Newbie Difficulty...mods?

[AstroCat]

Hi, we just picked this game up based on a recommendation. We used to have a lot of fun with the HOMM games and this seemed like in that universe.

What is the recommended difficulty to start on? We want a challenge but not at the super frustrating level that it ceases to be fun.

Also, I see the game is modable. Are there any mods that we should use. We have the 6.5 Atari (US) version of the game.

Is there a way to have a female lead character? The wife wants to know.

Thanks!