Multiboxing is perhaps the financially gifted gamer’s solution for the pursuit of fame, fortune and a greater challenge on a particular title. Controlling multiple characters and attempting to do what other people do in groups seems enticing to most hardcore gamers. Coordinating up to even 50 characters is not an impossible feat; it’s been done in World of Warcraft.
Yes it’s a bit extreme and unnecessary, but taking down 40 people in a competitive game by yourself seems like a tempting way to tickle your ego.
Sure there’s a bunch of work involved and micro managing multiple characters is probably rougher than any RTS game; however, I do believe that there is incomparable potential logistically when it comes to achieving as much as possible while going lone wolf in any online rpg. Will multiboxing be possible in Diablo 3 late game, can it be profitable enough to go through the hassle and will it grant enough satisfaction?
The Methods
There’s a couple ways you can go about multiboxing Diablo 3. The most common form of multiboxing is dualboxing with 1 computer using a cloning software program which duplicates your keystrokes to both copies of the game. I’ve seen people use this method to run up to 5x copies of the same game with 5x characters on 1 computer. Usually people will have multiple monitors. If you have knowledge of VMS, I’ve heard word that it’s highly effective and perhaps the cheapest way of multiboxing Diablo 3 without getting caught.
If you go this far you are very hardcore.
Using this method requires a pretty good rig and a standard computer would die trying to put out this many copies. Another way to multibox is to run multiple computers in conjunction with software.
BLUE BEAMS!!!
If you’re wondering how people can control multiple computers without having several sets of hands, there’s a few ways people go about this. Some buy software, some buy additional hardware devices and others craft their own methods.
LOL amazing! - Holes drilled through sticks to press select keys on each pad per stick. 1x Plastic piece attached on top of each mouse allowing them to all move the same direction.
Most people use software that allows you to sync your computers and even allow your mouse and keyboard to control each computer simultaneously. Using software in this way can diminish a lot of control you could otherwise have with extra mouses/touchpads or additional hardware.
What’s to Gain?
Multiboxing Diablo 3 seems like more fun than other games due to the real money auction house. The loot and gold is separate per character so if you’re able to control 4x characters (maximum per game) and keep at least a moderate pace you should be able to out farm any solo player.
Additionally there will be a lot of room for tweaking gold find and magic find for maximum gains. For example one could have a character like a Monk solely dedicated to healing and buffs while wearing purely mf/gf gear. If one could eventually keep a good farming pace in Inferno mode the rewards could be jaw dropping. Coming up with the right group composition, 4x builds and gear strategically synergetic with inherit multiboxing issues could be a fun endeavor indeed. In theory, the satisfaction would be well worth the work if one could make it that far.
The Negatives
The obstacles I see are the initial down payments, character control and frustration. The game copies alone would cost 240 dollars not to mention extra fees for the appropriate hardware to achieve this. Blizzard firmly stated no mods can be used in Diablo 3. If one were to use a third party program for multiboxing Diablo 3, risk would be at hand.
Diablo 2 was full of botters (which I talked about on my post Diablo 3 Bots) and any accounts associated with third party programs could easily be detected and banned even if it was just for key cloning. The way around this would be to use 4x computers and hardware alone to control one’s characters which could still add small risk to one’s accounts. Budget computers that can handle Diablo 3 can go as low as 300-350 dollars if you build them yourself. Don’t forget you’ll need additional cables, you’ll be paying higher electricity bills and possibly tripping breakers in your house.
In order to actually progress through the game in the harder levels; it will take heavy dedication to practice and creative ways of figuring out how to actually control your characters. Leveling would take much longer than normal players and hunting for the 4x appropriate gear sets would take a ton of extra work.
If you actually attempt multiboxing Diablo 3 be prepared to scratch your plans often, re-level multiple times and test out ridiculous amounts of ability combinations. Furthermore be ready to fall behind most dedicated gamers for a while. Risk-reward… I’ll leave the calculation up to you.
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