dual boxing options

Elevenb4

Hey folks,i played this game about 5 years ago. I played for about 2 years straight, had a good time. I'm on the fence about playing it again, however this time I would like to play two accounts at the same time. What are the best options to do that? Like if I was mission running, would just running two dps ships make sense or should i run a support ship? If Mining, should you run two miners at once? 

Is dual boxing a waste of time and money? 

Just looking for opinions. 

Thanks. 

H0urg1ass

I run several accounts every time I play.  I have three monitors and sometimes more than one account on a single monitor.  Playing multiple accounts on one monitor is a huge pain.

For instance, if I'm mission running then I have an account running the mission, I have an account running command links and I have an account coming in behind the mission runner scooping and salvaging loot. Sometimes I put one of my disposable alts on another account on the gate in a rookie ship to keep tabs on who is coming in and out of system.

If you're mining, then you want somewhere around 5 accounts to be profitable.  Three accounts mining in mining ships, one account providing mining command links and another hauling ore.  In the olden days, the links ship (Orca) would be in the field scooping the ore, but with full time griefers running around high sec these days, I just sit on an undock with that account now.

At the end of the day, if you're running that many accounts, then you are aiming to mine enough ore to pay for your accounts with PLEX and still make a few billion ISK per week.

If I'm PVP'ing "solo", then I have an account in a damn near unprobeable T3 with command links scouting ahead of me, and a combat ship following behind it.  If I see guys I want to kill, then I set up the links in a safe and then jump in and PVP with my combat account.  Other times I sit in an asteroid belt doing absolutely nothing in a Battlecruisers.  50km away I have an alt in a cloaked Falcon.  If it's a gank, then I jam the tackler and GTFO.  If it's a fair fight, then I leave the falcon cloaked and fight.

In fact, the best way to play EVE is with multiple accounts.  You can certainly play with one, but I would say that at least two accounts is far more efficient.

Kyleran

Multiple accounts is the way to go IMO, besides what was mentioned previously, a 2nd provides you a scout for when you are hauling cargo through dangerous space which actually has been highsec for me these days with all the suicide ganking, especially in and around Jita.

I always ran missions with 2 pilots, worked quite well. A friend of runs them with 3 or 4, throwing in a logi but I found the AI targets them too frequently so I stuck with two.

Mining is where multiboxing really shines, I run 6 accounts, in a mixture of Orca/Rorq boosting, 4 to 5 miners (if I don't have to boost its 5) and one dedicated hauler and where I make the most ISK.

Another nice thing about multiboxing is you can spread out your training across them.

A few months ago my alliance asked us to train up for a dreadnaught, but which one, all had advantages.  I solved the problem and trained up for 3 of the 4 racial dreads, one on each character so now can fight in whatever is needed and available. Sure, could do that on one account, but would take 3 times the duration to complete, I had them all in three months or less.

Multiboxing in EVE is invaluable in so many ways I can't imagine not doing it.

Oh yes, I fly all six accounts on one laptop, one screen, easy to do for mining and other PVE, not so much for PVP where I normally fight only one account at a time unless off grid boosting or entosising or bashing dead sticks.

wyldmagik

take note, multiple eve account juggling is extreme in the stress zone. I ran 4 at one time and then down to 3 eventually taking a break and returning to 1 solid account toon. If you are a parent this will eat into your time and balancing it all to run and use so many accounts is not really what I would call fun gaming, it may be to start but can become sickening later on.

The only people I find manage this well are autistic people who deal with such matters better or single still living at home types. So before you dive into the multi account route look at who you are and what you need to get done in real life before hand I would say.

Everyone is different of course but they are points worth taking into account.

Kyleran

wyldmagik said:

take note, multiple eve account juggling is extreme in the stress zone. I ran 4 at one time and then down to 3 eventually taking a break and returning to 1 solid account toon. If you are a parent this will eat into your time and balancing it all to run and use so many accounts is not really what I would call fun gaming, it may be to start but can become sickening later on.

The only people I find manage this well are autistic people who deal with such matters better or single still living at home types. So before you dive into the multi account route look at who you are and what you need to get done in real life before hand I would say.

Everyone is different of course but they are points worth taking into account.

You are definitely "different."

Good time to mention they changed training in a couple of good ways. You can queue up to 50 skills now, meaning one of my accounts has a 538 day training plan.  O.o

Also, you no longer have to complete all of a prerequisite skill before adding its successor.

You can just queue up all 4 or 5 levels of the first (i.e. Mining barges) then add the next (i.e. Exhumers) all at one time.

Couple with the fact they did away with learning skills ling ago its never been easier to start and manage a new character/account.

Did I mention skill in
extractors/injectors? A great way to transfer skills you may no longer need on your original account over to your new one, just don't waste on higher level rank 5s, not very cost effective IMO.

wyldmagik

setting skill training is totally different to managing the game play. Having those accounts running in the back of ones mind while doing other tasks in game is not something that is just simple to deal with all the time. If you think this is the case they you are either botting or just ignorant to it and in time you will burn.

Like the guy running 6 accounts on one laptop? give over please... alt tab to each of those to make sure nobody is kicking ur ass or everything is functioning correctly as you play between them is classed by you as 'normal' ? I find it a hard pill to swallow as well btw that anyone that plays on one screen with multiple accounts "ON THE GO ACTIVE IN GAME" are not botting if they are miners. Each to their own, but please don't say its easy to keep up years of gameplay juggling eve accounts its not that simplistic on the mind.

OfficerFriendlyEQ2

Hourglass/kyleran got it right! Oh heck yeah If you want an easier way to play EVE definitely get multiple accounts running. I do get your argument, wyldmagiik, BUT there's a piece of mind factor when your other ship is AT an adjacent gate, watching for badies

Kyleran

Managing multiple ships in EVE mimics botting in many ways. 

First, best to fly identically fit ships.  When mining with 5 I fly identical Skiffs.

This not only allows me to easily repeat actions, but Skiffs only have 1 laser each so far easier to manage activations and crystal swaps than say a Hulk which would be maddening with 15 total lasers.

Same for ratting null sec anoms. Only 4 Ishtars which I warp in at 100 kms,  drop Sentry drones (20 in all) then bounce between screens retargeting everything. All die before becoming a threat. Even drop a mobile tractor unit to gather all the loot in automatically which I pick up later.

It's all about leveraging efficiencies between ships and situations and you too can thrive and prosper.

Oh yes, swapping 6 on screen does occasionally result in me hearing a ship go boom unexpectedly, just the cost of doing business.  

Elevenb4

Thanks all

Gdemami

I guess the fundamental question wasn't asked: Why do you want/feel need to dual box?

OfficerFriendlyEQ2

to win meow!