Sadly, i can't think of any...

X3: Terran Conflict is:
a) vastly superior
b) not nearly as accessible

Then there's Space Rangers 2: It's not exactly 3D, but it gives you a LOT to explore and it does a really smart thing with text adventure minigames which gives a lot of depth to the world (world itself is not exactly serious, but it is interesting and fun to explore)

I always loved the X series.

X3TC is a very good game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IXffiOex24&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2BYxSivFZE

It is a sandbox game. There are story missions but you can ignore them if you wish. You can build an business empire, play as an assassin doing only combat, explore, there is piracy, etc

A lot of freedom.

I would check it out.

The sequel is in the works XR but most likely out next year.

This one really caught my attention. Definitely what I was looking for. :)

Does it work well without joystick?

AlbertCole: Joystick is not needed, and if you're gonna use it, you will still navigate a lot of menus. And hunt for a tutorial or something, the game can be incredibly rewarding, but you do need to put a lot of time into it. Also, prepare a book or two to read. Trust me.

Wing Commander Privateer, which is available here, is a game in the same vein.

I really should get the X Superbox. I see Steam is selling it for 40€, and GamersGate for 30€. But it is definitely one of those games/series that I'd like to keep, not just play through. So the obvious question: DRM?

On Gamersgate it says "see bundled products" (for info about the DRM), and at least the few entries I checked (X, X2 The Threat, X3 Reunion) said "DRM free". So are all the games in Superbox DRM-free on Gamersgate? Is it the same on Steam?

And what does this note mean on GG?

"Note: If you already own X Superbox and redeem the game on Steam you will get the X3: Albion Prelude Expansion Pack for Free." So does one need to activate the Superbox on Steam in order to get Albion Prelude?

EDIT: Now I noticed that Albion Prelude on GG mentions Steamworks as its DRM. Too bad, part of the pack seems to be DRM-free, and some parts not.

Basically its DRM free except the Albion Prelude [AP] which requires steam. I greatly disliked the AP standalone.

X2 in my opinion was the best in the series as there was risk with industry as a fleet of cargo ships were needed to run factories and later games introduced complex tubing which basically reduced the asset risk greatly to the point that factory ownership is simply profit.

X2 also introduced the Khaak as a highly deadly threat which you know very little about. X3 gives back story to the Khaak and greatly weakens them.

Ok I thought I would add more info on X3AP.

Simply put AP was a surprise expansion released in December and was justifying the major plot changes in X Rebirth which is basically a huge rewrite of the X universe.

So if you don't want steam then your not missing out on much in X3AP. Supports keyboard or mouse. Depends what you prefer. I personally enjoyed the keyboard controls, but the mouse was sometimes useful. If your really into freelancer then the mouse controls would be fine for you. Agreed. You will learn the key board short cuts by heart.

Also the X series has an excellent community which are always happy to explain aspects of the game or help with problems.

http://forum.egosoft.com/

Hardtruck Apocalypse. ;)

It's not nearly that expensive in the US when it goes on sale, wait for the summer sale and work out a trade with one of us US types.

On a totally unrelated matter, look who finally got an avatar... ;-P

Back on topid:

What about the story? Do I need to play through the previous titles to enjoy terran conflict? Or can I simply step in?

It's not nearly as good as Freelancer (nothing is), but Datrkstar One has a similar feel to it. You might also want to consider mods for Freelancer to extend its gameplay. The recently released Discovery Mod is incredible, especially with how it extends multiplayer.

Wing Commander Privateer 2 - The Darkening

Hopefully we will see in with another batch of EA games.

EVE Online.