I learn by playing unless something is excessively difficult to find. My first black forest had no crypts so I googled why I couldn't find them.

Couldn't build mistlands items at all after finding a fair few materials, turns out I was having the same problem I had with surtling cores with black cores.

Otherwise I just learn the game by playing, and maybe look up precise stats once I've already done it (like finding out the exact damage a fuling berserker does after i've already killed Yag)