I haven't played much of CoC2, but it probably has a lot of the same sensibilities as TiTS, given they share some writers. I'll lay out some differences as I understand them.
1a. TiTS is a solo game in combat, for the most part. You have some guest NPCs for a handful of quests, but it's not a normal part of gameplay.
1b. There are a lot of characters you can recruit to join you on your Ship. They just don't accompany you in combat.
2. TiTS is more Class-based than CoC2. You can't learn cross-class powers. There are four Classes: Mercenary, Smuggler, Tech Specialist, Kineticist (psychic).
3. A lot of TFs are random (though a lot of the more recent ones are more deterministic). There is no Alchemy-like system. I understand it's because Fenoxo likes randomness and Savin does not. (And Taint ended up going in a different direction than initially envisioned.)
4. You play as a specific character with a specific backstory and goal. You get some wiggle-room and there's a personality stat (Nice, Mischievous, Hard/Ass).
The game's plot is not finished, but they're working on the endgame now.
Edit: I see you decided to go ahead and start playing, even after getting no answers. I hope you enjoy the game and feel free to ask more questions. More specific questions are easier to answer.
