I play online on my computer and hear this term used a lot and was hoping someone could help me understand what it is and how it relates?
In: Technology
Usually a single key press that performs multiple actions, such as casting an ability that buffs another ability, and that other ability, without having to press both.
It’s like an autoclicker. You record a series of actions on your keyboard then set it on loop to do the same set of actions again and again
The most I’ve seen it used is in AFK grinding games
The specifics will vary from application to application, but in general, a macro is a sequence of typically manual events which are tied together and set off automatically in sequence with a single button press or set to trigger on a timer.
In MMOs like WoW and FFXIV, a macro will tie together multiple abilities into a single button press, often with timing pre-built in.
In some games, macros can auto click random items that pop up for bonuses at random times (so you always get the bonus), or they can automatically cause the gun you’re using in an FPS to fire when the crosshairs alight on a target.
Some macros are completely forbidden and are considered cheating, while others are encouraged by the devs with the system to create them right in the main application/game. It’s 100% going to depend on context!
A macro is simply a sequence of commands or keyboard andor mouse inputs. When you activate this macro, the commands or inputs are repeated.
Creating macros are a good method of making repetitive actions easier to reproduce.
Easy explanation is you hit 1 button and then it instantly hits multiple buttons or button for you. Maybe you need turbo and every time you hit X it does a macro and hits X 10 times for you.
More complicated ones especially for MMO do essentially the same but with more complicated commands. Instead of simple buttons it’s string of code so you can change gear instantly. A rough example would look like
/equip Sword of Virginity
/equip Breastplate of failing letter
/equip Random awesome Japanese name
That would be 1 click making it a macro
Since nobody who has responded so far has mentioned this, macros also have extremely positive uses in professional life. I’ve used excel macros to stay a step ahead of my peers my whole career.
In terms of a computer it usually refers to being able to hit a single button to trigger a sequence of inputs. These can range from quality of life improvements to massively unfair advantages depending on the type of game and the extent of the macro.
Most gaming keyboards and mice have some degree of macro functionality built in these days.
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