Difference between revisions of "Multiple game folders"

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Many new multiboxers believe they must make a copy of the game folder for each instance to be open at the same time. While this may be true for certain games in certain configurations (such as [[EverQuest 2]] with the streaming or Extended clients, and [[Perpetuum]]), using multiple game folders costs you in both performance (due to failing to take advantage of ''caching'') and in disk space. With many games, it is also possible to use multiple game folders to keep separate configuration files per game instance; however, [[ISBoxer]]'s [[Virtual Files]] make it easy to do this (this feature is even built into the [[Quick Setup Wizard]]), ''without'' using multiple game folders.
 
Many new multiboxers believe they must make a copy of the game folder for each instance to be open at the same time. While this may be true for certain games in certain configurations (such as [[EverQuest 2]] with the streaming or Extended clients, and [[Perpetuum]]), using multiple game folders costs you in both performance (due to failing to take advantage of ''caching'') and in disk space. With many games, it is also possible to use multiple game folders to keep separate configuration files per game instance; however, [[ISBoxer]]'s [[Virtual Files]] make it easy to do this (this feature is even built into the [[Quick Setup Wizard]]), ''without'' using multiple game folders.
  
A downside of multiple game folders, is the increased disk I/O required as the disk cache is no longer effective, and the Windows Virtual Memory Manager (no, not the paging file) loses some efficiencies for multiple instances of the same applications being loaded.  You also have to keep multiple installs up to date with patches.
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A downside of multiple game folders, is the increased disk I/O required as the disk cache is no longer effective (this results in added latency and has in some circumstances overwhelmed disks), and the Windows Virtual Memory Manager (no, not the paging file) loses some efficiencies for multiple instances of the same applications being loaded.  You also have to keep multiple installs up to date with patches.
  
 
;With that in mind, the only times you should use multiple game folders are
 
;With that in mind, the only times you should use multiple game folders are

Revision as of 23:57, 5 October 2018

Many new multiboxers believe they must make a copy of the game folder for each instance to be open at the same time. While this may be true for certain games in certain configurations (such as EverQuest 2 with the streaming or Extended clients, and Perpetuum), using multiple game folders costs you in both performance (due to failing to take advantage of caching) and in disk space. With many games, it is also possible to use multiple game folders to keep separate configuration files per game instance; however, ISBoxer's Virtual Files make it easy to do this (this feature is even built into the Quick Setup Wizard), without using multiple game folders.

A downside of multiple game folders, is the increased disk I/O required as the disk cache is no longer effective (this results in added latency and has in some circumstances overwhelmed disks), and the Windows Virtual Memory Manager (no, not the paging file) loses some efficiencies for multiple instances of the same applications being loaded. You also have to keep multiple installs up to date with patches.

With that in mind, the only times you should use multiple game folders are
  1. If the game will not otherwise launch another instance
  2. If you already have multiple game folders and just want it to keep working after switching to ISBoxer
The easiest way to set up your multiple folders is to do the following
  1. Right click the Inner Space crosshairs icon in the system tray (notification area)
  2. Select Add Game from the menu
  3. For the Name, it's probably a good idea to name it similar to how your game folder is named
  4. Click the ... button for Game executable
  5. Point it to the game or launcher executable and Click OK
  6. If the game requires additional parameters to launch, put them in the Parameters box
  7. Click OK

After you finish adding each of the folders in this way, close Inner Space and restart ISBoxer. This will make sure that Inner Space saves the changes, and ISBoxer loads them.

To make ISBoxer use your multiple folders that are now configured in Inner Space, do the following for each Character
  1. Select the Character in the top pane under Characters
  2. In the bottom right pane under Inner Space launch information, set Game to the desired Game as you configured with Add Game
  3. Set Game Profile to the Default Profile for the Game

See Also