>>2119223
There's plenty of guides and info threads for X-Piratez on the forums, it also has a whole sub board for strategy/tactics threads.
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?board=18.0

But feeling lost and confused is the intended starting experience. After all, you're a bunch of horny mutant retards larping as pirates. The setting is completely foreign and alien, 600 years in the future after OG XCOM. Everything becomes more clear to you, the player, at the same rate as it does to your crew.
Cherish the novelty of it while you can. I don't want to spoil that.

As long as you can keep your monthly scores positive to avoid gameover from score, you're going the right way. Keep investing into brainers to speed up research. Most important research topics are !marked!. Slowly accumulate wealth, knowledge, experienced soldiers and better equipment. Experiment with different weapons to find the best ones, learn which missions you can handle and when to bravely run away. Above all: Read or die!