Overview
If you use AutoHotKey (AHK) and you want to use macros to easily score Sabin’s Blitz combo moves every time, this is for you. Some people consider this a cheat though.
Introduction
Let me just get a couple of things out of the way here first. This is NOT a “how to use AHK” tutorial so if you have never used AHK before please Google it or find Youtube tutorials before you read any more of this. This is intended for people who are already familiar with the AutoHotKey scripting process for creating and editing key bindings and macros. That said, you don’t need to be an “expert” at building macros because all you really need to do with this is basically cut and paste my text and you’ve got yourself a working macro here.
Second thing: this is a CHEAT. Sort of. It lets you consistently fire off Sabin’s blitz attacks EVERY time, with a single button instead of trying to remember and activate the crazy combo controls. If you have a problem with cheating, kindly look away now.
Third thing: you will need external third-party software “AutoHotKey (a.k.a. AHK)[www.autohotkey.com]” program to use this. It is a free download, you do not need any paid extras for what we are going to do here but if you like it feel free to donate to the developers (I am not one of them). It’s a fairly popular script engine, works for all sorts of things – not just games. However, the syntax and programming language used in AHK is not compatible with other macro scripting software programs, so don’t try to use this in ReWASD or any of the other ones that are available.
So what does this actually do? Despite the lengthy code all it does is tells your computer that whenever you hit one of the number keys (one to eight on the top of your keyboard, but NOT the numpad numbers which will still just type their number like normal)… it will NOT type a number instead it will act like you just hit the arrow keys in the sequence required to fire one of Sabin’s blitz attacks in battle. It will let you correctly use the blitz move EVERY time.
IT DOES NOT MATTER if you are in battle, out of battle, or trying to type in Microsoft Office, or surfing the web, or just pointing at your desktop screen. When you hit the number it will fire off those arrow keys instead of typing your number. And the final key press in the sequence is the ENTER key, so be careful if your game window is not the one you are currently working in!
This was created and tested on Windows 10 but that should not matter. I used AHK version 1.1.30.03 but I did not use any especially fancy codes so it should work with most versions of the software. I have thus far tested and verified that blitzes set to numbers 1 to 4 work properly, for the rest I need to wait for my Sabin character to levelup more so he learns the blitzes. But the coding for each one is very similar to the others so if one works then all of them should.
If you have problems getting your script to run, please SEND ME A PRIVATE MESSAGE (please don’t comment on here for help) and I might be able to help you figure out what you did wrong… but I am by no means an AHK expert so please try to fix it yourself first. Go through the AHK help documents and such, you might learn something. I also have a list of common problems with their solutions at the bottom of the guide.
Instructions to build and run the script
The script is LONG, longer than the Steam guide window will let me fit into a single “chapter” so I had to break it into several sections. However, they all should go into the same script file – one directly under the other. And here is how to do that, and there are also a few important points here about how to run the script and what to avoid doing while the script is running.
Step one: open a new AutoHotKey script file. It probably has some environmental parameters that it automatically generated for you; keep those or delete them I don’t care.
Step two: copy all of the text (except the section title) in the “Section One” chapter.
Step three: paste that directly into your AHK script after all those environmental parameters if you kept them in there.
Step four: repeat steps two and three for the remaining chapters of this guide from “Section Two” to the end. Each one should be copied directly below the previous section, with no empty lines between sections.
Step five: once you have copied all the scripting, SAVE your ahk script file. It does not matter where you save it or what you name it, just make it easy for you to find and recognize. For example, mine is called “FFVI Blitz Macro.ahk” and is saved in the same folder where my other video game cheat documents are.
Step six: open the folder where you saved your ahk script. Right click the ahk file, select the option “Compile Script” and it should generate a .exe file of the same name. It would be a good idea for you to make a shortcut to that exe file and put it right next to your FFVI shortcut so you can find it fast when you want to play.
Step seven: run that .exe file.
Step eight: “What the unholy fudge did you do to my computer, Dave, it gave me an error message!?” I know. Now you know it is working properly. If it told you that “You forgot to start your FF6 game first! Please start FF6 and then run the script again.” then you know it will work for you. If you see a DIFFERENT error message, it means something might actually be wrong. … But first, find the AHK script button on your taskbar and close your script program. It should be a green square with a white H in the middle of it. Right click the icon and choose the option to EXIT.
When you run the script it will bring your game window to the front even if you were working in something else at the time. However, the new key bindings on your number keys will still be active even if you change to another window after the script is running, and the script will not automatically close when you exit the FFVI game!! If you start the script before your game is running, you will need to EXIT the script – start your game – run the script again for it to work right.
Step nine: Start up your FFVI game (either from Steam Library or if you have a desktop shortcut or whatever). You can use the Launcher to change the options first if you want to, but do not continue to step ten until you are in the game’s main menu screen where you can start a new game or load a save.
Step ten: Run the script’s .exe file now. If it looks like nothing happened, it probably worked.
Step eleven: verify that it works by starting or loading your game. When you have control of your character so you can walk around, try hitting one of the number keys. If your character has a little seizure then you know it is working correctly now.
Step twelve: DO NOT try to use your number keys for ANYTHING else while the script is running because they won’t do what they usually do anymore. If you need to type a number, use your numpad!
Step thirteen: Get into a battle where you use Sabin (you might have renamed him by now… the martial arts fighter who uses claws). When his turn is active, select the BLITZ command and then as quick as you can hit the number ONE time that corresponds to the blitz you want to use. Wait until the “punch/fist” icon turns blue – that means you reached the final enter press of the combo, then press the A button on your controller or the ENTER button on the keyboard to use the blitz.
Step fourteen: When you are ready to quit the game, or if you just get sick of cheating like this, find the AHK icon on your taskbar and right click it, select EXIT to close the script. Your number keys should return to their normal function now.
Step fifteen maybe?: From now on, all you need to do when you want to play/cheat is start these steps over beginning at step NINE. If you see that error message again, it means you forgot to start your FFVI game so you will need to exit the script, open FFVI, and re-run the script. If you see a DIFFERENT error message, it means something might actually be wrong.
Customizing Your Hotkeys
If you like the idea of consistent blitz success, but you hate the idea of using the number keys as shortcuts… FIX IT YOURSELF!!
When you cut and paste everything, save the .ahk file like I said but don’t compile it into an .exe program yet. Instead, go through your ahk text and change the number hotkeys to whatever you want. If you’re not sure how to code for the keys you want, use the AHK help file. It is pretty comprehensive and includes a list of keyboard, mouse, and joystick controls. (Their website also has a sample script you can use to test your gamepad and see which buttons/axis correspond to which bit of coding for AHK.)
In the ahk script you should see EIGHT entries, one for each blitz. At the top of each entry is a line that starts with a semicolon and describes what the codes below it are designed to do, plus a brief note about the blitz that the code is for. Below that description text line is the hotkey assignment. It looks like this:
where X is the key currently assigned to that shortcut. (In my version for instance, the first blitz Raging Fist is on key 1 so the X:: would actually be 1::, where for the second blitz it is 2:: and so on.)
All you need to do, is replace that number “X” with whatever the code for your desired hotkey is. Leave the two colons alone, they still belong there. So if you wanted one of the blitzes to fire when you hit ALT+u, for example, you change that line to say
While if you want to set it to SHIFT+k you would use this codes:
Now your blitz hotkeys are customized the way you want! Yay. Save the ahk file and then continue with my installation instructions from there. Just remember what you set your new hotkeys to, and be aware that while the script is actively running those buttons/keys will no longer work for their original function until you close the script.
Blitz Instructions
Find the blitz you want in the table here, then on Sabin’s turn you should select “Blitz” from his menu and you will see this at first, note how the fist icon is GREY which means it is actively accepting commands for your blitz.
Now you just hit the shortcut key. When the fist icon (on the bottom of his blitz input screen thing) flashes blue, it is ready so hit A on your controller or ENTER on your keyboard to use the attack. Simple as that.
Remember Sabin only learns new Blitz attacks as he levels up so if your level is too low and you haven’t learned the attack yet, you cannot use it – it will say “incorrect blitz input” and you will FAIL the attack. Check his learned abilities in your menu screen to make sure you know which ones you have unlocked. But hey at least now you don’t need to worry about remembering the button combos because THIS SCRIPT DOES THAT FOR YOU.
Section One – paste under your environmental parameters with no blank lines
Section Two – paste under Section One with no blank lines
Section Three – paste under Section Two with no blank lines
Common Errors – and Fixes
1. Problem: I got the “You forgot to start FFVI” error!
Solution: Close your script, start FFVI, and re-run your script.
2. Problem: I did that number 1, but the number keys still work like regular numbers in the game.
Solution: You forgot to CLOSE YOUR PREVIOUSLY RUNNING SCRIPT first. Close the script and then run it again while the FFVI game is running.
3. Problem: Only numbers 1 to 3 (or 1 to 6) are working!
Solution: You didn’t copy the script right. You missed a line or a character or something. Double check the .ahk file and make sure there are no empty lines in the code, and if it still doesn’t work just try starting over from the cut and paste part. Section One covers blitzes for 1-3, Section Two covers 4-6, and Section Three covers 7-8 and the error window that should pop up if FFVI is not running yet. Sometimes it’s just a matter of somehow you missed that first character, or last character, in one of the sections.
4. Problem: I didn’t see the “FFVI not running” error message the first time, even though it wasn’t running yet.
Solution: see the solution from number 3. Usually it’s the same issue, you messed up copying Section Three and one of the lines didn’t get pasted right or something like that.
5. Problem: I closed my game but my number keys still act like arrows and enters.
Solution: You closed the game but you forgot to close your script program too. Find it on your taskbar tray, or just use the Task Manager to find it and close it.
6. Problem: I was playing with the script active but I closed the script so I could write an email or whatever with normal number keys. Can I still use the script in the game without exiting the game?
Solution: YES. Just re-run the script. As long as the game is running (even if it is in the background) you can run the script no problem.
7. Problem: I tried to run (or re-run) the script and it gave an error about another instance and asked if I want to update that script with the current one?
Solution: You forgot to close the script the last time you ran it. So just exit out of that error message and go close your script that is already running, and try again.