Welcome Aboard!
I would have to agree that SH3 would probably be the best choice. Fully patched - and using the forums here to answer any number of "undocumented" questions you may have - your sure to find yourself enjoying the game fairly quickly. In addition - the SH3 tutorials were a bit better fleshed out than the ones in SH4.
The other good point is that SH3 and SH4 are very similiar - some interface differences but the concept and gameplay is close. By the time you get fully versed in the nuances of SH3 - the bugs and such in SH4 might be worked out to where the jump over won't be so frustrating.
Since SH3 is more "mature" in its lifecycle - there are more mods available to tweak it to your own style. From minor tweaks in graphics or mechanics, to the ever useful SH3Commander - to the massive GWX addon - there are mods available to do most anything - or the tools available to change what you want yourself. For SH4 - we havent yet gotten a clear understanding of all the "under the hood" workings, so there will be some time before the level of tweakability is there for SH4 (although there has been a great start!).
As stated above - we were all new to this at one time. Everyone learns - so feel free to ask questions - we all do! I lurked for a year or 2 before posting - and rarely will you find a more mature and helpful community. That doesnt mean there isnt some sword crossing on occasion - but its much more rare here than elsewhere.
Good Hunting!
Captain Haplo
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