There is no single predefined way to play - everything is entirely up to you. You chose what you want to be and how you want to play. You can be a peaceful merchant, shuttling goods between stars. You can be an outlaw, attacking innocent ships and capturing their cargo. You can be a smuggler, trading in illegal goods banned by the the Intergalactic Federation. You can even run missions, both legal and illegal. There is so much to the game. Not only can you upgrade your ships weapons, but you can also upgrade equipment, such as adding more powerful engines or faster regenerating shields. You can even trade your ship in and fly something else entirely, whether a captured pirate ship or a large, bulky cargo carrier.