New multiboxer's guide

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Contents

An Introduction to Multiboxing and Dual-boxing.com

Welcome to Dual-boxing.com. You're probably here because you saw us flitting around town in a swarm, steamrolling through battle grounds or cutting a swath through a quest area. You see a mass of toons melting face and think "How is that not cheating!? Sign me up!"


Because it's not cheating. Botting and hacking are cheating and we do not do that. What you've seen is the result of tons of behind the scenes work. And that's what Dual-boxing.com is here for. Multiboxing can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. You'll find everything from just having one toon following another to level 2 characters at once all the way up to full groups and raids and PvP teams that are so expertly managed that you don't even realize they're multiboxed until they all fall in line and follow one toon.


But wherever you plan to fall on the spectrum, you will need to do the work to see the results. Know that, first and foremost. Multiboxing is very much a learning experience, not a plug and play one. You are NOT going to just download something and that's the end of it. You aren't even going to learn all this stuff and that's the end of it. Almost everyone here will tell you that the longer you play and the more times you "start over" the more you learn and the more refined your multiboxing becomes.


FAQ for Non {or New!}-Multiboxers

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

Dual-boxing.com

First thing's first. You MUST read and understand the rules. Not reading the rules is no excuse for breaking them.


The people in this community are responsible for making mutliboxing what it is today. Multiboxing is a way to play games, not a way to hack or cheat. No one here wants to have their hard work associated with negative things like bots, hackers or general a**hattery.


Now that you've read the rules for this site, you should understand the rules for the game you are trying to play. You and you alone are responsible for making sure that you do not violate the rules of the games you are playing. Multiboxing is NOT allowed in all games. Even when it is allowed in a game, there are certain rules that vary between these games. For example, Everquest is very relaxed in its rules regaurding macros and multiboxing. However, another game from the same company under the SAME franchise, EverQuest II is MUCH more strict and limiting.


We do have a list of responses from various games about multiboxing here, and it's a good place to start. HOWEVER, I don't live and breathe to talk to customer service and GMs. Those rules can change at any time and that list is only updated when someone tells me something has changed. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure you are not breaking the rules. I very strongly suggest that BEFORE you start to multibox any game {other than WoW, since news on WoW is updated frequently} you open a ticket and ask a GM. Feel free to reference the ticket numbers in that post.


Asking Questions

Understand that this community has been around for quite a while. There isn't much that hasn't been brought up, and there are guides upon guides and tutorials upon tutorials all over the place for everything from group makeups to system configurations to macros for several different games. If you can't take the steps to look for this information and do some of your own research, this probably isn't the hobby for you. Many posters have no problem doing a little hand-holding, and that is why they've taken the time to post all the information that they do. Don't expect them to do all the work for you.


That is not to say that you should never have questions. We love questions. Lots of us here love nothing more than getting our geek on, but that doesn't mean we want to answer the same simple questions 20 times a day. The first thing you should do is search. We have a search option at the top of the forums or you can search through an advanced Google search.


You should also look at the sticky posts at the top of every forum. These are usually posts that people have found so helpful that they think they should be front and center all the time, so no one has to look hard to find them. Every subforum has its own stickies, so be sure to check them all.


If you have found something that sort of answers your question, feel free to post in that thread, even if it's not that new. For example, you find a macro in Mecurio's thread but don't understand some of it, or found a sequence that works better for you, it's probably better to post in there than to start a whole new post. This way similar information is all together in one place instead of us having a thousand different threads all consisting of slightly different macros for the same class/spec.


If you've found some information but it doesn't really reflect the questions you have, or you simply can't find what you're looking for {because we accept that the search sometimes sucks}, then you should open a new thread. For example, you've read through all sorts of threads for how to set up ISBoxer, but you are getting an error you can't find or something isn't working as it's supposed to, that's a good time to open a new thread instead of piggybacking on an old thread that only sort of reflects your issue.


Also, make sure your questions go in the right place. New users are restricted to posting in the first four forums, in the New? Start Here! section. This is explained in the Announcement at the top of all forums.


This means you cannot post in game-specific forums, but you should still be able to pick an appropriate forum from the 4 available forums.


When it comes to actually asking your question, provide as much useful information as possible. If it's a technical question about your system, include your system specs. If it's a question about key broadcasting, include the program you are using and if appropriate, how many computers you're using. If it's a question about a team setup or macro, include the game you're playing if it's not obvious. If you're asking about why your DPS is low, include links to your character profile. Here's some examples


Bad question 

y wont this work? I push the button and the salve dont do nething.

Why is this a bad question?

  1. What is "this"? Is it a macro that doesn't work? Is it the broadcasting itself that's not working?
  2. What are you using to broadcast? Hardware? ISBoxer? Keyclone? HotKeyNet? A program we don't even know about? Are you using anything at all?
  3. What are you expecting it to do? Is "the button" a follow macro? A movement key? a casting macro? jumping? a song and dance? Is it the key to turn on your broadcaster? Log in?
  4. What game is it you're trying to set up? World of Warcraft works differently than EverQuest, which works differently than EverQuest 2, which works differently than Rift, which works differently than Lord of the Rings....


As you can see, a question like that triggers a hundred questions from us and zero answers.


Good question 

I downloaded ISBoxer and used the wizard to set up my WoW accounts, 
but when I hit my hearthstone macro on alt+H, only my main hearths home.

Why is this a good question?

  1. We know exactly what you're trying to do.
  2. We know what program you are using.
  3. We know what you are expecting to happen and what actually does happen.
  4. We know what game you are playing.

We have all the information we need to make an informed response and hopefully help you solve your problem.

Getting Into The Guts Of It.

Now that you have learned about the community, it's time to step into the hobby. We assume you came here with a game in mind, so that's out of the way. The next thing to do is to choose a means of multiboxing. We support several means of multiboxing here, so let's help you decide.


How many computers will you be using?


  • 1 - you intend to run all instance of your game on a single computer. This means you will need a software option to control all of your games.
  • More than one - You intend to spread your games out between several computers. This means you can use a hardware or software option.


How many games will you run on each computer?


  • 1 - you want every copy of your game to run off its own computer. This means you can use a hardware or a software option.
  • More than one - You want to run a few copies on each computer. This means you will need to use a software option.


I need/want to use a Hardware Option


I need/want to use a Software Option

Software options come in many forms and there's several questions you should ask yourself before deciding.

My Gaming OS is

I'm Flexible in my OS

  • I need easy - you aren't exceedlingly tech savvy and need as much handholding as possible. Don't worry, we were all new to this once. You will be much more comfortable with something that has lots of tutorials, walkthroughs and easy to understand interface tools and wizards.
    • Keyclone
    • ISboxer
    • GameCommanderPro


  • I can figure it out - you're not adverse to sitting down and working things out on your own. Your google-fu is strong and you have faith in your ability to wrap your head around things without too much hand-holding.
    • AutoHotKey
    • Clonekeys
    • HotKeyNet
    • ISBoxer
    • MaxiVista
    • Multibox
    • Octopus
    • Synergy
    • Voice Commander
    • MultiLaunchBox
    • Plexer
    • Input Director


  • I wanna use what you're using - You don't really care how much work you have to put into learning. What you care about is that SOMEONE will be able to answer your questions. These are the programs that are more commonly used by members here.
    • CloneKeys
    • HotKeyNet
    • Keyclone
    • IsBoxer
    • Octopus
    • Synergy
    • Input Director
    • GameCommanderPro


  • I need free - you don't feel like shelling out more money on something until you know you want to. It's ok, we can understand that, just keep the above questions in mind.
    • AutoHotKey
    • Clonekeys
    • HotKeyNet
    • Multibox
    • Octopus
    • Synergy
    • VoiceCommander
    • Xdotool
    • Input Director


  • I can pay - you've spent this much on new hardware/software/accounts, what's a little more?
    • Keyclone
    • ISBoxer
    • MaxiVista
    • MultiLaunchBox
    • Plexer
    • GameCommanderPro



From this point, I suggest going to the wiki and looking at your choices on an individual basis via the links in the chart.

If you want my opinion, these will be your big three. The vast majority of users here use or have used one of these programs. A lot of the other programs are usually only mentioned sporadically if at all on the message boards -


  • ISBoxer - Probably the most popular choice around here. It has many guides, many users, and can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. It can be used across up to 5 different computers, which makes it an excellent choice for many users. It can be kind of intimidating and does require a subscription, but it can also be used across many games and has superior support.


  • Keyclone - another popular choice, Keyclone is pretty easy to use and can still grow a bit with you as you learn more. It is probably a bit easier to work with than ISBoxer, but it's also less powerful especially when it comes to certain advanced configurations and things like mouse broadcasting. Also requires a payment, but it is a one-time fee for the lifetime of the product. However, the license is for one computer at a time {you can still transfer the license to another computer via a wizard}. Keyclone also is primarily for World of Warcraft, so it will not transfer well, if at all, to other MMOs.


  • HotKeyNet - nearly as powerful as ISBoxer, but does not have a user interface. All configuration must be done through scripting, and as such has a smaller userbase than other options. Like ISBoxer, it is not limited to WoW and has successfully been used with most MMOs. This is a free program and can work across multiple computers and does get support from the creator and users via this site and the program's homepage.

Configurations

Prepping your System

The first thing you will want to do is make sure your system is optimally set up for multiboxing. This means shutting down any non-essential programs.


If you are comfortable with following tweak guides, I'd suggest starting there. Of course, the very first rule of any tweak guide should be BACKUP, so make sure you've backed up your system. Even if you aren't using a tweak guide, I still suggest backing up your system. I run a weekly backup.


If not, at the very least, you'll want to make sure your system is clean. Run a spyware scan, malware scan and a virus scan. And not just quick ones, either. You should ALWAYS have an antivirus program, that is not what I'd call a non-essential program. If you're running Windows 7, I'd also advise running Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. No, none of this has anything to do with multiboxing specifically, but it does have to do with system security and MMOs are huge targets for compromised systems.


I use Avast! AntiVirus, SpybotS&D, CCleaner, MalwareBytes and Secunia PSI {Thanks Blast3r}. Every single one of these programs are FREE, so no excuses! Check this thread for what people recommend.


A good defragging should follow.


Next you should install your game. There's many schools of thought on this. Some run everything out of one folder/install {per computer}. Some use 1 for the main, 1 for the slaves. Others use an individual one for every instance. Some use Symlinks to have partial installs.


Setting Up Your Program

From here, you can start setting up your multiboxing program.


AutoHotKey


Clonekeys


HotKeyNet


Keyclone


ISBoxer


Octopus


Synergy


Voice Commander


MultiLaunchBox


Plexer


Input Director


GameCommanderPro



Beyond Broadcasters

Macros

Once you have that set up, it's time to move into the game. This is where you'll need to set up your macros and such so that they keys you're sending via your broadcasters actually translate to ingame actions. One exception is ISBoxer, where you can set up your macros in ISBoxer via ATGs.


Each game will use a different format for it's macros, but they all have some common actions required for making multiboxing work.


The first thing you will need is a means for your slaves to target, to insure that everyone is attacking the same thing. This can be a macro command or an ingame hotkey.


The next thing you will need is a means for your slaves to follow your main.


That is the bare minimum any game will need to make multiboxing viable.


For the most part, WoW has the most complex macro system than other games out today. However, there's not really any good documentation here on it for beginners, and WoW is the game most multiboxers are likely to be playing, so I'll add that to this guide.


For other games, I'll post available links.


Non-WoW Macro Systems

EverQuest


EverQuest II


Rift


Lord of the Rings Online


Eve Online

Aion


World of Warcraft Macro System

The first place you should start is with understanding macros.


Assisting

When it comes to WoW, there are several things you will want to set up. The first is an assist method. Copy/pasted from another of my posts


  • Manual Assist - This is a button that you press before you start attacking, but after your main has a target to tell your slave to pick up the target.
    • On your slave make a macro that says simply /assist toon/party#/focus using either the name of your main toon, the party number of your master {if your main is always the party leader, this will be party1} or your focus target {see below}.
    • Place that macro on a keybind. I use [
    • Target a mob on your main and then press [ Your slave will now pick up the same target.
    • Place Lightning Bolt on the same keybind that the master uses {1}.


  • Built-in Assist - Rather than assisting prior to combat or having to use a keybind to assist, you can macro it directly to your spells.
    • On your slave, make a macro for Lightning Bolt, adding /assist toon/party#/focus to the top of the macro. 
/assist Kina
/cast Lightning Bolt
    • Place that macro on the same keybind your master uses {1}. Your slave will now target and cast in the same keybind.


  • Focus Assist - Rather than acquiring a target, your slave simply casts on what their focus casts on without actually targeting anything. This, like manual assist, requires initial setup, but does not require constant interaction with another button.
    • On your slave, create a macro to set your focus. /focus toon/party#/target {if you use target, you'll need your slave to target someone first, which you can do manually or you can do /target toon /focus target which is rather roundabout}.
    • Place that macro on a keybind. I use Home. As long as you don't do anything to clear your focus {logging out, setting a new focus, changing the main toon in the party, ui reloading} you will only need to use this key once per gaming session.
    • On your slave create a macro for Lightning Bolt adding a targetting conditional to the line 
/cast [@focustarget] Lightning Bolt
    • Place that macro on the same keybind your master uses {1}. Your slave will now cast on whatever your master has targeted without actually having a target of their own.


Follow

Next you will want a follow key. This can also be done a few ways. If you use a focus method, you can simply create a macro that says 

/follow focus

If you don't use a focus method, you can simply use a name. 

/follow Kina

Finally, you can let Jamba deal with it 

/jamba-follow master slave
or
/jamba-follow strobeonme slave


Also, you will need a means to terminate follow, because if you have casters, you probably don't want to have them all up in the mob's face when you're fighting. There is no macro command to terminate follow. To stop your slaves following, you will need to set up a key to break movement. This can be one of your arrow keys or you can choose an alternate method in your ingame keybindings. I personally set up an alternate keybind by setting End as a "formation key". To do this, I set End to be move left on one slave, move right on another, move forward on a third and move back on a fourth. Use what works best for you.


Castsequences

This covers the most basic macro needs you will have in WoW. The next step you will want to take is learning about castsequences. Castsequences are a means of stringing together a repeatable sequence of spells so that you don't have to have a bazillion different keybinds for every single spell or ability that you need to use to play. This way you can do several different things at once by using one key, irregaurdless of cast times and cooldowns.


For example, let's take a Elemental Shaman and a Paladin Tank. Your Shaman will want to cast Lightning Bolt and Flame Shock. Your Paladin will want to use Crusader Strike and Judgement {we're keeping this very simple}. Lightning Bolt has a cast time, but nothing else does. Flame Shock has a cooldown and a duration that you don't want to overwrite. Crusader Strike has a different cooldown and Judgement has a totally different cooldown. There's no need for four different buttons and trying to remember what has what cooldown and trying to guess when to press what. We can simply build a castsequence for each.


So for your main, you make a standard sequence 

/castsequence reset=combat Crusader Strike, Judgement, Crusader Strike
/startattack


This sequence says that your paladin should cast Crusader Strike, then Judgement, then Crusader Strike again. At that point it will start over.


And for your slave, you make another sequence, making sure to include a means of assisting if you use a built-in assist method 

/castsequence [@party1target] reset=3 Flame Shock, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt


This sequence says your Shaman should cast {at party1's target, which should be your paladin's target} Flame Shock and 4 Lightning Bolts before starting over again with Flame Shock.


Now, a few things about Castsequences.


First, This is not you press the button once and it goes through the whole list, that's not how macros work in WoW. The first time you press it, it will do the first spell, second press, second spell and so on through the list.


It will not progress through the sequence until it is able to. You can press the button 5 times a second, that doesn't mean it'll skip things in the list. If you're spamming the key while you are in the process of casting the first Lightning Bolt, it won't move forward until the cast or applicable cooldown or global cooldown is up. This is vital because it means that if a spell in your sequence is on cooldown, it can't get to the other spells beyond it. This means, for example, if you get through the paladin sequence back to Judgement and Judgement still has several seconds to go until it's off cooldown, then your paladin will sit there doing nothing but autoattack until Judgement is ready, no matter how many times you push the button. Therefore you will want to make sure you have enough other spells in there to make sure that doesn't happen.


Finally, you will want to make sure that you have an appropriate reset condition in there. Without a reset condition, your macro will only reset when it gets to the end and is forced to reset. This can cause problems if you enter combat later and your macro is still sitting somewhere in the middle. This can impact your DPS and cause premature lockups in the sequence.


Other Tools

If you are writing a macro and aren't sure of what something means or looking at someone else's macro and aren't sure what something does, you can use this site to get an explanation


Jamba is a great tool for making tons of things in game easier for multiboxers


Using Symlinks is a way to use multiple folders without having to use multiple full installs of your games


MMOChampion's RaidComp will help you see what classes cover what de/buffs so you can make better choices about what classes will best compliment each other in a mixed team


VirusTotal allows you to scan files and URLs online by checking it against dozens of AntiVirus Engines.


MOAR LYNX??


Now you have the basics tools for getting started in the world of multiboxing. Welcome and good luck!

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