the answer is both. you have to get enough calories to gain but they have to be the right calories. to make an extreme example, eating 500 cals of sugar isnt going to give you the same results as 500 cals from beef. i belive that if you are just starting out and you focus on the macros, the calories will take care of themselves. if you are a hard gainer, there is a good chance you are going to need to eat much more than your average guy. eating is really the hardest part of the sport and for guys like yourself, its going to be even harder. that doesnt mean that you can't develop an amazing physique. it just means that you are going to have to have a good work ethic to grind through and eat enough food to grow. i'd suggest starting with your protein around a couple grams per pound of body weight. then i would start with about 300 carbs and just keep adding more over time until you see that you are starting to get fat. at that point, you'll need to back the carbs down a little and from there, you can get a basic idea of how many calories you'll need to grow. over time, this number is going to change. as you get bigger, you will require more food. if you have an active job and then switch to working at a desk, you'll probably need a little less. its always going to be influx.