Okay I've bounced off this game so many times but this time I'm feeling like I've got a handle on it and I'm gonna go the distance.
it's an old game which means you got to play it a certain way, the bad: save early and save often, seems totally possible to seal your doom and not realize for a little while so multiple files.
the good, take copious notes. there are people who like playing games with a pen and notebook by the computer and people who think that's weird and terrible. I am decidedly the former and this is a game for those sorts people, lots of coordinates and noteworthy planets to remember, lots of weird mysteries to solve that are gonna go easier if you've been writing down the clues.

On that note, pick up the Open Source Ur-Quan project, it's free, it runs Star Control just fine and dandy on modern Windows and lets you pick and choose features from the OG DOS or enhanced 3DO version. 3DO version included pretty decent Voice Acting, which I find makes it way easier for me pay attention to the, it turns out, super important information being conveyed.

you know it's possible I have a bit of the ol' ADHD.