Hope you're enjoying the game and becoming less nervous!
One thing to consider early on: People are quite right that sandbox mode can be extremely useful for getting started and learning the basics, precisely because it allows you to turn off various settings and just learn one skill at a time.
But you may also want to think early on about whether sandbox is the only mode that you'll ever want to play. For some it is, and that works great for them. There's years of fun that can be had right there.
But if you think you might want to try your hand at some of the other modes eventually too, I'd encourage you to actively be assessing whether and when you feel like you've got a good enough handle on the basics to try out the other modes, and to be cautious of getting "stuck" in the sand trap.
Precisely because sandbox allows the freedom to turn various management considerations on and off, in order to play and learn without the "hassle" of those other mechanisms (which can be quite helpful starting out!), it may also be teaching you to play in a way that may not require you to learn to "balance" all those other mechanisms to the same extent that the other modes might. So if you're in sandbox too long, you may pick up habits or ways of doing things that can be difficult to unlearn if you ever switch to another mode.
I compare it a bit to learning to ride a bike, with training wheels, in an empty field that allows for a soft fall. It's a great way to learn! And can be a lifelong enjoyment in and of itself! Absolutely nothing wrong with doing that and only doing that!
But if you're someone who is also hoping to be able to ride in the big city someday, then you don't want to get too used to being able to turn without also thinking about signaling, or relying on the soft ground as a perfectly safe way to stop. If you've become too reliant on the training wheels, and incorporated them too much into the way you ride a bike, then you'll find yourself having to learn to balance all over again if/when they finally come off.
One thing to consider early on: People are quite right that sandbox mode can be extremely useful for getting started and learning the basics, precisely because it allows you to turn off various settings and just learn one skill at a time.
But you may also want to think early on about whether sandbox is the only mode that you'll ever want to play. For some it is, and that works great for them. There's years of fun that can be had right there.
But if you think you might want to try your hand at some of the other modes eventually too, I'd encourage you to actively be assessing whether and when you feel like you've got a good enough handle on the basics to try out the other modes, and to be cautious of getting "stuck" in the sand trap.
Precisely because sandbox allows the freedom to turn various management considerations on and off, in order to play and learn without the "hassle" of those other mechanisms (which can be quite helpful starting out!), it may also be teaching you to play in a way that may not require you to learn to "balance" all those other mechanisms to the same extent that the other modes might. So if you're in sandbox too long, you may pick up habits or ways of doing things that can be difficult to unlearn if you ever switch to another mode.
I compare it a bit to learning to ride a bike, with training wheels, in an empty field that allows for a soft fall. It's a great way to learn! And can be a lifelong enjoyment in and of itself! Absolutely nothing wrong with doing that and only doing that!
But if you're someone who is also hoping to be able to ride in the big city someday, then you don't want to get too used to being able to turn without also thinking about signaling, or relying on the soft ground as a perfectly safe way to stop. If you've become too reliant on the training wheels, and incorporated them too much into the way you ride a bike, then you'll find yourself having to learn to balance all over again if/when they finally come off.
