Like a lot of kids in the 90’s, I grew up playing real time strategy (RTS) games. Warcraft 3 and Age of Mythology were household names, at least among the homes of my friends. As a kid, I approached these games like any wide-eyed beginner would: make your favorite units and smash them into your opponent’s army. Hardly a game went by where I didn’t play Night Elf and make late game Chimaeras to pepper lightning and bile attacks over the screen while flying behind enemy lines.
Fast forward a few years and I found myself a new favorite RTS: StarCraft 2. This time, though, I was playing online in a burgeoning era of the competitive e-sports scene. StarCraft 2 is notoriously brutal on new players who have to learn a number of techniques to stay alive, much less win an actual game. Playing only your favorite unit every game is a surefire way to never leave Bronze league. So how do you get better? Step 1 is understanding Micro vs Macro.
Definitions
Micro is the practice of individually controlling your units. Good micro players can keep more of their units alive in comparable fights. For example, splitting Marines to avoid splash damage from Banelings or wining a fight where you and your opponent have an equal number of Stalkers.
Macro is the practice of growing your exconomy. Good macro players produce buildings and units efficiently while expanding to new bases to build their economy. For example, consistent timing of new workers and bases can lead to games with 50 SCV (worker units) by minute 6. Ultimately, this translates to very simply having more army than your opponent.
Seems simple enough, but is incredibly hard to do. Fundamentally you cannot do both at once. Every action a player takes is choosing between one or the other. The art is in the prioritization and tradeoff. As players get better, a few things improve:
decision-making around what to prioritize at any given moment
multi-tasking ability
overall actions per minute
So how do you approach this problem? At first glance, you might approach it like many new players: just play more games. If I play more games, I’ll get better and faster. More actions per minute means I can probably do more things.
While true, there are a couple major pitfalls:
bad habits: you’re getting faster… at doing the wrong things
allocation: you’re making a lot more actions, but primarily skewed towards micro-ing your units in ineffective ways
Sequence
The solution for many as it turns out is sequence: focus on macro over micro. The streamer and once pro-player ViBE is known for coaching players in his Bronze to GM (Grandmaster) guides that Macro is the only thing needed and to be focused on until players get to Diamond league.
Once you master macro, then you can focus on improving your micro. Many a new player has found themselves our micro-ing an opponent only to find themselves in a fight where someone just has more units than they have. Turns out quantity is better than quality, sometimes.
In my experience, this is shockingly counter-intuitive when you experience it. If I lose a game, I have to fight every instinct to immediately blame the composition of my units. “If only I had gone Colossus instead of Immortal in that game!” or “If I had just gone for a different engagement!” While valid, these intuitive reactions often keep you from progressing.
Your actions per minute (APM) in SC2, even as you get better, are finite and how you invest them is everything. And the classic beginner mistakes include:
not consistently making workers when you can such that you have a high tier macro game
investing your time and attention micro-ing in ineffective ways. bad micro is worse than no micro.
Looking at the end state is distracting, because the greatest players in the world are fantastic at both. So as relative beginners compared to the best of the best, many of us make the mistake of trying to do it all. Sequence matters a lot.
While there are a number of great guides on how to focus on macro over micro in SC2, there are few on how to do this well in life. How often have you decided to get in shape, only to spend a lot of time thinking about which workout to do rather than just showing up consistently. That’s micro over macro. How about internally debating what to write for days rather than just writing something every day. Micro over macro.
But isn’t it terrible to be working on the wrong thing or running in the wrong direction? Definitely. Micro still matters. But often this is a defensive argument around low-efficiency output. Someone who outputs consistently and efficiently tends to still win in the end.
Life
Just like in StarCraft 2, life demands both macro and micro. Let’s consider a few scenarios:
Fitness
Imagine you want to get fit. The macro is committing to a regular workout routine and sticking to it, regardless of which specific exercises you do. The micro perspective is focusing on perfecting each exercise form and optimizing your workout schedule. While the latter is important, it’s the consistency (macro) that truly drives progress. Just showing up at the gym regularly, even if your routine isn’t perfect, builds the habit and creates a foundation for long-term fitness.
Career
In your career, macro actions might involve reaching out to , such as acquiring new skills, gaining certifications, or seeking out mentorship opportunities. Micro actions, on the other hand, could be perfecting a particular project or task. While it’s tempting to focus on the day-to-day tasks (micro), having a macro strategy ensures that your efforts contribute to your overall career growth.
Writing
For writers, the macro approach is to write regularly, whether it’s daily, weekly, or another consistent schedule. The micro approach is to refine each piece meticulously. While editing and refining are crucial, the most important step is to keep producing content. Regular writing builds skill and habit, and over time, the quality improves naturally.
By prioritizing macro actions—consistent, broad efforts that build a strong foundation—you set yourself up for success. Once a solid macro foundation is in place, you can fine-tune your approach with micro actions, leading to a balanced and effective strategy for achieving your goals. Just like in StarCraft, mastering macro first provides the resources and stability needed to excel in the finer details.