Dualboxing Help

[Silenka]

This is a copypasta from the thread in Tech that no one seems to even want to offer me advice on. I figure Tech and Standard have a very different readerbase so copying it here shouldn't be an issue. I know a lot of you dualbox so I'm sure I'll find some good help ^^

I just opened a mule account on FFXI and I'm having a hell of a time figuring out the way to use my input.

I play on PC (Intel P4 dual core, GeForce 8600, 2GB RAM, not OC'd) with Windower and a PS2 controller/adapter. I use unofficial windower, and if I run both instances fullscreen I have no problems with input, when I tab to one the controller will work on it, when I tab to the other the controller jumps to that screen.

Here's my question: if I could run at a decent fps, I would run both fullscreen. Technically, my system should be able to handle it, but it can't, even if I drop my mule's graphic settings to nothing. I wouldn't really have an input problem though if I could run both fullscreen.

As it stands, I'm trying to run my mule in 800x600 (or whatever the widescreen equivalent would be, terrible at math) and my main fullscreen with full settings. They have separate windower profiles, but I don't believe that I can control the input to one vs the other with windower. Basically, I wouldn't mind using keyboard for my mule, but I want to use controller on my main, since I'm really not very good at keyboard input for FFXI. I thought about it a bit, but I can't figure out how to either make my fps better with both fullscreened (would OCing help? I don't know how) or how to control input so my controller doesn't flip out when I open my mule's windower instance.

Thank you for any help you can provide :3

[Sevilla]

I am not understanding what you are asking, but I will attempt to answer it with the way I dual box.

First my full screen can support 1440x900. I don't run full screen on both because it is pointless and it will make the graphics horrible. So my solution to this is lower the resolution to 512x512 instead of 1024x1024, and I run two instances of windower at the size of 720x480 (I don't know what you mean about unofficial windower if its the one provided by windower.net or the SE one). I also use a nifty little program called DualMonitor (should be able to get this from windower site) which allows me to switch from the instances I have by just using one of the buttons I don't use for regular play (basically the "Start" button that makes you log off). There are a few things to know though, sometimes when you switch from one instance to another using DualMonitor, the instance you switched to will start going crazy, all you need to do is press something and to get control back. It's annoying, but you will get used to it.

One other thing I forgot mention, I have two separate installations of windower on my hard drive. The reason behind this is because I fixed settings and position for a some of the plugins I use to accommodate for the instance sizes

[Mayareira]

FFXI is a massive processor hog so I'd recommend you to turn of all unnecessary programs running in the background. Apart of resolution, etc. make sure you lower the clipping frame, number of characters on screen from in-game menu as well. Turn off ALL shadows.

And finally I wouldn't really expect smooth frame rates when dual boxing. Especially in areas like Whitegate, it may literally be "unplayable". After all, ffxi is a 7-year old directx 8 game and unfortunately its old engine cannot use the system resources as efficent as newer games.

[Kimkytaru]

Umm you have either a problem with your graphic or your ram.

I had similar problem before where my fps were dropping a lot on einherjar dyna etc..

Now with my current setup I can dual box 2 account at 1440x990 resolution with a 2048x2048 resolution for background without any problem at all.

For reference I have a dual-core intel 2.8 Ghz with 4 giga of ram. and a 512mb GEforce graphic card.

[Aragon of Odin]

I don't see why you're having so many problems. I get 28-29FPS in almost all areas with 3-4 characters logged in. I do what Maya suggested for my mules, turn off weather/shadows, lower clipping plains and so on. The only times my FPS drops a lot is when near a waterfall or teleport crystal.

Sevilla, ALT+TAB switches inbetween the FFXI instances, not too sure why you need a program to do it.

[Silenka]

I don't know why I am having so many problems either. I like alt+tabbing between fullscreened instances and it's the only way my controller input will work (since it can't input to 2 windows at once if they're both open in the front, it would freak out). I don't know what could be wrong with my graphics though. I'll try updating my drivers, that might help. I shouldn't have any RAM problems, however I only have 2GB and not 4GB, but I don't think that would make so much of a difference. If I could get 28fps (even 20) on 2 chars at once I would be overjoyed.

If anyone has any ideas about how to fix this aside from updating my drivers I would appreciate it. :3

edit:

I had similar problem before where my fps were dropping a lot on einherjar dyna etc..

Just for reference, the only time my fps drops significantly on my main (full settings) without any other window open is in the elementals apollyon zone because of the .dat swap I have for elementals, telepoints and dust storms. I don't get lag anywhere else.

However, I did notice that after I close my mule's window, my main still lags like a bitch and I have to re-log to make it go back to normal fps.

[hagun]

One button to switch instances versus Alt Tabbing through five million programs that I usually have running is like 2% sex.

I think your problem is dual boxing in full screen. Otherwise you should have no problems with controls. I could load four instances without controller problems. I use 800x600 windows.

Try it.

[Suited Aces]

Try turning the sound off from the FFXi config in the start menu. Unless you're that attached to the sound.
One of my characters would always have severe lag while the other would be just fine. Disabling the sound helped me out.

[Saxon]

Try turning the sound off from the FFXi config in the start menu. Unless you're that attached to the sound.
One of my characters would always have severe lag while the other would be just fine. Disabling the sound helped me out.

Try change the resolution in this config menu too, I had same problem as OP, tired changing the registry and everything, but changing the resolution directly from config menu helped a lot.

[Silenka]

One button to switch instances versus Alt Tabbing through five million programs that I usually have running is like 2% sex.

I think your problem is dual boxing in full screen. Otherwise you should have no problems with controls. I could load four instances without controller problems. I use 800x600 windows.

Try it.

I did try 800x600 window, that's when my input started freaking out. Since one of the windows is never really 'behind' the other - the 800x600 window can be in the background but it still treats it as if it's in front and the controller gets confused and starts trying to control both. I don't have that problem with fullscreen windows however, since one is most definitely always in the background of the other one, the controller has no problem switching between the two rapidly.

I have music off, but I didn't turn sound effects off, I will try that and see if it helps.

@Saxon: Erm, I'm not sure what you did exactly, since windower config doesn't really listen to ffxi config, why would it matter? Unless you're using official windower? Maybe I'm wooshing myself lol.

[Saxon]

I don't know, i use the windower.net one, i tried playing around with the launcher file changing the resolution and stuff but it didn't really lower my graphics which made my pc able to run 2 windows with lowered graphics. Whereas using the official FFXI menu I could change the background resolution so it required would run at a higher FPS.

idk, i tried the registry and windower config files, but it didnt help my 8FPS, so I was just making suggestions because I was just trying random things to make it playable and using the official config file seemed to help

[Silenka]

That's interesting. Doesn't using the official config make your main char's settings suck too, though? Cause I could do that just as easily by turning down all my settings on my main, but... I don't want to. XD

[hagun]

I just don't get your problem now. I want to say XP's fault but this just don't makes sense.

[Saxon]

Your controller problem may be because of your mouse when running both in windowed modes, I have that problem when my mouse leaves my FFIX window sometimes and it makes the camera spin, or my character run as if I was holding down a mouse button.

[Silenka]

It's not the mouse, when I get to the login screen if I have a 800x600 window open the login screen for whichever instance I opened 2nd starts scrolling through the buttons (log in, create, delete,etc) over and over nonstop. It's clearly a case of the two windows fighting for control and the controller not knowing which one to work with, but I kind of figured that would happen.

I use a Playstation 2 controller with an adapter, not a wireless or one that you plug directly in, I don't think it matters though.

[Bigfish]

Sounds like a calibration issue and the default position of your control stick not being where it is supposed to be at some point, or alternatively getting locked in whatever position you have it in when you switch windows. Hard to say for certain. Their physical location on the screen shouldn't matter, since you can only have one active window. Potentially, its also an issue with the controller drivers trying to simultaneously issue commands, something you normally can't do unless the software is doing it intentionally or being buggy. Have you disabled controller input on your mule windower config?

Bottom line, there is a wide range of things that could be wrong. You could try asking on the forums at Portal - Dual-Boxing.com Community Forum. They are mostly WoW related, but some of them branch out, and if you post in the support forums, you may get a boxing junkie who knows how to fix it.

[Sevilla]

Sevilla, ALT+TAB switches inbetween the FFXI instances, not too sure why you need a program to do it.

I am fully aware of this, but this becomes a hassle when you have other windows open. So its easier to just have something where my control can actually change th windows and only target the ffxi instances.

[Silenka]

Potentially, its also an issue with the controller drivers trying to simultaneously issue commands, something you normally can't do unless the software is doing it intentionally or being buggy.

This ^

is what I've been saying is happening all along. I don't know that I actually have drivers for my controller adapter, it was a plug and play deal from RadioShack, and I doubt I could even find the disc now, assuming it came with one (I really can't remember if it did or not).

Today I got it working with the 800x600 window open and my fullscreen char on. At the start, my fullscreen instance freaked out (tried to select my delivery box about 20 times in a span of 2 seconds) but after that it was fine, so I'm going to try to replicate that. Also updated my graphics card drivers (they were pretty old anyway) and going to see if I can run 2 fullscreen with that ^^