Anyone tried Multiboxing on 1 computer using VMWare?

[Ghallo]

So, I may have access to VMware, and I was wondering if anyone tried Multiboxing using this application? I think the benefits would be pretty cool - since each instance of WoW would be fully segregated from the system and you could save system states etc. This would also allow applications like Multibox to clone mouse movements on each instance - since each instance would be a networked "machine", it would also avoid any issues of needing AHK. The possible downside to this is the possible performance hit. Currently I am thinking about running this on a quad core with 4gb of ram (with a 8800GTX) - for 4 instances of WoW, with my main on a different machine alone.

Thoughts/Comments?

[sherkas]

Wont work off hand. Its a great program however it does not currently allow for full directx and 3d rendering.

There is a way to achieve it slightly though. If the game can run in linux and you download the VMGL I think (VM ogl drivers) you can run select games through linux, through the virutal machine.

So it is possible, but 90% of games wont work because if you use windows, it has no 3d rendering to support high end games.

[jrox]

I don't understand why this is still the case. The virtual machine software for OS X (parallels desktop and now vmware fusion) both allow for 3d graphics acceleration. If they can get it to work from osx -> windows surely they can get it to work windows -> windows.

[sherkas]

they should be able to yes, but they have done linux and mac 3d support and yet there is no windows support =(

[Xzin]

They don't yet support DX 9, which WoW uses.

[jrox]

I've played WoW using Win XP as a guest OS on OS X using parallels desktop. It ran at about 3/4 speed.

[Bollwerk]

I would think it would be more advantageous to just run multiple wow instances from separate directories. It seems to me that VMware would just add more overhead, even if it did support directx 9.

[Ghallo]

Bollwerk - while it may seem problematic at first, the problem right now is cloning mouse movement on the same PC. 4 machines can do this... one machine cannot. With VMWare your 1 machine becomes 4 machines.

[Bollwerk]

Good point. =)

[sherkas]

If you can get cedega and wow to run in linux, then you can setuip a vmware->linux->cedega->wow setup and do it.

I hear wow runs fine in linux, just sometimes warden goes on ban sprees which u have to watch for.

Otherwise if you follow hte list, its perfectly able and fine to do it.

Just get the linux open GL drivers and away you go.

[Xzin]

I am under the impression that VMWare Workstation 6 has limited DX9 functionality but it is still in beta status. WS6 supports Vista though.

Workstation 7 (not out yet) should have somewhat functional DX 9, up to DX 9c - but I am still not holding my breath. Normal DX 10 drivers are so fubar that it may be a while before we see those on VMWare.

Seems cloning the mouse in a single XP or linux would be easier than VM to Ubuntu to Cedega to WoW times 4. Although the overhead hits are less with each VM release, you would certainly need a bit beefier machine to run 4 entire OS's instead of 4 WoWs. XP runs nearly full speed on XP but linux native running XP seems 3/4 speed or slower.

[Xzin]

Also see:

http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=1758&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

It's an AHK script that lets you clone clicks without (?) activating the windows.