murgen

If you ran 2 copies of wow on one machine, how would you go about sending different hotkeys to each window without swapping focus?

I want to spam my heal key at the same time as my sunder/hs/revenge macro without tabbing around.

 

Kharzaljim

Thanks Xzin. It's neat to see that sort of thing. Sounds like the largest impediment of multiboxing is not mental or anything, but the relatively more basic problem of controlling that many characters with only two hands. Or do you find that that's not the case, and that there's definetly a limit on how much information you can intake and utilize effectively?

If using "he or she" seems awkward to you, try using a neutral gender term. Some people use s/he, others find that clumsy, and try using variations on pronunciation, such has zer or zier. Unfortunately, English doesn't really have the concept for neutral genders, so there's no real consensus yet. But that leaves room for one to be built.

 

Lucit

The extent of my two-boxing consists of helping myself do quests. I've got a tauren warrior and human paladin, which makes things interesting. Usually I just have my paladin tank (and self-heal) while I kill it with my warrior. I've also been in the same BG on each character, which is amusing to say the least - and possibly not allowed.

My battlegroup has a guy who four-boxes hunters (Krohmt[aiou]r). However, I determined that the "master" is Krohmtor; if you kill him, the other three tend to lose track of what they're doing.

 

• Arawethion

That's a really comical image.

Read before asking questions:
Moonkin guide/spreadsheet, http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t66856-moonkin_pve_dps/
Resto guide/spreadsheet, http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t88239-r...al_discussion/

 

Pyros

I'm interested in knowing if there's some way to duo without alt tabbing if you play on one comp with one screen, like Murgen said, is there anything to make it easier than just alt tabbing? It's not too hard but you lose quite some time from pressing alt tab all the time. Hell, is there even a way to switch windows with just one key instead of alt tab, that'd make it less painful.

 

Schnappi

That should be possible with any kind of programmable input device.

 

Pyros

I was more looking into a software solution

 

Cuppycake

Okay, so if you two box on one computer with two monitors...do you still have to alt-tab to go back and forth between clients?

 

Pyros

Not if you use Synergy, that's what the 1st page was about

 

◊ Greenexile

If you two box with one computer and two monitors, you set it up so that WoW runs in windowed mode and each window is within one monitor. Then you just click on whichever window you're controlling at the time.

I tried it, but I had alot of trouble getting real control over the characters. I think with a bit of practice and the right macros (eg "follow x", "assist X", etc) you could do pretty well. Personally, I just hated having to try to play two characters at once, my wimpy brain couldnt handle it. Perhaps I just chose the wrong two characters to try it with (Pally / Priest I think I tried)

 

• GokieKS

I can't even get Synergy to work properly with Windows itself when running a connection between 2 WinXP Pro SP2 machines (left mouse click randomly turns into something else), so I don't think I'll use it for WoW anytime soon. So it's back to the old fashioned way when I want to two-box with my GF's account - two computers, two monitors, two sets of keyboard/mice, and some macros.

"You live and learn. At any rate, you live."
~Douglas Adams (RIP)

 

Draz

I'd like to know this as well. Just some more stories that you could tell us would be great ;)

 

Bibdy

Holy crap...this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. Grinding with my Warrior and Priest at the same time will never be so easy.

Thread of the godamned month!

There's always free cheese in the mouse traps, but the mice there ain't happy.

 

Murgen

I think you misunderstood the question, but thanks for trying. Synergy doesn't allow you to treat two windows on one computer as two separate "screens."

Software which lets you map global hot keys to named windows might do the trick.

 

Bury

You're a folk hero on our server :P

 

spronk

two WoW's on one PC with 2 monitors is do-able, but if you have both up i dunno the lag is fierce. I tried it for a while but it just made WoW very slow and unfun for me.

I'm using Synergy atm on 3 monitors, 2 PCs, 1 keyboard/mouse. The only issue is that mouselook is semi-broken (you have to bind a key/button to scroll lock function in Synergy master, then on the 2nd PC hit it every time you want to mouselook). I just recently started using it and it seems ok, haven't really tried duoing a party yet as my split is horde/ally. Going to try later this weekend though on leveling a alt with a 60 helper and see how that works.

 

Xzin

I dont even play on your server! :)

 

Phlis

Same battle group though isn't he?

I'm just wondering if there is a song to go with the folk hero status.

Let me tell you a story about a man named Zin
something something something that rhymes with Zin
etc, etc.

 

Xzin

Yes, same battlegroup :) Not that I played you guys THAT much though.

I certainly don't know of any song out there but I am pretty sure one would not be too hard to come up with, seeing as zin rhymes with so much.

 

Phlis

Well, if the realm forums are anything to go by you definatly have a "reputation", to say the least.

 

Ellay

To give more insight on Multi-boxing, here is a screenshot of my setup.


No 2 multi-boxers are the same, everyone develops their own methods and techniques as Xzin has shown. To describe more about the picture above I play 3 Mages, and throw in a Priest from time to time for PvE. The main theme with my setup is complete control over all characters. There are no devices that are broadcasting keystrokes to more than 1 PC. So when I want to perform say a fireball I simply push 3 keys at once. But you ask," How? you don't have 3 hands!" That brings us to our next visual which is the 2 Nostromo N52 Gamepads on the bottom left. They are small enough for an average sized hand to push a key on both simotaneously, which then gives the Triple synch effect. Now I'm not saying this is easy nor am I saying I'm extremely skilled, and there are much easier methods such as wireless receivers sync'd or multiplexers, but it's what I've adapated to. Being able to control them in Synchronous or Solo is a huge feature to me and allows for more diverse situations which lets me excel in PvP.

Each also has their own keyboard and mouse. With this micro-management you can overcome much larger obstacles in a PvP perspective where most never venture at this degree.

Example 1

It's a 4 on 4 and your enemies are well geared, you are feared and your methods of getting out are on cooldown, being spread out so far apart you are unable to simply push the /follow macro and need to recover fast or you are toast. In this movie clip I will show you just that (it's on google so the quality is very bad, google video players helps!) The key moment you are looking for here is at 2:08 to 3:00. If you watch closely the priest is taken out instantly, both warriors are double sheeped at the same exact time. A little spice is added where the music kicks up when I get aoe feared, but pulling my characters back together seemlessly is the impossible feat.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...mage+pvp&hl=en


Without a doubt this is the optimum highlight you can have dual boxing - I used to play 2 back then. This video clip was made in January of this year so quite dated but still effective.

Example 2

You have just taken out the enemy at a node in AB but respawns are going to prevent you from capping. Key moment is 4:33 to 5:25 with a somewhat comedic ending
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...leboxing&hl=en


As you can see this method allows for more precise accuracy and timing in PvP but nonetheless takes practice and patience. Multi-boxing takes this game a new level and there are very few who participate in such vendures, even less bring it to the PvP grounds. If you have questions I'm always glad to help out :) Hope this gives a better insight to what is possible.

Ellay ~ Smolderthorn ~ Tuivian@yahoo.com

 

asharpton

That's a pretty nice setup ellay.

I had a pretty simple dualbox for a bit, but recently sold one of the computers. I'm wondering - For those of you who play two WoW's on ONE computer/One monitor - How is it handling them? do you just alt tab to switch between? I've run two wows on my rig, but i've never had both account directly interacting with each other (since i'm on PvP with one ally one horde account), but i'm considering starting another set of alts and if it was worth it to try to level both at the same time.

I'll likely just end up with a second rig, but I'm curious if people manage 'dual boxing' on a single box.

No honestly I am dumb. Most of the I'm playing smart.