MultiBox (software)

[Micah]

MultiBox Client & Server: http://ultrashare.net/hosting/fl/ffeff6c466/
MultiBox Client & Server & Source: http://ultrashare.net/hosting/fl/7648e6e966

Features:
* One mouse/keyboard can control multiple computers without any additional hardware.
* Specifically designed to allow you to play 3D games that use the mouse for looking around.
* Ability to toggle "broadcasting" with a hotkey that will allow your keystrokes or mouse movements to be broadcast to all connected computers.
* Simple UI: Setting up monitor layout is very easy.
* Runs in the taskbar so it's out of the way.

Run MultiBoxServer.exe on the machine with the mouse/keyboard. Run MultiBoxClient.exe on every machine (including the one with the mouse/keyboard). Set the port on the server machine to something and match it on all the clients (including the one with the server software running on it). On the clients, enter the hostname of the server into the Server Name (this is the name of your computer if you are on a local area network) and press enter.

Note: Be sure to connect the client on the same machine as the server first, otherwise you won't be able to get back to that machine without quitting all the others first.

Pressing escape 8 times in a row will exit the server in case something breaks and you have lost control of the mouse/keyboard somehow.

There are a few things that need worked on but on a whole it should work pretty well. This version is fairly large because it's compiled in debug mode (release mode crashes for some reason) but I'm assuming anyone multi-boxing has a big enough internet connection to download a 10MB executable.

The source code requires wxWidgets 2.8.0 to compile and run as well as the Windows SDK. It currently only works on Windows XP (95/98 probably won't work and 2000/Vista are untested). It definitely won't work on a Mac or Linux but it is mostly written with portability in mind (wxWidgets API instead of .NET) so if someone is interested a port isn't terribly unrealistic.[/list]

[Ellay]

This is greatly Appreciated, I'll be moving this over to the tools section when I test it out

[nemesis]

Sounds useful! I am curious however if you did any research on Warden. From what I gather, it searches processes running on the system an if one is flagged as illegal 3rd party, bang ban.

MultiBox Client & Server: http://ultrashare.net/hosting/fl/41b6bbca3c/
MultiBox Client & Server & Source: http://ultrashare.net/hosting/fl/f148a7baff/

Features:
* One mouse/keyboard can control multiple computers without any additional hardware.
* Specifically designed to allow you to play 3D games that use the mouse for looking around.
* Ability to toggle "broadcasting" with a hotkey that will allow your keystrokes or mouse movements to be broadcast to all connected computers.
* Simple UI: Setting up monitor layout is very easy.
* Runs in the taskbar so it's out of the way.

Run MultiBoxServer.exe on the machine with the mouse/keyboard. Run MultiBoxClient.exe on every machine (including the one with the mouse/keyboard). Set the port on the server machine to something and match it on all the clients (including the one with the server software running on it). On the clients, enter the hostname of the server into the Server Name (this is the name of your computer if you are on a local area network) and press enter.

Note: Be sure to connect the client on the same machine as the server first, otherwise you won't be able to get back to that machine without quitting all the others first.

Pressing escape 8 times in a row will exit the server in case something breaks and you have lost control of the mouse/keyboard somehow.

There are a few things that need worked on but on a whole it should work pretty well. This version is fairly large because it's compiled in debug mode (release mode crashes for some reason) but I'm assuming anyone multi-boxing has a big enough internet connection to download a 10MB executable.

The source code requires wxWidgets 2.8.0 to compile and run as well as the Windows SDK. It currently only works on Windows XP (95/98 probably won't work and 2000/Vista are untested). It definitely won't work on a Mac or Linux but it is mostly written with portability in mind (wxWidgets API instead of .NET) so if someone is interested a port isn't terribly unrealistic.[/list]

[Ellay]

Their opinion on banning for 3rd party software involves anything that is automated or does actions on its own. Broadcasting keystrokes is perfectly legal.
Although it is up to Blizzards discretion on what they run through their system. They have made it known that hardware devices that broadcast keystrokes are fine, and I've sent messages to GM's inquiring if using software to broadcast keystrokes was legal. It was sent to a supervisor who approved it and said as long as it does not automate or think on its own your fine.

So overall I think the risk chance is extremely low, but this is just my opinion.

[Micah]

As Ellay has stated, they ban for automation, not just any program that injects input. There are a ton of legitimate uses for programs that inject keystrokes. In fact, your mouse driver and/or keyboard driver will likely inject keystrokes and mouse clicks into the system and playing WoW on a secondary machine through the use of Synergy would also inject mouse/keyboard input.

If they just banned anyone injecting input then they would likely ban 50% or more of their user base. The only people that wouldn't get banned are those using a standard 104 key keyboard and a standard 2 button + wheel mouse. Anything extra like special keys on your keyboard or extra mouse buttons would be caught by something like that.

Also, there are other 5-boxers out there that have been reported probably thousands of times (especially 5-boxing in BGs and Arenas) but they have not been banned so you don't have to worry about multiboxing getting you banned.

[Rowan]

Micah, just got your software installed and tested out with my 2-box setup and I must saying I've very very happy with it. It solves that stupid mouse-look issue Synergy has, and the keyboard/mouse broadcast works flawlessly.

The one thing I'm really having a hard time managing is the deviation between the two characters that is always going to happy even if the viewports are just 1 degree off. Is there an easy way to deal with this? Are there any WoW settings I should use to help with this problem?

Thanks again for the software!

[Micah]

I don't use mouse broadcasting for that exact reason and I don't know of any solution for it either. In fact, the only reason I added mouse broadcasting was due to popular demand by the people that I gave my synergy keyboard broadcasting modification to.

My technique is to have 4 characters on auto-follow and keyboard broadcasting almost always on. I then unbind movement keys on all but the primary character. If I need to micro-manage one of the characters I just mouse over to that window and use the mouse to control the character and when I'm done I move back.

[Rowan]

My technique is to have 4 characters on auto-follow and keyboard broadcasting almost always on. I then unbind movement keys on all but the primary character. If I need to micro-manage one of the characters I just mouse over to that window and use the mouse to control the character and when I'm done I move back.

I must be doing something wrong then. If I have one of my guys on follow he will eventually fall far enough behind that he stops following. What's even worse is if I suddenly stop and start attacking something, the guy following will take 2 or more seconds to finally stop running but in the mean time he's not casting anything since he's still in motion.

[Micah]

The guy stopping autofollow is likely because one of your characters is faster then the other. Do you have any enchants or gear that gives your primary character a run speed increase?

The second issue is just lag. Watch the guy on the second screen to see when he really stops, he will always stop later on the primary screen due to latency. You tell the server you are stopping, then the server tells everyone around you that you are stopping. So the message takes about .5 seconds to get to everyone sometimes.

[Rowan]

The guy stopping autofollow is likely because one of your characters is faster then the other. Do you have any enchants or gear that gives your primary character a run speed increase?

I'm pretty sure this is due to lag as well (250 ms is a typical ping time for me). My mages are only level 12 so it's not gear for sure. :-)

The second issue is just lag. Watch the guy on the second screen to see when he really stops, he will always stop later on the primary screen due to latency. You tell the server you are stopping, then the server tells everyone around you that you are stopping. So the message takes about .5 seconds to get to everyone sometimes.

Do you know of a macro command to force a character to stop moving? I've already replaced all of my 2nd mage's spells with macros that first do an "/assist mage1" to pick up the target my main guy has. If I could preface those with something to make them stop moving I could at least avoid the "can't do that while moving" messages the 2nd mage keeps getting while following.