Endgame spoilers - did I miss something?

[teajay]

I reached a point where I could - I assume - leave with AL-AN and end the game, but I didn't find out what happened to Sam, so is this a sequence break or can you just leave it open? I did go to northern research station pretty late, only after remaking AL-AN's body.

Afterwards I took the map and headed to Omega Lab, and gathered that Sam and Marg nuked the place, but after that Marg has no new dialogue and I still didn't find out what happened to Sam after. Was I meant to read about it from some PDA I missed or did they just leave it open? Is this the end of Sam subplot?

It's funny since I thought the two plotlines would merge but apparently they're just mostly separate, apart from AL-AN saying he hid because Alterra wanted to find him.

[Coops]

The two lines are separate. But Sam's story as well as Maida's are essentially side quests since the game can end without addressing either of them.
Did you find the frozen leviathan? That's where Sam's story ends.

[Ǥɾᴧᴤʆᴧᵯᴧ]

i forgot where i found the map of the galcial basin. but this map give you hints where to go, like the map you can find in Delta Outpost (island)
i think you missed the Glacial Basin, you did not miss Arctic Spires because AlAn was built...
i dont want to spoil much but, some other player should tell you where to find the map of the Glacial Basin. Was it in Phi? i just forgot it...

[teajay]

I have not found the frozen leviathan and I think I have not been to Glacial basin. I have been to Arctic spires (fixed the bridge etc) and I _think_ I have a map for Glacial basin .. but perhaps I thought it was the map for Arctic spires (since it's a snow region). Where should I go from the Phi research lab or the bridge to reach the Basin?

e: Okay so if I read the map correctly, Arctic spires is basically the north from Phi and Glacial basin is to the south? (if Phi is the station-looking thing below the bridge on the map)

[Ghorath]

right when facing phi robotics entrance scale the ladder up through cave systems (which is a pain) or go left follow the frozen river and try using the map you found at phi outpost opposite of sam's room (dont forget the spy penglin sites)

[Ǥɾᴧᴤʆᴧᵯᴧ]

yes, pass Phi (the station with the big slightly opened gate and a habitat for the crew in there) and go south

[teajay]

On one hand I kinda like that the game doesn't hold your hand constantly like "go here to progress plot" and I get it now that you're just meant to use the Alterra stations map to go search for them on your own.. but on the other, I've had lots of confusion not knowing where to go or what to do at times. I was a bit confused seeing I can end the game without really doing anything to solve the other subplot. But I guess it's more of a mystery you can solve _if_ you feel like it.

Probably reason I didn't feel like exploring the snow areas is because Arctic spires sucked so much to begin with. All the land areas I've been on feel weak compared to water exploring.