Multiboxing! Explanation, some random info and my point of view
Hello! I have seen a lot of topics asking about multiboxing and a lot of topics complaining about multiboxing. Instead of replying to all of those topics, I decided to write my own topic, hooray for me. This is my point of view, feel free to disagree, hopefully this might give some other people some insight on multiboxing.
Why people multibox?
For unlimited ammount of reasons. Everyone has seen the argument: "Multiboxers are the people that sucked in pvp and then wanted to multibox because they can't handle singlebox." Obviously someone has most likely started multiboxing for that reason as well, but I'm guessing it's pretty rare to see these people multiboxing at max level. Here is few common reasons I've heard:
1. Challenge
"CHALLENGE? What is challenging about 5v1 wPvP?" Well nothing, but just like with people that don't multibox, not all multiboxers pvp. Completing raids alone with your 10 (or 25) accounts can be extremely challenging, even some heroics can be very difficult. So is there some challenges in PvP or are PvP multiboxers just <insert some insult here>? PvP has some challenges as well, one of those would be the arena. Can I compete on the ladder even tho I'm playing solo? For PvE and PvP, the challenge is: "Can I complete this task, which usually requires multiple people, alone?"
2. Fun/Boredom
Multiboxing is fun for some people. Some people enjoy multiboxing, simple as that. Some people try out multiboxing and don't enjoy it. I know some people who have raided all content on retail and have played countless of hours of singlebox pvp and got bored with it and wanted to test out multiboxing, simply because they wanted something new to the game. This can be a common reason on Warmane server, especially since the content is fairly old. Personally I would hate to raid in Naxxramas, I raided naxx so much on retail, even being there for one evening almost made me quit wotlk. If you've never tried multiboxing, it can bring a fresh new element to the game.
3. Double-upping (if that's the correct way to say it)
Some people multibox (This is actually the reason I started multiboxing myself) to "double-up" on certain activities. For example, leveling. If you compare leveling 5 characters as a multiboxer to leveling 1 character singlebox, multibox leveling is actually a lot slower, but if you compare leveling 5 characters with multiboxing to leveling 5 characters individually, multibox can be the faster way. There is other stuff where you can double-up with multiboxing, such as farming/gold making.
4. All sorts of random stuff such as..
I was checking for more reasons from other players on other forums to see if I missed an obvious reason to multibox and I found this answer. I thought it was somewhat amazing/funny so I decided to post it here as well.
Quote:
Because it's fun in RP to go to a popular tavern area and hold a conversation with your own 2 characters. :D And sometimes preform a little magic show or something. 1 one 4 things happens most of the time - a few curious ppl watch the show or maybe a fellow walk-up RP'er will want to join in. Or ppl will completely ignore you, or a rival bunch of RP'ers will try to "out RP" you by forming their own group and starting something. It's really funny!
5. Reason why I multibox
I started, because I wanted to level up 4 different classes at the same time with boosting them on my main, but I had to level those to lvl10 first, so I wanted to multibox them to level 10. I've played wow since us closed beta vanilla wow on retail, so I've faced plenty of multiboxers and I've sometimes wondered how easy/hard it would be. So while I was leveling those alts from 1 to 10, I decided to test multiboxing out. I've been enjoying it, but I still do more singlebox than multibox.
How multiboxing works?
First you need multiple (2 or more) accounts of wow. Then you need to download a program that sends your keystrokes to all of your wow windows. Some fairly common examples of these programs would be ISBoxer and HotKeyNet. After this you need to spend quite some time making macros and configuring everything so you can do stuff like move forward with your characters or target quest givers and stuff like that.
"But isn't using a program for that considered botting/hacking?"
No. The only thing the program does is sends your keystrokes to your wow windows. It's not controlling your characters for you or playing the game for you. Every single action you see a multiboxer do is controlled by the multiboxer. Example of how these programs work: You press 1 on your keyboard and 1 is pressed on all of your wow windows.
Is multiboxing allowed? Why is multiboxing allowed?
Yes, multiboxing is allowed. Not on every server, but on retail and on warmane, multiboxing is allowed.
Why multiboxing is allowed? Now this is quite difficult question to answer, because the people that ask this question are often the people who are against multiboxing and they might not believe the answer. Also it's impossible to know the exact reasons why blizzard decided to allow multiboxing.
Short answer to this question is: Multiboxing is allowed, because it doesn't break the game, it doesn't give the multiboxer an unfair advantage and it isn't against the blizzards Terms of Service.
Now, instead of just believing what I'm saying, you can check out these quotes from Blue posts on blizzards forums (Blue posts = Blizzards employees posts, in case you're not familiar with blizzards forums):
Quote from: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3595572312#18
Quote:
Not to put too fine a point on it, Deftspecter, but the practice of multi-boxing is not something that you need to hear convincing arguments for or against. It isn't your policies that must be upheld.
While multi-boxing isn't supported, as long as they are not using automation to control their characters, and are actively playing them, they aren't violating our policies.
The fact is, a player may own multiple copies of the game. They may have up to 8 World of Warcraft accounts registered to one Battle.net account. They may have multiple Battle.net accounts and they may log into two or more different World of Warcraft accounts at the same time.
This works in favour of multi-boxing but it also helps those who own more than one World of Warcraft account, like a parent who also has an account for their minor child, so they may play together.
You are welcome to provide your constructive feedback regarding the matter, within the General Discussion forum or even the PvP: Battleground forum. I'd recommend confining commentary to your point of view, not the 99%+ that may have a differing opinion.
Quote from: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2112511477#11
Quote:
"I reported a multi boxer last night only to have a gm tell me thats it does NOT break the ToS well great everyone start multi boxing !!! looks like blizz no longer cares about proivding a service which we pay for . What else can the cheating bugger cheat now ? maybe we all should just do it
Bloody joke imo."
It sounds as though you may have confused multi-boxing with botting, Facépull. Multi-boxing is not against the TOU since it does require actual human interaction when playing multiple characters at the same time. Botting, on the other hand, is against the TOU. Bots are automated 3rd party programs that need no human touch.
I hope this helps to clear up any confusion. We definitely do appreciate your report, however. Continue to report anything in game that appears to be some form of bot use. We will gladly investigate for you. :)
Quote from: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3196391699#5
Quote:
"Is Multi-boxing against TOS? People seem to be pretty blatant about doing it, but it seems to me it's exploitive and.."
No, Multi-boxing, as long as they are not automating their actions, is not against our Terms of Use.
"..gives an unfair advantage against others players, which is outlined in the TOS."
Multi-boxing may give a person an advantage against a single character, but so would a group of individually controlled characters. 5 vs 1 will always be 5 vs 1. Multi-boxers have a great many weaknesses, that a team of 5 characters would not.
Quote from: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2593000221#6
Quote:
"Because they All attack at the same time there is no chance to to defend myself unless I already Divine protection on and even then it only gives me enough time to activate divine shield at which point some one else dies and then me again shortly after."
Just as there would be no chance to defend yourself if three individual characters all ganged up on you. In a 3 on 1 scenario, be they controlled by one character or three, you are likely in trouble.
Multiboxing, as long as it is the registered user of the account controlling the characters, is permitted.
And here is a response from one of our Warmane moderator to a question "Is multiboxing Bad": http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=327291
Quote:
The "final conclusion" is that because people who create threads complaining about it and those who take part in it are the ones against it, obviously. This is like saying the "final conclusion" of asking if meat is bad on a vegan meeting is "yes."
Either way, we're neutral about multiboxing. It isn't encouraged, but it isn't forbidden in any way.
But, doesn't multiboxing give the multiboxer an unfair advantage in PvP?!
No. Obviously, if you are alone and you are facing a multiboxer with X characters, you are at a disadvantage, but that disadvantage isn't there because he is multiboxing. It's there because you are alone against X characters. Would it be an unfair advantage if you charged in alone against a group of 5 characters which was played by 5 players?
World PvP:
1vX against multiboxer, you most likely will lose, but 1vX against a group of players, you would lose even more. If you see a multiboxer with 5 characters, you should treat it like you would treat an enemy party of 5 people.
Battlegrounds:
Multiboxers have the ability to deal focused damage in battlegrounds, however, the battleground is still 15v15 or 10v10 or 40v40, the numbers are even and you have more people playing for your team so you most likely have a slight advantage. Even if the multiboxer could one shot anyone from your team, your teams ability to split up cripples the multiboxer a lot. I'm sure that a 5man premade is more deadly in a battleground than a multiboxer with 5 characters.
Arenas:
This is most likely the most accepted place for multibox pvp, because for example in 3v3: A team of 3 characters controlled by 3 players has the advantage over a team of 3 characters controlled by one player. The multiboxer might have better communication, because he doesn't have to communicate with anyone except himself, but the other team has a lot better control over their characters. This example is obviously talking about equally skilled players on both teams.
So how to deal with multiboxers?
I wont go in to much depth with this, but here is few links which might give you some ideas.
https://wowkate.wordpress.com/2012/0...-boxer-in-pvp/
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/01/w...t-them-in-pvp/
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/6572358214
As an end note I will tell you this. Multiboxing looks easy, but it's not. Sure tossing out instant lavaburst and oneshotting one person is easy, but everything else about multiboxing is hard. Or that is at least my personal experience with it.
Did I miss something? Want to add something? What do you think?
