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View Full Version : Hardware vs. Software boxing. Things you should know!



Bradster
07-14-2008, 06:28 PM
Hardware vs. Software boxing.

Hardware:

Pros:
Will work with any game
No updates or patches required, just set and forget
Each character is displayed on its own monitor
Makes your living room look like a NASA command center

Cons:
Start up costs start at $2000 and goes up from there.
Electric bill. Costs about an extra $16 monthly, real cost is maintaining room climate
HEAT! (I run 2 AC units just to keep the place at 70F) Often times it still gets up to 78F
Takes up a lot of room
Wiring nightmare
Five times the chance for something to break (5 pcs) more money to spend ><
Wife is really pissed about what you did to the living room XD

Software:

Pros:
$20 vs. $2000
One computer!
PIP with picture in picture with dual monitor support
Cheaper electric
Less heat
More room
Faster on rotating who you switch your “main” too in group
No wires to deal with
Less computers to maintain and support
Wife isn’t mad about the living room

Cons:
Limited to selected games
May put up a red flag when detected via a game server
Requires a decent machine to run 5 clients (Compared to hardware this is still cheaper)

Notes: I have no experience with software boxing. When I started to put my setup together there were 42 users in total on this forum. Key clone just came out, it wasn’t approved and I didn’t want to risk leveling up all my guys to find out hey you’re banned!

I am not aware of any of the settings and what you guys do to make Keyclone work. But I can’t do a lot of things you guys can. If I knew then what I know now I’d be going the software route. Because of the investment I made I’m not switching anytime soon. I have to justify using all these things lol. But the day these die I won’t replace. Unless of course there’s a strict no 3rd party software thing that prevents me from boxing a game I want.

I only know of a handful of hardware boxers on here, all build around the same time I built mine. Does that make us Amish in the technical world?

The IT Monkey
07-14-2008, 06:48 PM
Done it both... find software boxing easier. But miss being able to have five mice going at once. Came in handy when I wanted to do RoF.

Noxxy
07-14-2008, 06:51 PM
Amish? /meh - tbh, I went full vetra for the first two reasons you mentioned:
- work with any game
- no software patching

Plus, to distance myself as far away from software botters as possible - i.e., hardware, which can be verified at the server end

I just think it is great that one weekend I can be playing DAoC, next EQ2, EVE or WoW and any other game that happens to be released I can MBox from day 1. All with no mucking around required, just load up the game and go.

Expensive - hell yes - but imho, worth every penny

Ughmahedhurtz
07-14-2008, 08:23 PM
Cons addition: can't pause key broadcasting, meaning you either chat x5 or your alts jump around more than Michael J. Fox's fishing lure.

Bradster
07-14-2008, 11:08 PM
your alts jump around more than Michael J. Fox's fishing lure.You sir are going to hell, and i'm going with you for laughing haha

Edit: I have to hit a switch so i can chat on my main box only and have it NOT send it to the vectra. Pain in the ass! I ignore 98% of all tells sent to me for this reason or because they started off with something stupid such as "You pay for 5 accounts" or "Why is there so many of you?" "Your reported I hope you like your ban"

Ishar
07-15-2008, 12:32 AM
Amish? nawh. about 2 months ago i found this forum(to be accurate, i found keyclone, then discovered it didn't work with EQ1 (Shakes fist @ Sony for being Retarded) but in the process of 'mucking around' I found this forum...and...vetra's....so, i took my 3 comps, bought 3 additional comps, a vetra, a 8 port KM, and started 6boxing EQ1 in Hardware. hehe. Mainly because keyclone wont really work with eq...admittedly. Yeah, then I played wow awhile, but now im back in EQ1....(Love/hate that game).

Eh; I used to multi instance EQ... Not all on one machine; after I got past 3 instances a machine, it got too annoying. (no keyclone).

so not really amish...just..dunno, slightly dumber maybe, for spending so much money. hehehe. like people that eat caviar. Kinda weird, but not amish. lol.

Ughmahedhurtz
07-15-2008, 12:52 AM
You sir are going to hell, and i'm going with you for laughing haha It ain't the destination that's important -- it's the journey. http://l00py.net/phpbb/images/smiles/armed.gif