Trouble is, most common used forever is like Scrap, Databases, Elerium, Chemicals, Slaves, Glamour. Which are mostly like "play the game, lots of stuff gives it to you", except maybe Glamour not being obvious (well it is obvious if you go with the mindset of "go cool, go risque" that the game is pushing, but not obvious if you think on a pure OG game mindset).
Then there's stuff that's semi-important early, but basically obsolete after a while, like Chitin and Necroplane parts.
Then stuff that's high-tech and useless early game but often important later, like Alien Alloys, Optronics, Power Couplings etc.