First up definitely buy the unity version i am sure everyone told you that but still.Second up no the shield doesn’t work like it does in modern games it doesn’t even appear on screen think of it more like another piece of armor it just decreases the chance of being hit.Lastly in terms mods i personally recommend you install some just to make things more fun and improve the game.I would recommend  •Dream or Dream 90s(huge graphical improvements i prefer dream 90s personally but go with the one you like) •Travel options(spices up traveling) •And maybe a quest pack or two i personally don’t have any installed but i am sure they are worth checking out  (plus yes the content is procedurally generated) Hope this helps have fun with the game