How big is it...how deep does the rabbit hole go?

[Splat]

Hello everyone.
I have always been a fan of space games, i tried a few like No Man's Sky and most recently Empyrion, i also have stored in my library Elite Dangerous, that game looks awesome, amazing vistas and with depth and substance but when i think of playing it i feel terrified i don't know if the scope of the game or flying my ship and fear of loosing the ship i'm piloting, i think i feel overwhelmed by space games at the end, maybe it's the scope of the universe.

I want to overcome this, for a few times when browsing through Steam my eyes have stopped every time that i come across X4.
How deep is this game or how much depth is there to it? I have read that we can't go to planets or explore them, it's a shame but it isn't an issue for me, i wonder if there are professions in the game, if we can fill roles in the game like a trader or maybe even a pirate?
How big is the universe, is there a market or way to do trade?

In terms of story or narrative is there one with quests, do we get to meet people along the way?

I am really interested in X4 Foundations and even if it has a steep learning curve i have to try my best to flow with it.
If i may ask, considering the part of a story or fragments of one, trading, planet exploration, space fighting and exploration is there other space games you would recommend that have these aspects?

[mystery]

Universe size is good imo, not too large or small. Large enough to explore, small enough you can manage it without losing the overview.
Universe is pre-made, but the stations are randomly placed & AI can build or deconstruct stations by demand (or lack of it); Factions at war will tend to fight with each other & the Xenon just want peace through extermination.

No pre-made professions & no skills. You can assign yourself a role if you like tho, it is a sandbox economy space game with enemies, pirates & allied/rival nations after all.
Can make it big as trader, ending up as a trade-mogul. Or be a pirate & go steal ships from other races to add to you buccaneer fleet.

There's a variety of stories to do in a variety of scopes; Some can be done on a day, others will need more time & resources.
Also plenty of single missions you can take for rewards like credits, various goodies/resources or even ships.

On ships, there is a nice selection to pick from, agile fighters, gunships, various sizes of tradeships, from small nimble ones to lumbering freighters, and capital ships with serious firepower. You can also own an entire fleet of ships, either for your own pleasure, or to support your growing power.
Various races have variants of the ships & come with their own style.

Can build your own stations for trading if you're into that, or build some serious defensive forts too.

DLC's are good as well & can be bought later & be added into an existing game you're running. They always add new factions,more space & more campaigns.

The game is very complex & not very intuitive at times (the ingame tutorials do help & you can play/check them during the game when needed). Community is also helpful when you get stuck or run into things you do not fully understand or want to do.
Also great modding community when you like to have an aspect of the game changed to suit you better (more ships, better economy, more powerful enemies, better commands etc)

[ZombieHunter]

X4 will take you down multiple rabbit holes. The depth depends on you.