Using Data in WoW
Although not all players are performance-oriented, most players of WoW are interested in having their character perform as optimally as possible in combat.
There are many ways a player can improve their performance, including through seeking advice on Class Discord Server, simulating character performance, improving the User Interface, writing or installing WeakAuras, or installing addons designed to improve healing or Dungeon & Raid performance.
Some of these sites, such as character simulation addons and sites, utilise data generated by combat simulators to optimise character choices and gearing.
There are also a number of WoW sites that utilise aggregated data from in-game performance, notably from M+ Dungeons and Raids, to generate statistical views on how character choices (class, specialisation, gear, talents, covenants, soulbinds, conduits, etc.) are correlated to actual performance. These sites, detailed here, interrogate and report on trends in player performance, often providing graphs or other visualisations also.
The 'meta'
The 'meta-game' or meta-trends in WoW, almost always referred to as 'the meta', is an expression of what is perceived to be at the optimal-end of the performance spectrum in any situtation at any time. There are different 'metas' for different circumstances - the meta for 2v2 Arena will be very different to the meta for high-level M+ dungeons, which will be different from the meta-composition of a 15-person heroic raid team.
For the significant majority of players, the meta is not a direct issue as they are far better off playing the class they enjoy in the way they enjoy it, paying modest attention to character performance through use of simming, guides, and other available data. Where the meta becomes an issue directly is for players at the leading edge of performance (e.g. Mythic Raiders, top Arena combatants, players pushing M+ well into the mid-20s and beyond) where every fraction of a percentage of performance is important.
The meta unfortunately also becomes an indirect issue for other players, through a part of the player-base who look to the meta to guide everything they do - such as requiring a balance druid in their M+6 run because they are a top performing class in Mythic+. The better view is that you may want to take a Balance druid for the spread-AoE damage and battle resurrection if that's a good fit with the rest of your group composition. But you may also want to take an Elemental Shaman for spread-Aoe and for a lust/warp if that's not already part of your group.
I'll be blunt - I hate 'the meta'. Not the term itself, or that it exists, but rather the way in which some players view it as the clearly best option in most (if not all) circumstances. The meta just doesn't work that way rather it is - at least in part - a self-perpetuating popularity contest driven by performance at the cutting edge, which most players will not even approach.
The meta might guide what works best in particular circumstances (or even more broadly), but don't be a slave to 'the meta'.
Mythic+ Oriented Sites
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Best Keystone provides statistical views of Mythic+ dungeon runs including 'top runs', 'top compositions' and 'top players' by role and specialisation. |
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Keyscore.me provides a basic analysis of the ratio of dungeons timed based on the presence of a particular specialisation, segmented by week (i.e. by affix set). |
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Benched.me provides an analysis focussed on specialisation performance by Mythic+ dungeon key level. |
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Subcreation provides statistical analyses of all competitive-level gameplay, with a dedicated section for M+ dungeons. |
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Warcraft Logs is an online repository for WoW combat logs, which also provides statistical analyses including of M+ Dungeons. |
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WoWAnalyzer analyses character performance in any log uploaded to Warcraft Logs. As the analysis focuses on in-game performance, both M+ and Raid logs are usable. |
Raid Oriented Sites
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Subcreation provides statistical analyses of all competitive-level gameplay, with a dedicated section for the Shadowlands Tier 1 Raid, Castle Nathria. |
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Wipefest provides statistical analyses of raids, with a focus on progression-analsysis of wipes (unsuccessful fights). |
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Warcraft Logs is an online repository for WoW combat logs, which also provides statistical analyses including of Raids. |
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WoWAnalyzer analyses character performance in any log uploaded to Warcraft Logs. As the analysis focuses on in-game performance, both M+ and Raid logs are usable. |
