But i have no idea about modding or coding or ..anything for that matter.

So obviously i am looking over the wiki to learn thing..but even then once i am ready to begin i have no idea where to start.

I want to make my own faction..would i start by actually making the actors and weapons with some kind of program like GIMP? ..or would i start coding something first..i barely know half of what i am trying to explain here .

If somebody could kindly push me in the right direction i would appreciate it.
Also...maybe telling me some free program i would be needing..

I never had any desire to mod before, But playing with all these factions created by you guys inspired me. And CC is the only game that i have had any confidence in that i could actually successfully mod.

The GIMP is one of many graphics programs useful for making sprites. You need to both create the sprites and code for an actor, same with anything in Cortex.

If you follow the tutorials in the wiki you should be running through them, checking you understand by making small throwaway mods. If you do that, you'll understand what I mean and be all the better for it.

programs you need.
simply any text editor to open the .ini files (i use notepad++ for examlpe which is realy usefull)
and to make sprites you can use again any image making program (for windows paint for example)
that is all you need to edit the files.
now since you have no experience whatsoever i suggest than you start simply.
templates
these templates can help you make a first mod with a single gun/actor etc.
use the wiki to see some tutorials in modding and if you want download the file i have uploaded in the post it has a lot of info for basic coding and spriting in cortex command.
(damn i wrote desperatly slow)

Hey thanks guys .