Totally confused on patches and mods

[Ubik]

If you are new to the game, upgrade it to Version 1.27 and keep playing until you get a clear feel of it (play the tutorial first to help you getting started). Then, and only then, you should start looking at mods. Be conservative while installing them as some change the game equilibrium significantly.

BEFORE installing mods, try looking at the files inside the directories DATA and AI. If you start to understand the structure, you can understand pretty well what the mods do.
Of course, if you dont want to spend some time looking at those files, you can always install the mods but it will be more dificult to you to understand what the authors are talking about when explaining them.

Swift Conquers!