I can't see there being a prologue, and a Mind Flayer ship tutorial, and a beach section and more tutorials. That would make the early game drag on.
I can't see Backgrounds being more than just bonus skill specializtions, because they will never match the player's ideas.
Heaven forfend our RPG takes its time building character mood and setting...
That is why I'd suggest a separate Tutorial that is self contained and launched from a separate menu, and which can be skipped if desired.
Of course it drags if you try to extend the tutorial into the Mind Flayer ship and then onto the beach as well, that approach is inefficient. It stalls the story launch, screws the pacing, and gives only a piecemeal tutorial at best, since you can't cover everything when the tutorial is set... on a crashing Nautiloid.
Some things you could do in a more standard Tutorial that would be helpful...
Movement and Cam control
Action tutorial to highlight stuff like jump, hide, dash, throw, etc with prompts and situations for each.
Extended Combat tutorials, both solo and grouped, first with an emphasis on basic attacks/actions advantage, shoving pinning dipping etc, but leading into more nuanced support stuff.
Extended Non-Combat or Pre-Combat tutorials, for buffs, healing or stuff like stealing, or convo related like guidance or friends etc.
Spellcasting more generally, with spell prep explaining what cantrips are or how they're different from spells, also consumables.
Hotbar tutorial (and hopefully a spellbook tutorial, if it ever gets its own UI element.)
Resting tutorial, to explain short rest vs long rest or the camp dynamic.
help downed PC and restoration tutorial (someone gets dead)
Map, Mini Map, Journal and quest tracking tutorial.
Leveling tutorial. Like lvl up a temporary companion, so players can get a sense of how that works with some throw away tutorial NPC companion, low pressure decision.
Equipment and Inventory management, send to group/camp, Barter etc tutorial.
The reason to have PCs buy their starting equipment is primarily because its entertaining and traditional for lvl1 adventures, but also to help introduce the game's internal economy and establish its floor... But again, mainly as an excuse to tutor the new player on Inventory and Equipment management, Barter or Merchant menus and skills related to them.
In its current 5e incarnation we have...
Fighters and Priests 5d4 × 10 gp
Rouges and Wizards 4d4 × 10 gp
But in an actual tutorial level you can play it up even more by class archetype or background, if you put that at or near the end of the tutorial.
Right now there are only what, like 10 backgrounds in this game? Is that really "too many variables" to manage?
I mean this is supposed to be a AAA title isn't it? This isn't lunchtime cafeteria fare lol, they should put in the work. Currently the game assumes a high degree of familiarity or prior experience with D&D or maybe Divinity systems, and doesn't do a whole lot to introduce and explain them. I think they should carve out a separate space for this, separate from the main game I mean. Again so that the tutor beats can follow on one after the next until everything is covered, without intruding on the actual story and getting in the way for a returning player or re-rolled toons. If its separate, then its easier to make optional. There for people who need or enjoy it, skip for those who don't/
The tutorial shouldn't bleed into the main story such that players who already know all this stuff have to muddle through it again and again in each replay. Certainly not once we're on the beach, that's way too far into the game for tutorial stuff to still be happening. There's no need to reduplicate, if its covered in the tutorial it could be removed from the current EA prologue, streamlining it so the prologue pacing isn't bogged down by the need to also serve as the tutorial.
