Whenever you can, you should always try to make things as easy for you as possible. Focus on playing and having fun, and reduce time performing the same actions repeatedly.
In World of Warcraft you can make both simple and complex macros to help you play better and more comfortably.
If you’ve never created a macro before, this is how you start.
Macros in WoW substitutes actions. Instead of writing /y I LOVE WORLD OF WARCRAFT in your chat box, you can make a macro to yell for you just by a push of a button.
You’ll still look like an idiot, though.
Obviously, you can also make macros that do other things than yell. You can cast spells, equip specific gear, make your pet stay, and many other things.
In order to make a macro, you should:
1. Hit Enter to open the chat box.
2. Write /macro
3. Choose between General Macros (for all your chars) or Yourname specific macros.
4. Click on New.
5. Write a name of the macro.
6. Choose an icon.
7. Click on OK.
8. Write the macro commands.
9. Drag the icon to your toolbar.
10. Click on Exit.
Let’s try the macro that yells.
In step # 8, you should write: /y I LOVE WORLD OF WARCRAFT
You don’t have to write it all in capitals, of course, but if you’re going to make a fool out of yourself, why not do it in style?
Okay, for more handy macros, you’ll need other means than yelling.
If you’re going after the chicken pet from the farm in Westphall, you can make this macro:
/checken
Easier to spam a button or key than to write it several times.
Want to find the Blood Elf Bandit? Spam this button, when you’re in the area, and it will target him, should he be there:
/target Blood Elf Bandit
A fast way to switch from your fishingpole to your sword and dagger is to use this macro:
/equip Phantom Blade
/equip Gahz’rilla Fang
You need only to write /equip in the macro box, and then shift click on your weapons.
You can use “/cast” to cast a spell, or even /castsequence if you need more than one spell.
Start by creating a new macro as described above.
In step #8, write /cast
Make a space after that and open up your spellbook. Shift+click on a spell, you want to use.
If you’re not on the highest level (80 right now), you’ll notice that it puts a (Rank 1) or another number after your spell. You can safely delete all that, so in case of you casting a /cast Heroic Strike(Rank 1) with your level 1 char, delete (Rank 1), and you’ll always use the highest rank you have.
Continue with step #9 and #10.
You can cast several spells at the same time by adding more lines in your macro, all starting with /cast – Make sure you don’t have any with a cooldown between them.
/cast SPELL1
/cast SPELL2
Now, if you want to cast several spells after each other, you should use /castsequence and separate the spells with commas (,) like this:
/castsequence Heroic Strike, Shadowmeld(Racial)
If you have two spells in your sequence, you have to hit they key twice. Three spells, three times, etc.
That’s it for getting you started. There’s an excellent article about macros on WoW Wiki. I suggest you read that as well, if you want to make time saving macros for yourself.