It simply doesn't matter what you want or do, it all comes down to this important first step; unless you know exactly what the game is all about, you'll never figure out the essentials.

Where to begin? Principles, features, concepts, manuals, tutorials, forums, other mods?

NONE of the above, baby.

Play the thing, once - twice - beyond and -- again. Still don't get it, do you? Too bad, start all over. Victories & Defeats aren't the last screens you'll ever see if you're serious about modding YOUR stuff, your way.

Here's an excerpt from the Readme.txt file(s) *i always type before zipping any of my mods* if you've never took the time to consult it, because it reveals an important reasoning;

I'll be honest on the outright; raceconfig, customracexml, opponent, data under mod dir,
gfx under root dir, My documents path, relative install folders (variable settings for each users), totalgaming.net, Stardock central, saved and loaded, modified or replaced, added or activated, use or not... it could all get confusing if you ask me.
So i tried real hard to understand the whole process and "ambiguous" standards. No such luck at first. Took me quite a long time, but not without some helpful resources, namely;

Proper CREDITS where and when it's due;

Got that? Bothered enough? Boring, isn't it?

I am nothing. Everything i create, everything i decide, everything i edit in multiple files... is a direct result of some dev_staff work at StarDock. Some people wearing sun-glasses under fluorescent ceilings, grey-matter firing neurologic patterns gained through C++ mastering (and, much more!), indenting columns and pages of uncompiled wonders of the intellect. By experience, by knowledge, cuz it's THEIR jobs to deliver a bug free executable.

That plays you, that knows what to do, that goes into labyrinths of complex but still simulated events, that even outsmarts the noobs or/and the millionaire scorers of the Metaverse.

It is an RTS (TBS, really - are you absolutely sure?). Know the turn. Know what it means to watch an AI or more compute consequential activities. Know when to click. Know where to look for mysteries and micman (Micro-managing) help already built-in. Know the mathematics of efficient Galactic conquest. Know the conditions, the limitations, the informations.

Simply Know or just shut up when you aren't sure what to say. Thinking is Knowing. Beforehand. Constantly.

I only fiddle with a few features, adapt some elements, provide an alternate gameplay context. I have to take hardwired decisions (at the risk of completely destroying balance, btw) based on solid instinct (at my age, you start to understand what gaming is). and aiming to create new challenges for players. Who, as a result, no longer know the game!!

Too bad, you HAD to before even daring to step into my tricky stuff.

2- How to decide what