Which mode to start on for a new player with all DLCs? Adventure or Atlas?

[EVIDENCE]

Title.

[Pandorian]

Adventure has a smoother progression curve that's easier to understand than Atlas. Atlas can be fun but there's more judgement calls on what to level up based on what you'll be able to do with a skill.

For a new player I'd say go with Adventure mode if you have to pick between the two. At least until you can get some of the basics down. There's also no harm in getting your adventure mode character to a point at which you're grinding something out and then dipping into Atlas.

[EVIDENCE]

Adventure mode it is, thanks!

[whystler]

Your first playthrough should be standard mode. Adventure mode can become really grindy and frustrating. Better to first play around a bit with all the skills without any of the restrictions of the other modes.

[Meclodar]

GO HC, it's the only real choice. No risk, no fun.

[Truth_X_ile]

It's suggested to start with Standard Mode normally, Adventure Mode requires knowledge of the game ahead of time, some people have been known to purchase the wrong skills and have to start over because the grind is way too long in comparison to getting a skill that makes you a lot of money & of course Hardcore Mode reserved for the masochists, risk dying to lose all progress entirely

Personally, I'd start all modes, start them training a skill, then if you decide you're ready to come back to it later, you'll have some progress already started, although you can't really idle Adventure Mode until you have unlocked a skill, you won't have access to auto-eat or a food source for the starting leg of combat which is all you can do at the start

Standard Mode

This is an unrestricted mode, it gives you access to everything immediately

Hardcore Mode

Same as Standard Mode it has everything accessible to you, but if you die, the character is deleted immediately, also in the means of combat, you are heavily outweighed by negative effects and harsher penalties & lastly, you are limited on the amount of Bank Space you can purchase in the shop

Adventure Mode

You will need the advanced knowledge of the main part of the game to understand which skills are beneficial for you to unlock to make/increase your GP gain to unlock further skills, it gets quite expensive with each new skill you purchase, "your combat level reflects how high a skill can reach, if you had 20 combat level the highest level you can reach in any skill will be 20, you can still earn XP in the skill, but it will stop just before reaching level 21 until you level up your combat level more to increase the skill level", it remains the same as Standard Mode in terms of accessibility, assuming you can purchase all the skills to use them and capped behind a combat level system until you reach 99 or 120 combat level respectively, but also comes with the Hardcore combat system with harsher penalties intertwined as well

Ancient Relics Mode

Obviously requires EXTREME knowledge of the game already, knowing what you have access to and how to handle which situations will matter a lot, although it is a safe mode to play in, it will test all your skill and knowledge

Good Luck & Have Fun

[Mouse]

Originally posted by Meclodar:

GO HC, it's the only real choice. No risk, no fun.

I can't agree, because losing of 2 months of progress because you didn't know something (like one boss attack that kills you if you have <90% HP) can be very frustrating rather fun :D Game is fun by itself, with all grinding and getting stuff that has 0.015% to drop.

Risking is fun when you realize what you do. And it's not cool when you simply not sure in some things and should try it first.

IMO, it's better to create two accounts, standart and HC. So, you can test some stuff at standart (like some bosses), and play HC with new knowledges, being sure that you do all right.