Multiboxing – Now you have something to do this summer!
Jul 6th
Posted by Equation in News
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Just recently, I started multiboxing the way it’s meant to be done. And no, it does not necessarily include several computers. It doesn’t even require several computer screens.
I’ve pretty much always had more than 1 account, and a computer that can manage to play several WoWs simultaneously. But I never really got into the art of effectively playing more than one character at the same time. I usually just played one, with the other on follow. Little did I know how ridiculously simple it is to play several windows at once.
Tiny disclaimer: Multiboxing is not against the rules set forth by World of Warcraft’s Terms of Service or the End User License Agreement.
When I say “play several windows at once”, I’m talking about effectively using spells and abilities on several characters, without having to switch windows. All you do is play one character the way you normally would, and watch the other character also do it’s job due to two little nifty things; macros and HotkeyNet.
The first thing you need to have, is a bunch of macros. Personally, I’m currently leveling a Druid and a Shaman, linked with Refer-A-Friend (RAF) for triple exp.
What I do, is play the Druid normally, and have the Shaman constantly targeting the Druid, and following. And using a clever, but very basic set of macros, it also helps cast spells and heals. This is how I do it.
First things first; get HotkeyNet. This is a completely free application that requires no installation. Just run the exe file, load a script, and voila! What it does, is send your keypresses to both WoW windows, so that when you press “2″ in one window, it also presses “2″ in the other.
Now since I play the Druid normally, when I press “2″, it will cast Entangling Roots on my target.
On the Shaman, “2″ is bound to a macro which reads like this:
#showtooltip Chain Lightning
/tar Druidname
/follow
/cast [@targettarget] Chain Lightning
So whenever I start casting Roots on a target with my Druid, the Shaman will automatically cast Chain Lightning on whatever target my Druid has. You get the picture, yes? I do the same with Wrath and Lightning Bolt. Same with Moonfire and Flame Shock. Same with Starfire and Lightning Bolt. Same with Regrowth and Lesser Healing Wave. Same with Healing Touch and Healing Wave.
Just today though, I re-did the binds, and made a cast-sequence macro one the Shaman, and bound that to all the offensive binds I have on the Druid. No reason to hold back!
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.c...wowrig_490.jpgOne thing to note, is that all macros on the Shaman will include targeting and following Druid, so it never ever breaks. This system allows me to queue for random dungeons as both healer and DPS, even though they are Balance and Elemental specs. I can DPS on the same level as always, and when needed, bust out two solid offhealers.
Back to the topic of HotkeyNet though. It does require some fairly basic scripting if you want to customize it. The application imports scripts from .ini files (which are basically just .txt notepad files). The site offers some suggested scripts and downloadable templates for those that prefer to keep it simple. The script files are very easy to understand though, and even includes instructions in the text file. All you need to do is add or remove keys that you don’t want to be broadcast to both windows. Generally, you don’t want to include movement keys (WASD or whatever you use), as this would break the /follow. But this is already accounted for in the templates.
The script strings for choosing which keys should be sent to both WoWs, goes like this.
<Hotkey ScrollLockOff A-Z, 0-9, Plus, Minus, F1-F12 except W, A, S, D>
<SendLabel w1, w2>
<Key %Trigger%>
This is very easy to understand, once someone tells you how it works (shocker!).
The first line basically tells the program to only function when ScrollLock is turned OFF, then tells the program which keys are to be included, and which keys are to be excluded. Note that by “excluded”, I mean that it will only send it to the window you have open.
The second line tells the program the name of the windows it should send the keypresses to. The program has a function that allows you to rename the WoW windows from “World of Warcraft” to whatever you like. I named mine “w1″ and “w2″, and the second line tells the program that these two windows are the ones it should send to.
The third line means “DO AS I COMMAND, LESSER BEING!”
Now, with this script, you can add or remove keys as you please. I prefer to exclude M, because I only need the map to show up on one of the screens. I also chose to include the middle mouse button and all the numpad keys, since I use a Razer Naga. So mine now looks like this;
<Hotkey ScrollLockOff A-Z, 0-9, B, Plus, Minus, F1-F12, Numpad0, Numpad1, Numpad2, Numpad3, Numpad4, Numpad5, Numpad6, Numpad7, Numpad8, Numpad9, NumpadMinus, NumpadPlus, MButton except W, A, S, D, M>
<SendLabel w1, w2>
<Key %Trigger%>
I have no previous experience with scripting of any kind. I think it’s fairly obvious that this is quite easy to grasp if you give yourself and hour to poke about. It’s equally simple to set up if you play multiple WoW windows over multiple computers. It will simply use your LAN to broadcast the keypresses instead, so it will require some IP-address configuration. Again, pretty simple stuff for the average WoW player.
Looting and picking up quests is a whole different story, but also with some ingenious solutions to make sure the playing doesn’t lose it’s pace. It would add too much to this blog entry though, so for anyone who is interested, I’ve started a thread on the Hydramist forums, dedicated to multiboxing. Share your experiences, or ask your questions over there!
The HotkeyNet site has a setup instruction page as well as it’s own forums, moderated by the creator himself, who offers support for those that want it.
Anyway, the result of about one hour of getting to understand the application and setting it up, is getting to play WoW in a way I’ve never played it before. It basically comes down to playing it normally, but suddenly with twice the firepower. And of course, the bonuses of using RAF is obvious.
If there are any readers out there who are experienced with multiboxing (I’ve only done it for a couple days), please give us a shout on the Hydramist forums. Would love to hear how you guys go about it. Tell me here!
I sincerely wish you all a great summer! May the sun shine on your BBQ and your genitals! But keep those 3 things separated…
