Actually, I don't play FPS games, I play MMORPGS like everyone else here, but I don't want to box like you do! I did the alt-tab thing for awhile in EQ, and successfully used an enchanter, warrior, and two clerics to kill BOT tower bosses by myself, and do Ikkinz trials with a buddy who boxed DPS.

Anyway, TO THE POINT. I know almost no one here alt tabs anymore, so what exactly do I want to do differently? Well, like alt tabing, you guys are all really only controlling one character at a time. You can switch the character you are currently controlling, and you can send commands through to other characters in the background, but you can still only move one character at once, and if that character gets separated from your "pack" it's basically useless.

What I want to do, is to play two complete and independent characters. I want to be able to move them independently, and simultaneously. I want to be able to jump and circle strafe, on two different characters, while killing two different targets, in two different zones, at the same time... I hope this is clear!

So obviously this wouldn't be too hard. Just need 2 computers, 2 monitors, 2 keyboards, 2 mice, 4 hands, done.

Wait! 4 hands means two people, or surgery... I need to do it with two hands!

So basically, to play two characters with two hands, I need to figure out a way to play one character, functionally (jumping, circle strafing, while killing someone) with ONE hand. If I can figure out how to do this, I'll just mirror it for my other hand, and I'm done.

You guys see why this is different? Anyway I have some ideas. Since I can only use one hand for each character, and I really want to be able to jump and circle strafe while killing people, I can't really use a keyboard. I don't need access to a mouse cursor, but I do need access to mouselook. So I was thinking of either using a mouse with lots of buttons (for skills) or a Joystick with lots of buttons (for skills of course) Obviously even the most button laden mouse might only have 15 or so, same with the joystick, so I figured that I could use a foot pedal for shift states, which I believe would give me enough buttons to play.

Anyway, I'm looking for others thoughts, and some more ideas. I am not willing to automate movement, or restrict one character as a "master" and the other as a "slave". Both characters must be fully functional, simultaneously. While I know a lot of you achieve near this, I highly doubt your 5 box combos can spread out in 5 different directions and then circle strafe around 5 moving targets while killing them!

While I don't really want to spend $500 on something just to get this to work, but if it was the only way, I might be willing. I have two separate working computers with two monitors already. Just need to figure out the best hardware/software to use to make this happen!

As for "WHY?!" my answer is that traditional gaming is far too easy, and this seems pretty fucking hard.