Thank you. Appreciate you responding so quickly. Found a 32-bit version of 0.5.25 (not sure, may be 05.24c?) Moved Arics 0.9.7 to the mods folder, and the game launches now. Thanks. But now I can't start a new game.
Loading an old save is also not an option, since I missed the last few updates of the mod. But when I try to start a new game (after clicking on 'New Game', whether in Story mode or Sandbox mode, I can only progress through the game setup options up to the point where I begin character creation (i.e. the black and white portrait for the PC appears at the bottom of the screen) backward and forward arrows beside character portrait are clickable, but clicking them doesn't do anything; 'Confirm' button is also clickable, but doesn't do anything. When I try to select 'Quick Start' instead of 'Customized Start', this button is clickable, but clicking it does nothing.
Once again, I appreciate your willingness to go back and forth with anonymous noobs like me, even though I know there's nothing really in it for you; but in light of that, I wonder if there isn't some way for me to seek answers to my technical issues without having to bother a real person every time I get stuck? I've seen the changelogs posted on this thread, but I'm wondering if there is perhaps a searchable list of Problems and solutions somewhere, if anybody else has had the above problem? Somewhere you could refer me to? Would Discord be the place to look?
Anyway, thanks again for your continued help.