Road and CX bikes are for going fast, with a few unique aspects here and there. Mountain bikes are way, way different. Some make you want to race, some to jump, some to climb, some to descend, and then there are sort of ratios of each. I found my sweet spot in MTB ownership in a sort of renegade XC bike that “goes braaap”. You find what works for your around the trails you ride the most.
Trek Stache is an insanely cool, crazy fun bike that’s great to learn on.
These are my bike of choice but prefer 120/120 high volume dampers. My bike of choice is a Scalpel SE2. The 120mm forks are usually significantly stiffer and feel better due to the increased volume.
Get a bike with the geometry that speaks to you, with the best fork and damper you can buy, and make sure to get a dropper ASAP because they make going down big stuff less scary.
Also, a digital shock pump. I 3psi either way can take the damper out of range and you can’t really get the precision needed with an analog pump/gauge.