Is story mode or sandbox the main gameplay? If story mode, turn off tutorial?

[xpaar]

I started playing the story mode and when I died, I tried again. But there is no way to turn the tutorial off, so I wondered if the story mode was just a tutorial. If so, I wish the sandbox was more random. I want to play the game without a tutorial and where the islands are random. It seems weird that there are only difficulties for the sandbox.

[Spacestar TheThundersuncat]

In Sandbox mode all islands are unlocked. In story mode you have to unlock difficulty levels by a long, arduous path.

Allright, maybe that's the wrong word. But in my first attempt I got into the infamous island loop - where a northern, harder port just never spawns. It still exists, but isn't dangerous anymore, as whale island let's you escape the loop by traveling anywhere. 

I recommend starting on whale island, and restarting the game until your starters have claws and big ears if you want the tutorial without the tutorial. However, there are bearyenas and quite a few rogue males along a hoter climate. Very easy, otherwise and you can travel anywhere from it. Just make sure to start with claw and optimally big ears. 

If you want to experience Adam's island but not deal with story mode, start on crossing and give yourself home immunity with the console. Works for some, doesn't for others. 

[Jojo]

Story mode is sort of the main game play and currently you can't turn the tutorial off (I wish we could) but you can suggest it in feature requests. The aim of Story Mode is to get to home island with the home island immunity (passed down from Adam) in Story Mode as said above you have to unlock the higher difficulty islands but the islands themselves are still random (inside the difficutly you are still on). Also you can only unlock all genes in story mode as there is a certain gene you only get when you have home island immunity and reach the home island.

Sandbox mode let's you choose which island you want to start on but you can't have home island immunity and 'finish' the story mode line. Otherwhise sandbox is pretty much the same just that the appearance of the islands is a lot less linear. (Also there is a big sandbox update planned so keep your eyes out for that)

Hope that helps

[xpaar]

Thank you both! Sounds like story is the main thing (they did not make it clear that I needed home island immunity at the end, so that's a little frustrating--I'll have to start over after 150 days).

When I played sandbox, it did not randomly do the islands. I finished the island I started on (I randomly chose whale island) and then it asked me which island I wanted to go to next, which clued me into it not being the base game.

Apparently the goal is kind of unclear, so I might give that as feedback.

[Broken]

29 minutes ago, xpaar said:

Thank you both! Sounds like story is the main thing (they did not make it clear that I needed home island immunity at the end, so that's a little frustrating--I'll have to start over after 150 days).

When I played sandbox, it did not randomly do the islands. I finished the island I started on (I randomly chose whale island) and then it asked me which island I wanted to go to next, which clued me into it not being the base game.

Apparently the goal is kind of unclear, so I might give that as feedback.

Only whale island does that. On other islands there are usually two to three ports that lead to different places and always look different.

[Jojo]

1 hour ago, xpaar said:

Thank you both! Sounds like story is the main thing (they did not make it clear that I needed home island immunity at the end, so that's a little frustrating--I'll have to start over after 150 days).

When I played sandbox, it did not randomly do the islands. I finished the island I started on (I randomly chose whale island) and then it asked me which island I wanted to go to next, which clued me into it not being the base game.

Apparently the goal is kind of unclear, so I might give that as feedback.

You can still play your safe file normally even after 'finishing' the story mode. So it is a rather soft goal.

Also something you should be aware of in story mode whale island will only show you islands of the difficulty you already have unlocked. If you find it in story mode without having been to hard or killer islands you will no be able to access them until you have reached them manually through travelling. While travelling the following rule goes: Left port (left from the port you landed on) easier island, right island of same difficulty and up/ norht harder island if there is no north port always go right

[xpaar]

2 minutes ago, Jojo said:

You can still play your safe file normally even after 'finishing' the story mode. So it is a rather soft goal.

Also something you should be aware of in story mode whale island will only show you islands of the difficulty you already have unlocked. If you find it in story mode without having been to hard or killer islands you will no be able to access them until you have reached them manually through travelling. While travelling the following rule goes: Left port (left from the port you landed on) easier island, right island of same difficulty and up/ norht harder island if there is no north port always go right

Does this affect getting to the end in story mode? Do I get there faster going to the north?

[Pokestardragacraft]

1 minute ago, xpaar said:

Does this affect getting to the end in story mode? Do I get there faster going to the north?

Well, there are only two “endings” in story mode which is only affected by whether or not you have the home island immunity gene. The only way to reach the home island in story mode is to continue going north as you need to encounter each challenge island and increase the difficulty of your island as the home island is technically a killer island.

[xpaar]

1 minute ago, Pokestardragacraft said:

Well, there are only two “endings” in story mode which is only affected by whether or not you have the home island immunity gene. The only way to reach the home island in story mode is to continue going north as you need to encounter each challenge island and increase the difficulty of your island as the home island is technically a killer island.

Wow! Okay. I wish the game gave any direction whatsoever on how that works. Haha I never would have finished. I always have gone right.

[Sky]

Every time a tutorial notification comes up, close it and ignore it. Leaving the island before finishing the tutorial will skip the part of the tutorial that takes place on the island you were on.