Simple Dual Boxing FAQ / Wiki

[mmcookies]

I actually run two instances of WoW off of a single copy on my drive, and experienced no problems.

My setup is on a Pentium 4 3 GHz CPU with 2gigs of ram and a Radeon X1950 Pro on WinXP. I don't use any sort of external programs, and simply alt-tab back and forth between my priest and paladin.

I use a single 1280x1024 monitor, but run my WoW instances in windowed mode 1280x768. One instance is top aligned, and one instance is bottom aligned. With this arrangement, I can see the health bars and minimaps (herb and mine) of both characters while the bottom client is in the foreground. So usually I have my paladin, the tank/dps'er in the bottom window in the foreground, and the priest healbot passively following in the top window that is partially exposed in the background.

[Fog]

Alright, here's the deal. I've just started dualboxing today, after considering it for quite a while. I'm a complete retard regarding scripts and coding, but I learn quite fast.

I've gotten simple things like pressing 2 and both characters cast whatever is bound to the key 2 to work without much trouble. But! How do I, while having the maincharacter wow open, bind a key to ignore that toon and execute something on the other toon?

Example. I fire something from both toons, but right after I want to dot something from toon2. Can I code alt to only apply to toon2? So I can for instance (I'm trying out mage/lock) fire off a fireball and a shadowbolt, then press alt+3 to execute whatever is bound to 3 on toon2?

Hope you all got my point hehe

Edit: Another thing. When I tab out of wow to write something else, is there then any way to avoid AHK to execute the script for, say 2? Without disabling or suspending anything

[Xzin]

You can use modifier keys in /cast in game macros, yes. Or just rebind WoW2 to be different than WoW1. See the macro thread for info on alt/shift/ctrl modifiers.

[Fog]

Nevermind, trying out Keyclone, which so far seems to be alot easier to set up. Thanks for your answer, though.

[dark_flip]

Is this possible on a mac? Are there mac equivalent programs that will let you stroke a key to acivate in two seperate apps? Anyone?

[HPAVC]

Is this possible on a mac? Are there mac equivalent programs that will let you stroke a key to acivate in two seperate apps? Anyone?

I believe iusethis has some keyboard automation tools that do it. I know that realbasic has the apparatus to grab the app and send events to it. I have never tried doing it with a windowized wow on osx though.

Too many projects.

[Olibri]

Is a Quad core important for dual-boxing or is a dual-core sufficient?

I've been doing this for about a month now. Just kind of messing around. I've been in some instances, Kara, outside questing, etc. My comp is a Core 2 Duo 2.4G with 2G of RAM and an 8800 GTS (BFG). When I dual box I generally reduce both windows to 800x600.

Occasionally I get into a situation where 1 or both windows suddenly slow down to 1 fps. I haven't quite figured out the rhyme or reason, but it seems to often happen when 1 character is in Shattrah and another character is somewhere else...but not every time. I've noticed that a single instance of WOW will do work on 2 cores, and there is definitely a performance improvement, so I'm curious if I'm overloading my processor here.

[Tybudd]

These are showing if your were to run on either 2 different cpu/screens or both running open on one screen, what if you wanted to run it as to where, both WoW's are running but you only maximized them one at a time, for example take your alt on one account, then set it to follow your main, and just minimize it will it take some stress off what is needed for a single core chip?

Currently this is what I have:

Intel Pentium Processor (HT) 3.2Ghz
2048MB RAM (I have space for another 2048RAM if needed)
nvidia geforce pcx 5750 (256MB)

[Zaelar]

I'm not sure how well this answers your questions, but...

My specs:
3.0 ghz dual core
3 gigs of ram
ati raedon x600 256mb

Most settings are set to minimum, using windowed mode and separating the windows so I can see most of all of them.

With 3 accounts, I get some serious lag in shattrath when they are all there. If I minimize two I can get around. Other than that I'm usually fine/minor lag.

With 4 accounts I set them to /follow my fifth(on other computer) so I don't use them directly as much, but when I do(mostly in towns) it varries from pretty bad to minor lag. I can minimize to reduce lag. I haven't been to shattrath yet.

[shivetya]

Xzin,

I am going to start reworking the WOWWiki article on dual boxing... it needs to be cleaned up and updated. I figure on splitting it apart into hardware and software requirements. There are still a few zealots on WOWWiki's admin team who would prefer it just be deleted. Yet if it is cleaned up a bit I think it will have a long life there.

I also want to create a subsection (its own page) of useful mutlibox macros beyond the 5 or 6 in the macro page threads...

so, if you check WW occasionally don't be surprised it changed