Simple Focus-Based MultiBoxing Setup and Macros Guide

[RobinGBrown]

This setup uses Keyclone and is as simple as possible while still retaining some very useful features. The setup below is for 5 boxing but can be reduced for quad, triple, or dual boxing without any difficulty.
Goals

1. Allow lead character to be changed even when in combat
2. Use simple macros that are the same for each character
3. Utilise maximizer feature of Keyclone to swap current lead
4. No requirement for action bar add-ons, keymaps, etc
Advantages/Disadvantages

This setup is very good for a melee group as it allows for smooth melee combat, it also works well for a caster group, but is not ideal for a mixed group of melee and casters. Because it uses focus to control the characters it means that focus cannot be used for other purposes such as crowd control.
Maximizer

Setup Keyclone to use the maximizer PIP feature switch screens using keys F1 to F5.
Focus Macros

For each character remove the normal F1 to F5 key binding and replace with keys bound to the following macros. The macro will set focus on to the given character where it will remain unchanged even through zoning, etc.
F1

/focus LEAD
F2

/focus FOLLOWER1
F3

/focus FOLLOWER2
F4

/focus FOLLOWER3
F5

/focus FOLLOWER4
Movement Macros

For each character bind the following macros to the given key.
F

/stopcasting
/follow focus
T

/follow focus
/assist focus
/startattack [target=focustarget, harm] []
/cleartarget [modifier:alt]
Y

/target [target=player]

[RobinGBrown]

Combat Macros

Use the following macros as required depending on your chosen characters, levels, and preferred spell choices.
Melee Cast

Melee class combat and casting, this macro will switch targets

/follow focus
/assist focus
/cast [target=focustarget, harm] [] SPELL
/startattack
Cast

Cast a spell at the current target of FOCUS

/cast [target=focustarget, harm] [] SPELL
Sequence

Cast a sequence of spells at the current target of FOCUS

/castsequence [target=focustarget, harm] [] reset=target|combat SPELL, SPELL, SPELL
Buff

Select party member on FOCUS then trigger to buff target

/cast [target=focustarget, help][] SPELL
Buff Sequence

Select party member on FOCUS then trigger to buff target

/castsequence [target=focustarget, help][] reset=target SPELL, SPELL, SPELL, SPELL
Self Cast

Cast spell on self

/cast [target=player] SPELL
Self Sequence

Cast spells on self

/castsequence [target=player] reset=target|combat|30 SPELL, SPELL, SPELL
Main Heal

Heal FOCUS

/cast [target=focus,help] [] HEAL
Self Heal

Heal self

#showtooltip
/cast [target=player] HEAL
Pet Attack

/petattack [target=focustarget,harm][] target
Crowd Control

Vary the order of the commas to have different characters cast the crowd control spell. This is the only macro that must be different on each character

/castsequence [target=focustarget, harm] reset=target|combat SPELL,,,,
Channeling

Add to top of casting macros to prevent interruption of channeled spells

/stopmacro [channeling]
Utility Macros

The following macros are useful but not essential.
Skinning
/cast [target=focustarget,exists,dead][] Skinning
Looting

/ffa
/run SetLootThreshold(4)
Invite

/invite FOLLOWER1
/invite FOLLOWER2
/invite FOLLOWER3
/invite FOLLOWER4
Accept

/script AcceptGroup();
/script AcceptQuest();
/script AcceptTrade();
/script RetrieveCorpse();
/script RepopMe();
/script ConfirmAcceptQuest();
/script StaticPopup_Hide("PARTY_INVITE");
/script StaticPopup_Hide("QUEST_ACCEPT");

[RobinGBrown]

How to Use This Setup

You will use the lead character to control the party.
Starting Up

Once all your characters are logged on and in a party press F1 to set focus to your lead character, then press F to have all the followers follow the lead, and then start moving.
Changing Lead

To change the lead character press F2, F3, F4, or F5 to switch lead to the chosen character, Keyclone will swap WoW screens for you and your characters will change focus. You may need to press the key two or three times to get it working for each follower.
Buffing

Select a character with your lead and press the buff key to have all characters buff the lead�s target.
Ranged Combat

Press F to make sure all the followers are in position, select a target, then cast whatever spell you want to attack with. If the target moves out of line of sight use the melee combat techniques below to turn the followers.
Melee Combat

Select a target with the lead character, press the T key to have the followers assist the lead character, run the lead character into the target. The followers will stop moving and start attacking as soon as they come into contact with the target so it is sometimes best to run the lead through the target and quickly turn around.

When the followers lose contact with the target (usually because the target moves) use the T key to turn the followers to face the lead character, move towards him/her and attack the target again.

Sometimes when you press T the follower will run away, press the T key again to bring them back.
Post Combat

Combat will usually cause the followers to switch target so after every combat press the F key to get the followers targeting and following the lead character.
Healing

Use the mainheal macro to heal the lead character and the selfheal macro to heal everyone at once.
Crowd Control

To utilize a crowd control spell like a mage�s polymorph have the lead character select the target, then press the crowd control macro key, and then switch back to the main target. Crowd control is the only place where this setup suffers from difficulty.
Death of Lead

If the lead character dies or is removed from direct control press F2-F5 to select a new lead character and carry on as before.

[Yo-Yo Freak]

Great post this is extremely helpfull to all newcomers to boxing :thumbsup:

[elsegundo]

good stuff man. good stuff.

[keyclone]

this is basically what i do... it's simple and putting it together is quick and easy

nice write up.

:D

[RobinGBrown]

I was thinking a little bit more about this today and I've realised that you only _need_ 2 keys+macros to multibox:

F key+macro to follow
T key+macro to target and turn

Everything else is just extra (except for the F1-F5 bit but you only press those keys once in a while)

[Millz]

This is exactly the way i've been thinking of setting mine up, great write up on how to do it, saves me a lot of work figuring it out =)

Thanks !

[RobinGBrown]

Just a little reminder for folks that this is very easy to set up for beginner multiboxers and can work with other key broadcasters, it doesn't need keyclone.

[RobinGBrown]

Just wanted to bump this up again as it's been out of sight for a while.

It's worth noting that this system is very good for melee classes. I use it with 5 paladins and mashing the 'follow+assist' key keeps the melee followers nice and tight on mobs. It even works well for PVP as I managed to defeat a 77 rogue with my 67 paladin team the other day (although there were 3 deaths in my team)

[Moorea]

make your life easy and use jamba too; really easy and has such great features (it replaces the accept/invite macros and more...)

[Kalahan]

Thanks for the guide here Robin, its awesomely helpful. :)

[Marious]

Indeed very well done. I dont got keyclone, I might get it.

Hey Rob can I get a discount :)... I'm cheap what can I say.

[sp000n]

Very nice write up. For the following, how do you bind a macro to a key?
For each character bind the following macros to the given key.
Also, what does the following Loot Threshold do if it's already set to Free For All?

/ffa
/run SetLootThreshold(4) ty

[RobinGBrown]

Very nice write up. For the following, how do you bind a macro to a key?
For each character bind the following macros to the given key.
Also, what does the following Loot Threshold do if it's already set to Free For All?

/ffa
/run SetLootThreshold(4) ty

IIRC the lootthreshold thing means that WoW won't force you to roll for anything other than epics. FFA <> LootThreshold - but you find them both in the drop down menu from the party leader.

To bind a macro to a key I do the following (this is basic stuff you should know):

Press ESC to get the main menu, click on 'Interface', select 'Action Bars' from the list, switch on at least one of the additional action bars (I will assume you choose botttom left), switch on 'Always show action bars', press 'OK' (or whatever the button is called).

Press ESC to get the main menu again, click on 'Key Bindings', scroll down until you see the section marked Bottom Left Action Bar (or something similar), click on the first button and then press the key you want to use (I'll assume you chose 'F'), press 'OK' to save your changes.

Back in the main WoW window you should now have an emnpty action bar above you main action bar with a tiny letter F on the leftmost space.

Press ESC to get the main menu again and select 'Macros'.

Drag a macro from the list to the empty space.

Voila! You have now bound that macro to key F.

[Sandwich69]

I started using keyclone in wow a few days ago and it has been nothing but non-stop frustration. I have read several posts in this forum about how to creat macros. Although in my opinion it is not explained in a basic way. I have tried and tried with writing them based on examples in theis forum. I started using to focus commands.

example:

/follow focus

/assist focus

/cast [target=focustarget.harm] [] corruption

/startattack



This simple macro does not work. When I get a new ability i try to make a new macro with a coresponding avatar. What I don't understand is i keep getting a message saying the target is not in range from one of my characters. The macro works until I get a new power and i add another macro. Then when I try to use the same macro i had been using it some how attaches it to the attack command for a dagger or staff because i see it flashing when i try to use the ranged attack. I have no clue why it is doing this. Anybody that can help me with a simplified explanation I would appreciate it.

I am only dual boxing so I didn't need all of the commands most of these examples show. I also noticed there is a general macro area and a specific character macro area within the macros but it didn't seem to matter which i put the macros in.


I may seem like a tard or noob but i'm afraid i don't have the skills for the macros or bind could someone show me how to actually make a bind other than just saying.


Help please....

[alcattle]

I try to keep it simple and use as few marcos as I can.

Form your party; set focus; and use /follow focus

You can set 1 key to be /assist focus or add /assist focus to every macro. using a seperate macro allows you to see the target before you cast and if it is in range.

I don't use the harm/help so can't advice you there