The serie is with no doubt one of the best Spaceoperas and -simulations available. Give it a try!
Some of the missions (especialy BalaGi Research Missions in X-tended) are the best (mod of the year!) of the best!
1) Get followup X³ Terran Conflict (X³TC) used CD
2) Download X-tended mod for X³TC same homepage.
There is lots of docu and multiple realy huge helpforums, so you can find a sollution to any problem you will run into or find advice how to do what you want to in best way. There are countless geniouse scripts and extensions.
It has Tractorbeams that can tow big asteroides, autotrader mode that make your tradevessels earn cash or serve your stations autonomouse, autoguard mode that tell your Battleships or Fighters to guard your territory and stations, shieldhacker devices that enable you to steal anything loose from any Fighter to Battleship, Capturefrigattes that enable you to capture and take over enemy battleships, Your own homebase capable of docking a fleet of Battleships, recycle captured ships, reproduce recycled ships.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT47BNF13Ig[/url]