threeflies

I think youll find your ok as long as your not using a programe unatended.

guice

I seem to recall them unbanning the accounts and saying nothing else.

This was done at the time they added windows mode and said nothing about "a second chance".


(I found the quote)

Personally, I think SOE has no viable grounds for banning you for using an application that has proven to perform better than thier own internal system's version. EQW is nothing more than EQ in a window. It's exactly the same thing you get when you hit 'Alt-Enter', but it's (much) more stable.

EQW happens to be a great way to two box on 1 system. I know plenty of people that 4 box using this method (two systems with two accounts on each). I just two box, but I do have two computers to allow me to do so (But, I do use EQW on my alt box to allow me to search/research while playing).

Sorry to bring it up. I just think it would be outright childish of SOE if they decided to start banning accounts cause of the use of EQW again. After all they said it themselves -- Cause of the new EQ Window mode they are lifting all bans from using EQW (Third party apps).

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Neiloch

1. You will not get banned. Like said before EQWindows does exactly what EQ can already do but better.

2. They unbanned the accounts when they came out with the feature for EQ and stated that no more people will be banned for using "third party software that puts everquest in a window"

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ramzeva

As mentioned earlier in this thread, KVM switch rocks for 2box. I use IOGear KVM, all I have to do is hit Scroll Lock key 2x to switch back and forth rapidly between 2 computers on 1 setup.

Aedaen Darklaef

All good valid points, the KVM switch by far is the best solution. But a FYI, for simple PLing of an alt, if both characters are in the same zone, I had absolutley no problem 2 boxing on one machine, with each instance in a 1024x768 window, with minimal reduction in framerates. This was on a Slot A Athlon 850Mhz with 512 MB PC100. I personally could not believe it worked. I wouldnt recommend it for raiding or anything that strenuous however. Oh and I was not using the EVIL (=p) EQW

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OneDeadlyBum

I successfully 'two-box' on one PC, and these are my specs:

1.6 GHZ P4 Processor
512 MB of SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9600 PRO (running in 4x AGP mode, quality texture settings, no AA/AF)

I've only got one hard-drive, but heres some things to point out about 'two-boxing' on one PC:

1) Turning off ALL Luclin models is a MUST, unless you happen to have a horse, in the case turn on ONLY the luclin models you need (your race, and only your gender, + horse/elemental models)

2) Turning off sound is HIGHLY suggested, unless you want to put up with echoing, and if your processor isn't that good you'll get plenty of slow-down.

3) Low-resolutions and UIs with little screen clutter are your friend. Make special hotkeys that you can press, and quickly alt-tab to another character while the other does his thing. (generally only works with casters, but i imagine with some creative positioning and hotkeys it could work with any class)

4) Get your characters/UIs/etc setup just right, and then if you currently use luclin models OR want different settings when your not playing two characters, make a copy of your EQ directory. While this will eat up more disk space, you'll save a significant amount of time (no luclin models = uber fast loading), and if you don't have to cache your textures every other time you play, its less waiting time and less RAM/processing cycles wasted.

5) Make sure that your EQ windows are directly on top of each other. This is a MUST, otherwise you'll get garbage performance. Yes, it'd be nice to have both windows next to each other, but that just isn't gonna happen unless you have a super-computer (or sony changed a few things since last i checked and it performs good that way now)

That covers...just about all the basics. Don't forget to group with other people every now and then :P

bobbarkersoup

Running a 1.5ghz with 512 ram and a Geforce Ti4200 I have NO problem running tow copies of EQ from the same directory in 800x600 resolution, sometimes I can get away with one copy being full screen and still no problem, ---JUST MAKE SURE SPELL EFFECTS ARE OFF--

Oh, and never go to POK either heh, I can do bazaar ten times better than POK for some reason when 2 windowing EQ, not sure why, considering bazaar lags ten times worse when I have one copy going.

Email

PIV-2.8GHz @ 3.2GHz
1-GB DDR500
4-80GB Drives (Two EQ Folders) in Raid 0
BFG 6800 GT OC
-----EQW-----
Zoning is fairly fast
Lag is minimal
All effects on is playable
Just wish I had 1 more GB of DDR500 though....

ArcherPhate

well with a 200+ graphics card id hope so email

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yoblleh

Ok i have to disagree with everyone that says you shouldnt 2 box on 1 pc im not saying anyone is wrong because a switch is an awsome thing to use and if you can use one then use it but if your only 15 like me and may not have the money for one or whatever the reason, then try 2 boxing on one pc i have 4 computers running a laptop if i need it and a grave yard of computers but no switch and the computer i use to play EQ is downstairs the rest of the comps up up stairs and its kinda hard and a hassle to run cables from downstairs to upstairs so try 2 boxing on one pc works for me just peachy now if your computer is older and maybe dosnt run eq vary well already try and get a switch but try 2 boxing on one pc works for me great and it works for my brother too i have a gig of ram no more is needed you could even try a little less and a 64meg nvidia Geforce 4 and cable internet thos should be all that you need thank you for your time remember to never forget you have a toon logged on in another window you could die that way i know iv done it so have fun

be well

Zzayn

Eci server/ soon to be tunar

Lertz

Well i had just gotten dsl (previously 56k) and i can tell aload of difference and with eqwindows2 its alot easier because u can switch screens while zoning.

i have a 3.0 gh HT processor and it helps alot along with 500 ddr 2700 mgb and 128 msi graphic card which ain't all to great, but i barly have lag problems and if i do i just turn down the clip plane or the lvl of which u can see spells, that seems to do the trix

Lorendahl

If you have the opportunity, just hook up a second hard drive and copy all the EQ files to the other drive, no installation is necessary.

I do that to keep the traffic down on the primary HD.

Also, you should turn down ALL unnecessary models. I ran 2 instances on a PIII 733 w/512Megs of memory, and an NVidia GeForce Ti4600. No major problems...

soran

The last thing Sony wants to do, is start banning accounts for people using EQWindows. They are already losing enough money as it is and are hardly gonna ban someone running 2 accounts on 1 computer.

They don't even do anything about people running MacroQuest and using exploits to cheat. Just tonight my guild found someone in Tacvi killing a Boss from the zone in, solo.

The true number of people running eqwindows, and wineq would probably shock you. I wouldn't worry about it.

Soran

Yaldiar

I two box on one computer occasionally and have no problem at all with lag. My main character in normal eq and then the boxed in EQWindows, runs fine. My system isn't all that great either.