Dual-Boxing and Roleplay

[ChampionMouse]

Don't cry, Rensin. That's so sad. T-T

I personally, as one of those crazy multi-boxing people...have settled down in my old age. I typically find it to be more fun/enjoyable when multi-boxing characters in the same area...particularly if they are characters that really play well off of one another.

I used to do more crazy multi-place things, but, I can't be bothered for that anymore. To each their own, I say. Hehe.

[Krent]

I think it's silly :|

Dual-boxing for GM's in events and such, yeah yeah, that's cool. Sometimes y'need multiple boxes to do multiple things.

But, honestly?

If you're dual-boxing just for the sake of being online with two or three characters at the same time?

I think you're silly and you should feel silly :|

I've seen people triple-box at times in the same event. Not for DM'ing purposes, but just to have three bloody characters at the same bloody event.

It seems really egotistical like. And you tend to get less RP quality from each character. And these people tend to have like, a bajillion and a half alts, which I also think is silly.

If I ever get around to running my own events, I'ma have it as a rule that you can only have ONE character attend at a time.

Unless you have a valid reason to multi-box, I think you're narcissistic. And silly.

Narcissilly.

SENSUOUS EDIT OF INTIMACY: OH, and y'know what really gets under my skin?

When there's like, an event with some sort of tournament, and people multi-box just for the sake of having extra lives in case they lose the tournament.

"lol guess my player 1 got pwnt oh well time to have player 2 go in 8D"

That kind of stuff makes me

Spoiler:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLlReY-jnAo

YesKrentgetssaltyveryeasyoncertainsubjectsandheisajerk.

[Piken]

I've mixed feelings on it. I really have no problem with dual-boxing, as I do it all the time. Sometimes I do it just fine and I like to think no one can really tell, other times it's really noticeable. I also try to plan it where I'm not doing any mobile RP on either character, just in case.

Of course, sometimes I'm really slow just because I'm doing other things. But for me, personally, I -need- to be doing other things. If I try to focus solely on one thing(one RP) I get agitated. I'm -constantly- switching tabs, looking at things, reading other things. If I don't have any of those, I'll actually go to my browser and just open and close tabs to pass time while I wait for posts. That other character gives me a chance to do something during the 'down time' of the other RP. Also, sometimes it's just rare that I get to play another character and there's people around for me to RP with while I'm RPing elsewhere, so I try to get the best of both worlds. If I'm having trouble with one or the other, I'll usually log off one, though.

Piken has severe ADD. :|

[Kirabo]

I mean, I devote my full attention to our RP. Why do I only warrant half of yours?

If I'mma RP with someone, they're going to get my full attention.

This is basically my stance against this. We came here to roleplay. Both sides should take into consideration that the other player in the session decided to spend some time out of his life to roleplay with the other. I think that the least we can do in that situation is commit ourselves fully to them. We're doing something wrong if this doesn't make sense to you.

I have heard of multi-boxers that RP with themselves, by themselves. Alone.

Not sure how that works.

I actually do it sometimes to test character concepts. When I roleplay, I don't think too much about how my characters would react to events unveiling around them. I'm more of a medium, simply here to transfer their thoughts into text. As for your other point, I also often have my characters in mutual (business) relationships. That means that I have to somehow get them together for interaction.

All the truths in the Universe

I completely agree with all your claims.

I'm -constantly- switching tabs, looking at things, reading other things. If I don't have any of those, I'll actually go to my browser and just open and close tabs to pass time while I wait for posts.

I was planning to mention this, but I'm glad it was someone else. See, I think this is the greatest problem with dual-boxing. We're used to people alt-tabbing while we're roleplaying with them, checking the forums, their Facebook, watching videos on Youtube, browsing Reddit, 4Chan, or what have you. We're so grown to that fact that instead of trying to change it, we bend to it. We flow down its stream. It just turns into a hivemind, and we all do it, instead of roleplaying. I've only recently come to conclude that, and have stopped. The easiest way to pass time, for me at least, seems to be downloading a mini-game addon for WoW. I've downloaded chess, and play a game while waiting for a reply.

It also helps if one explains to themselves that they're going to spend the following X hours or Y minutes roleplaying, and not doing anything else. Talking to your roleplaying partners helps, as well.

My two bit-coins have been given.

[Rowgen]

Poke at my conscience more, gais.

Thanks, Kirabo. I think I'll take your advice about the minigames. I've trouble with keeping my attention on one singular thing, mostly because of IRL stress, but I think something to fidget with ingame could help. Good one.

[ImagenAshyun]

I'm not able to do it. I do think we should bow down to the multi-boxing god that is ImagenAyshun, however.

FLATTERY WON'T CHARGE THESE BATTERIES.

Anyway, I'm probably the opposite of most other players here. As of late, I have been multiboxing on separate RPs less and less, though it's less to do with splitting attention amd moreso to do with computer performance. I can triplebox RP, but the location is crucial (certain locales such as Dalaran cause heavy lag on one client, so it really depends).

I otherwise have little to no problem RPing more than one character in one RP situation; in fact, I tend to highly enjoy RP when I dualbox. I pick and chose when I do multibox carefully, computer performance aside. Usually when I do multibox, it's either:

1.) More than one of my characters is genuinely being called for in an RP. For instance, Cristovao wants to be with his lover and brother-in-law for some insight on their family. Rather than split the RP in two sessions, it's best accomplished to have Diwaata and Kapre together.

2.) It doesn't make sense that this character is alone in a location where he/she needs a companion but no one would RP that companion. Case in point: Dino, a cripple, needs someone to help him around the house to accomodate the needs of a patient and/or guest; I RP Aimee, who has perfectly functional legs, to assist him directly.

3.) I do a casual mini-event where it's less to do with combat or story and moreso for silly shenanigans and antics. One example I did is where Tibalan, my tauren, somehow chased Kantado up a tree, and players have to think about how the hell they'd get him down while Kantado becomes the butt of everyone's jokes for somehow accomplishing this feat.



Now trust me, I've done tons of calls for people to RP companions for my characters. Sadly, only 1 out of 4 calls for companions is answered, and I end up multiboxing to accomplish anything anyway. I still don't have a wife for Urameil, and I don't know if Arnaldo will ever find his now-grown child. I've asked for someone to RP Allegra for Stefano's storyline, but herpderp, I ended up dualboxing her anyway.


As far as I see it, RPing more than one character became a necessity of mine for any sort of RP satisfaction. Quite frankly, I get bored of RPing only one character at a time, and my altohism isn't so much a result of imagination running rampant as it is having too many traits and ideas that cannot be placed on just one character. This is why I have three (and come Cata, four) TLE characters: Kapre, Kantado, Tibalan, and eventually, Willelm. I have so many areas of RP to explore, but exploring them on one character would be unrealistic, unjustifiable, and in general, impossible.

Some people RP concepts; some people RP characters. Me, I RP cast herds. Cast herding allows me to develop characters substantially and provide them the depth they need to stand out; this is how I have at least 10 characters become well-rounded and relatively dynamic. This is also why I'm aching with 20+ characters that I cannot retire--almost all of them do get good RP, and over half of those characters develop very dynamically.


As for "RPing with myself"? That's absolutely silly. I will never go on more than one character for the purpose of RP if I don't have at least one player with me to interact with. Usually the only time I am "RPing with myself" is to set the stage for story and atmosphere for RP to happen with the other player (such as Kapre barking orders at Kantado or Tibalan). IF, however, I want my characters to interact with each other and I don't care if another player is present, then that goes straight to the IC forums for the purpose of storytelling. RP is for interaction with another player. RPing with myself would be really boring.

[Piken]

I really don't do it for the whole "nowadays people need to check Facebook and twitter" etc. etc. kinda stuff. I'm just.. physically unable to just sit. I get -very- uncomfortable. This is me personally. Focusing on -one- thing, for me, is almost impossible. Usually when I am, though, it's not a good situation.

I can definitely understand why others would be bothered by people doing other things, though. Just know that it's not always 'this person doesn't respect me enough to give me their full attention'. Sometimes it's that the person -can't- give their full attention.

Piken's making this too srs. ;-;

Spoiler:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMfMmSFDKPw[/youtube]

[Rowgen]

Yeah, I'd say I know Piken's feels pretty well.

[McKnighter]

I've dual boxed before, and let me tell you, it ain't easy. It took me a while before I managed to get a grasp on the concept and pull it off at a somewhat acceptable standard. Most likely my best cases were Baidin and Calia Dolance, cousins that serve in the Argent Crusade together. They were often near each other, Baidin being the immature kid soldier while Calia was the responsible 'big sister' figure.

My ultimate triple box was the Duskbinder therapy business that never really kicked off. I had Noria Duskbinder as the doctor, and two other characters as staff(two secretaries/nurses/guards). They were easier to manage when there was just one client, and they filled roles that I wouldn't bother asking another player to fill. I try to keep my multi-boxing to respectable standards, and typically only do it when it's asked. As Rei said earlier about being offended that someone would start dual boxing in the middle of RP, I take that in a different light. Despite being asked to role-play by someone else who might have a more demanding position("GET ON MY CHARACTER'S SPOUSE WE GOT SOME SERIOUS STUFF TO DO, QUICK!"), s/he wants to stay apart of the RP rather than end it to go attend another matter.

As long as they can pull it off decently, all the power to those people.

I'm also one of those people who have role-played with themselves when completely bored. Pls be gentle.

[Bovel]

I personally only dual-box as a tool for my Dungeon Mastering. Last night for example when I was on Telah and Terauk at the same time and Terak became questgiver more or less. And I have appeared on some event with two characters because my CMC Uyendu was demanded, but I dislike it.

I can personally say that I passionately -LOATH- feeling ignored when RPing with someone and this doesn't always have to be tied with dual-boxing. If I know how fast you type and reply, I'll quite quickly notice when you are not focused and do something else meanwhile like roleplaying over Skype, watching YouTube and so on. But I admit that I flick back and forth myself when I RP with people that just don't respond quickly enough.

So if you are in RP and you feel that your are slow to respond and not focused, please be realistic and respectful to the others and either focus or eject yourself from the RP. Because when -you- are wasting -someone else's- time when you make them wait!

[Zhaei]

Personally I never dual-box because I only have two characters and I only really RP in a few select storylines or DM my events at the minute due to lack of time. I have no problem if people dual-box as long as I get the attention I would've got if they weren't doing it, as Bovel said.

Although I do do other things whilst RPing, it's almost always writing music which leaves more than enough of my attention for the RP as it doesn't need constant attention nor major activity, and it also helps my creative drive. If you, like I and many others, suffer from the Piken Syndrome, then make it something that doesn't require constant attention (like another video game would).

[Sol]

I make it a point these days to avoid dualboxing unless I'm DMing or the characters are in the same scene. Perhaps I'm just not as creatively dynamic as I used to be (I used to love running Jared and Voragh in separate scenes at the same time), but I feel my attention/energies are too divided if I try and split it evenly.

I don't get offended when people are dualboxing in an RP with me, though. That just reeks of entitlement. You can play who you want when you want, in my books -- I'm in no position to demand.

[Jonoth]

I've only multiboxed in different RP sessions a handful of times, and I avoid it like the plague now. Usually it came from being in an awesome RP that lasted much longer than expected, which bled into an event I wanted to attend. The result is I either looked like a d-bag by taking a long time to answer my first partner, or I looked like a d-bag for taking forever to roll when it was my turn.

My original multiboxes were on Planeshift, and its purpose was to help add to atmosphere and create RP. So I'd have Jonoth and Remyl (best friends in that game) banter between each other, with Jonoth being the quieter and more serious one and Remyl being the one to tell him to join him in his womanizing. The most difficult thing for me in those instances is to make sure I'm speaking as the right character in the right client (I passed it off a few times as Jonoth "mocking" his friend XD). More recently I've done same location RP with Dibykali and Yvakara in Stormshade, or Dibykali and her mother Kela'rin. My rule is I don't multibox unless the characters are in the same place, and for battles I usually find an excuse to leave one character "back at base" so that they don't use up turns that can go to other players.

[SachikoMaeda]

.... Am I a bad person because I dualbox?

("GET ON MY CHARACTER'S SPOUSE WE GOT SOME SERIOUS STUFF TO DO, QUICK!")

GET ON SALOR NOW THERE'S SOMETHING SERIOUS TO DO, QUICK!

[Delta]

I'm a notoriously slow writer. It's not that I have a low WPM count, I just invest a lot of thought into each parcel of text. As such, I prefer not to dual box. That doesn't mean I'm not able to play multiple characters in the same session though, nor is it greatly taxing to juggle personalities. It's even easier if the characters are familiar with one another and their interaction is smooth and breezy.

It's probably more polite to avoid stationing oneself in multiple scenarios at the same time if one's posting speed or attention to detail suffers for it, but that's one's own prerogative, and I wouldn't dream of demanding someone's full concentration. Heck, I wouldn't even mind if they were in the middle of casual conversation between posts. Since I am as slow as I am, a fast writer might prefer to have other things on the go to keep them occupied. That's cool. I also don't mind roleplaying with other slow writers. I remember some sessions where my partners took ten to fifteen minutes a post! Each one was meaningful and a pleasure to read, so that was quite all right with me.