I am using the patched version. Unless you allow us to reload failed battles, including the 4/2 aliens in the first combat is brutal. Especially if it matters if a miner survives.
Managing cash, gems, and food is not exactly hard, but we are not able to begin terraforming etc. until a week into the game. So maybe throw a 1/1 alien into the mix for the early combats or allow humans to select their opponents. Otherwise it is kind of a coin toss if we can make it past the first few weeks.
Or maybe I'm being stupid and missing something. I welcome correction to any mistake I've been making.