Diving into the world of gaming, you realize there are countless methods of playing games. During that time, I’m pretty sure you’ve come across the term macro gaming. So, what exactly are macros in gaming?
Let’s take a deep dive!
What Are Macros Exactly?
Macros are command chains that are programmed by combining keys or with the help of macro keys, which are found in special keyboards or gaming mice.
Hitting these keys executes a series of command sequences, which effectively saves a lot of time.
To put that into perspective, assuming you want to jump and dodge in a game, you need to hit CTRL + W. You can program the command into a key, which saves you the time of hitting double or even triple keys.
Macros are not only used in gaming; they can be found in all software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, and even databases. Macros make extensive work easier.
So, How Do Macros Apply in Gaming?
Since we are all grounded in macros, how well does this apply in gaming? Since macros simplify information input, Gamers can just push a button for an extensive amount of action. Gamers call these keys macro keys. These special keys can be found in gaming keyboards and mice.
Macro keys are different keystrokes that you can press repeatedly to repeat the action programmed in them.
They are essentially an easier way of doing regular tasks without having to press the same keys repeatedly.
They come in handy for fighting games like Shadow Fight, Reel Steel Series, TEKKEN 7, Street Fighter V, and the like.
So Sweet. Are There Any Downsides?
So, you might be thinking, since you can make very long commands shorter and execute them in a split second, you should dominate your game’s leaderboards, right?
Well, not quite. There are times when using them is perfectly fine, and there are times when it’s not.
When you use macro keys in online servers, you might quite possibly get banned from the servers. Is using macro keys cheating?
You might be wondering, well, the idea behind it is if you are going to program a sequence of moves into a single key anytime you meet another player, you’re going to execute quite faster and slay your opponent.
This is regarded as automation, and it pisses a lot of people off and might get you banned from the game servers since it’s regarded as cheating.
Don’t get all disappointed. There is still a way to benefit from macro keys in an offline game, where it’s just you and a bunch of bots or materials to collect, so instead of using a bunch of boring keys to cut down trees or something, you can actively use a key and shorten the time and show your fingers a little love.
Online games still allow users to program a single action into a single macro key, so there’s still no major advantage. For example, League of Legends allows you to program your summoner spell from QWER to other keys.
Now that’s All Established, How Do We Set Macro Keys?
There is no one specific way to set up macro keys. Most gaming keyboards and mice have their built-in software for this setup, so it shouldn’t take too long. Of course, they first of all have to support the use of macro keys.
Make sure you properly check the product description to see whether or not it is supported before you buy.
