???

X3TC and X3AP > X3 - at least from usability IMO - not sure if story makes it worth going back to play X3

Well, the then there is only X3:Reunion left of the X3 plus the X and X2 games and X:Rebirth and its VR version of course. I think X3:Reunion had an interesting plot (except too much flying indoors yuck) and I like it being balanced but that also means it is much slower to play. It is a dish best served modded . If you are tight on money, no need to bother as X3:TC and X3:AP are plenty and besides from the story, which is only a small part of the games after X:Beyond the Frontier, the gameplay is very much the same just mostly better.

So you are not a completionist then, huh? Just faking it?

My intention is to start playing the X series starting from the very first game, so of course I personally need to own them all (which I do). One day...

Similarly, I have currently installed the first three Heroes of Might & Magic games, with the intention to start from the first game. The first game seems modern enough so that I don't need to skip it, like I would with e.g. earliest Wizard/Ultima/Might&Magic games, too archaic nowadays.

Never played before, but you can try. Is not it too much effort?

I tried playing X: Beyond the Frontier, but it's far harder to get into as later games. X2 is nice, but setting up a working economy is a lot of chore. Reunion was ok-ish, I don't remember exactly whether you could build complexes or not, but the Paranid Hyperion was really hard to get and a cool ship :D. Anyway Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude are much better polished so I'd go with them. Actually I would go with Albion Prelude and a mod which enables the Terran Conflict plots if I'd start the game all over again.