Source: Love Mac | Software download link: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for Mac

I. Detailed Explanation of the Core Interface and Work Area

As a first-person shooter role-playing game, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel features an interface design that serves fast-paced combat and a rich character progression system. The Mac version’s interface layout and functionality are basically consistent with versions on other platforms. The main work areas are as follows:

1.1 Main Game Interface (Combat/Exploration State)

Central Field of View Area: The main game screen, displaying combat, the environment, and interactive objects.
Crosshair and Weapon Information: The crosshair is in the center of the screen, and below it displays the name, magazine capacity, and total ammunition of the currently equipped weapon.
Health and Shield Bars: Located in the lower-left corner of the screen. The blue arc bar is the shield value, and the red arc bar is the health value.
Skill Cooldown Indicator: Located inside the health/shield bars, displaying the cooldown status of the active skill “Action Skill” with a circular icon.
Oxygen/Air Meter: Located in the lower-right corner of the screen. In low-oxygen environments such as the moon, this meter displays the remaining oxygen amount; when depleted, it will cause continuous health drain. Oxygen can be replenished by approaching oxygen supply points or entering enclosed spaces.

Minimap & Quest Indicators: Located in the top-right corner of the screen. Displays surrounding terrain, enemy positions (red markers), friendly NPCs (green markers), and the direction of the current quest objective.

Experience & Level: The experience bar at the bottom center of the screen shows your current level and level-up progress.

1.2 Core Menu Interface

Inventory: Manage all weapons, shields, class mods, oxygen kits, grenade mods, and artifacts. Color-coded by rarity (white, green, blue, purple, orange).
Skill Tree: Allocate skill points to unlock and upgrade character skills. Each character has three unique skill trees that can be mixed and matched.
Map: Displays the full layout of the current area, discovered regions, fast travel stations, quest objectives, and important NPC locations.
Quest Log: View details, objectives, and rewards for all accepted main and side quests.
Badass Rank: View permanent stat bonuses earned through in-game challenges, as well as unlocked challenge categories.

II. Complete Walkthrough from Launch to Export

Here, “export” in the game refers to completing a playthrough or saving character progress. Game progress is saved automatically.

Step 1: Launch the Game and Main Menu

Find and launch 《Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel》 in the “Applications” folder or Launchpad on your Mac. After entering the main menu, you will see the following options: Continue Game, New Game, Characters, Downloadable Content, Settings, Quit.

Step 2: Create a New Character and Project (New Game)

Select “New Game” in the main menu.
Choose one of the four available characters (Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha, Claptrap) and review their action skills and skill tree features.
After confirming your selection, name your character (this name will be displayed in multiplayer games).
The game will begin the new character’s initial story mission and automatically create a save file. The save location is usually in the ~/Library/Application Support/Borderlands The Pre-Sequel/WillowGame/SaveData/ directory.

Step 3: Core Gameplay Loop (Combat, Leveling, Exploration)

Movement and Camera Controls: Use the WASD keys to move and the mouse to control the camera. Mouse sensitivity can be adjusted in Settings > Controls.
Interaction and Pickup: When near interactable objects (chests, mission items) or loot, a prompt will appear in the center of the screen. Press the E key to interact or pick up.
Combat Controls:
- Left mouse button: Fire.
- Right mouse button: Aim (hold to enter iron sights mode).
- R: Reload ammunition.
- F: Use melee attack.
- Q: Throw grenade.
- G: Use the character’s unique “Action Skill.”
- C: Toggle crouch/stand.
- Spacebar: Jump. In low-gravity moon environments, holding the spacebar allows for higher and farther jumps.
Oxygen Management: Pay attention to the oxygen meter in the bottom right corner. Replenish oxygen by performing a “Slam” (press C while in the air to slam down) or by finding blue oxygen supply points.

Step 4: Character Progression & Equipment Management

Leveling Up & Skill Points: After leveling up, press L to open the skill tree interface. Click on available skill points, then select the skill icon you want to unlock or upgrade.
Changing Equipment: Press I to open your inventory. Left-click a weapon or piece of equipment in your backpack, then click the corresponding equipment slot on the character model (primary weapons 1-4, shield, mod, etc.) to swap it. Alternatively, drag and drop equipment directly onto a slot.
Selling Items: In the shop interface, go to the “Sell” tab and click items in your backpack to sell them. Quickly selling unwanted gear is the primary way to manage backpack space.

Step 5: Track Missions and Map Travel

Press J to open the mission log, where you can select to track/untrack a mission. Tracked mission objectives will appear on the minimap and the main map.
Press M to open the large map. Find an activated “fast travel station” (the red teleporter icon on the map), click it, and select your destination region to fast travel.

Step 6: Saving and Exiting

The game uses an autosave system. Autosave is usually triggered after completing mission objectives, entering a new area, or fast traveling (a gear icon appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen). To exit safely:

Press Esc to open the in-game pause menu.
Select “Return to Main Menu”, and the system will save your current progress.
From the main menu, select “Quit” to close the game.

Note: It is strongly recommended to manually return to the main menu once before exiting to ensure the save file is fully written. Force-closing the game directly may result in the loss of recent progress.

III. Advanced Tips for Common Features

3.1 Low-Gravity Environment Maneuvering Tips

Double Jump & Hover: After jumping to the highest point, press the Spacebar again to activate the oxygen pack on your back for a second boost, allowing you to travel greater distances.
Moon Slam: While in the air, press C (crouch key) and your character will slam down rapidly, dealing area damage to enemies around the landing point. This is an effective way to deal with clustered ground enemies.
Oxygen-Assisted Sprint: While sprinting (hold Shift), tap the Spacebar to use oxygen for a short burst of acceleration, perfect for quickly crossing open areas.

3.2 Combat & Equipment Management Tips

Quick Weapon Switching: Use the mouse wheel or number keys 1-4 to quickly switch between your four preset weapon slots to counter different enemies.
Elemental Counters: Pay attention to the color of the health bar above enemies’ heads. Red (flame) is effective against flesh, blue (shock) is effective against shields, cyan (freeze) can freeze enemies, and yellow (corrosion) is effective against armor. Using elemental weapons accordingly can greatly improve your efficiency.
Mark Enemies: Press the Z key while aiming at an enemy to mark them with an exclamation mark above their head, making it easier to focus fire in chaotic fights or when coordinating with teammates.
Inventory Space Management: In your item bar, you can right-click an item (or press F) to mark it as “junk” or “favorite.” At shops, you can use the “Sell All Junk” feature to quickly clean up your backpack.

3.3 Skills and Badass Challenges

Skill Synergy: Read the skill descriptions carefully; many skills have synergistic effects. For example, in Amara’s “Enforcer” tree, “Fast Hands” increases weapon swap speed, and “One Shot Wonder” boosts fire rate after swapping weapons. Combining the two can significantly increase DPS.
Badass Challenges: Actively complete various challenges (such as killing a specific number of enemies, dealing damage with a certain element, etc.). The Badass Tokens earned can be exchanged for permanent account-wide stat bonuses (such as max health, gun damage, etc.) that apply to all characters on the same account.

IV. Common Issues and Solutions

Symptom	Possible Cause	Solution
Game crashes on launch or won’t open	1. Incompatible OS version 2. Graphics API or driver issues 3. Corrupted game files	1. Confirm that your macOS meets the minimum requirements (usually a newer 64-bit system is required). 2. Try switching the graphics rendering mode (e.g., OpenGL) in the game launcher or settings. 3. Verify game file integrity through the legitimate platform.
Stuttering or low frame rate during gameplay	1. Graphics settings too high 2. Insufficient system resources 3. Thermal throttling	1. In the game’s Settings > Visuals, lower the resolution, disable anti-aliasing, and reduce texture and shadow quality. 2. Close unnecessary background applications and ensure sufficient memory. 3. Ensure your Mac has good ventilation and avoid prolonged high-load operation.
Unable to pick up items or interact with objects	1. Inventory full 2. Interaction key conflict or remapped 3. Game bug	1. Press I to open your inventory and sell or discard unwanted items. 2. Check whether the “Use” key binding in Settings > Controls is set to E. 3. Try exiting to the main menu and reloading the game.
Quest objectives not updating or NPC stuck	1. Quest trigger conditions not met 2. Game script bug	1. Read the quest description carefully and make sure you have cleared all enemies in the current area or reached the exact specified location. 2. The most effective general fix: exit to the main menu, then select “Continue Game” to reload the current area. Quest states usually reset and the issue is fixed.
Multiplayer connection failed	1. Network firewall or NAT type restrictions 2. Mismatched game versions	1. Ensure a stable network environment and try switching networks (e.g., use a wired connection). 2. Confirm that all co-op players are on the same game version number, especially that DLC content matches.

V. Mac Shortcuts Summary Table

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Function Category	Action	Default Shortcut (Mac)
Movement & Combat	Move	W A S D
Jump / Oxygen Boost	Spacebar
Crouch / Stand / Moon Smash (Midair)	C
Sprint	Shift (Hold)
Fire	Left Mouse Button
Aim (Scope)	Right Mouse Button (Hold)