2 Box/Single Computer & MQ (1 Viewer)

[duexe]

Ok...

Computer.. 3ghz/1gig pc 4300 ram (128 meg vid car), WinXP sp2

From what I understand, I need to copy the Everquest folder and make 2 seperate shortcuts.

What else do I need to do?

Additionally, how does MQ work on a 2 boxed single machine?

Normally, I box on 3 seperate computers. However, I have 3 teens and they dont like me taking up the majority of the computers in the house...

 

[Jumjum5]

Ok...

Additionally, how does MQ work on a 2 boxed single machine?

Normally, I box on 3 seperate computers. However, I have 3 teens and they dont like me taking up the majority of the computers in the house...

Heres what I do....

Load mq2 up then double click on eq. Once I am at the accept/decline screen I do alt shift r (I keep my eq in a window at all times) then minimize that then just double clikc eq again. Log on with 2 diff account and will have mq2 up on both. As far as mq2 running on the same comp with 2 accounts up its like your running it on a whole other comp. You have to plugin the stuff that you don't have on one...even though you have it on the other account...if you want to use the plugin. Pretty simple once you get the hang of it (hell if I can do it anybody can lol).

 

[smokinghot]

Acually u dont have to load all the plugins twice if ure on the same cpu boxing...I 3 box all the time and i only have to plugin Plugin's once for all toons since they are on the same cpu..

 

[duexe]

How do I play in windowed mode (must be a setting somewhere)? Most the time I do the alt+tab to swap.

Whats the lowest Ram that acceptable for 2 box?

When SoE comes out with a massive patch, is it better to copy the updated EQ file or update both at the same time (using the patcher).?

Questions, questions...

 

[Cade]

How do I play in windowed mode (must be a setting somewhere)?

alt+enter or under "display" in options there's a "run full screen mode" that toggles windowed mode

When SoE comes out with a massive patch, is it better to copy the updated EQ file or update both at the same time (using the patcher).?

Don't think it would matter as long as you have all the right files, I could be wrong

 

[Mikiky]

I 2 box on a single machine:

AMD 2500 xp+ 512 mb ram and a lonely 64mb ge4 nvidia video card, all with XP pro SP 1.

I use the winEQ available at the Lavish website (sorry, can't find address, but just type wineq into a search engine) and on the odd occassions that I run MQ2, i have no problems running it at all. This program, winEQ, also lets you run WoW, DAoC, EQ2, EQ all at the same time on the same machine provided you have the capacity to do so. I have had 4 accounts running at once and it gives options of up to 9 at once, switching between them with Ctrl Alt 1 and Ctrl Alt 2... etc.

My machine ran slowly with 4 I must say, and I did it with a dial up connection!

 

[Pollodemuerte]

Lavishsoft.com

WinEQ2 is VERY good at letting you box, and it comes with EQPlayNice integrated. Only thing is, if you're running MQ, you have to load MQ before you load up WinEQ2 (I just leave them both running in the system tray at all times) else it screws around with EQPlayNice and crashes you.

 

[duexe]

OMG, this thread is becoming useful. Do I get to win anything? lol....

 

[soultaker]

Here is the thing, If you are using only 1 EQ diredtory then no, you only have to run MQ plugins once, However if you are running 2 EQ directories then you only load MQ once but have to load the plugins etc multi times.

 

[duexe]

OK, got it to run OK. Realigning all your tell windows was a major pain. Had the resolution set pretty high and had it crash on me (like 3 times). I think its was a memory thing.

MQ seemed to run pretty stable. Went back the the two machine configuration. Think I'm gonna go to a 256 meg video card before attempting this again as I was hovering around 90% memory used at high resolutions (I have a 25" monitor).

 

[Alatyami]

From a system aspect there is no need to install 2 EQ's in order to two box on a single box. An actually, if you are concerned about bandwidth issues you truly do not want to go with the dual install. I have been 2-3 boxing on a single compy for a couple of years, proformance with a single install is much better.

For those that are not computer programmers/ system admin's: The computer memorizes where every file you use is located and stores it in your RAM for later use. If you use two installs that is twice the EQ files it has to keep track of. If you use zone caching both EQ's use the same zone files thus your computer only needs to keep track of set of files.

Here is the minimum that I have successfully three boxed on a single compy:
AMD XP 1.5GHz
Serial ATA Raptor Hard Drive (10k rpm)
1GB 333MHz RAM
Radeon 128Mb 9000 series Video Card

It is the hard that actually makes the three box work, there is a big difference in 7200rpm and 10000rpm.

Also, I quit using WinEQ and EQ PlayNice a long time ago. I found that for my preferences using EQ's own window mode works just fine, using alt+tab to cycle through the accounts.

Edit: Oh yah and I run all my EQ's at 1280x760 at 70Hz refresh, that way I can have a Redguides chat room runnning behind everything.

 

[Tone]

eqw.eqhackers.com is the wins

 

[darkeros]

For alatyami, you're right. Your hard drive is doing all the work there.

I have 2+ boxed for almost the last 5 years and never had a second copy installed until about a year and a half ago, I got a new HD and decided to try it out and see the performance.

I won't go into details about my computer, but I have 2gb corsair ram and when I first tried the second install, I could easily tell it was better. I have a 7200rpm HD for both of them and the ram lets the system fly.

I probably need to get a 10kHD now, sigh.