I've never modded before - never used Creation Kits or GECKS or anything like that - so I want to know if it will be easy for an average joe who's never modded before to use the CK. Or, do you typically need a background in modding to be able to understand the CK?

Suppose I wanted to change the colour of a certain item and introduce it as a new item... could I do this in the CK alone, or would I need an image-editing program like Photoshop?

I've only modded a few times, but assuming it's not too different, I'll tell you what I know.

The TESCS (as it was previously) can make new NPCs/Worldspaces/etc. using game models. If you wante to take a shield and just give it an enchantment, that's a piece of cake. Recoloring involves copying the mesh and texture out of the game files, which you couldn't do without outside tools in MW/Obl, and then changing that with image-editing software. There is the old TESCS Wiki to go through projects of different complexities. That wiki was really helpful, so I'd assume that something similar would be introduced.

However, as an XBox gamer, I never really did much except for a bit ob Oblivion, which I had for PC. Therefore, I'm by no means an expert like some of the modders you see at the TESNexus, but I could still do some basic things due to the ease-of-use of the tool.

Using the editor is generally fairly easy. Editors essentially allow you to use the content that comes with the game. You can create a new world space, for example, and add architecture, plants, NPCs, etc., to it using the editor. Or, you can add things to the places that already exist. You can do things like create a new NPC, give him a quest with dialogue, and send the player to a dungeon that you've created and populated with creatures and treasure.

In order to add new content to the game, you need external tools like 3d modeling applications, image editors, and sound editors. Then you can take existing art assets and change them or create new assets and use the editor to place them in the game. In order to get a new 3d model into the game, you typically need to export it to a format the game recognizes, which can sometimes be difficult as you have to wait for modders to create the export/import scripts and get them working properly. (It's not usually very hard to get new textures or sound effects into the game.) Most mod communities get simple objects (like a wooden crate or a stone) into the game in short order, but things like custom animations and particle effects are very difficult to import into the game and may never be possible.

Voiced dialogue and lip sync animations can also be tricky to do.

[Edit: That's all based on using the Construction Set and G.E.C.K. and tools for other games. The Creation Kit may be better or worse in certain regards.]

Ah, now that you mention it, Bethesda did say they would release a wiki and videos to help people get started. I'd like to learn how to mod anyhow... then I can make stuff happen without waiting for other people to do it for me.

Thanks!

To the OP: to understand the CS(CK) you do need some knowledge of what all those buttons and definitions are that Beth used to create Skyrim. There are some pro modders who still don't know what certain things are because the CS, for example, is not very user friendly. Luckily, there are many how-to tutorials on the net. In fact, Beth said they will create some official tutorials for the CK. Of course, you can always come to the forums if you are stuck in your editing venture.

Btw, go to the Skyrim Mods forum to get help.