Multiboxers: Why do they do it and what's the advantage?

[Deleted]

I first heard about multiboxers in TBC, perhaps they existed in Vanilla.

Why do people do it?
Is it common?
What is the advantage in game?
They pay for each account, but is it 2x 3x 4x as much fun? cant imagine wasting 50 euros a month for wow.

In terms of AH there are a couple of moaners and braggers who claim it offers them a massive advantage and that you cnat compete with them. I have never noticed this. I cna see how you cna do a few things at the same time, but as one character is usuall underutilised, then I cant see why I need other characters at least more than one.

Explain yourselves multiboxers and enlighten me. Am not convinced I know any successful multiboxers on my server, although people use so many alts its not always easy to keep track. The better players tend to stay quiet.

[Bryce]

I do it because I can basically. Although not having a job it gets kinda expensive so I had to stop =/.

It's way more common than you think.

There's not really an advantage like people say there is. Everything multiboxers can do other players can do it to in a group of coordinated players. To really get that advantage though you really have to know what you're doing while multiboxing. It's not as simple as /follow playerA /assist playerA macros. I used Keyclone and IsBoxer, WHICH ARE LEGAL to use. Just ask Blizzard. It lets me emulate my keyboard/mouse across all my accounts while they're running on the same computer. I honestly don't see why people are so butthurt over multiboxers, they could do it to they just don't A) have the money to or B) don't want to "waste" money on a game like some people say we do. It's out money and most of us don't see it as wasting it because this is what we like to do in our free time.

I have multiboxed 2 accounts, 5 accounts and 7 accounts. My entrie battle.net account is maxed out because of it. I've got 6 cata accounts and 2 tbc accounts. Only one is active and my main account though.

[Jerbs]

I think the advantages are only limited by your imagination.

I just have a 2nd account starter edition with only a level 10 character to help me solo raids.

[Farabee]

Not really a whole lot of advantage to actual multiboxing (as in setting up 5 accounts and syncing them) but there is a huge advantage to multiple accounts. Mainly, that on busy selling days you can check for undercuts constantly on one account while buying raw mats, milling, prospecting, DEing, crafting on the other. This ensures that you aren't wasting time at the bottom of the market while increasing your supply.

In addition, you can actually PLAY the game on the one account while still babysitting the AH for undercutting purposes on the other and stay competitive.

[Hopeful]

I am currently dual boxing. My original account was hacked and was unable to get it back. I lost 10 85's one of each class. I opened my main account and did refer a friend for a 2ND so I am able to get the 300% xp to re level my characters fast. After that I won't dual box. I just use keyclone and Jamba addon it's easy peezy. I play my tank and my RAF is feral druid so i do good dps as well.

[Deleted]

I guess because it's fun and you get do content that requires multiple people even if you only have yourself.

[darksun22]

I personally 5 box.

Multiboxing gives you so much more depth to the game it is unreal. It is like playing a whole different game. Think of it as playing any class with 4 mirror images that you can control, spec, or just put on auto pilot.

Of course it is an advantage 1,2, or 3 vs my 5. The rush is when i charge in with my 5 Enhancement and destroy 7 or 8 people.

Its not as simple as just spamming buttons. I can tell you that i have spent tens if not close to a hundred hours setting up my IS boxer macros, round robins, cast sequences, and all of that.

You can cheese it and be really bad, just like some are really bad at one toon. But to be a really good multiboxer takes so much more skill and coordination and concentration than running a single toon.

I know that when I go from multiboxing to playing my single, it is so much easier, and I now play on such a higher level because of my multiboxing experience.

I would say the best part of multiboxing is a tie between clearing heroics with your team, and having a really good game in pvp or arena.

On top of it all, there is a REALLY strong and very nice community of multiboxers. Most are very experienced players of a single toon that just got bored of the game and wanted a new flavor (like me). So what you get is a very smart playerbase that is very intelligent and accepting.

Like everything else in life, don't knock it till you try it.

[Deleted]

Ok some constructive answers so far. Keep them coming.

[ZeroWashu]

I first heard about multiboxers in TBC, perhaps they existed in Vanilla.

Why do people do it?
Is it common?
What is the advantage in game?
They pay for each account, but is it 2x 3x 4x as much fun? cant imagine wasting 50 euros a month for wow.

In terms of AH there are a couple of moaners and braggers who claim it offers them a massive advantage and that you cnat compete with them. I have never noticed this. I cna see how you cna do a few things at the same time, but as one character is usuall underutilised, then I cant see why I need other characters at least more than one.

Explain yourselves multiboxers and enlighten me. Am not convinced I know any successful multiboxers on my server, although people use so many alts its not always easy to keep track. The better players tend to stay quiet.

Did it while having RAF accounts. Also did it while leveling the RAF accounts for friends too.

On my Mac it was dead simple to setup. It does offer some unique challenges. I did join more than one LFD as two player RAF (heal/tank combo) and the other times it was two or three dps slots. Coordination, proper key mapping, and such, are all part of the fun. If I could have run 5 accounts on one machine I might have done so.

FWIW, its nice when you can skin without actually right clicking on an item (target of target type works) which means the second account in its own window can skin mobs for you.

[sp13]

I dual boxed ele shamans using RAF back in wrath, using Octopus, Jamba, and a few simple follow and assist macros. I didn't do anything nearly as advanced as end game multiboxers, but it was fun nonetheless. Cost wasn't an issue either, since I bought an extra copy of WoW for $5 around Christmas time and sat on it for a while. It only gave me a month of dual boxing, but that was enough time to get my shaman leveled.

[wynterlyn]

Well to be quite honest most multi boxers probably ain’t worried about food being on the table or rent being paid. I can understand people’s want to invest in a hobby and have read people’s unique list of hobbies which cost a fortune compared to WoW, but still it baffles me every time.

Not only do you have to pay twice or thrice the monthly subscription depending on how many accounts you have, but also have to fork out for the expansions as well as have multiple screens to play it on. I’ve never really had a chance to speak to a “multiboxer”. I would definitely like to ask them what they do for a living if I ever did get a chance.

But I am pretty sure most or some of them are bankrolled by a third party. I personally know people that get discounts/free time cards for WoW because their family member/friend works in Blizzard.
But to answer your question, how does it affect the game? I personally think it gives them a significant boost. They usually have one specific account/player that camps the AH 24/7 while they do whatever they want on the other toons. This gives them the benefit of continuously staying ahead of the market by being the first to undercut/relist/buyout competitors/items.

Not only that but they can mass produce. It’s comparative to a factory churning out products. Only difference is these guys prospect gems, etc.

[gutnbrg]

well 1 advantage is say in a BG, u know how no1 focuses the healers? well now u can have ur 4 ele shaman all global the healer easily and not have to worry about others helping u(bc u know they wont)

[Strakha]

I'd love to try it with 5 boomkins and use starfall and spam moonfire at people. or resto and just spam wild growth all over the place. would be fun. however i dont have that kind of money.

but the most impressive (effective) multiboxers ive seen have usually been shamans that focus people down as elemental using lava burst and chain lightning spam.

[redruMPanda]

If you run into a multiboxer in AV you'll understand what they can do. They will literally fuck your shit up. I remember one time i ran into a grp of dks got like death gripped every time I tried to run away and they basically just pawned my ass.

[Deleted]

Because some people prefer to play their games solo. I know I do, with some multiplayer aspects, and I assume others do aswell.

[Sithalos]

Multiboxing would be banned if Blizzard cared about their game more than filling their pockets, and buying a forth yacht.

[dokilar]

i used to get a kick out of running into someone multiboxing in pvp when i was grouped up with some guildies. we'd generally stop paying attention to the actual game and just kill the multiboxer.

i know little about multiboxing but it always seemed like there was one that was controlling the others and if we generally found and marked that one then we could get several hks for the price of one. i aint got nothing against em and more power to em

[Strakha]

Because some people prefer to play their games solo. I know I do, with some multiplayer aspects, and I assume others do aswell.

I'd love to have a second char just to spam heals on my Blood DK to solo old content probably a holy paladin so I can have buff too Not to mention I wont have to harass my guildies to get someone to sit in my raid group so I can enter the instances.

[apeck]

They want an edge on the competition..

[Buryit]

Multiboxing would be banned if Blizzard cared about their game more than filling their pockets, and buying a forth yacht.

I doubt that and besides how many of the blizzard folks muti box?