My 5-box Setup (with pictures)

[Micah]

http://5boxwow.blogspot.com/

I finished my new 5-boxing software this past weekend which includes the ability to broadcast keystrokes and/or mouse movements to all connected machines and it also solves the "lock to screen / relative mouse moves" problem that synergy has. I'll hopefully get it up on the internet (source and executables) tonight. Also, when I get home tonight I'll try to remember to post my updated version of Synergy that has keyboard broadcasting should you want to stick with Synergy instead (relative mouse move issue still bugs me too much to use Synergy myself).

I'm going for a different approach then the traditional multiboxer in that I'm going to level 5 different classes at the same time rather then 5 of the same class, we'll see how that goes.

[Ellay]

Very nice! definitely interested in the software you've created would love to check it out.

[Kyosakana]

Very nice site Micah. I've been waiting for Burning Crusade to hit so I could try my hand at 5 boxing different classes myself. Typically I run 5 hunters, and while definitely fun, it also poses the problem that the normal hunter weaknesses become VERY apparant.

What classes are you planning on leveling, and which faction?

[Micah]

Horde, I think I'm going to do a melee group first and a ranged group second followed by a farming group after that if I'm not burnt out yet (farming group would likely be 4 mages or warlocks and a healer or something).

Group 1:
Warrior
Paladin
Druid
Shaman
Rogue

Group 2:
Warrior
Hunter
Mage
Warlock
Priest

The reason there is a warrior in both groups is because there are only 10 classes so I have to double-up somewhere (I want one of each class to 70). I picked warrior as the class to double up because having a tank makes every encounter far easier and warriors are still the best tanks in my opinion. Group 1 will be harder to micromanage because all characters are melee but group 2 will be harder to macro manage because there is only one true tank and one true healer. In group 1 if someone pulls aggro they will be fine while group 2 is full of glass cannons with no threat reduction and a single tank.

[Xiven]

Group2 has a voidwalker so it's not too bad off. A voidwalker is good enough to offtank in instances. Same with hunter pet.

[Kyosakana]

Hey Micah, I have a couple of questions.

Do you usually not loot trash and focus on speed leveling? If so, how do you finance your leveling? I loot everything, but barring the excessive amounts of low level BoE blues I find, I would be in the red as far as paying for training and what not.

Are you leveling any crafts with your characters?

Are you leveling in just instances, or is there a questing path you are running as well?

How much time are you spending per day on this? I'm wondering because I spend 6-8+ hours/day, but apparently I'm leveling much more slowly. I am horribly inneficient though.

[Micah]

I loot all trash, and when my bags are full I delete food and whites (greys always vendor for more then whites and I don't feel like playing the AH). Any BoE blues I get I put in the bank because I'm on a new realm so the market isn't there for them. All greens get disenchanted and all BoP blues get disenchanted. The one exception was from 38-44 I didn't DE anything and vendored all my greens and BoP blues until I had enough for my mounts, now I'm back to vendoring it all.

I have no crafting professions or gathering professions, I don't like tradeskills and they just slow you down. I'll likely take something at 70 but not now (except for enchanting on one character so I can DE loot I get on the way).

I have done all instance leveling except for required class quests like defensive stance, poisons, bear form, etc.

I currently have 2 weeks off of work (last day of which is Tuesday) so I have been playing a lot. Over my time off I've got 8 days, 2 hours played time under my belt at level 48. It's definately not a record time but for 5 characters at a time it's much faster then leveling 5 separately.