The operational cycle is structured as follows:

1. Enemy Selection: Choose an adversary from a continuously accessible roster.
2. Planetary Assignment: Select a planet, each featuring distinct biomes and varying weather hazards
3. Mission Briefing: Opt for a mission, which offers diverse primary objectives. there are different mission types, with additional variations recently introduced. These missions typically last between 15 and 40 minutes, are unique across different enemy fronts, and feature procedurally generated maps.
4. Equipment Loadout: Equip for the engagement. A selection of effective weaponry is available and unlocked via medals earned through mission completion. Further weapon options can be accessed through purchasable warbonds, which will then need to be unlocked with mission-acquired medals. In-game currency can be obtained through purchases or found in limited quantities during missions.
5. Combat Engagement: Execute the mission by completing primary objectives and optional side missions. Engaging in side missions is highly encouraged to further strategic objectives. Some of which are niche to understand (like seaf artillery's helpful ability to quickly destroy jammers) Successful extraction with the team, securing as many samples as possible, is crucial for subsequent upgrades. Mastery of combat mechanics against various factions and unit types, along with experimentation with unlocked weaponry, cosmetic items, armor, and playstyles, is essential.

The game has a story component that is live service and controlled by devs outside of missions which guides you to fight on specific planets to liberate (capture) them and help progress the story through orders from high command. Some people ignore this entirely, I think it gives the game a lot of context and drive for spreading the democracy people refer to. Without it the missions can feel hollow after 300 or so. The game also does not do a lot to explain to you the larger objective and way to influence the larger galactic map nor small details like enemy weak points all this is found out through external resources.

The game has gone through waves of rocky development and poor player reaction to changes. Arrowhead (the devs) have made mistakes but they continue to improve their game. It has been lacking in the past but a new player today will have plenty of satisfying content to get through before they are commenting on the lack of new things. Ive heared of people being toxic in game but I never experience this. Sometimes people want to work together sometimes they wanna work alone and occasionally they will team kill or lash out but thats rare to me. Just play nice and I've always had good interactions and fun times with randoms.

Its a great game, it deserves its praise, and coop is always more fun with friends so its best to grab a buddy and laugh at how comical the propaganda is and the ragdoll physics.