FAQ: Multiboxing - What the Fudge Is It?

This thread is intended to clear up some of the more nonsensical commentaries being offered about multiboxing. My aim is to give the community a general idea of what multiboxing is (and is not), so that any debate about its legitimacy can be based on fact, reason, logic and reality (rather than the spurious misinformation I'm seeing doing the rounds at the moment).

If you have a question or comment, add it here. I will keep an eye on this thread and update this post with pertinent information as the debate continues.

Enjoy <3

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WHAT IS MULTIBOXING?

"Multiboxing" is the act of running several client for a game on a single computer or several computers. Originally, multiboxing was achieved by having multiple machines (hence the name) running one client each. These days it is more common for people to use bespoke or VM software to run several clients on a single machine.

For a more specific outline, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiboxing

HOW DO MULTIBOXERS CONTROL CLIENTS/CHARACTERS?

Generally speaking, multiboxing at a play level functions by sending a single keypress to several clients at once. So if I press "W" to activate a skill, that keypress will be sent to all of the clients I have open; every character will use the skill tied to "W".

For this reason, it is generally NOT POSSIBLE and/or extremely difficult to run several clients with different character classes or builds. You will tend to find - as with many of the screen shots that have been shared - that multiboxers run a single class party, with all characters running the same abilities on the same keys.

IS MULTIBOXING BOTTING (Automated Game Play)?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Botting and Multiboxing are two different things. Botting is the act of automating various functions of game play, to such an extent that little to no human interaction is required to progress in the game. Multiboxing doesn't inherently automate game play, and human interaction is required at all times whilst multiboxing. It is entirely possible for a botter to write a script or program to automated multiboxed characters, but this is no different to how they would do this for a single character. The IMPORTANT thing to note is that multiboxing is NOT inherently automated, in the same way you playing a single character is not inherently automated.

Personal Note: Those that argue multiboxing should be banned because it can be automated should also be arguing for single character play to be banned because it can be automated. Logic fail.

IS MULTIBOXING HAVING CHARACTERS STAND AT WAY-POINTS?

Short answer: Not traditionally.

Long answer: It is entirely possible for a multiboxer to "untie" characters they are controlling from their control scheme, allowing them to "camp" way-points. This is down to the individual, and it is arguable whether it is an exploit or not.

The game is balanced in such a way that difficulty scales depending on party size. Leaving characters in a party in a particular location whilst other characters move off to "play the game" is arguably resulting in the game being more difficult for that player. It is worth noting that there is no evidence of automation here either, and any "banning" of this style of play would be down to ethical considerations (not that there really are any).

IS MULTIBOXING EASIER THAN SOLO PLAY?

Short answer: Probably not.

Long answer: Given the scaling involved in party play in Path of Exile, it stands to reason that multiboxing multiple characters is indeed MORE DIFFICULT than traditional party play. Multiboxers suffer a lack of character-specific reactions. That is to say that the movement of their characters, the abilities they are using, and the position of the characters, is uniform across all characters. They cannot traditionally cast one ability on one character, whilst the other characters are doing something else. This should lead you to the conclusion that the lack of flexibility involved in multiboxing several characters results in a more challenging style of play than normal.

DO MULTIBOXERS GAIN AN ADVANTAGE OVER NORMAL PLAYERS?

Unless they are multibox botting, they are arguably not getting any significant advantage from running several near-identical characters from the same keyboard and mouse. There is an argument that multiboxers get more loot, but the reality is that the loot they get is spread out across the same number of characters. Ergo, 5 character multiboxers are having to spread 5 character's worth of loot out across 5 characters.

Expansion:

There is some concern that multiboxers gain an "economic" advantage over normal party players. The idea is that - despite having to spread loot and drops out over a full party's worth of characters - the "player" (as in the person controlling the characters) gains ALL of the loot, where in normal play that would not be the case due to loot mechanics. This may be true, and I will not attempt to offer a conclusion on the matter, but a question should be posed:

Given the relative increased difficulty of multibox party play, is the slight economic advantage multiboxers gain something that should be considered an exploitation of the game OR a "valid (if unintended) reward" for their efforts?

IS MULTIBOXING HACKING?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Multiboxing does not inherently involve accessing or editing the game's code base outside of normal boundaries, and as such is not hacking. Hacking is the act of going into the game's code base, and manipulating it in a way that would not normally be possible. This can involve altering the game clients behaviour, or editing the packets of information the client sends to the server, to achieve "unspecified" aims. Common hacks include: map hacks (where the full map is displayed before physical discovery) or speed hacks (where the players moves at a faster speed than would otherwise be possible.

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If anyone has any more questions they'd like answering, feel free to ask. Hopefully we can kill of some of the more spurious misinformation about multiboxing going around.

Good post.

I'm not sure I'm in 100% agreement with all of it but from my experience and observation it seems mostly right. The only two points I'd argue with (but won't clutter things up here) would probably be the economics of it (the profitability) and, while multi boxing is not botting, it is extremely tempting for some multiboxers to add in automation to make things easier and more efficient. It is similar to the 'gateway drug' argument where marijuana is concerned.

Good post, I'm glad you summarized the nonsense I've been trying to correct in that eight page thread :P

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Omnivore61 написал:

Good post.

I'm not sure I'm in 100% agreement with all of it but from my experience and observation it seems mostly right. The only two points I'd argue with (but won't clutter things up here) would probably be the economics of it (the profitability) and, while multi boxing is not botting, it is extremely tempting for some multiboxers to add in automation to make things easier and more efficient. It is similar to the 'gateway drug' argument where marijuana is concerned.

I will expand on this a little, I think :)

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There is an argument that multiboxers get more loot, but the reality is that the loot they get is spread out across the same number of characters.

This is a horrible argument and totally wrong. Each character is getting more loot for being in a party individually versus solo, and assuming you are playing 4/6 chars or whatever and not teaming with other people, you aren't threatened with "ninjas".

Anyhow, the main reason your apologetic argument fails is that it isn't about the number of characters. It is about the amount of loot gotten by the human being playing the game.

I'm interested in multiboxing. It sounds like a fun challenge and the reason I would want to do it too is that I know I can get way more loot per time spent if I can pull it off. I'm not going to rpetend like it is just some challenge and I don't expect some reward for it.

I'd rather a FAQ on how we do it, what software etc. rather than apologia.

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Chypre написал:

This is a horrible argument and totally wrong. Each character is getting more loot for being in a party individually versus solo, and assuming you are playing 4/6 chars or whatever and not teaming with other people, you aren't threatened with "ninjas".

Firstly, see the edits (I just said I was making).

Secondly, I would like to see a post from GGG that supports the notion that "indidivual" drop rates are increased in party play, as opposed to drop rates being "buffed" for party play. These are two different things, and until I read something that categorically states how GGG are handling the uprating of loot drops in party play... I'm not going to factor it in to the debate.

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rather than apologia.

The debate on the forum revolves around the legitimacy of multiboxing, not "how to do it". If you wish to multibox, feel free to use Google to find out how to multibox. This FAQ isn't an "apologia"; it is simply designed to inform :)

You've clearly been informed, and as such I feel the thread is WAI.

Great post OP! Very helpful.

All of this is so hilarious - the game is in no way different from a single player game for the majority of us - akin to ARPG's of old. The only difference here is that the game requires an internet connection to play, which results in an obligatory social interaction and inherent "jealousy" and competitiveness. If more of us just regarded this game for what is what meant to be - a single player ARPG with an optional multiplayer/PVP component - none of this crap would matter. The number of threads recently which seem to equate this game to WoW or the like is pathetic...this is NOT a feckin MMORPG in essence

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DO MULTIBOXERS GAIN AN ADVANTAGE OVER NORMAL PLAYERS?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Unless they are multibox botting, they are arguably not getting any advantage from running several near-identical characters from the same keyboard and mouse. There is an argument that multiboxers get more loot, but the reality is that the loot they get is spread out across the same number of characters. Ergo, 5 character multiboxers are having to spread 5 character's worth of loot out across 5 characters.

Expansion:

There is some concern that multiboxers gain an "economic" advantage over normal party players. The idea is that - despite having to spread loot and drops out over a full party's worth of characters - the "player" (as in the person controlling the characters) gains ALL of the loot, where in normal play that would not be the case due to loot mechanics. This may be true, and I will not attempt to offer a conclusion on the matter, but a question should be posed:

Given the relative increased difficulty of multibox party play, is the slight economic advantage multiboxers gain something that should be considered an exploitation of the game OR a "valid (if unintended) reward" for their efforts?

This is still bogus. You do "attempt to offer a conclusion" by saying "Short answer: No." which is just flat out wrong.

Go solo and see how much loot is dropping then go join a 6 player Fellshrine run or whatever. This is much more than a "slight economic advantage".

Supposedly GGG said somewhere that they don't care about multiboxing, but I doubt they are going to come give it a blessing and encourage it. They probably could do some things to make it harder, but the amount of people doing this is so small that it doesn't matter. I'm more worried that the game is popular enough we have botting (maybe we already do?).

What you said is multibox in combination of other software enhancing the performance.

Traditionally, mutlibox simply means being able to open two or more clients at once.