First time Dual Boxer

[Draxin]

I figured I'd fire up a new topic for this. I've never dual boxed, but I'm nearly setup to do so. I'm using two machines, two monitors, and synergy (broadcast capable version).

I'm going to be running a Warlock and a Resto/Elemental Shaman OR a Warlock/Holy Priest most likely. What is the best way to go about setting this up to control them?

I have no experience with this, so the only thing I've come up with so far is the following:

Turn on broadcasting for the keyboard. Setup the keybinds in game to ensure that everything on the left side of the keyboard is bound only to the Warlock commands (Everything near enter and to the left) and the arrow keys and to the right of that is bound only to the second character (we'll assume resto shaman for now).

This would allow me to move with the WASD keys on the warlock and the arrow keys with the shaman. I'd have to setup some simple binded macros to make life easier (num lock could be /target warlock, / could be /follow warlock, and * could be /assist warlock). the keypad could be the spell binds (Healing Wave, Lesser Healing Wave, Earth Shock, Frost Shock, Chain Lightning) etc. I could also make sure the F keys were only bound to the shaman and use them for totems (being able to place that grounding totem quick is important). All the warlock keys could be bound like my 70 hunter ucrrently is, 1-0 and letters near the WASD keys.

To be safe, I'd macro all spells with casts time to BREAK follow before attempting to cast. I'd then just need to retap my follow key if i needed my shaman to continue moving. I could adjust line of sight with the arrow keys as needed. He'll mainly be healing as a resto shaman, anyway.

Does this seem like a feasable setup? Am I missing far easier ways to do this?

Thanks y'all!

[Sparta]

I'm a newb too, but you know a bit more.

Do I have to buy a wireless mouse/keyboard or 2 of them to get a 2nd reciever?

[Draxin]

I haven't learned enough to know what the best way of controlling the characters are.

As it stands right now, I have two seperate keyboards and mouse. The primary computer keyboard/mouse however can operate BOTH systems via Synergy, as if it were dual monitors.

Meaning, I can bring my mouse from main screen onto the second computer and manipulate it/type as usual.

How to go about effectively playing two characters, though, I'm not 100% sure what the best way is yet. I'm just looking for some advice and some trial/error this weekend. =)

As per the wireless thing, I think that that is more of a strategy to control multiple characters of the same class (i suppose it could be used with different classes though) to cause them all to move/turn/and click the same buttons at once, simultaniously.

I'm not sure if thats really something a dual-boxer with two different classes (dps/healing) would really need to do. It could work if I had chose to go double warlock or double mage, i suppose... but I think I playing a warlock and a healer is still possible, I just have to find what the best way to do it is.

[Buruan]

Id reccmmend you give Multibox a try.

It was a great starup product for me, pretty easy install.

I started with 2 boxes and 3 macros.

One to accept the group invites, One to heal my main character and one to heal the following character.

I only use 3 keys for that.

Now I run 3 machines and got myself the vetra multiplexer, as it is a bit more stable than multibox.

[Draxin]

So far not so good...

I got my Blood Elf Warlock and Undead Priest together at level 12 finally. I have been using Synergy and it was working great as far as the program goes.

Once I got them together, thats when the struggling started. I quickly realized using the numberpad to control the priest was going to be difficult. I needed tons of macros (Follow main, assist main, target main, target self). And since I want my priest to be shadow and thus dps, i quickly realized I really didn't have alot of room for all the spells a priest needs to deal damage (I get why mages are popular now, fireball, fireball, fireball, fireball is a bit easier). On top of that I realized I can no longer mouse-click with the warlock. I have to somehow bind all his keys as well or I cant hit the few buttons I was able to hotkey for my priest.

Ugh, maybe this just takes practice... or maybe im doing this the hard way. I don't know. Probably shoulda started with something easier though, two mages or whatnot.

Sigh =P

[Xzin]

It takes practice and the right setup. The right hardware helps so much and synergy only goes so far.

Healing and DPS is tough too. It takes practice but the right UI mods help monitor health deltas.

Also, don't be fooled into thinking mages are the best. They are a good choice as they have range and dps but are not very effective in pvp or pve just spamming fireball.

[Ceromus]

Everyone jumps in thinking its going to be easy =P

I recommend playing either the same class starting out or main as a healer and rest being the same class.

Healing mods aren't what they use to be but the mods are still decent enough to the point where you can still be a damn good healer just using the mouse.

[Draxin]

My desire was going to be to play the Priest as a Shadow Priest to level up with.

Was mainly looking to DPS with both the Warlock and the Priest.

Maybe I'm going about the wrong way and need to reavulate the setup.

Like I said, right now I'm broadcasting keystrokes and trying to run the warlock & the shadow priest with one keyboard. Using the number pad to control the shadow priest and the rest of the keyboard to cast spells with the Warlock.

I certainly understand the click casting aspect of the healer and that would probably be easier. I may have to switch the main to the priest and start using him as a healer to click-cast with him and then use the entire keyboard to cast as the warlock, that certainly seems easier than what I'm doing right now.

[Xzin]

For what its worth, I use a single keyboard and mouse (most of the time) to control all of the 'Zins.

Its really all about the macros and keybinds.

You also may want to consider one character "primary" and the other "secondary" and play accordingly. Perhaps make the DPS primary and use the healer mainly to heal and toss out DOTs? That is sort of what I do.