We have many types of players that have requested very different experiences in the game, so we developed introduced modes for you. Here is some explanation of what you can expect per mode:

A new mode that includes a story-driven set of missions that occurs on a single world, Proteus 2. This is not a multi-planet story and therefore there is no planet-to-planet space travel. Instead, this mode focuses on many development advances such as the repair and salvage system, discovery system, and procedural unlocks. Do not expect a sandbox with custom settings and all buildables unlocked. Buildables will unlock based on your actions and missions in this mode. Console commands are available, but we suggest should only be used if you get stuck or if there is some kind of data error.

• Can choose Male and Female - Male only due to the VO in the story
  
• Missions - Yes, full story mission set with VO
  
• All Items Unlocked at Start - No, Procedural Unlocks based on missions
  
• Custom Structures Available - No, uses too many resources for the story
  
• Console Commands - Yes, press "/" in game
  
• Settings Available - Normal, Easy
  
• Space Travel - No, due to the nature of the story

A simple mode where you can choose what world to play on and create without the need of resources or survival mechanics. There are also no creatures in this mode. Planet travel is possible, as is console commands.

• Can choose Male and Female - Yes
  
• Missions - No
  
• Space Travel - Yes
  
• All Items Unlocked at Start - Yes
  
• Custom Structures Available - Yes
  
• Settings Available - None
  
• Console Commands - Yes, press "/" in game

An advanced mode where you can choose a starting world and attempt to survive as long as possible. There is a short list of missions to get you started, but will not contain the entire story. Note that not all worlds are equal - some will have abundance in certain resources and be devoid of others. It is up to you to adjust to your environment. There is no end, survive as long as you can. All buildables are unlocked. Console commands are available in this mode but space travel is not.

• Can choose Male and Female - Yes
  
• Missions - Yes, small set to get you started
  
• Space Travel - No, this mode is meant to be a contest for best player per planet
  
• All Items Unlocked at Start - Yes
  
• Custom Structures Available - Yes
  
• Settings Available - None
  
• Console Commands - Yes, press "/" in game

Think of this as the original legacy mode. Choose your starting world, adjust custom server settings, and invite friends (or not) to play with you in your own custom server. There are no server cycles, you can play as long as you want. All buildables are unlocked. There are a short list of missions to get you started, but not a full story. Space travel and console commands are available. Use the Ally system to create colonies.

• Can choose Male and Female - Yes
  
• Missions - Yes, small set to get you started
  
• Space Travel - Yes, with support for passengers
  
• All Items Unlocked at Start - Yes
  
• Console Commands - Yes, press "/" in game
  
• Custom Structures Available - Yes
  
• Settings Available - Easy, Normal, Extreme, Creative, Custom
  
• Server Wipes - No

This mode has some distinct differences to the Private Universe. You can join any public server. You will have a short list of missions to get you started, but not a full story. There is space travel. Console commands are not available to prevent cheating. Use the Ally system to create colonies and share resources. Servers cycle and wipe every 30 days. There are no settings available for this mode.

• Can choose Male and Female - Yes
  
• Missions - Yes, small set to get you started
  
• Space Travel - Yes, with support for passengers
  
• All Items Unlocked at Start - Yes
  
• Custom Structures Available - Yes
  
• Console Commands - No, to prevent cheating
  
• Settings Available - None
  
• Server Wipes - Yes, every 30 days

When in Console Command mode you can follow the prompts to spawn in items, vehicles, etc. You can also toggle creative mode by typing "creative" which eliminates the need for resources. IMPORTANT NOTE - when using console commands and spawning in lots of content, performance will be affected.

We hope this helps clarify what to expect, design reasons, and goals for each mode.