Practice makes perfect - Multiboxing "retrains" the brain.

[Tonuss]

I would argue that practicing multiboxing makes you better at multiboxing.

That's what I think. As I understand it, scientists have been saying for years that the brain is like a muscle-- the more you use it, the better it becomes at whatever you're using it for. And with repetition, we become better at things, such as playing a musical instrument, performing eye surgery, or multiboxing.

[Otlecs]

"Fly the plane, don't let the plane fly you."

I wish I had a pound (sterling!) for every time my instructor said that to me in the first few hours of training And the number of times my mind went blank on the the "I" in BUMPFITCH, which all quickly became second nature to me through practice.

You get better at pretty much anything you practice, and although I'm certain that there are side-benefits to certain types of activity (especially those which rely on reflex), I seriously doubt that there are any such side-benefits from multiboxing.

Those who do better at multiboxing - and progress faster through content (such as the one-man Kara gang) - are almost certainly just better mutl-taskers to begin with.

Other than PvP, most WoW multiboxing is about learning the encounters rote.

[zanthor]

Personally, I'd say that the only relation to multiboxing and multitasking would be if you did it this way.

One monitor (and no PiP or anything), one keyboard / mouse, and no addon to alert you about slaves. Now, you're still allowed to use Keyclone / your choice of method to get the input from 1 source to multiple clients.

That way, you're actually having to monitor EVERYTHING on your own. No Jamba to warn you that your slave broke follow is dying, etc...Doing it with multiple monitors, PiP, addons, and all that make it more like "teamwork" even though it's one person controlling it. You get assistance from the other toons without your direct attention.

Now, I can safely say that I have definitely gotten better at boxing since I started. I've learned so much more about macros, I've started trying new things, mixing classes, etc...it definitely takes more once you start doing that, adds a whole new level of difficulty to the game. But, I still wouldn't say it's so much "multitasking" the way most of us do it. We've got a lot of help nowadays.

Um... this is a lot like flying a plane in zero visibility with no instruments... just because you have a tool to tell you the status of something doesn't mean you aren't multitasking - it means you have a consolidated location to get all the notifications you need.

When you play 5 of a single class/spec I can argue thats not multitasking most the time, thats doing the same thing 5x per keypress. Once you deviate you have stepped into multitasking for sure. Once that global cooldown is more than 1 thing to pay attention to, you have to dps and heal and tank, you have to watch positioning of your toons, etc.

Another great multitasking builder is raiding as any class, but very much so as a healer. Nothing says multitask like watching 25 life bars and healing them while ensuring you don't get a debuff from standing still while avoiding the glowy crap and sometimes, not always but sometimes jumping into the glowy crap.

[not5150]

UAV "pilots" typically control 3-4 planes at a time

Perhaps multiboxing make us better candidates for such jobs

[heffner]

Ya, I'd agree with the statement that multiboxing isn't really multitasking. Everything I have done is to remove the multiple tasking so I can play like I was a single toon.

However, ever since I started dating those twins I'd have to agree with multitasking gets better with practice. I am looking for some triplets now and then maybe an NFL cheerleading squad.

[chaosultimamage]

Um... this is a lot like flying a plane in zero visibility with no instruments... just because you have a tool to tell you the status of something doesn't mean you aren't multitasking - it means you have a consolidated location to get all the notifications you need.

Nah, all your instruments are on the first toons screen. You can see their health and mana, and you can see where they are if you pay attention constantly. Using the addons and pip, etc... is like 5 people, flying 5 planes in a formation, and you're the leader. You relay how to do it, when to do it, and monitor the process.

I'd say it was multitasking if you had 5 monitors, one per toon, and had to actually watch each screen seperately to monitor something. But WoW already handles that for the most part.

[Aarelan]

I think that its more a case of developing a decent scan pattern (life flying an aircraft on instruments). As long as you can identify issues, and prioritize them, then it's more a case of work list management than real multi tasking.

The stuff I read basicaly said that we can do 2 things, provided that one is a "trained response" type activity. the rest is a case of managing those 2 "processors"

The combination of training, prioritizing and engagment is what has me hooked on boxing. - I never feel that engaged playing solo.

[Marious]

I know your pain Flekkie I was a healer during Vanilla as well, amazingly enough I took my healer to new height's since he never really had that great gear (pally gear was always a pain) but I was one of the better healers. I don't multitask I mash buttons! But whats wrong with mashing buttons? I got to give it to some of the other guys that have there set up with Hardware might be more of a multitask then the software guys. I don't know my brain does not work so well now a days....

[Korruptor]

Studies have shown that juggling has a similar effect and actually causes a section of your brain to grow to handle the need. Then you have people juggling while on a unicycle and so on.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5615.php

I multitask quiet well at work and at home but i've been doing it for years, so yeah practice builds the the brains ability to handle it.

[Multibocks]

I would argue that practicing multiboxing makes you better at multiboxing.

You're basically configuring your alts for remote control, not remote operation (meaning, all your toons are at the same place at the same time).

If you were playing one toon in Molten Core and another in Black Wing Layer at the time, thats multitasking. Multiboxing is somewhere inbetween.

This is what its like to heal and dps in a raid. Too much going on! Something's gotta give....