There is going to be a story. Currently, I am still changing the basics of gameplay to get the thing to be fun. Right now I am not quite happy with the encounters (the most basic level) as they seem too binary (either "everyone's after you" or "there's no one here"). At a bit hither level there are a few things missing - like reinstalling unlocked EXMs, better weapons and mixing them. I should get it right soonish and then I will start to work on the story.
Yes, the tutorials are gone. They were explaining lots of things that have either changed or are no longer a part of the game. I do not plan to reintroduce them in their form but to incorporate them into the story/narrative.