2-boxing

Meant controller, you only did say one controller, didn't mention monitors, sorry I'm a bit distracted today.

Yeah, I'm not saying that it's horribly efficient, but I never got used to playing the game with a keyboard, and I like to see what's going on on the other screens without having to switch them, and it's faster for me to look than to hit alt+tab or a button to switch them.

i would try if SE hadn't banned my Tarutaru so many years ago /cry

Well i keep monitures right next to each other. Main in front. second to the right side tilted slightly inwards towards me. Unless your peripherals are bad, you can keep a basic track fairly well. And its only a slight turn of the next to see the second screen.

When i first got ffxi for the pc, the idea of playing with a keyboard i found pretty horrific. Being a FF fan on consoles for so long i was used to controlelrs. So i wasnt looking forward to keyboard.

But after i got used to it, i found the keyboard to be a lot more efficient for this type of game. Keeping my right hand on the Num pad with the thumb on the arrows next to it (which can also extend to the Ctrl key right next to it.) And my left hand on the other side of the keyboard mostly devoted to the Tab key. - Fourtionitly the game doesn't require the use of a mouse. The only time i use it is when im switching over to this site or a wiki of some kind.

Since i use a second comp, i have my main keyboard on the slid out piece of the desk. And a second keyboard right above it on the desk's top itself. So they are very close to each other without being in the way of each other.

the fact that i had no controllers for a computer'
It made my decision much easier.

Edit: Actually, in the beginning i never wanted to play 11. I never played a mmorpg before and was loyal to the console FF's. So i didn't like the idea of FF online.

Few years later when i was working night shift, one on the weekend days i had off i had gotten so bored that i went up to best buy to find something. (Which i never do.) But i couldn't find anything that struck my interest. When i saw 11 i thought '/sigh.. wtf..' (with that kind of attitude i wouldn't have spent more on a controller even if i new you could use one on a comp for this) Least now i can say i tried it and i still don't like it.

That was in 2007 and im still here... lol

I think I'll try to keep it as a simple alt-tab 2-box thing until its working well, then add the controller switch thing if it works for me. Its not really for endgame, it was more for working on empys and stuff just to make my life easier.

Thanks for all the advice.

That's exactly how my setup is, monitor wise. I run my main and alt DD on one PC/TV and the WHM on the other PC/TV, each PC with a wireless controller. Switchmon makes DD'n easy enough but I like for my WHM to always have that separate set of eyes on all things at all times.

I've went back and forth a bit with Keyboards but a Gamepad was just way better for me. I can comfortably run both controllers with little issue, whereas trying to sit back on my couch w/ a Keyboard is a huge pain in the *** (sup cats and dogs and kids and *** of whatever sort).

well yea, if i were sitting on a couch then two keyboards would be hard. but at my desk with on above another, its quite easy'

So where would be the best place to purchase another copy of the game just for the codes considering I don;t real need another actual game copy? I was thinking Steam at first because I do use that, but not for FFXI. Is there another site that I can buy the game from that will send me working codes? I'm tempted to just pop into Grainger Games on the way home from work...

Steam works fine. Not sure if they have an Adoulin edition but it's easy enough to just get that off of amazon via download

I've purchased codes from Steam and Amazon, I prefer Amazon (due to easily being able to get the code, and redownload the game, and not having to fiddle with patching/updating/configuring with steam), but do whatever is cheaper for you.

That and I don't want to install Steam on all of my machines.

Yeah I second Amazon for the same reasons as Jet. Though say for some reason I wanted to buy a 5th account(lol) and steam had a nice sale on ffxi at the time, I would buy from steam.

Oh yeah and the three monitor with each on a virtual machine and each with its own controller sounds crazy to me lol. I picture Jet being some Jedi gamer juggling remotes in the air quickly hitting macros as he catches them, all while typing in between. I just alt tab with characters distributed between two monitors. I couldnt bare to do macros on a controller either, its bad enough you have to cycle through pages. On 14 I have every single macro bar filled and displayed on screen for my WHM. Of course its a little clustered even for 1920x1080

Seems to be a lot of impractical and roundabout methods people are using. There is no way you can play at a decent level multi boxing with a controller, its just not possible. Switchmon messes up enough to cause problems, but selecting macros with a controller is what will really hurt.

I can 3box anything comfortably with just send/gearswap commands bound to keys. Send is not automation, I am still manually inputting every command, so its an arbitrary line to draw in the sand if you are already using windower.

For you maybe. Works just fine for me.

I'm just fine with both and I say, Keyboard > Controller..

Idk about you guys but I get pretty extensive with macros, atleast on magic jobs. Controller macroing takes more time. Pushing down 3 times THEN right 5 times, hit the macro, then up 2 times and left 3 times, hit the macro, then swapping screens with a third party that's broken in the bad way.. keyboard, down three hit number, up 2 hit number, alt tab. its more fluent and is unarguable... sure you can be competent with a controller but it is still limited by its nature. It is further limiting to how macroing on ffxi already is in the first place. Also dropping the controller to type is annoying and really does have an effect on communication when needed during high activity(if not using voice).

Multiboxing between multiple computers and one computer IS arguable however.

Edit: Also I would like to point out to OP, (cause I dont think it has been mentioned) unless it has changed or I'm missing something, in order to run two FFXI on one machine you will either need to use Windower or a virtual machine. Considering how old FFXI is, it prob wont slug down in a virtual machine unless your in wkr or something packed with people making countless actions at once.

Then your definition of decent is different to mine. It's not a question of being proficient with a controller, its that controllers are far more limiting.

I never said I wasn't crazy, and I used to do it on my laptop with alt-tab between the 3, I prefer to see all 3 at once and being able to control each while still looking at the other screen. The other way had too many hiccups.

I however do not have a keyboard for each, so I still need to bring each window into focus if I need to do something that requires the keyboard, but I usually do most stuff through the main character. I'll either eventually have it set up to where the other two can take commands via tell or hook up one of my keyboards to each (been avoiding due to the desk space).

I'll probably do the former though, at least for my whm probably.

If my keyboard had analog sticks I'd probably be more willing, not that there's a good place to have them that wouldn't get in the way... But I absolutely hate wasd and numpad controls. They are so clunky for movement and view.

I'll admit that controllers are not as good for macros. You have to utilize your macro space very efficiently and be a bit more predictive with what your next move will be and I do supplement with my keyboard's G keys for a few things but I feel I'm pretty quick and relatively effective with a controller dual boxing. I don't think I could do more than 2 without automating though. I do just about everything manually.

I know that I'd likely be slightly better with a keyboard if I gave it more time but I love being able to sit back and be more relaxed. And I think that many people would be surprised at just how well one can play with a controller. My only wish is that the ps2 controller had a couple more buttons that I could program. The only extra 2 I have is start and select which I can put as triggers for various quick actions. There are other controllers of course, but I like the heft and the feel of the old PS2 over any others.

Thanks for the responses, lots of really interesting arguments but all a little bit too advanced for me and I still don't feel 100% sure of what I'm doing here just to get a second character up and running on the same pc with no controller involved ;;. Amazon has the game but it looks like a hard copy rather than digital download and codes to me, which is ok I suppose. Steam will surely have to install the game before I get the codes for purchasing it? I really don't want this to affect my current installation files in any way, and installing a second copy on Steam might overwrite the previous non-Steam version? The way I see it at the moment is:

1) buy another hard copy
2) write down the codes
3) store the new hard copy on a shelf to gather dust
4)type the new codes into my existing SE account management page somewhere (no idea where)
5) open two instances of windower
6) load my current main character on 1 and my new account character on the other.

Does this look correct? Thanks again for your time and patience.

I disagree. While wasd would be insanely horrible, i think the num pad is great; assuming you have a full keyboard and not one that all the keys are smushed as close as possible.

My 'home row' keys; Right hand: Thumb down arrow. Middle three on 4-8-6. And Pinky on Enter. That gives me nearly full access alone. I can confirm, switch through chats, open menu, lock on, rest, walk, change camera angles, move around, and hit ctrl with thumb for macros. All with barley having to move my ONE hand. Leaving my other hand to tab around.

So you have two accounts on one comp, but each account showing on a different moniter? How Did you set that up?

Guess it would be easier to show rather then describe.





Keyboard on bottom is not the one i normally used, but since switching comps to a slightly newer one, they old keyboards connections didn't fit the newer one, so i have to use this.
I also usually only have the mouse for the main comp as well, not two.
But it keep both screens within easy view. And with the keyboards above/below each other it makes accessing both fast and simple without taking up much room.

I'll agree that WSAD is worse. That's only okay for keyboard/mouse games. Even my laptop has a 10-key so I'd use numpad style for XI if I used it at all. But I don't like either. Numpad is quite a bit better but it has little control. I like to be able to move my view and char in odd ways sometimes and like to be very precise in those movements. It's very easy to tell someone who uses keyboard vs someone who uses a controller when they are running around but that is the nature of a 4 point movement vs analog.

i could use a keyboard for everything but movement. It just plays entirely different.

I have more than two accounts but I mainly use 2 at a time. Also I actually prefer to keep all instances of FFXI on my main monitor and have my secondary monitor for browser/movies/chat/etc.

Are you wondering how to set up 2 monitors with separate displays?

I really only know Win7 off hand so i'll tell you how with 7. With two monitors connected go to controlpanel>display>adjust resolution. Theres an option called Multiple displays, select extend these displays. You can then adjust how they are positioned around each other by moving the picture around at the top.

Windower can launch as many instances of FFXI as your computer can handle as far as I know. Unfortunately windower doesnt give you an option for which monitor a borderless window is displayed in so for your second monitor you will have to have that instance of FFXI launched in a regular window then drag it over to your second monitor and maximize it. Someone might know otherwise about borderless windows on multiple displays however. If so, please do tell.