What are some things you wish you would have known?

[Silu'et]

As a new player what are some of the things you wish you would have known during that time?

Things you should have done or not have done?

What are some key things to help a player early on or that will help them later in the game?

Who do you go to on YouTube for guides that are current?

There is a lot of information out there, even doing a 2020 search you can run into outdated information.

[Greb]

I didn't find out that mantles don't recharge until you take them off until I was like 1500 hours in.

It still hurts.

[Reborn]

Flinch free is the most overpowered skill in the game when doing co-op

[Greb]

Also, back on the PS4 when I was new to MHW, I "wasted" so much time hunting Low Rank monsters for their materials so I could make every single armour piece, as soon as a new monster was revealed I wouldn't stop hunting it, halting the main story / progression, until I'd made all of the armour pieces. It all ended up becoming worthless almost immediately upon entering High Rank, which definitely sucked.

Worse yet, I used Optional quests as my go-to method for grinding materials, instead of the much superior Investigation option that can often give you much more zenny and materials in the rewards.

I also dismissed shields, thinking they'd be "realistic" instead of insane like they actually were, when things like Greatswords can block fireballs, or explosions, beams or death, or huge monsters body slamming you, I assumed things like that wouldn't be blockable because logically it didn't make sense, but then one day I tried the Lance and it was absurd how much could be blocked, I remember rubbing my eyes in disbelief how you could block a Diablos burrowing up from directly beneath you with a tiny SnS shield like it was nothing, too.

[Dokainin]

I wish I would have realized that Hunting Horn was the best weapon 650 hours earlier than I did.

[FauxFurry]

Pretty much anything that can only be found in a guide or wiki (though knowing to craft on the fly through radial menu is something that would have been most useful as a beginner).

Thankfully, those do exist and newer players can now be pointed to them rather than find things out through chance or outright accidents.
https://monsterhunterworld.wiki.fextralife.com/Monster+Hunter+World+Wiki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQmqyIEXQH4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX5WG1V3ohM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_tI1dzposA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4dAlvGIVpM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_8UslCAW8k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUov95ZPoak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bHp34ui4cs

[Washing Machine]

The bounties. I didn't realize them for a long while into the story.

As far as later into game goes, eh, you don't really have to worry about anything until you finish main story tbh. You replace all the gear soon as you get to the DLC. There's no enormous mistake you can make... except maybe using Defender gear.

[Fredericks of Cursewood]

Most maps have some sort of environmental hazard to monsters. Identify them and use them. Toads, Cactuar, vine traps, rock falls, etc.

[Paranoia]

Originally posted by Dokainin:

I wish I would have realized that Hunting Horn was the best weapon 650 hours earlier than I did.

ah, a man of culture as well.

that you can sneak extra notes into the hunting horns b forward attack.

[~KeNnEtH~]

Honestly, until Fatalis came then I realise how useful the plunderblade and shieldspire palico gadgets are.

Also, I found renewed love for the Rocksteady mantle. For a long time, I have just used the Assassin's mantle because Rocksteady mantle felt like a death sentence sometimes.

[lexilogo]

That once I knew how to play Monster Hunter, I wouldn't stop having fun, but I would miss the days I was totally clueless, as that phase of the learning process also involves some of the most fun you can have.

[CatCrys]

That once I knew how to play Monster Hunter, I wouldn't stop having fun, but I would miss the days I was totally clueless, as that phase of the learning process also involves some of the most fun you can have.

[Guizin]

I wish I had experimented more with different weapons

[Sekaro]

Wish I knew it was gonna go on sale a few weeks after I bought it :(

[Shang Tsung]

I should have tryed every weapon out in the beginning .
And how usefull the flashpods are against flying monsters .

[FauxFurry]

Originally posted by Shang Tsung:

I should have tryed every weapon out in the beginning .
And how usefull the flashpods are against flying monsters .

This is something that really would help out most people since every weapon has good and bad match-ups. It is almost like a certain other Capcom franchise in that way (though there are no one hit kill weapons like Metal Blade here).
Doggedly sticking to one weapon is what causes people to hit a difficulty wall more often than they otherwise would.