[Fyron]

The patch is definitely worth downloading. All mods compatible with Gold are compatible with the new patch.

Shipsets:
Unzip them so that they go in folders like this:
C:\Space Empires IV\Pictures\Races\Race Name\*.*

Then, create an empty "Race Name" folder under the Proportions Mod in the same type of location. It would be best if you take a Proportions AI's text files, copy them into the new folder, and rename them with the appropriate Race Name, so that they will work as AIs in the mod. Otherwise, they won't work very well.