Old school boxing - Tips & Tricks? Help?

[Morx]

Hey there guys,

So I'm knee deep into the Phinigel server, and grinding out levels as Kunark just launched! Last time I did this was on a previous progression server, where MQ2 was allowed and so was fartaunt! Oh how things have changed! Looking for some discussion on what people have found to be easy "true boxes".

Point is, I have multiple computers, and can box, but as an Enchanter, I feel so busy without the help of Mq2, that a box doesn't seem feasible?

Any in-game macros you guys remember to make things easier? Box tricks? Easy combos with an Enchanter?

Druid - Versatile, but could often be asked to main heal. Tough to do with enchanter box.
Mage - Not a bad choice, easy enough to just /assist and send pet in through a hotkey.
Wizard - Probably easiest choice of them all. 1-2 hotkeys at most to put out full DPS.
Cleric - Main healing with an Enchanter is sometimes difficult.
Warrior/SK/Paladin/Monk/Bard - Don't want to pull or main tank with Enchanter main.
Rogue - Without mq2melee, it'd be a pain with mob positioning, no?
Shaman - Slows aren't used all that often on Phinny, and I feel they are asked to main heal less often than Druids are. Maybe this would be a good choice? Typically in "perfect" groups you see either enchanter or shaman, and not both. Too much overlap, and best replaced with a DPS?
Necro - For best DPS, will charm a pet, and dealing with 2 classes and random charm breaks is no go!

Did I miss any? If I could use Mq2, I feel a cleric would be no question, or Enchanter box, and I'd manually play a tank or a puller. But alas, I can't do that!

Thanks for the discussion guys!

 

[dewey2461]

If I had to go back to boxing manually I'd try get a hold of a KVM and practice spamming keys.

You might find something like Input Director or Synergy which act as a software KVM very useful because you can setup hotkey to switch input different screens.

As you are setting up the characters I'd plan to make heavy use of multi-binding keys for as much of the 'spam' things as possible. You also want to keep your keys similar across the characters. '1' = assist , '2' = main spam , etc.

As far as character choices, I went pretty far with monk / shammy back in the day.

 

[Fry]

Enchanter is the worst class to be multi-boxing with as you attention needs to always be on the enchanter, especially when shit hits the fan.

I'd rule out any melee class, and main healers.

Leaves you with.

Mage - Decent choice
Necro - Dots + Enchanter really not best combo
Druid - Good for evac, backup heals, though when things get hairy you could wipe group.
Shaman - Two slowers in group is a waste so I'd rule that out
Wizard - Evacs, and nukes when needed.

I'd go either
Wizard, Mage, or Druid. In that order. I don't think you could screw up with a wizard, so I think it fits with enchanter pretty well.

 

[Casca]

Enchanters are pretty good in a box team just for the haste and mana regen alone. And with AE mez, it doesn't take much effort to mezz adds effectively. Plus, at lvl59 they get Dire Charm so DPS wise will be pretty good in addition to their nukes.

Been a long time since I actually boxed, but I use to have an X-Key for each account X-keys XK-60 USB Keyboard ( I used the older 58 key one they no longer sell) for individual control. I sized and printed out all the spell/whatever Icons/gems and put them on the keys so I could just visually see what key does what. Then I also had another x-key (58) and a smaller x-key that I had running in to a Vetra Multicaster 10 Port USB Keyboard or Mouse broadcaster, Model USB-84A-BC from Vetra that sent those inputs to all computers so I press one key and all accounts did whatever their macro was that was associated to that key . Like I had my Assist key, press that and my shaman went through slowing, my cleric does some healing and nukers start nuking, then I use one or two other keys for the remainder of he fight usually (heal/nuke).

I also used Multiplicity so that I could control all my computers with one mouse/keyboard.

 

[Yoda007]

One thing with Phinigel is their anti-boxing code is causing people who are boxxing to LD when they are key mashing / pushing keys at the same time.

So any broadcasting hardware/software will hinder more then anything.

 

[Morx]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Good discussion!

I think Fry is right, and a wizard is gonna be the best way to do it. Not interested in spending more money on any kind of KVM switch, or custom keyboards.

 

[Rooster]

Just make use of hot keys for everything!

/pause 50, /cast 1
/pause 50, /cast 2
/pause 50, /cast 3
/pause 50, /cast 4

That should be your wizard taken care of for every mob

In fact, that could be your cleric or druid MH also , unless adds/spikey dmg most old EQ is just chaining the same heal over and over modifying the delay depending on the tank/gear.

All you need to do with your box is use a handful of keys, one to assist and snare say, then another to chain some nukes/heals, another for ??

When i was a druid main back in Luclin/PoP i would even use the keys to chain cast the nukes or heals and i could chat.

I assume the /stopcast part of EQ works on Phini? using hot keys with that and your faster casting heals / evac and what not would work also