I am gearing up my characters in the hope of eventually doing operations.

However, even after reading guides to different operations and watching run-throughs on Youtube, it isn't actually like trying out the mechanics yourself, you just don't get the kinetic memory from watching rather than doing.

That's why I'd like to see each operation have a "tutorial mode" - it would not give experience or rewards, but would serve to teach you the mechanics for the various roles (dps/healer/tank), it would give you the geography of the place, and basically give you a leg-up on being able to go through the thing without either dragging down a group or causing you to wipe on your first go-round.

As it is, I'll probably take one of my DPSs when I start, (although my favorite characters are tanks and I have successfully tanked Gree boss Xeno, tanking for the operations looks to be much more complex.

I think more people would actually participate in operations if this type of "tutorial mode" were available for them.

The 'mechanics' for the various 'rolls' don't change - that is, healers heal, dps damage, and tanks tank. The main thing is knowing your skills and when to use them.

You don't suddenly need to know new skills in an OP.

EDIT: However, you do need to start getting familiar with things like 'interrupts' and 'cleanses', etc, that you may not have used much in pve questing.

The best thing for you to do would be to join a guild (or play with a guild) that uses discord and has helpful people who will explain the 'mechanics' of the bosses as you go.

The best thing for you to do would be to join a guild (or play with a guild) that uses discord and has helpful people who will explain the 'mechanics' of the bosses as you go.

The best advice for learning Operations is exactly what JQ wrote here. It doesn't have to be Discord as such - TeamSpeak(1), Mumble, even Skype or Zoom would work. Just something that lets the learners hear the "teacher" talk, which is quicker and easier than typing into chat. If the boss mechanics involve a regular interrupt, a Discord group can even call out who should interrupt next in sequence to stop "collisions" *during* the fight. That doesn't work if the caller has to type it in.

(1) For some purposes, like the Wurm bosses in GW2's "Triple Trouble" thing (three mechanics-heavy World Bosses(2) in distinct parts of the same map that have to be defeated in a synchronised way), TeamSpeak's channel management features make it better than Discord.

(2) SWTOR's world bosses don't merit Initial Caps, not compared to GW2's. Compared to Tequatl the Sunless or The Shatterer, even something like the Nightmare Pilgrim doesn't rate a bilp.

I mean, that’s kinda what story mode is for all but the newest operations. I sympathize with you though, watching a video guide on YT isn’t the same as doing.

Alternatively if you want to practice with positioning and avoiding/dealing with mechanics you can always practice in the Eternal Championship. Those fights are very mechanic heavy without many enrage checks.

Yep, you learn Operations (large group content) by grouping up and fighting through them

Ways this can be easier:

-Playing with people you know (guild run)

-Getting a lucky PuG with someone that knows the fights and is willing to explain

-Watching youtube/reading boss guides ahead of time

And as mentioned above, you start with story mode