Oh, I don't know if I can really sell you on it, unless you already like Elite or the many games like it. It was just a reference to that game being incredibly wide (life-size Milky Way galaxy, with 400 billion star systems) but very shallow (they are procedurally-generated and most of them are barren)

Edit: a fun stat from EDSM (also remember this game is 9 years old)

0.020293% of the galaxy has been discovered on EDSM, it will take 41,743 years, 0 months, 16 days to discover it entirely.

So many different ways to play Elite... from 'space trucker' to bounty hunter and everything in between. Best played as part of a group, though that is a bit grey. The group part can be that you 'wing up' with people, or just a social group to help you get through a steep learning curve. Join PTN (Pilots Trade Network) for a fantastic group of people who will support any who want to participate.