Multi Boxing on EVERQUEST : Get me started ! :-)

[Kebab]

Hello Everyone.

After a long break of dual boxing EQ I’m back and willing to continue, with more accounts.
I would like to box a whole group. Could someone please answer my questions and help me out ?

First of all, is it possible to 5 box on one computer? I can use one more computer but it its in another room so if I use it I’ll need to buy more cables to match the length.

I plan to buy a G15 Keyboard. What can I exactly do with the G keys and the macros in game?

For example: (multi boxing on one computer with that keyboard)

Presume G key 1 is programmed to launch a series of spells … /cast 1 / pause X / cast 2 / pause X and so on.

Can I press G key 1 and then switch immediately to another window?
Would the actions of that G key be completed on the old window, on the new windows or just cancel?

That’s all for now. I’m trying to know how to multi box effectively.
A one man party would be awesome and not that difficult due to the combat speed in Everquest.

[eqrogue]

did you ever get any help figuring this out? If so could you share, as I’m going back to EQ as well.

[Ishar]

Bit out of date, but...I have a friend on bertox that runs 6 chars on 2 machines. (he runs 1 on the main comp, and 5 on the 2nd comp. I think he uses win-eq and a nostromo n-52 for switching).

the G15 (and nostromo) can be used to switch windows. using WinEQ (because it allows hotkeys for specific windows, eg ctrl alt 1, ctrl alt 2, ctrl alt 3, and with profiles you can specify that for instance, your cleric is always ctrl alt 3..) well, i used to use my g15 (a long time ago, lol) to cast spells on a char that I more or less ran headless. the macros went something like CTRL alt 3, 1, ctrl alt 1, with very short pauses in between. It works ok. For window switching, alt tabbing works, but you can't guarantee the 'tab' order with that many toons. Much easier to buy wineq (tehre might be a free equivalent, for all i know...) so you can specify the 'hotkey' for each character profile, so you can instantly get to say, your healer, irregardless of the visit-order of the windows.

I've ran a 6-man group in EQ, teh only thing that bothers me is well, you need tanking, healing, slowing, and crowd control. And things go to crap quick on multiple pulls at high levels. for me, anyway. Definitely doable. (Its difficult to say, get agro with the tank, keep tank and everyone alive with healer, slow 3-4 monsters with the slower, and try to mez adds with the bard or enc or whoever. Especially when you fight things that require slow to tank, which is most of the high-end game. None of that is impossible, I just find it absolutely exhausting.

[Bradster]

I wrote a guide to this a long time ago, but I'm unable to find it. Awesome PVE game, the PVP system wasn't for me so it wasn't enough to entice me to stay.

I used a full hardware setup however without software.

[kerby499]

Everquest + Everquest 2 wont accept keystrokes until it does not have focus.
To force multiple instances of Everquest having everytime focus you will have to run win-eq ( EQ I ) or win-eq2 ( EQ2 )

Cheers
Kerby499

[eqrogue]

Do you have to download win-eq(2)? And keyclone or just win-eq(2)?

[Madman_Max]

I cant answer your specific questions but i will share my experience.

About 5 months ago I decided to give EQ a try again after an 8 year layoff.

I have been "3-Boxing" using oniy 1 cpu and 1 monitor. I use a 21" Sony CRT and split the screen vertically into 3 windows. 1 window for each toon. I rarely have any graphical latency except when I initially enter a populated area. A recent patch allows you to set the framerate for minimized windows, this has fixed the old problems with auto-follow lag.

I play 2 mages and a shaman and its a hella lot of fun. The mage pets can tank as well as a bazaar equipped warrior, the shaman can slow most mobs, and the mages have excellent DPS so there is a lot of content that you can do with just the 3 toons. If I were to add 3 more toons to the group I would use a bard for pulling/cc and 2 more mages. With 4 air pets you will be chain stunning. You could use a cleric instead of one of the mages for rez, heals and buffs but it will cut into your dps quite a bit. You generally wont need the cleric for healing since the shaman does very well with a some AA points in the healing lines.

With 4 mages you could use could use some automation to free up time for controlling the bard and shaman. Also with 4 air pets you will have 4 offtanks, handy for adds.

I rolled on the Test Server. 1.5 x exp bonus + smaller and more mature population, free expansions. Its a great place to play. Testcopy command is being re-introduced so you can bring your old toons over there if you want too.

[dorlockt]

The expansions are available for free on the test server? Has this always been the case for EQ1?

[ObesAU]

Since before PoP it was.

I believe they also get double exp.
All veteran rewards for free (which includes a daily exp boost)

That said The have done both i-wipes and c-wipes on test (not in a long time however). And there is no guarentee of GM/help or that the server will stay up.

[Warwick]

As a long time Test Server player I just wanted to mention they have never done a character wipe. Right after Kunark came out they did an item wipe to punish the players for 'hiding' bugs from the devs. For a short period all the MOBs in SolB were dropping raid level gear. No one bothered to mention it to the devs. Since this radically skewed the level of gear on Test the devs opted for an item wipe.

The devs have since confirmed several times that characters on Test are 'safe'. As a side bonus Test is very friendly towards multi-boxers as a significant minority (if not a majority) of the population box.

[ObesAU]

Well see I'd dispute that. The very first wipe just after EQ went from beta to live was complete.
The second was also complete but after a massive ammount of tears from test players I believe they reinstated toons with no gear.

I only played there when the servers were patching.

Also worth mentioning they have the /testbuff command on the test server to give you a level 25 with cruddy gear.
And along with the double exp is the veteran rewards that includes a daily exp boost.