When comparing X3: Terran Conflict vs Descent: Underground, the Slant community recommends X3: Terran Conflict for most people. In the question“What are the best Space Sims on Steam?” X3: Terran Conflict is ranked 9th while Descent: Underground is ranked 38th. The most important reason people chose X3: Terran Conflict is:
You start in a small fighter or trade ship, but can own and control as many ships and stations as you care to build up, including some unique facilities tied to the story.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro You can own an empire, not just a ship
You start in a small fighter or trade ship, but can own and control as many ships and stations as you care to build up, including some unique facilities tied to the story.
Pro Deep, open-ended gameplay
You can fight, build, trade, pirate - so much to do!
Cons
Con Graphics look a bit dated compared to a game like Star Citizen
Con Daunting for new players
This series has a long pedigree. It has a lot of complexity that you get dropped into pretty quickly, and the plot has some quirks. If you don't mind sometimes checking out a wiki to wrap your head around something or to get unstuck, you'll be fine.