I have played Fallout 3 for a while, and absolutely love it. It's even getting close to dethroning Battlefront as my favorite game ever. Lately, however, I fell there could be more to it. After watching a youtube video of a very interesting mod, I started giving serious thought to buying Fallout 3 for the PC and starting to mod it. However, here is where the problems begin.
I am one of those types of people who curse and hit my computer when something goes wrong, rather than fix it. I am not very good at manipulating all those little folders and such as to make them work. I can kind of make things on Garry's Mod work, but only kind of. This kind of stuff just isn't my forte. I was also wondering if it is possible to change weapon damage and other stats like such by just accessing the proper folder and changing the number, such as in Age of Empires (my only experience with this type of stuff). Overall, my main question is, regarding what I just said, do you think someone like me would get much out of modding, or would it just be a waste of time, money, and vital essence?

The reason I didn't post this on the modding forum is that I feel it's more of a general question about the game than a specific modding question.

i think you would get more responses on the modding forums

You don't have to make the mods yourself you can just download them, that isn't to say if you try you wouldn't learn anything.

To make changes you will need to use the GECK. I haven't modded anything for Fallout 3 yet but if its like the TES III and IV construction sets it will be easy enough to change weapon/armour values in it.

Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ix-dOGfXs&feature=related that explains how to install MODS using the Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM). It explains in detail how install one of the most popular, Fallout Wanderers Edition but the principles work for all them as far as I know.

FOMM makes life a lot easier, you don't have to worry that things are getting installed correctly and if you find that two mods conflict or you just get bored with one, you can disable it with a single click.

What you would do is make a copy of the ObjectID and make your changes. Then place a reference of the object into the world, or add the object to the player by simple script, or add the object to a leveled list. If you edit the original ObjectID then you will change every instance of it in the entire game. That is why most modders make a copy, then change stats, graphics, sounds, etc, and place it into the world. I think it would be easy for you.

Because you would go in, make stat changes to whatever weapon objectID, save the .esp and name it, and enable the .esp and it would affect every reference of that object.

Its not hard at all and you will find help in the forums (me included) but you have to be ready for spend some time in:

1. Learn about install mods in Fallout 3.
2. Play some minutes with recently instaled mods, just for checking, before to play the game.
3. And this is the hardest: Make the choice about the mods you really want and these you dont really want.

As I say, is not hard and, in my opinion, is fun, but you must be mentalized about the fact that isnt buy-instal-play, for dont curse and hit your PC. <_<