I'm Sorry. X3 Terran Conflict is the game to get. X3 reunion is the inferior one. I forgot that Albion Prelude was DLC.

GoG should really carry these games. Is it wish listed yet? I have a hard time getting past the tutorial. Anyone know of tutorial vids out there?

I would call the X series one of my favourite series ever. My regret is not playing it earlier. I started with X2 in 2009 or 2010 I think. Loved it so much I bought the physical DRM-free Superbox. Spent like 200+ hours on X2, another 200+ on X3: Reunion, I just completed X3: Terran Conflict for 300+ hours, alhough there's no completion in the games, u call it an end when u want to.
In all the games I started off as near penniless dude and eventually traded my way and doing missions till I had enough money to build my first factory and buy automated traders. Eventually I had near 300 factories in complexes and 20 Universal Traders earning millions for me, became a billionaire in the middle of the game. I bought a number of capital ships both battleships and carriers. An of course the games have story missions, some of them involve me swarming the enemy with both capital ships and 100s of fighters, the AI will throw a good number of ships your way if your fight rank is high. And then you have to master boarding, which is another subject on its own. A lot of things to do, A LOT.

Best thing about it is that you can buy or capture any ship you want, provided you have te resources or opportunity, and you can pilot all of them.

X2 has a pretty good tutorial about factories and trading and this tutorial was absent in the X3 games. Although X3 introduced complexes which was absent in X2.
There's a good Let's Play series on YouTube. But I didn't need to watch it, X2 more than taught me what I needed to know.

I agree. I started with Reunion and found that even after my first hundred hours I was continually learning new things and having new experiences. Such a timesink, but such a great series!

It would be nice if GOG released Superbox, I'd be willing to pay real money for it.

Yeah I recall many of the games can be made DRM-free, at least with the GamersGate version... but not Albion Prelude, which apparently is Steam-only. I'd prefer a fully DRM-free Superbox where I don't have to use some workarounds and retail patches separately in order to make the games DRM-free.

What are those features? I don't mind if it disables social features, cloud saving and optional multiplayer.

Are you referring also to the Steam version, or specifically the GamersGate SuperBox?

Sadly there exists no multiplayer for the X-games but the steam versions of AP - and I believe TC also - had achievements and the option for a dead-is-dead-mode (can't load the save anymore after dying). The box version has neither of those because they weren't steam integrated - just regular discbased copy-protection which was patched out a few years later.

After releasing it on steam with these added features - they also allowed the activation of cd-keys of box-versions there.

AP on the other hand was only released through steam (and via steam activation codes) and therefore they provided an exe without steam-integration.

Physical Superbox is DRM-free. Dead is Dead is Steam exclusive mode, so I assume if u use the no-steam fix, you'll lose the ability to play DID.
That's another major reason y I love the X-series so much.

Yep... this is the full list:

"If you are using the NoSteam executable you won't be able to:

- Patch your game – Patches are only provided through Steam

- Play in "Dead-is-Dead" mode

- Get Steam achievements

- Use any other Steam online function"

Small question about this intriguing game: Is it a "wiki game" where you have to keep looking at the wiki while you play or can you go in completely blind?

If you never have played any of the earlier titles (which followed the basic framework used through the series but were much less heavy on the management side of the game, so you are introduced to that more gradually) then i'd say yes, it's a "wiki game".
I've started with the very first one, X: Beyond the Frontier, and so many things felt already familiar while proceeding onto the next title; if you are going straight to X3, that can be, indeed, intimidating.

The basic "commerce and combat in space" aspect, in the vein of the old Elite, is quite straightforward, but as soon as you go into the whole building/remote commerce/fleet management, it gets quite complex and you need some outside help.

You do not need a wiki or guide or anything like that.

The complexity is not in finding out what you can do but in deciding what you want to do and actually achieving it.
It just that the you got compex menu structures but every option and information is accessible to you in game.

Alright. That sort of complexity I can deal with and enjoy. I just hate when a game lacks information and you have to divine what something does (or play the wiki game). Thank you both, Antaniserse and Asturaetus.

Edit: And bought. Good thing I stumble upon this thread. :)