If you've never grown before, IMO you should go soil. One less thing to worry about.
And you're right. The plethora of information out there can be daunting. 1-Soil(Don't skimp on soil, get Fox Farm),2-Lights(Ballast,reflector/hood,Bulb,TIMER),3-Fans(High Velocity)4-Nutriants. 5- GOOD...