New guy non sticky questions.

I am unsure if this hobby job will be focused on scenarios or five mans, but doing up to date five man content seems to be the dream. I expect to just level everything

1) do you recommend a full working knowledge of macros before attempting to box or can I just copy everything I need?
2) easiest and common pitfall to boxing?
3) if I can box two can I box five or is there a different learning curve?
4) what do you hate and groan about this hobby?
5) what do you love about it?
6) what do you box class- wise and why would you recommend it?

Hiya and welcome :)

1 - Well if you go to the Lazy Macro site they have a lot of 1 button dps macros there.

2 - Some instances are a lot harder for us but that's all I can think of.

3 - I started by jumping right in with 5.. that way I could make my mistakes and take my time without others in a group getting peed off. As my little one has Autism I get called away a lot so need to just afk or leave.

4 - sometimes leveling is a pain in the ass lol otherwise nothing I love it.

5 - I can queue in instance finder and get in right away.. I don't need to ask for help when I need to farm stuff.

6- I started with a paladin tank x3 mages with a Holy Priest on follow.. but that was back in the day when I could spam heal easier.. after leveling solo as well I noticed how well pets can tank.. so now I run with x3 Destro Warlocks, Ele shaman and lead with a Resto Druid.. I can still use the instance finder by queuing Druid as tank, Shaman as Healer...and pets take WAY less damage than a real tank and I get more dps! Also I find a ranged team much easier.

Thanks so much for the response, my current idea is...

Blood DK
Arcane Mage
Destruction Warlock
Restoration Druid
Elemental Shaman

Any experiences? As I am making these choices on a lot of assumptions, I am pretty much a mountain of assumptions at the moment. Hopefully life isn't too much of a wake up call.

1) To get started you don't even need macros, just a basic kill spell in the 1 slot.

2) being afraid to make a major change because it is too much work. All of my major leaps forward have come after a considerable redesign of my interface, but sometimes it can be daunting. I think I tried the pro config multiple times and gave up on it until I found something that I HAD to have pro config for (spec swapping). Wouldn't dream of going back now.

3) I agree that 5 boxing is the better way to learn because there is never any pressure from others. The only person who is affected when you accidentally turn off your key maps at the wrong moment is you. No one is cranky or bitchy at you. And out in the world more dps will get you out of nasty situations that a 2 box just won't be able to save you from. If you level on a pvp server, fewer people will fuck with you. (Thats a huge part of why I activated four accounts for timeless isle, I hate getting ganked and T.I. letting people of your own faction gank you is just horrid).

4) LFD not allowing unconventional teams. Curving elf staircases. Twisty indoor instances. Shamans always disappointing me.

5) The power to do everything non raid related that I want to do alone. Being professionally self sufficient (Except for weapon enchants, I don't have the rep enchants on my enchanter yet). Warlock tank on timeless isle. Warlock tank in heroics. The power to help other people I like. Right now, for example, I've been doing my daily heroic dungeon four boxing while a good friend dpses, and then we work together to get whatever achievements there are in that dungeon that we need. No need to find a group that wants to do the achieves or hope to muscle an LFG group into complying (which is traditionally his strategy, with indifferent results).

6) I have four boxes activated right now. I have an instance only group for getting my 7/7 dungeons each week which is 1 prot pally and 3 rets. I vary the rets dps depending on if the healer is actually healing. (WOG rather than Templar, if the healer I got from LFD is being bitchy and doesn't want to heal me because I'm a "Bot". I try to curtail this with extreme friendliness but it doesnt' always work).

My 90 group is Disc Priest (raid geared, 562), Destro Lock (540), Ele Shaman (500) and Mist/Brew Monk (520/500). If I had one equally geared I would replace the monk with a guardian/boomkin druid and tank instances with the lock pet.

Your composition works fine, but I'd suggest swapping the resto druid to a disc priest, they have lots of passive healing that doesn't provide micromanagement and they help with dps.

You'll be a macro expert soon, don't worry.

I think the others have covered the main points, but I'd like to say that if you expect to jump right into multiboxing with a mixed team like that, you're probably only going to be setting yourself up for a giant headache.

You should start with the same class and spec until you get the basics down.

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

1) do you recommend a full working knowledge of macros before attempting to box or can I just copy everything I need?

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I don't think many people have a "full working knowledge" of macros. I've been doing this for years and I still have to go back and check that I've got the right conditionals in the right order sometimes. A basic understanding of how to format simple macros is all you should ever really need.

When it comes to "required" macros, all you really need is assist, follow, invite perhaps.

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2) easiest and common pitfall to boxing?

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Rushing. Some people don't want to start off with the basics, so they jump around and skip big chunks of stuff or just start hacking at things until nothing works and they get frustrated. Or having their expectations too high, which could be one in the same.

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3) if I can box two can I box five or is there a different learning curve?

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I didn't think there was much difference. I started with dual boxing a paladin and a druid. Within a few weeks I was running 4 {my husband was my 5th}.

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4) what do you hate and groan about this hobby?

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That it kills your desire to solo, heh. If I can't multibox in a game, I have no interest in playing it. I get so bored playing just one character at a time now that I barely last a month in any game that I play solo.

Also, the investment in buying multiple games and expansions gets kind of daunting, especially if you don't know how much you're going to like the game. I was really, really annoyed to have spent all sorts of money on Cataclysm and not even have gotten a month of engaging play out of it.

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5) what do you love about it?

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The challenge of figuring things out. Be it the most optimal macro, a new way to do something, how to beat an encounter or whatever. I just love being able to identify a challenge and figure out a way to handle it.

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6) what do you box class- wise and why would you recommend it?

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Prot Paladin, Ret Paladin, Unholy DK, Resto Shaman + Enhancement Shaman. I wouldn't recommend it because no one seems to like melee. Me, personally, I love this setup because I think melee is really fun to play.

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Originally Posted by MiRai

I think the others have covered the main points, but I'd like to say that if you expect to jump right into multiboxing with a mixed team like that, you're probably only going to be setting yourself up for a giant headache.

You should start with the same class and spec until you get the basics down.

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I'm going to say that this totally depends on your understanding of the respective specs/classes. My major objection is that having fun while multiboxing pve is more important than anything: if you went for 3x the same classes and don't find it interesting at say level 74, it might be quite a task to throw all that work out of the window and start over from scratch. Whereas if you go for e.g. 3 different casters you can macro the very basic spells first as you progress through the dungeons and work from there to further optimise your setup.

If you have no clue about how most classes work, you might want to stick with a more uniform setup. If you do have some experience (read: if you are not complete garbage at the game in single player mode) there is for starters little difference between running tripple ele shamans or an ele/arcane mage/hunter as your dps.

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

1) do you recommend a full working knowledge of macros before attempting to box or can I just copy everything I need?

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Myself I started multiboxing from the first day I started playing wow. It made it initially more difficult, but once past a certain mark I was doing the same stuff everyone else was doing, and sometimes more. My point being: if you learn to do it properly from day 1, you gonna benefit massively later on. With doing it properly I mean having a basic understanding of what the macro's do rather than just copy/paste. The whole setting up and figuring out is imo one of the joys of multiboxing (for me at least).

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

2) easiest and common pitfall to boxing?

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Imo ISboxer has made it incredibly easy to copy/paste (share) setups, and makes people feel powerful from the first day they box. But as they advance they hit a brick wall since they never put any effort in how/why. As if you learned how to drive an automatic gearbox in the US, but then you move to europe and get that fancy bmw company car, but you can't drive it cause its a manual gear box.

But it's not a requirement to have fun initially while multiboxing. Not at all.

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

3) if I can box two can I box five or is there a different learning curve?

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2 of the same spec or 5 of the same spec make little difference, unless you micromanage stuff like procs for example. Different roles is what is most difficult.

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

4) what do you hate and groan about this hobby?

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Hating is a big word, but I prefer the people who do it for the 'art' of multiboxing (.i.e. for the challenge to be in control of multiple toons) over the people who do it just to feel more powerful. And I slightly regret that over time more of the latter seem to have joined the community. Allthough that removing /follow from bgs corrected that a bit.

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

5) what do you love about it?

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The fact tthat it gives you a sheer unlimited amount of possibilities to play WoW. You can come up with the most crazy ideas and pull them off or fail horribly. But in the end it's mostly yourself who is the limiting factor, not so much the game or other players. And you can play group content without having to take someone else his/her schedule into account.

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Originally Posted by Rhalo

6) what do you box class- wise and why would you recommend it?

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Started with 5 shamans, at lvl 60 (back then the raf cap) I swapped out a shaman for a pally tank. Over time I have boxed pretty much everything and have more toons scattered among many servers than I have boxers in my wardrobe. Currently I mess around playing 2 rogues in arena. But whenever I'm bored with a certain setup I invent new stuff to do. One of the most fun things I've done was levelling a brand new mixed team in cata, without any heirlooms, entirely through dungeons, with the goal to complete every dungeon at the appropriate level, and get every dungeon achievement along the lines. It was not majority of my playtime back then, as I mostly play the game single, but it was incredibly fun to try and knock out for example the TBC heroics. That made me enjoy a lot of content I had missed, since I started playing in wrath. It kinda summarizes what multiboxing can do imo.

1) do you recommend a full working knowledge of macros before attempting to box or can I just copy everything I need?
i started with 3 but went to five very fast (i did have a geared raid tank in wotlk days) made things easyer for me. Starting at a end of a xpac is easyer then the start.

2) easiest and common pitfall to boxing?

you might need a few new keybords. if u get mad easy :P

3) if I can box two can I box five or is there a different learning curve?

more chars more time setting them up.

4) what do you hate and groan about this hobby?

the cost................. char services is the worse and xpac times.

5) what do you love about it?

Do what i want when i want no need for friends or though i do have lots. the hate /w from pvp combat.

6) what do you box class- wise and why would you recommend it?

i play hpally 4dk's (around easy group)

a tank and 4 shammys is a good choice.

I add a hunter it can help on missing buffs u might need. (in a mixxed pve group)

1) do you recommend a full working knowledge of macros before attempting to box or can I just copy everything I need?
I'm still fairly new and am just looking into macros myself, I can clear anything (except those damned scarlet instances) at the currently level with little issue without. Simply putting your Single Target spell, your Instant spell, and an AoE spell on matching button seems to work well enough till heroic content IMO.

2) easiest and common pitfall to boxing?
I'm not really sure If I can think of anything that someone hasn't already mentioned!

3) if I can box two can I box five or is there a different learning curve?
I'd say it is a little different. First the more toons you box, the more chances there are for something to get messed up, like a toon getting caught on a wall, or one not turning in a quest. Usually not a big deal once you get used to it, the only other thing that I think makes a big difference is using a non-passive healer is quite different. But if you can manage to two box you should(tm) manage to 5 box.

4) what do you hate and groan about this hobby?
Two things. Getting ganked sucks, I wouldn't say its five times as painful, but its a bit more annoying; with cross-realm zones camping is even more common at high populated areas, such as HFP and Mount Hyjal were I try to go to do the first 20 or so quests to catch up in some slots of gear. The other thing is the reworked dungeons are a pain in the pooper! Scarlet Halls? FORGET IT! Dark Master in Scholo? On a new account with no BoAs and not the best team comp/dps is a pain!

5) what do you love about it?
Everything else. I love the feeling of it and how I can *solo* most things. Even though Dark Master took me an hour to kill, I killed him, its almost like raid progression. That feeling is always a rush! The unique challenge it brings to games is just so amazing.

6) what do you box class- wise and why would you recommend it?
Currently with the new set of accounts (no BoAs) I wanted something that could pull decent dps and not have to worry about healing. So I went 1 Prot Pally and 4 Disc Priests. They have some sick burst and you rarely die once you hit 37(I think) and get atonement. The biggest flaw in this team is no AoE till 76, and it isn't very powerful even when you do get it. Its a slow but safe group comp.
The group comp that I would recommend for your first team is 1 pally 3 sham and any healer (a different armor type would be nice). They abilities of the pally and shams (ele) has such good synergy you don't need ANY macros till level cap. Put Chain lightning on the same button as Hammer of the Righteous, Lighting Bolt on Crusader Strike, Earth/fire/frost shock on Judgment, and Lava Lash on Avenger's Shield and you have yourself and very strong as well working team!

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Originally Posted by Brennomisue

Scarlet Halls? FORGET IT!

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Comon man, can't sell that as fact to aspiring boxers. That instance is very doable on heroic without outgearing it completely. Not sure what you have trouble with, but might want to create a thread for help if you have trouble.

At the same time this is a good example of the life of a multiboxer: what seems to be like a giant brick wall for one can become a non fact the next day after another boxer shared his strategy with you. A good memory remains the ICC dungeons. The first boss in the pit of saron was 'incredibly hard', until a multiboxer shared the tip to put your team at the bottom of the stairs and just move left/right, after which it became a piece of cake.

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Originally Posted by zenga

I'm going to say that this totally depends on your understanding of the respective specs/classes. My major objection is that having fun while multiboxing pve is more important than anything: if you went for 3x the same classes and don't find it interesting at say level 74, it might be quite a task to throw all that work out of the window and start over from scratch. Whereas if you go for e.g. 3 different casters you can macro the very basic spells first as you progress through the dungeons and work from there to further optimise your setup.

If you have no clue about how most classes work, you might want to stick with a more uniform setup. If you do have some experience (read: if you are not complete garbage at the game in single player mode) there is for starters little difference between running tripple ele shamans or an ele/arcane mage/hunter as your dps.

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I would say the amount of people that are able to start multiboxing a tank/dps/healer comp for their first team (w/o any real headaches) on day one are < 10%.

When I say "basics" I mean multiboxing basics, not class basics. Follow, assist, interact with target, etc -- This doesn't take 74 levels to get used to. Once someone is comfortable with those basics, then they can move on to bigger and better things like mixed teams and what not; but I always recommend that new multiboxers create at least one throwaway team that they can just mess around on and learn how to fix things when they screw them up.

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Originally Posted by Brennomisue

The other thing is the reworked dungeons are a pain in the pooper! Scarlet Halls? FORGET IT! Dark Master in Scholo? On a new account with no BoAs and not the best team comp/dps is a pain!

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I have to agree with zenga here and say that those new dungeons are easily do-able w/o heirlooms. Here's a fairly old test video I did in Scarlet Halls back in March while leveling an old abandoned set of RaF. I don't do a straight up gear-check for the camera, but when I loot the Houndmaster and swap to my Holy Paladin, you can see that he has no heirlooms on. This is also true for the rest of the team.

I have a video recorded (but not uploaded) of Scholomance as well, but it's much more recent and I was wearing heirlooms; but my stance doesn't change for that instance either. If you have a good setup where you can easily utilize your team's potential, then I'm going to be bold and say that there is no 5-man instance that cannot be done while leveling, or otherwise.

WRT MiRai's comment about multiboxing basics: amen. I ran a 2-man group 1-80 (RaF) to work out those issues. Then I went to the 5-man teams.

WRT #3, i.e. the biggest difference between 2-man teams and 5-man teams; do not forget the hardware requirements. 5 instances of WoW require considerably more GPU and CPU than 2 instances.

The biggest qq for me is fundamental class changes, learn to cope with having some mechanic you have been depending disappear. That's just how it is, adapt and move on.

The main issue I see for people starting is getting over leveling, forget about leveling and just do it. Take that time to hone your macros and learn isboxer or whatever. Get used to the follow and iwt stuff, group movement, fear bomb recoveries and such. Just like single boxing, the game doesnt start at level 1, it starts when you are dipping your toes into heroics ilevel.

You need to get over the lazy macro level to really 'succeed' and get some return on the effort needed to box.

Add people to your bnet friends list and get some socialization time in during the game.

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Originally Posted by zenga

Comon man, can't sell that as fact to aspiring boxers. That instance is very doable on heroic without outgearing it completely. Not sure what you have trouble with, but might want to create a thread for help if you have trouble.

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You bring up a good point, I shouldn't of said "Forget it" because that is differently not the spirit of multi-boxing! I would say that more often than not, for me, that the newer revamped dungeons do provide a larger difficulty curve. I on normal with a no AoE team so I couldn't strong arm it and was getting owned too fast, which was annoying. But far from impossible.

With good use of resources however, like this website, and some good spirit, very few things should be impossible!

I have my accounts and just leveling in the non-pandaria areas, I am using hotkey and the scripting concepts are easy and easily understood, i'm pretty happy with this so far.
Not sure what to start with first though - haha.
I've been playing since the release of the game and I have a pretty fond love of all the classes as they are now, though I will admit to love theorycrafting weird talent tree setups.

Thank you all for the replies.

Ranged is easier than melee.

Not saying don't go melee, but start with ranged if you're starting.
5x Elemental shaman is a good start.
But you might want a tank capable toon, if you want to run instances.
That could easily be 1x Druid (or Paladin) and 4x Shaman.
I like the Druid more, because they can play ranged just like the Shaman... but can queue as tank all the same.

Ranged generally has 5x really quick nukes (things like Lightning Bolt of Wrath) which might require two volleys to kill things.
Or 5x slower nukes (like Starfire) which will drop things in one volley.

Melee is relatively easy...
With Click to Move.
And Interact With Target.
But that is one stage more complex, than straight ranged characters.

I'd probably start with 5x Elemental Shaman.
My top PvE team was 1x Protection Paladin, 3x Elemental Shaman (one was dual-spec'd to Resto) and 1x Destruction Warlock.

My favorite team, and a decent starting team...
Was 5x Druids.
Druids aren't a great team for instances, at least initially... because the tanking 'Guardian' form is harder at lower levels... with less of the essential tanking tools.
Still you can level as 5x Balance (Moonkins) quite well.
And Feral (melee DPS) is quite strong too.



Start up with RAF (Recruit a Friend), and level several compositions (as many as you can stand)...