What's the fastest way to learn an instance?

[epigramx]

I'm not looking for the basic answers of "just watch a video" or "just read about its spells" or "just play in it". Who among you has gone through all of those methods and found something optimal that takes the least amount of time and still works.

I used to go through a process of turning every single spell caught by DBM (basically all of them that can be predicted) into weakaura warnings which might be unnecessary however: that process teaches very good info very fast.

[Thunderball]

It depends on what exactly you want to learn. If you want to play an instance as a specific role/spec it's one thing. Learning everything about an instance in aspect to all roles is completely different. I dont have much advice on how tanks learn stuff but I can give advice on how to learn as a dps/healer.

1) Check dungeon journal, learn all abilities, at least those that are relevant for you (as a healer this means all abilities usually). If you have little experience with the game this might do nothing for you since comprehending what these abilities do relies on comparing them to abilities you've seen in other instances.
2) Look for a video to understand how it plays out, preferably from the role/spec you're looking to play. Try to understand how mechanics look and how your class/role deals with them, i.e. figure out how to stay alive. If video is not available go to #3.
3) Look at the logs if available. Start with the replay, look at positioning of the raid/group, check how your movement abilities align with movement requirements (if video didnt clear that), then start figuring out the performance part: spec, talents, cooldown timings, gameplay tricks, etc.
4) Rest, ideally come back tomorrow. Do over, start with abilities again and try to find a different video and a different log. If that's not an option look at a different boss/instance first and come back.
5) Do the UI setup. Get WA that are required (if you raid) or you think you might need, maybe add some stuff you might wanna track on frames, highlight some abilities you're worried about in your bossmod (sound, color, size, etc).
6) Play it. Most of the time you will still miss something, even with the best prep.

[Throwme]

I'm not looking for the basic answers

You ask a question, provide the answers yourself and say you don't want them....

What's left to discuss? The timeconsuming ways are maybe the best, but you specifically ask for the fastest.....

[Nzx]

I'm not looking for the basic answers of "just watch a video" or "just read about its spells" or "just play in it". Who among you has gone through all of those methods and found something optimal that takes the least amount of time and still works.

I used to go through a process of turning every single spell caught by DBM (basically all of them that can be predicted) into weakaura warnings which might be unnecessary however: that process teaches very good info very fast.

Lmao what a fucking post. "Don't give me basic answers, give me something easy like making a weakaura out of every fucking spell in the dungeon". Is there a "best of MMOC" thread or anything? This is basically the peak of MMOC regulars for sure.

[Mysterymask]

You mean y'all don't have one of those matrix helmets that beams information into your head...oh just me huh ...damn sucks

[Athorha]

Run it on normal, run it on heroic, run it on mythic. Run it on m+3, run it on m+8, run it on m+12, run it on m+15

[RaoBurning]

Run them until your fingers bleed, until your heart thrums to the same beat as the boss's auto attacks. Run, fight, die, repeat, until you can do it in your sleep.

I dunno man you already listed the 3 most important things anyone would recommend, and turning every spell into an alert really sounds harder than just looking at the boss cast bar.

[MrLachyG]

You mean y'all don't have one of those matrix helmets that beams information into your head...oh just me huh ...damn sucks

I have one.

[Temp name]

I'm not looking for the basic answers of "just watch a video" or "just read about its spells" or "just play in it". Who among you has gone through all of those methods and found something optimal that takes the least amount of time and still works.

I used to go through a process of turning every single spell caught by DBM (basically all of them that can be predicted) into weakaura warnings which might be unnecessary however: that process teaches very good info very fast.

Read the dungeon journal and play the dungeon while paying attention

[epigramx]

You ask a question, provide the answers yourself

Not really. I had an extra thought there but I didn't offer a full strategy. I don't know what's the full strategy but if I were to guess without reading answers it'd be something like: "first read the spells well - then play the instance in a basic difficulty to know the visuals etc. of it - then keep repeating both of those when you raise difficulty".

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Run it on normal, run it on heroic, run it on mythic. Run it on m+3, run it on m+8, run it on m+12, run it on m+15

Sure, but why not also read the technical descriptions of the spells (of the NPCs) inbetween?
There are things you can miss if you only go by visuals/audio.

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Run them until your fingers bleed, until your heart thrums to the same beat as the boss's auto attacks. Run, fight, die, repeat, until you can do it in your sleep.

I dunno man you already listed the 3 most important things anyone would recommend, and turning every spell into an alert really sounds harder than just looking at the boss cast bar.

Yeah alerting too much was stupid. Though it can help sometimes if you translate obscure spell names like "major blow" to text like "frontal cone"(/avoid the front of boss), but it was mostly helpful by knowing what the spells exactly do from a technical standpoint (because translating the names is unimportant after experience (especially if you wipe a lot on a hard boss)).

[Raven]

You wont like the answer, play them and when you or someone in the group make a misstake learn from it.

[epigramx]

Read the dungeon journal and play the dungeon while paying attention

Yeah pretty much. It can be refined with a more technical translation of the spells by checking how DBM or BW exactly handle them (e.g. on timer VS random), but I think it boils down to a cycle of "read spell details - play - if after you played you have something unclear: re-read spell details" / repeat.

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You wont like the answer, play them and when you or someone in the group make a misstake learn from it.

Sure, if you had to do only 1 thing it would be only that, but I think it helps if you also read the technical details of the spells of the NPCs.

[Gasparde]

Run it on normal, run it on heroic, run it on mythic. Run it on m+3, run it on m+8, run it on m+12, run it on m+15

You can cut your proposal time by 90% by not wasting time on anything below a +15 (or maybe a +10 for a new season, any probably one m0 per dungeon for a new expansion).

Unless you hop into a dungeon with like 40 ilvls below its supposed ilvl range, you will not notice shit.
Like, hop into a Tyrannical Halls of Atonement +3 and you'll see that the patrols cast an enrage on their dogs... and then they die 2 seconds later. What valuable information have you gained from that?

Learn the dungeon in an m0 for the most basic of basics - then hop into some +10s asap. That's the only place where you'll truly feel the weight of each mechanic, that's the only way to truly learn what matters in a dungeon. Dunno why anyone would ever waste time setting foot into a heroic dungeon in this game anymore - let alone a normal dungeon outside of leveling.

[mojusk]

The fastet way is to run it with someone who know it very well, that can tell you what to do, preferbly over a voicechat.
If you dont have such a person available.
Jump in the deepend, learn the mechanics the hard way. Doing it on ez mode will just give you bad habits of ignoring mechanics that are lethal on higher difficulties.

[Amariw]

I don't try to actively minimize the time i learn, so i can only say what works for me, and if thats too slow for you then consider other answers:

Repetition. I enjoy doing m+ so i just do it a lot. The higher the keys, the more likely the tanks are to use decent/efficient routes which you can then copy for when you play tank, and the more damaging the mobs mechanics are so you gotta understand them. I check buff/debuff descritptions when its still new, i check death logs to see what killed or greatly damaged me, and over enough runs thats memorized and i know what to do.

High level videos are also a great way to learn high level strats you won't see in your key range, though, or at least cut the time it takes for you to notice them on your own.

[VinceVega]

I'm not looking for the basic answers of "just watch a video" or "just read about its spells" or "just play in it". Who among you has gone through all of those methods and found something optimal that takes the least amount of time and still works.

I used to go through a process of turning every single spell caught by DBM (basically all of them that can be predicted) into weakaura warnings which might be unnecessary however: that process teaches very good info very fast.

Play the game.

If you play up from normal to mythic you learn the instance.
When you start getting towards +10 you maybe have to watch a guide unless you allready know the game or want to learn it by yourself... but you should have frust resisting friends then.

Mythic+ is extremly predictable. Affixes are after playing a bit not really a hindrance anymore and everybody knows what to do without talking about it.

But your initial 3 answers are basically what you have to do. With playing it the most important part of it by far.

Also don't make to many weakauras. If you are not used to it, it is just clutter you can never parse with your mind until it is over.

[Athorha]

You can cut your proposal time by 90% by not wasting time on anything below a +15 (or maybe a +10 for a new season, any probably one m0 per dungeon for a new expansion).

Unless you hop into a dungeon with like 40 ilvls below its supposed ilvl range, you will not notice shit.
Like, hop into a Tyrannical Halls of Atonement +3 and you'll see that the patrols cast an enrage on their dogs... and then they die 2 seconds later. What valuable information have you gained from that?

Learn the dungeon in an m0 for the most basic of basics - then hop into some +10s asap. That's the only place where you'll truly feel the weight of each mechanic, that's the only way to truly learn what matters in a dungeon. Dunno why anyone would ever waste time setting foot into a heroic dungeon in this game anymore - let alone a normal dungeon outside of leveling.

cool I'll just talk to the npc on launch week/2 and download my free 10 keys and start there. This thread isn't about people who start an expansion once the contents already been out for months and they can leach off their allies lmao. If you can't suppose what % modifiers do to mechanics, you obviously don't play a healer or a tank.

[Aresk]

Review the dungeon journal for boss abilities. Use a tool like MDT to take a look at the dungeon with the mobs marked so that you can see where they all are. Review a guide on the dungeon for any noteworthy trash details (preferably while still having MDT open). Run the dungeon, preferably on a 10+ so you get the proper strategies with the seasonal affix.

[Eazy]

Check out guide on icy-veins/wowhead. Do the instance.

Simpliest answers are the best ones. You may have 100% theoretical knowledge on something, but it is useless without practice. This apply to everthing in life.

Practice makes perfect. Nothing more true than that.

cool I'll just talk to the npc on launch week/2 and download my free 10 keys and start there. This thread isn't about people who start an expansion once the contents already been out for months and they can leach off their allies lmao. If you can't suppose what % modifiers do to mechanics, you obviously don't play a healer or a tank.

Then the best answer is... find a good guild with friendly people and do the Instances with them. Of course you will be kinda dead-weight at the beginning, but it will be fastest and best way to learn the instance.

[epigramx]

You can cut your proposal time by 90% by not wasting time on anything below a +15 (or maybe a +10 for a new season, any probably one m0 per dungeon for a new expansion).

Unless you hop into a dungeon with like 40 ilvls below its supposed ilvl range, you will not notice shit.
Like, hop into a Tyrannical Halls of Atonement +3 and you'll see that the patrols cast an enrage on their dogs... and then they die 2 seconds later. What valuable information have you gained from that?

Learn the dungeon in an m0 for the most basic of basics - then hop into some +10s asap. That's the only place where you'll truly feel the weight of each mechanic, that's the only way to truly learn what matters in a dungeon. Dunno why anyone would ever waste time setting foot into a heroic dungeon in this game anymore - let alone a normal dungeon outside of leveling.

Your post reminds me of a futility about games like this. In practice: if you do 15+ 5mans undergeared it's EXACTLY the same with doing 24+ overgeared.
In practice: it becomes "different" only because when you queue or generally find people for it: then you know their gear will be at a specific average.

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The fastet way is to run it with someone who know it very well, that can tell you what to do, preferbly over a voicechat.

I would never trust that. Even the best team leaders have cookie cutter strategies that omit stuff others may find useful,
and most of them still have a perspective (e.g. if I play arcane mage: I would trust them only if they play arcane mage).

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Use a tool like MDT to take a look at the dungeon with the mobs marked so that you can see where they all are

Not sure if that part is useful, because most people are visual minds and sort of remember the positions of mobs pretty well.
I get it if it's strictly for counting mobs for m+ optimization but that's mostly counting a total and not per-pack.