so hard to choose what combo works the greatest. the most common being either HE/PP or SH/SE dualbox, all the way to the wierdest combo i have seen yet - PS/WC/EE triple box.
whatever you choose there are 2 elements to consider: will you be boxing in pvp AND pve? if so, try to choose a useful buffer and a good Damage dealer.
that said ther are any number of combinations to use for both scenario's, but what the next stage covers will not be what to choose, rather it will cover some techniques for buffing on the fly rechargeing quickly, and how to use a buffpet in a field area where there really isnt much need.
stage2: the technique.
there are 2 techniques to boxed buffing/recharging, the first is live buffing (custom buff every round) the second is macro buffing.
both techniques REQUIRE the use of macros, but one in a more dependant sense.
to properly macro, you will need to drag your buffs onto your hotbars2 and 3. create a new macro and insert the buffs by draggin them to the macro space FROM the hotbar. this will read in the macro "/useshortcut 2 1" or the like. remember: you cannot reference another macro inside a macro. for those that box a prophet, you will be using 2 macro's per fighter for full buffs, and only 1 per mage. those with less voluminous buffs will not require so much effort and time to buff, and can insert some tricks in your buffs to keep downtime for buffing to a minimum.
tip#1, use a /target "insert main here" for your opening line so that even if your autofollow breaks, you dont need to click all kinds of times to find yourself.
tip#2, use a /target "insert main here" line twice on a second macro and name it AF. place it at your most commonly used Fkey for your main fighting toon, then switching to restart autofollow isnt causing lots of downtime and helps keep your killspeed up. if theres room on your buff macro, use this double line to immediately autofollow after buffing, using this at the end of the macro means you can just hit the macro buff button and switch back to your main without worrying.
tip#3 place the macro buff buttons on your buffer's hotbar at the same places your regularly used Fkeys are. that is, because i myself use f1-f4 constantly in pve, i have my buffer's macro for buff F1, autofollow at f2, regular skills from there forward with f3 as heal, and f4 recharge. those 4 most commonly used f buttons make switching from one screen to the next very fast and seamless in pve. i dont use the regular number keys because when you switch screens, your cursor for text flashes. typing a number instead of an Fkey will not trigger the skill.
section 3: keeping yourself alive, and lvling.
tricky info here. most people box beginning at lvl 25-30. its faster to solo 2 toons up like that than to box beginning at lvl 1.
lots of people that box dont know how easy it is to boxheal and consequently doe a horrible pve death due to it. all you need is a 3rd macro, that reads like this: /target main /useskill "heal" /target main /target main
place it on your 4th most commonly used Fkey and let the danger commence!
boxing is a reliable way to go kill things and NOT use shots and still maintain good killspeed.
triple boxing is the same method, just a little more convoluted as you need to juggle 3 screens, 3 different characters and likely 2 different buffers. set them up identically and there shouldnt be much problem; lots of people use boxing as a measn to farm, some as a way to keep usefulness up in a clan, using boxed buffer in a raid, etc.
but as i said from the beginning, the combinations to classes are nearly infinite. have fun!
May be ment to be like that, but the reality is not, it's very hard to build up a party in this game, and usualy to create one, eg lack support class who's quite common it can take some hours to find one.
I for one hate to spend that time doing nothing.
Boxed chars is awesome to setup a party fast and easy, and just because you box doesn't meen you solo, I box all the time, I never ever solo. And no I don't refer to partying with myself.
The only input I have on the guide is, I prefer /target 'nick' /attack insted of target it twice.
First very fast and easy to modify the macros fast if needed and, kind of don't bug ats much for me, target twice somehow make my boxed char loop back some times.
Interaction with other players is not restricted to partying - the only ones who need to worry about whether or not they're in the right genre are those who can't see past their party list.
Also, I'd like to point out that if you're in the habit of going red and/or flagging and don't want to outfit your box with a fishing rod... prophets can AF by zerking/hwing someone out of party. On a red, you can AF without hitting them by simply trying any beneficial spell.
why drag the buffs to the shortbar instead of just into the macro?
i´ve got all mine direct into the macro...
this is to prevent the macro from stopping if a buff's name is too long.
try putting /useskill "Mass Summon Poltergeist Cubic" in your macro field. wont fit. drag it to shorcut bar, and presto! /useshortcut 2 1.
fits just fine.
i realise that many buffs fit fine in the fields for the macro, but when making your combination of buffer/DD in any Orc form, /useskill "Under the Protection of Paagrio" just doesnt fit.
why drag the buffs to the shortbar instead of just into the macro?
i´ve got all mine direct into the macro...
this is to prevent the macro from stopping if a buff's name is too long.
try putting /useskill "Mass Summon Poltergeist Cubic" in your macro field. wont fit. drag it to shorcut bar, and presto! /useshortcut 2 1.
fits just fine.
i realise that many buffs fit fine in the fields for the macro, but when making your combination of buffer/DD in any Orc form, /useskill "Under the Protection of Paagrio" just doesnt fit.
you dont have to type /useskill "mass summon poltergeist cubic"
just pull it from your toon skill tab to the macro.... works fine
On the third bar I usually arrange things like zerk, resist fire and similar situational spells so I don't have to change the macros every time I want to give the group exactly the buffs it needs.
why drag the buffs to the shortbar instead of just into the macro?
i´ve got all mine direct into the macro...
this is to prevent the macro from stopping if a buff's name is too long.
try putting /useskill "Mass Summon Poltergeist Cubic" in your macro field. wont fit. drag it to shorcut bar, and presto! /useshortcut 2 1.
fits just fine.
i realise that many buffs fit fine in the fields for the macro, but when making your combination of buffer/DD in any Orc form, /useskill "Under the Protection of Paagrio" just doesnt fit.
you dont have to type /useskill "mass summon poltergeist cubic"
just pull it from your toon skill tab to the macro.... works fine
doing what you suggested will not work. the skill name is too long to fit in the macro. dragging it from the skill menu wil not trigger the skill when the macro is used. to bypass this, placing it in a hot bar slot first will cause your macro to read the hotbar slot instead of the skill name, and thereby reduce the length of the title of the skill to something usable.
now; as a corollary to that, removing the skill from that particular slot will generate an error when you use the macro again.
May be ment to be like that, but the reality is not, it's very hard to build up a party in this game, and usualy to create one, eg lack support class who's quite common it can take some hours to find one.
I for one hate to spend that time doing nothing.
i rarely face problems like that, my main prob is finding a tank :/ dont know how but in most cases i end up tanking with my bd ><